Earlier in the week I had been chatting with my friend Jen online. We hadn't seen each other in quite some time, and so we decided we should get together. I suggested she come with me to do one of my new things, and we decided to go and milk a cow.
I had done a little bit of research on this particular new adventure, because I didn't know anyone who had a cow. I called a family in our ward who has goats and oxen, but they didn't know of anyone I could see to learn how to milk a cow. I guess I didn't realize what a dilemma it could be to try and find a cow to milk. I don't quite remember why, but I was looking online at the Historic Wheeler Farms website. I think maybe I was considering this as one of my final new adventures, and as I was browsing around, I was looking at the different activities they provide. Lo and behold, you could milk a cow for $.50! They do this every day at 5:00 pm. Even better!
So, Jen and I had decided to meet up at the farm and milk cows. I was going straight from work, so I climbed in my car, typed in my desired destination on my GPS, and followed the British voice where she told me to go. I "arrived at my destination," but there was nothing there! Seriously, there wasn't even a place to turn off the road! I had seen a few signs on my way telling me I was going in the right direction, but now, there was just a long fence with tall, dead grass growing in front of it. I drove around for a little bit, hoping to find another sign, but I eventually happened upon the entrance to the farm. (Which doesn't, by the way, say Wheeler Farms on the sign at the entrance.)
I parked, found Jen, and we asked around about where we could buy a ticket to milk a cow. Tickets in hand, we then asked where this milking would take place. We were given vague directions (to the left of the country store), but we couldn't find anywhere that looked promising except for a pen holding two or three milk cows. We eventually figured out where we were supposed to be, and quietly made our way to the back of the barn. There were signs all over the place to "please be quiet during the milking." It kind of felt like we were in the library.
We had found our seats, looked around, and realized we were the only adults there who had come to milk a cow. There were probably 20+ kids there, all patiently waiting to have their 30 second turn to milk this poor cow who had her head in a feeding trough. We waited our turn, and then it was us. We took our respective turns, and I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but it was an....interesting experience. The employee standing behind the cow didn't give me any instruction, just watched as I awkwardly grabbed on and started milking. The udder was a lot warmer than I had expected, but it wasn't so bad. Then Jen took her turn, and we ignored the strange looks from the girls working there.
We made our way back outside, where we looked at the water fowl, mostly ducks and geese, in the pond, then wandered around a little bit. We went back to the cow pen and took some more pictures of the cows there, looked around the "Country Store," and then decided to call it an evening. We both had places we needed to be, and it was starting to get dark.
It was really good to see Jen again, and I can't think of anyone I would rather have milked a cow with. It kind of makes me glad that most of our milk gets machine pumped now-a-days. Does that make me sound spoiled? Eh, oh well!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Opera!
I had only come up with 27 new things for my list, and we were sitting around trying to think of possibilities, and my sister Annie suggested seeing an opera. Annie to the rescue yet again!
We looked up what operas were playing, and found tickets to La Boheme for only $15! Am-ma-zing! A few clicks and numbers later, and our tickets would be waiting for us at the will call window at the Capitol Theater on Wednesday, October 20. I was so excited!
So, the evening of the opera arrived, and my sister Rachel helped me decide what to wear. I ended up in a knee length black dress, knee high black boots, and my awesome necklace I had purchased on our trip to the planetarium. I must say, I looked pretty good! I drove down to Annie's house, where she looked smashing as well, and we drove down to the theater.
We were escorted to our seats by one of the ushers, and got ourselves settled in. We were only a few rows from the top of the balcony, but I think those seats were optimal. A few tall guys came and sat in front of us, and the seats to our right were vacant, so we moved over so we could see better. The lights went down, the curtains rose, and we were in for a treat.
There were four acts, which were blissfully short, and the plot was very sweet with a bit of humor thrown in. I was quite surprised at how much I liked it. I guess I had some idea of large women in terrible dresses with metal coned & horned hats. I was TERRIBLY mistaken. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the intermissions were almost as long as the opera. I think, however, I may just like the opera a lot!
We looked up what operas were playing, and found tickets to La Boheme for only $15! Am-ma-zing! A few clicks and numbers later, and our tickets would be waiting for us at the will call window at the Capitol Theater on Wednesday, October 20. I was so excited!
So, the evening of the opera arrived, and my sister Rachel helped me decide what to wear. I ended up in a knee length black dress, knee high black boots, and my awesome necklace I had purchased on our trip to the planetarium. I must say, I looked pretty good! I drove down to Annie's house, where she looked smashing as well, and we drove down to the theater.
We were escorted to our seats by one of the ushers, and got ourselves settled in. We were only a few rows from the top of the balcony, but I think those seats were optimal. A few tall guys came and sat in front of us, and the seats to our right were vacant, so we moved over so we could see better. The lights went down, the curtains rose, and we were in for a treat.
There were four acts, which were blissfully short, and the plot was very sweet with a bit of humor thrown in. I was quite surprised at how much I liked it. I guess I had some idea of large women in terrible dresses with metal coned & horned hats. I was TERRIBLY mistaken. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the intermissions were almost as long as the opera. I think, however, I may just like the opera a lot!
Habitat for Humanity
I was looking for something to put on my list in the way of volunteering, but I have done a lot in that category. Then I thought of Habitat for Humanity, and it sounded like a good idea to me.
This new adventure wasn't too complicated, just an application to print out, fill out, and mail in. Then they'll call me and assign me to a project. Now all I have to do is wait...
This new adventure wasn't too complicated, just an application to print out, fill out, and mail in. Then they'll call me and assign me to a project. Now all I have to do is wait...
Bone marrow donor list
So, after many phone calls, a lot of research, even more voice mails left with people, I have decided that now may not be the time for me to add my name to the National Bone Marrow Donor list.
I knew I could apply to be a donor online, but I kind of wanted the experience of going somewhere to make this one happen. I called around, talked to many people, some helpful, and some not. All in all, it was determined there was not a specified place to go and have your blood tested to be put on the list. So, I went online and began filling out the application.
There are many health questions, as you might imagine, and they want a lot of information so they can contact you should they find a match that needs your marrow. I went through and filled out everything that was asked of me, and got to the end of the process. They explained how it is expensive to test your blood and process all of the information, but how people have made donations to cover this cost. I could make a donation if I would like towards these costs, but I kind of felt like my donation of marrow would be enough. (What a Scrooge I am, right?) I left the donation box blank and clicked the box to move on in the process. I was told I couldn't move on until I made a "donation" of $100. Thus, I will not be a bone marrow at this time. Guess I need to find something new for my new things list.
I knew I could apply to be a donor online, but I kind of wanted the experience of going somewhere to make this one happen. I called around, talked to many people, some helpful, and some not. All in all, it was determined there was not a specified place to go and have your blood tested to be put on the list. So, I went online and began filling out the application.
There are many health questions, as you might imagine, and they want a lot of information so they can contact you should they find a match that needs your marrow. I went through and filled out everything that was asked of me, and got to the end of the process. They explained how it is expensive to test your blood and process all of the information, but how people have made donations to cover this cost. I could make a donation if I would like towards these costs, but I kind of felt like my donation of marrow would be enough. (What a Scrooge I am, right?) I left the donation box blank and clicked the box to move on in the process. I was told I couldn't move on until I made a "donation" of $100. Thus, I will not be a bone marrow at this time. Guess I need to find something new for my new things list.
Clark Planetarium
So, Saturday afternoon, (October 16) my sister Natalie and her baby Jared and I went to visit the Clark Planetarium after our In and Out lunch. We decided to do a little shopping at the Gateway, where the planetarium is located. Natalie was looking for shirts for work, and I found a killer necklace that I modified a bit to be more to my liking. Then, we headed over to the planetarium.
We entered and walked over to the ticket desk to see what was available. We were informed that there was a movie starting in the Dome Theater in just a few minutes about black holes, so we decided to join in and catch it. We were told where the elevators were, since we had Jared in a stroller, and we went up to the theater. The lady at the door there informed us we couldn't take the stroller into the theater and she would take it down to their "stroller parking" for us, as the movie was starting. Thanks for telling us to take the stroller up, people at the front desk. We walked into the theater and found seats.
The movie started, and it was fascinating both in information as well as presentation. The dome theater is as it sounds, a dome. The entire ceiling is the screen, so it is a 360 degree movie experience. Jared sat on my lap, and was pretty good for the first part of the movie. He got a little fussy about half-way through, so Natalie made him a bottle and I fed it to him. Then he was just too happy to go to sleep, (that kid is always in a good mood!) so we let him crawl around on the floor in front of us. And if you want to know anything about black holes, just ask me, because I know now. Pretty cool movie!
After the flick, we went back down to the main floor and retrieved the stroller from where the nice lady had "parked" it for us. We then looked around a little bit at the gift shop and the science-y toys and such they had there. I looked for a pin for my collection, but they didn't have any. Oh, well.
We made our way back out to Natalie's car, got everything loaded in, and she gave me a ride back to Annie's house, where my car was. Not quite what I was expecting from the planetarium, but a pleasant misconception, nonetheless.
We entered and walked over to the ticket desk to see what was available. We were informed that there was a movie starting in the Dome Theater in just a few minutes about black holes, so we decided to join in and catch it. We were told where the elevators were, since we had Jared in a stroller, and we went up to the theater. The lady at the door there informed us we couldn't take the stroller into the theater and she would take it down to their "stroller parking" for us, as the movie was starting. Thanks for telling us to take the stroller up, people at the front desk. We walked into the theater and found seats.
The movie started, and it was fascinating both in information as well as presentation. The dome theater is as it sounds, a dome. The entire ceiling is the screen, so it is a 360 degree movie experience. Jared sat on my lap, and was pretty good for the first part of the movie. He got a little fussy about half-way through, so Natalie made him a bottle and I fed it to him. Then he was just too happy to go to sleep, (that kid is always in a good mood!) so we let him crawl around on the floor in front of us. And if you want to know anything about black holes, just ask me, because I know now. Pretty cool movie!
After the flick, we went back down to the main floor and retrieved the stroller from where the nice lady had "parked" it for us. We then looked around a little bit at the gift shop and the science-y toys and such they had there. I looked for a pin for my collection, but they didn't have any. Oh, well.
We made our way back out to Natalie's car, got everything loaded in, and she gave me a ride back to Annie's house, where my car was. Not quite what I was expecting from the planetarium, but a pleasant misconception, nonetheless.
Monday, October 18, 2010
In and Out Burger
Saturday morning (October 16) Annie and I were headed to Ikea and invited Natalie to join us. Annie needed some things to help her get her home a bit more organized, and I'm always up for a trip to Ikea.
We wandered around, bought things we did and didn't need, and got the cars loaded up. I was spending the weekend at Annie's in SLC, but went with Natalie upon leaving Ikea. We had planned on going to the Clark Planetarium, and I talked Natalie into stopping at In and Out on our way back up to SLC.
We pulled up to the drive through, and Natalie asked if she could order for me. I agreed, and made a comment about the man standing outside with a little computerized device for taking orders. Natalie looked at me and said, "Wow, you really haven't been here, have you?" I guess I'm more sheltered than I thought! :) She ordered me a cheeseburger "animal style," fries, and a diet Coke. We inched our way to the window, and I was given my meal.
The fries were hand cut, just like at Five Guys, but In and Out peels theirs first. The burger was delicious and tasty, and you can't go wrong with diet Coke. The scripture reference on the bottom of my burger wrapper was Revelation 3:20. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Fitting?
Now time to compare. Altogether, I think I would prefer the taste of Five Guys with the pricing of In and Out. But, if I have to choose a favorite all around, Five Guys wins. They were a bit more expensive, but the food was better in my opinion, so the price is worth it. Sorry, In and Out.
We wandered around, bought things we did and didn't need, and got the cars loaded up. I was spending the weekend at Annie's in SLC, but went with Natalie upon leaving Ikea. We had planned on going to the Clark Planetarium, and I talked Natalie into stopping at In and Out on our way back up to SLC.
We pulled up to the drive through, and Natalie asked if she could order for me. I agreed, and made a comment about the man standing outside with a little computerized device for taking orders. Natalie looked at me and said, "Wow, you really haven't been here, have you?" I guess I'm more sheltered than I thought! :) She ordered me a cheeseburger "animal style," fries, and a diet Coke. We inched our way to the window, and I was given my meal.
The fries were hand cut, just like at Five Guys, but In and Out peels theirs first. The burger was delicious and tasty, and you can't go wrong with diet Coke. The scripture reference on the bottom of my burger wrapper was Revelation 3:20. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Fitting?
Now time to compare. Altogether, I think I would prefer the taste of Five Guys with the pricing of In and Out. But, if I have to choose a favorite all around, Five Guys wins. They were a bit more expensive, but the food was better in my opinion, so the price is worth it. Sorry, In and Out.
Sushi!
Annie and I decided that Friday night (October 15) would be a good time for me to try sushi. We arranged to meet up with our sister Natalie and her husband, Mike at Tokai Sushi 4U. Annie had been there before, and told us that even though the place looked a little sketchy, it was good sushi. I, having never eaten the stuff, trusted her judgement.
This particular restaurant has a special that runs on Fridays and Saturdays: buy one, get one free. I had been instructed earlier in the day by my boss, Katie, what was good and what to stay away from. We each ordered two rolls, so I chose the cucumber roll and the crunch dragon roll. We also had the WOW roll, the rainbow roll, the crunch rainbow roll, the honey roll, the dragon roll, and another one I can't remember. I was brave and tried them all. I didn't see the point in trying sushi if I wasn't going to TRY sushi.
I liked the WOW roll, and some of the other ones weren't so bad. One in particular, although I can't remember which one specifically, nearly made me gag. It wasn't the taste of the thing, but the texture of the raw fish I couldn't get past. But, I tried it with both feet in, and now I can officially say that I don't particularly care for sushi. At least not the ones with large amounts of raw fish on top. I think my poor nephew, Jared, would have to agree. He's only 8 months old, so Natalie was giving him a bit of the rice left over from some of the rolls. I think that if it had been appropriate, I would have made the same face he did with some of the things I tasted that night. But, I'm glad I did it!
This particular restaurant has a special that runs on Fridays and Saturdays: buy one, get one free. I had been instructed earlier in the day by my boss, Katie, what was good and what to stay away from. We each ordered two rolls, so I chose the cucumber roll and the crunch dragon roll. We also had the WOW roll, the rainbow roll, the crunch rainbow roll, the honey roll, the dragon roll, and another one I can't remember. I was brave and tried them all. I didn't see the point in trying sushi if I wasn't going to TRY sushi.
I liked the WOW roll, and some of the other ones weren't so bad. One in particular, although I can't remember which one specifically, nearly made me gag. It wasn't the taste of the thing, but the texture of the raw fish I couldn't get past. But, I tried it with both feet in, and now I can officially say that I don't particularly care for sushi. At least not the ones with large amounts of raw fish on top. I think my poor nephew, Jared, would have to agree. He's only 8 months old, so Natalie was giving him a bit of the rice left over from some of the rolls. I think that if it had been appropriate, I would have made the same face he did with some of the things I tasted that night. But, I'm glad I did it!
Top of the Church Office Building
A few weeks ago, I was at my grandma's house with a bunch of other family. We were discussing my 30 new things, and going to the top of the Church Office Building (COB) came up. My aunt told me I needed to talk to her sister-in-law, who works in the building. She told me I could get a "special" tour, so I got a phone number and email address for Tiffany.
I contacted Tiffany, and she told me it would be no problem for her to take me on a tour. We set up an appointment, and my sister Annie and I showed up at the COB at 1:00 on Friday, October 15. I had called Tiffany on my way down to SLC, asking her where would be the best place for me to park. She informed me she had reserved me a parking spot under the COB, and instructed me how to get there. I came to the first security guard, gave him my name, and he gave me a pass and directions to my assigned parking area. He looked very official, in his black suit and white gloves.
I met Annie at the fountain in front of the building, and we went in and checked in at the front desk. They took our driver's licenses, entered some information into their computers, and out came temporary badges with our amazing DMV photos on them. We then took the elevators up to the 18th floor and found Tiffany. She took us around her floor a little bit, and then up to the 26th floor, which is the top. We looked out on Salt Lake City with a bird's-eye-view, and realized there are a lot more open, grassy areas than you would think in the city. We saw the University of Utah, Brigham Young's grave, the capitol building, and Temple Square, among other things. I will never get over how enormous the Conference Center is! We went back inside, and Tiffany took us to a few "secret places." We ran into some of the people who do the cooking around those parts, and they were taking pictures of new menu items. They showed us to an entire table full of food they were done photographing, and told us we could eat any of it we liked. Most of it had been sitting out for hours, and so was either no longer safe to eat, or extremely stale. But the cookies, on the other hand....
Tiffany took us back down to the main floor and walked us back out to the parking garage. She was super nice and a great tour guide. In fact, someone stopped us at one point and asked us if they could join our tour. Tiffany politely told them where they could join a regular tour, and we continued on our way. So, thanks, Tiffany, for giving us our own special tour!
I contacted Tiffany, and she told me it would be no problem for her to take me on a tour. We set up an appointment, and my sister Annie and I showed up at the COB at 1:00 on Friday, October 15. I had called Tiffany on my way down to SLC, asking her where would be the best place for me to park. She informed me she had reserved me a parking spot under the COB, and instructed me how to get there. I came to the first security guard, gave him my name, and he gave me a pass and directions to my assigned parking area. He looked very official, in his black suit and white gloves.
I met Annie at the fountain in front of the building, and we went in and checked in at the front desk. They took our driver's licenses, entered some information into their computers, and out came temporary badges with our amazing DMV photos on them. We then took the elevators up to the 18th floor and found Tiffany. She took us around her floor a little bit, and then up to the 26th floor, which is the top. We looked out on Salt Lake City with a bird's-eye-view, and realized there are a lot more open, grassy areas than you would think in the city. We saw the University of Utah, Brigham Young's grave, the capitol building, and Temple Square, among other things. I will never get over how enormous the Conference Center is! We went back inside, and Tiffany took us to a few "secret places." We ran into some of the people who do the cooking around those parts, and they were taking pictures of new menu items. They showed us to an entire table full of food they were done photographing, and told us we could eat any of it we liked. Most of it had been sitting out for hours, and so was either no longer safe to eat, or extremely stale. But the cookies, on the other hand....
Tiffany took us back down to the main floor and walked us back out to the parking garage. She was super nice and a great tour guide. In fact, someone stopped us at one point and asked us if they could join our tour. Tiffany politely told them where they could join a regular tour, and we continued on our way. So, thanks, Tiffany, for giving us our own special tour!
Sky Coaster
On our way home from the candy factory, we were discussing what we would do for the rest of the day. As I talked about in a previous post, we tried letterboxing with the kids, but to no avail. We decided that since the kids my sister watches have season passes to Lagoon (both of their parents are in senior management there), I would take the oldest, who is 13, and we would go and ride the Sky Coaster.
After lunch and naps, Jessica and I, along with her little brother, Jackson, jumped in the Jeep and headed down to Lagoon. We dropped off Jackson at his dad's office, Jessica got a ticket for the Sky Coaster from him, and we walked over to the ride. We got in line, and Jessica's cousin showed up in line right after us. While we were waiting, we helped him and his friend decide who would get to pull the rip cord. Maybe I should explain the ride a little bit. It is basically a gigantic playground swing. You are strapped into a harness, attached to a cable, and hauled up to the top. They then tell you to pull the rip cord, which releases you into a free-fall. Imagine a three-year-old climbing into a swing at the playground, the father pulling back on the swing as high as he can to get the momentum started, and then he lets go. Pulling the rip cord is a big deal. Some people can't stand the idea of being responsible for plunging themselves into oblivion, others love the exhilaration. I had decided I would be the one to fling us into the great beyond.
Once we reached the front of the line, we were fitted and strapped into our harnesses, which pretty much cover the entire front of your body with a sling. They took us out the the platform, where the previous riders had just finished and were being unhooked from the cable. We boarded the platform, they raised the sides, and the platform was raised to let the previous riders stand up again. We traded places with them, were strapped to each other and hooked up to the cable, and our arms were linked. Then they lowered the platform. I think that was the worst part of the whole ride. When they lower the platform, you are now attached to the cable you will be swinging from, thus, when they drop the ground out from under you, you don't go with it. Being strapped into the harness and attached to the cable, your feet are no longer there to hold you up, so an abrupt change from vertical to horizontal is a bit disorienting. One of the operators instructed us that we were to keep our arms linked until we passed the platform for the first time, and then we could "spread our wings and fly." We then began our assent. Again, a bit disheartening, because you are face down, watching the ground slowly shrink away from you. I kept thinking to myself, "We have to be getting to the top, right? I SWEAR it wasn't this high..." I finally just closed my eyes so I couldn't see how high up we really were. Then, we jolted into position at top, and I heard the ride operator over the loudspeaker yell, "Three, two, one, FLY!"
My eyes were still closed, so by feel I reached down and found the handle for the rip cord. Before I could think about what I was doing, I gave it a good, hard tug and felt myself plummeting to the ground. I screamed like a little girl, clinging to Jessica's arm. My scream ended in an, "OH MY GOSH!!!!" As we reached the top of the swing on the other side, Jessica was yelling at me to let go. I told her no way, but in a few seconds, I did. The scary part was over, so we swung back and forth, enjoying ourselves. As we got unstrapped and off of the platform, the girl there to assist us asked me, "So, was this your first time?" I guess I screamed THAT loud.... She then asked me if I would do it again. Definitely!
This was probably the most exciting "new adventure" I have done up to this point. I think I'll need to do it again before the park closes for the winter. I wonder if Jessica will go with me, or if her arm will have recovered by then?
After lunch and naps, Jessica and I, along with her little brother, Jackson, jumped in the Jeep and headed down to Lagoon. We dropped off Jackson at his dad's office, Jessica got a ticket for the Sky Coaster from him, and we walked over to the ride. We got in line, and Jessica's cousin showed up in line right after us. While we were waiting, we helped him and his friend decide who would get to pull the rip cord. Maybe I should explain the ride a little bit. It is basically a gigantic playground swing. You are strapped into a harness, attached to a cable, and hauled up to the top. They then tell you to pull the rip cord, which releases you into a free-fall. Imagine a three-year-old climbing into a swing at the playground, the father pulling back on the swing as high as he can to get the momentum started, and then he lets go. Pulling the rip cord is a big deal. Some people can't stand the idea of being responsible for plunging themselves into oblivion, others love the exhilaration. I had decided I would be the one to fling us into the great beyond.
Once we reached the front of the line, we were fitted and strapped into our harnesses, which pretty much cover the entire front of your body with a sling. They took us out the the platform, where the previous riders had just finished and were being unhooked from the cable. We boarded the platform, they raised the sides, and the platform was raised to let the previous riders stand up again. We traded places with them, were strapped to each other and hooked up to the cable, and our arms were linked. Then they lowered the platform. I think that was the worst part of the whole ride. When they lower the platform, you are now attached to the cable you will be swinging from, thus, when they drop the ground out from under you, you don't go with it. Being strapped into the harness and attached to the cable, your feet are no longer there to hold you up, so an abrupt change from vertical to horizontal is a bit disorienting. One of the operators instructed us that we were to keep our arms linked until we passed the platform for the first time, and then we could "spread our wings and fly." We then began our assent. Again, a bit disheartening, because you are face down, watching the ground slowly shrink away from you. I kept thinking to myself, "We have to be getting to the top, right? I SWEAR it wasn't this high..." I finally just closed my eyes so I couldn't see how high up we really were. Then, we jolted into position at top, and I heard the ride operator over the loudspeaker yell, "Three, two, one, FLY!"
My eyes were still closed, so by feel I reached down and found the handle for the rip cord. Before I could think about what I was doing, I gave it a good, hard tug and felt myself plummeting to the ground. I screamed like a little girl, clinging to Jessica's arm. My scream ended in an, "OH MY GOSH!!!!" As we reached the top of the swing on the other side, Jessica was yelling at me to let go. I told her no way, but in a few seconds, I did. The scary part was over, so we swung back and forth, enjoying ourselves. As we got unstrapped and off of the platform, the girl there to assist us asked me, "So, was this your first time?" I guess I screamed THAT loud.... She then asked me if I would do it again. Definitely!
This was probably the most exciting "new adventure" I have done up to this point. I think I'll need to do it again before the park closes for the winter. I wonder if Jessica will go with me, or if her arm will have recovered by then?
Sweet's Candy Factory
I awoke very early on Thursday (October14). I was going to be co-teaming with my mother for the day watching my sister's two children along with the three children she takes care of. My sister was going in for a medical procedure, and in order for her to get to the hospital on time, they needed to drop off their two children at our house at 5:30 am. So, I was awake and watching a special about dolphins when the kids showed up. My mom plays the organ at the temple on Thursday mornings, so she was already gone, and my dad was upstairs working in his office. The kids finished watching the dolphin show with me, and then we decided it was time for breakfast.
On the menu for the morning was scrambled eggs and toast. I did the cooking while my 8-year-old nephew Michael set the table and went to tell Grandpa it was time to eat. We sat down and blessed the food, and began to eat before it got cold. My dad was in the middle of something and would join us when he was done. I put his eggs on his plate and covered them so they would stay warm. Michael, in the meantime, had finished his eggs and two pieces of toast and still looked hungry. Still no sign of Grandpa, so I told Michael he could eat Grandpa's eggs and I would make fresh ones for Grandpa when he came down. No sooner had Michael moved the eggs to his plate when we heard Grandpa coming down the stairs. He hurried and scooped the eggs back to Grandpa's plate, but not before Grandpa entered the room and figured out what was going on. After a little ribbing, Grandpa told Michael he could eat the eggs and Grandpa would have cereal for breakfast. (Michael requested that this story be shared on here. Here's to you, Michael!)
After cleaning up breakfast, my mom came home, the other kids were dropped off, and we all piled in the car to go down to the Sweet's Candy Factory for a tour. We had been scheduled for the tour beginning at 9:00 am, so we wanted to be on our way.
We arrived, and were asked to check in all cell phones and cameras at the front desk. We were then escorted into a small room to watch a brief video on the history of the factory and the company. We were also given hair nets, and we were taken behind the doors of the world of candy. I almost felt like we were at Willy Wonka's, but I hadn't seen any oopma loompas yet, so I figured it wouldn't be THAT kind of candy tour. We saw where they store all of the candy, where it gets loaded onto trucks, and the super tall fork lift that stacks all of the candy on the shelves. We saw them making taffy (watermelon flavor), jelly beans (did you know it takes seven days to make a batch of jelly beans?), cinnamon bears, orange sticks, peanut clusters, and a myriad of other things. We even saw the "trash bin," which contains all of the "oops" candy they can't sell. Apparently, they send it to Idaho where the farmers poor the candy over the hay the cows won't eat. That way, the hay nor the candy goes to waste. We were given samples of most things we saw being made, and at the end, we were invited to shop in the candy store on the premises. With all of the kids, my mother and I buying candy, by the time we got out of there, we had six (count them!) bags of candy. I think these people saw us coming....
It may not have been as exciting as a visit to Wonka's, but it was fun to learn all of the things that go on there. I think I may have even seen a small, orange-faced man peek at us from around a corner....
On the menu for the morning was scrambled eggs and toast. I did the cooking while my 8-year-old nephew Michael set the table and went to tell Grandpa it was time to eat. We sat down and blessed the food, and began to eat before it got cold. My dad was in the middle of something and would join us when he was done. I put his eggs on his plate and covered them so they would stay warm. Michael, in the meantime, had finished his eggs and two pieces of toast and still looked hungry. Still no sign of Grandpa, so I told Michael he could eat Grandpa's eggs and I would make fresh ones for Grandpa when he came down. No sooner had Michael moved the eggs to his plate when we heard Grandpa coming down the stairs. He hurried and scooped the eggs back to Grandpa's plate, but not before Grandpa entered the room and figured out what was going on. After a little ribbing, Grandpa told Michael he could eat the eggs and Grandpa would have cereal for breakfast. (Michael requested that this story be shared on here. Here's to you, Michael!)
After cleaning up breakfast, my mom came home, the other kids were dropped off, and we all piled in the car to go down to the Sweet's Candy Factory for a tour. We had been scheduled for the tour beginning at 9:00 am, so we wanted to be on our way.
We arrived, and were asked to check in all cell phones and cameras at the front desk. We were then escorted into a small room to watch a brief video on the history of the factory and the company. We were also given hair nets, and we were taken behind the doors of the world of candy. I almost felt like we were at Willy Wonka's, but I hadn't seen any oopma loompas yet, so I figured it wouldn't be THAT kind of candy tour. We saw where they store all of the candy, where it gets loaded onto trucks, and the super tall fork lift that stacks all of the candy on the shelves. We saw them making taffy (watermelon flavor), jelly beans (did you know it takes seven days to make a batch of jelly beans?), cinnamon bears, orange sticks, peanut clusters, and a myriad of other things. We even saw the "trash bin," which contains all of the "oops" candy they can't sell. Apparently, they send it to Idaho where the farmers poor the candy over the hay the cows won't eat. That way, the hay nor the candy goes to waste. We were given samples of most things we saw being made, and at the end, we were invited to shop in the candy store on the premises. With all of the kids, my mother and I buying candy, by the time we got out of there, we had six (count them!) bags of candy. I think these people saw us coming....
It may not have been as exciting as a visit to Wonka's, but it was fun to learn all of the things that go on there. I think I may have even seen a small, orange-faced man peek at us from around a corner....
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Alpine Slide 2.0
Since our previous attempt had failed, Jaycelyn and I decided to try the Alpine Slide again. We planned to go Wednesday afternoon (October 13).
I woke up early that morning so that I could go in and still work a full day and be able to leave at two. My head had other plans. I sat up in bed and my brain tried to explode! I slept a bit longer, and then coaxed my noggin into getting up. I finally made it into work around 11:00, and Jaycelyn was going to pick me up at 2:00. Long work day, right? Good thing my boss is great and my schedule is flexible!
She called me from the parking lot and I went out and jumped in the car with her. We headed up the canyon and made it to Park City in no time at all, again thanks to the musical talents of the "Glee" cast. We reached the base of the lift that would take us to the top and boarded. This day was already looking a lot sunnier then the last time we had tried this, so we felt that we would have a much better chance of actually riding.
We got to the top of the lift, and the guy there didn't really tell us what to do. He just told us where to step off the lift, and that was about it. Thanks. (The guys this trip were not nearly as attractive as the last time. I guess only the cute ones are willing to work in the not-so-great weather.) We saw a pile of sleds, so we each grabbed one and headed off in the direction we had seen a few other people going. We got to the top of the slide, read the instructions and rules board, and boarded the slide. After brief instruction from the guy sitting at the top of the slide, we were off! Over 3,000 feet of sliding! What a rush! I happen to be a bit accident prone, so I took it a little slowly at first, but about half-way through, I put on the speed a little more. Altogether, it was a beautiful ride through the fall foliage with a crisp wind in my face. We reached the bottom, turned in the sleds to the employees there, and decided we needed to do a bit of shopping.
A few minutes later, we were at the Tanger Outlets, plenty of places to empty our wallets surrounding us. Jaycelyn had been looking at a jacket, but none of the locations around where we live had it, so we decided to stop in the store up there. She found the jacket, but it was only a 3/4 sleeved dainty little things, so she opted out, seeing as how the cold weather is setting in. We stopped at a different store so I could get a bracelet I had seen (I want to adapt the design for a beading class I teach) and headed back home.
We thought to see a movie we both wanted to see to top off the evening, but by the time we reached the theater, it was another two hours before the next showing, so we decided to call it a night. I was OK with that, because I was going to have to make the next morning an extra early one to help out my sister. Alpine Slide 2.0? Success!
I woke up early that morning so that I could go in and still work a full day and be able to leave at two. My head had other plans. I sat up in bed and my brain tried to explode! I slept a bit longer, and then coaxed my noggin into getting up. I finally made it into work around 11:00, and Jaycelyn was going to pick me up at 2:00. Long work day, right? Good thing my boss is great and my schedule is flexible!
She called me from the parking lot and I went out and jumped in the car with her. We headed up the canyon and made it to Park City in no time at all, again thanks to the musical talents of the "Glee" cast. We reached the base of the lift that would take us to the top and boarded. This day was already looking a lot sunnier then the last time we had tried this, so we felt that we would have a much better chance of actually riding.
We got to the top of the lift, and the guy there didn't really tell us what to do. He just told us where to step off the lift, and that was about it. Thanks. (The guys this trip were not nearly as attractive as the last time. I guess only the cute ones are willing to work in the not-so-great weather.) We saw a pile of sleds, so we each grabbed one and headed off in the direction we had seen a few other people going. We got to the top of the slide, read the instructions and rules board, and boarded the slide. After brief instruction from the guy sitting at the top of the slide, we were off! Over 3,000 feet of sliding! What a rush! I happen to be a bit accident prone, so I took it a little slowly at first, but about half-way through, I put on the speed a little more. Altogether, it was a beautiful ride through the fall foliage with a crisp wind in my face. We reached the bottom, turned in the sleds to the employees there, and decided we needed to do a bit of shopping.
A few minutes later, we were at the Tanger Outlets, plenty of places to empty our wallets surrounding us. Jaycelyn had been looking at a jacket, but none of the locations around where we live had it, so we decided to stop in the store up there. She found the jacket, but it was only a 3/4 sleeved dainty little things, so she opted out, seeing as how the cold weather is setting in. We stopped at a different store so I could get a bracelet I had seen (I want to adapt the design for a beading class I teach) and headed back home.
We thought to see a movie we both wanted to see to top off the evening, but by the time we reached the theater, it was another two hours before the next showing, so we decided to call it a night. I was OK with that, because I was going to have to make the next morning an extra early one to help out my sister. Alpine Slide 2.0? Success!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Letterboxing
Sunday dawned bright and early. My mom and I had decided to try letterboxing that afternoon, so after church and before the fam came over for fast Sunday dinner, we looked up a couple of letterboxes close by that we could visit.
For those of you who don't know, letterboxing is an activity similar to geochaching. (You can Google it, if you'd like. I found it very informative.) Basically, you find a rubber stamp that you like, a journal, an ink pad, and a pen, and you set off. You look up online different letterboxes to hunt for, and you are given clues to their different locations. It has to be in an area accessible to the public, but should also be able to be hidden in a tucked away sort of place. Once you find the letter box, it should, at the least, contain a stamp and a journal. You stamp your stamp in the journal provided, and sign your letterboxing name and the date as well. You then take the stamp in the letterbox and stamp your journal and record the date and any other information you would like to. It's as simple as that!
We went to the first letterbox we had looked up, which was very close to where we live. The directions and clues provided on the website were very precise, and we had no trouble locating the letterbox. (I would tell you where it was, but that is supposed to be kept a secret. :) ) We pulled it out, opened it up, and lo and behold, there was a hitchhiker in our very first letterbox! A hitchhiker is a traveling letterbox, with no real "home" of it's own. When you find a hitchhiker, you have the option of leaving it there, or you can take it with you and place it in another letterbox. Letterboxing etiquette says you have about a week to find the hitchhiker a new home, then you send a message to the letterboxers who placed the hitchhiker as to where you found it and where you placed it, so that they can track their letterbox. It's kind of fun, once you get into it! Anyhow, according to the info found inside the hitchhiker letterbox, we were the first ones to find it. Even better! This was turning out to be a fun, new hobby! We exchanged the stamps, took some pictures, and replaced the original letterbox just as some people happened upon us. (You aren't really supposed to let other "non-letterboxers" see you doing any of this.) We had cut it pretty close, but we were successful in keeping the integrity of this particular letterbox intact.
As we got back to our car, we debated on whether or not to attempt the second letterbox we had looked up. It, too, was very close to our home, but it was getting close to dinner time, so we decided to try that letterbox on a different day. Still, quite the fun new activity, though!
The following Thursday, my mom and I were tending my sister's children, along with the children she watches for a living, because she was having a medical procedure done and we were the best candidate to fill in for her. We decided it would be fun to take the kids to find the second letterbox and place the hitchhiker in that box, so we stopped off at the location described in the clues. We followed the directions to the best of our ability, but, alas, we could not discover the location of the second letterbox. The location was pretty public, so our guess is that it was moved or taken.
My poor hitchhiker still needs a home. Guess I'll have to find another place for it to go. I recommend letterboxing to anyone interested. It's like a little treasure hunt, but instead of a prize, you get a journal filled with all of your fun adventures! Thanks for the suggestion, Aunt Pam! Definitely a keeper.
For those of you who don't know, letterboxing is an activity similar to geochaching. (You can Google it, if you'd like. I found it very informative.) Basically, you find a rubber stamp that you like, a journal, an ink pad, and a pen, and you set off. You look up online different letterboxes to hunt for, and you are given clues to their different locations. It has to be in an area accessible to the public, but should also be able to be hidden in a tucked away sort of place. Once you find the letter box, it should, at the least, contain a stamp and a journal. You stamp your stamp in the journal provided, and sign your letterboxing name and the date as well. You then take the stamp in the letterbox and stamp your journal and record the date and any other information you would like to. It's as simple as that!
We went to the first letterbox we had looked up, which was very close to where we live. The directions and clues provided on the website were very precise, and we had no trouble locating the letterbox. (I would tell you where it was, but that is supposed to be kept a secret. :) ) We pulled it out, opened it up, and lo and behold, there was a hitchhiker in our very first letterbox! A hitchhiker is a traveling letterbox, with no real "home" of it's own. When you find a hitchhiker, you have the option of leaving it there, or you can take it with you and place it in another letterbox. Letterboxing etiquette says you have about a week to find the hitchhiker a new home, then you send a message to the letterboxers who placed the hitchhiker as to where you found it and where you placed it, so that they can track their letterbox. It's kind of fun, once you get into it! Anyhow, according to the info found inside the hitchhiker letterbox, we were the first ones to find it. Even better! This was turning out to be a fun, new hobby! We exchanged the stamps, took some pictures, and replaced the original letterbox just as some people happened upon us. (You aren't really supposed to let other "non-letterboxers" see you doing any of this.) We had cut it pretty close, but we were successful in keeping the integrity of this particular letterbox intact.
As we got back to our car, we debated on whether or not to attempt the second letterbox we had looked up. It, too, was very close to our home, but it was getting close to dinner time, so we decided to try that letterbox on a different day. Still, quite the fun new activity, though!
The following Thursday, my mom and I were tending my sister's children, along with the children she watches for a living, because she was having a medical procedure done and we were the best candidate to fill in for her. We decided it would be fun to take the kids to find the second letterbox and place the hitchhiker in that box, so we stopped off at the location described in the clues. We followed the directions to the best of our ability, but, alas, we could not discover the location of the second letterbox. The location was pretty public, so our guess is that it was moved or taken.
My poor hitchhiker still needs a home. Guess I'll have to find another place for it to go. I recommend letterboxing to anyone interested. It's like a little treasure hunt, but instead of a prize, you get a journal filled with all of your fun adventures! Thanks for the suggestion, Aunt Pam! Definitely a keeper.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Five Guys
Today I decided to experience the culinary flavorings of Five Guys Burgers. I didn't do anything on the "list" yesterday, so my boss gave me homework. She told me I needed to do at least one thing every day this weekend. So, dinner it is.
I went straight from work, so I was wearing my "classy" clothes. (Our uniform consists of a ratty old t-shirt you don't care about and scrub pants of black, olive, or grey.) I decided I didn't want to be in those duds anymore, plus, I needed new jeans, so I went to my favorite store, quite close to Five Guys. Ross. I love Ross! I walked in, found jeans, a cute tee, and was on my way. Yes, I changed in my car, which is always an adventure. I never think to sit in the passenger seat, since there are no pedals and there isn't a steering wheel, until AFTER I have my old pants folded and on the seat, ready to put the new ones on. I wiggled and squirmed, and was dressed again before any on-lookers could notice what was going on and gawk in horror. Good times, good times. Plus, I found an amazing t-shirt featuring rock, paper, and scissors. Scissors is taking over the world of chance.
I got into my non-grub clothes, and went into the burger joint. Not many people were there, which I found surprising, seeing as how it was Friday night. Eh, I had heard from numerous sources that this was the place to go for a good burger, so I approached the counter. I stared at the menu, and the nice guy behind the register asked if I had ever been there before. I told him no, and he went on the explain the workings of the place. A regular burger has one patty, a little burger only has one. There were a few choices from burger to cheeseburger to bacon burger to bacon cheeseburger. All of the toppings are free. I ordered the little bacon cheeseburger with everything or "all the way" as the menu board stated. Tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, mustard and ketchup. Along with an order of fries and a drink, I was ready to go. I sat and waited while my order was prepared, and noticed that there were boxes of roasted peanuts all over the dining room with little paper "boats" to fill. I found it interesting, but I didn't take any. I've had peanuts. My number was called, I was handed my greasy paper bag, and I was off again.
I was tantalized all the way home by the delicious smells and aromas. I jammed along to Glee to distract my nose. Sometimes I wonder what people think of me when they see me from their car, belting out whatever is on the radio. Huh. Once in my own dining room, I put all of my food on a real plate. There were so many fries, I had to give half of them to my parents, who were watching "Monk" close by. I started with the fries, which were delicious. Just the right amount of salt, and probably cut on the premises. Still had the peel on. So good. After a few fries, I dug into the burger. It was quite good. The onions were perfectly grilled (I don't like raw onions, but I love cooked ones), the mushrooms were cooked just enough, but not soggy, the tomato was still chilled, and the pickles weren't too pickly. And I was glad I got the smaller sandwich, because it was still pretty big. Finger-licking burger and fries, washed down with a glass of milk. (I drank my diet Coke on the way home.) A good dinner, but we'll have to see how In and Out compares to see who comes out victorious.
I went straight from work, so I was wearing my "classy" clothes. (Our uniform consists of a ratty old t-shirt you don't care about and scrub pants of black, olive, or grey.) I decided I didn't want to be in those duds anymore, plus, I needed new jeans, so I went to my favorite store, quite close to Five Guys. Ross. I love Ross! I walked in, found jeans, a cute tee, and was on my way. Yes, I changed in my car, which is always an adventure. I never think to sit in the passenger seat, since there are no pedals and there isn't a steering wheel, until AFTER I have my old pants folded and on the seat, ready to put the new ones on. I wiggled and squirmed, and was dressed again before any on-lookers could notice what was going on and gawk in horror. Good times, good times. Plus, I found an amazing t-shirt featuring rock, paper, and scissors. Scissors is taking over the world of chance.
I got into my non-grub clothes, and went into the burger joint. Not many people were there, which I found surprising, seeing as how it was Friday night. Eh, I had heard from numerous sources that this was the place to go for a good burger, so I approached the counter. I stared at the menu, and the nice guy behind the register asked if I had ever been there before. I told him no, and he went on the explain the workings of the place. A regular burger has one patty, a little burger only has one. There were a few choices from burger to cheeseburger to bacon burger to bacon cheeseburger. All of the toppings are free. I ordered the little bacon cheeseburger with everything or "all the way" as the menu board stated. Tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, mustard and ketchup. Along with an order of fries and a drink, I was ready to go. I sat and waited while my order was prepared, and noticed that there were boxes of roasted peanuts all over the dining room with little paper "boats" to fill. I found it interesting, but I didn't take any. I've had peanuts. My number was called, I was handed my greasy paper bag, and I was off again.
I was tantalized all the way home by the delicious smells and aromas. I jammed along to Glee to distract my nose. Sometimes I wonder what people think of me when they see me from their car, belting out whatever is on the radio. Huh. Once in my own dining room, I put all of my food on a real plate. There were so many fries, I had to give half of them to my parents, who were watching "Monk" close by. I started with the fries, which were delicious. Just the right amount of salt, and probably cut on the premises. Still had the peel on. So good. After a few fries, I dug into the burger. It was quite good. The onions were perfectly grilled (I don't like raw onions, but I love cooked ones), the mushrooms were cooked just enough, but not soggy, the tomato was still chilled, and the pickles weren't too pickly. And I was glad I got the smaller sandwich, because it was still pretty big. Finger-licking burger and fries, washed down with a glass of milk. (I drank my diet Coke on the way home.) A good dinner, but we'll have to see how In and Out compares to see who comes out victorious.
New car, caviar, four star daydream...
So, on Wednesday, I applied for a credit card with my bank. Please, please, keep the cheering and excitement over this one to a dull roar. I know this isn't one of my more exciting adventures, but I think maybe if I'm officially in the "grown up" years, I should have one of these plastic devices. Plus, apparently it is a good thing to build your credit. Go figure, eh?
So, I logged on to my bank's website and after a few clicks here and there, I had the application on screen. Nothing too hard to answer until I got to the box that asked for my job title. What DO I do for employment? Pretty much anything and everything. Painting, silk screening, emulsion-ing, printing, sewing, spraying, gluing, designing, mathematics, laminating, architect-ing, mounting signs, etc., etc., etc... Can't I just put Lagoon Sign Shop employee? I had to text my boss and ask her. She came up with "detail artist." Sounds fancy enough, right? So, a few more clicks later, and my email inbox pings with a new message telling me my application has been received. Guess we'll find out if they trust me that much. I'll keep you posted. Any good ideas for a card design? No, my dog is not going on it, sorry.
So, I logged on to my bank's website and after a few clicks here and there, I had the application on screen. Nothing too hard to answer until I got to the box that asked for my job title. What DO I do for employment? Pretty much anything and everything. Painting, silk screening, emulsion-ing, printing, sewing, spraying, gluing, designing, mathematics, laminating, architect-ing, mounting signs, etc., etc., etc... Can't I just put Lagoon Sign Shop employee? I had to text my boss and ask her. She came up with "detail artist." Sounds fancy enough, right? So, a few more clicks later, and my email inbox pings with a new message telling me my application has been received. Guess we'll find out if they trust me that much. I'll keep you posted. Any good ideas for a card design? No, my dog is not going on it, sorry.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
You try and you try...
Monday morning I woke up and got ready for the day. I had a date with my friend, Misti! She was going to go with me to donate blood (the Red Cross calls me every 8 weeks to set up an appointment for me to donate) and my research had told me that if I wanted to put my name on the bone marrow donor list, I could walk into any Red Cross center, and they would be able to make all my dreams come true.
So, I went and met Misti at her house, we packed her three-year-old daughter, Tempe, in the minivan and drove to the Red Cross. They were kind of confused as to why I had brought someone with me, and when we explained we both wanted to put our names on the donor list for bone marrow, they looked at us and told us they didn't do that. Sorry for the confusion, Misti! I thought I had researched it enough, but apparently I should have called ahead. Well, I donated my blood, anyway, during which we discussed my plans for that evening. My old roommate was having her wedding reception that evening at Sundance, and I was planning on going with my friend, Jaycelyn. The two of us were going to go and ride the Alpine Slide (which is on my list) and then drive the Alpine Loop to look at the fall colors, and end up at Sundance for the wedding reception. Misti was extremely jealous, not because she wanted to come for the slide or the ride, but because of the wedding. My friend married Donny Osmond's oldest son, and apparently Misti is a big Donny fan. She really wanted to come, but couldn't abandon her family all day. Sorry again, Misti!
We ran a few errands together, then went back home. I finished installing a new car stereo in my Jeep (apparently, a week long project) and Jayce met me at my house. I grabbed clothes for the reception, and we were off. I had to stop at Target on our way to Park City to grab the finishing touches for the wedding gift. Jayce didn't think it would be a good idea, because it would take too long. I promised her we would be in and out in ten minutes. We made it in twelve, which isn't bad!
We got on the road and popped in the new Glee soundtrack I had picked up while we were in Target, and sang along with Rachel and Finn all the way to the Park City Mountain Resort. We found the ticket window (he was attractive!) and hopped on the ski lift. There was a lot of great scenery on the way up, and we took a lot of pictures.
As we approached the top, it started to sprinkle a little bit. As we got off the ski lift, we were informed that the slide was on a "rain hold." We got to wait in the "photo shack," which was really just a log cabin about twelve feet by twelve feet with filmed over windows and lots of flies. A suburban came to take us back down the mountain, but the people already waiting in the shack filled up the seats. We were OK with waiting, so back in the shack we went. More and more people showed up, including an Asian family from North Carolina here for a NuSkin convention, a young family from Utah, and a few other people (among which were a lot more attractive guys). Just as one of the guys was saying it wouldn't be raining for much longer, lightning hit the ski lift pole, and a wire providing electricity to the shack sparked and the ski lift stopped. Then there was and enormous crack of thunder. Yikes! Luckily, the suburban showed up for the next group, and since we had been there the longest, we were first in line for the next ride down. (The driver was also quite attractive. I think it must be a requirement to get a job there.) We climbed in the the back of the car with the Asian family, and they asked for advice of places they could see in SLC while they were in town. We told them of a few places, and the father was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to see the inside of the temple. I suggested he stop by the visitor's center, where he could see pictures and a model of the inside.
As we got to the bottom of the slide, we said our goodbyes and one of the employees signed our tickets so we could use them again. We stopped by the gift shop and I bought a lapel pin (I collect them from all of the different places I go) and we ran back to the car in the now pouring rain.
We made our way down to the Alpine Loop, a scenic highway which encircles Mt. Timpanogos. There was some concern that we were too late for the fall colors, but we saw plenty. We stopped at the visitor's center at the Timpanogos Caves and changed into our wedding attire, and continued on our way. We arrived right on time for the reception, but it was so packed, we had to park up on the mountain and a shuttle took us to the right place. I'm not a huge fan of receptions, so I dropped off my gift, signed the book, and said hello to a couple of friends. There was no official receiving line, so the bride and groom and parents were just mingling. I saw Donny Osmond from a distance, but didn't even get close to talking to him or meeting him. Eh, I used to sell dog food to Marie all of the time. We found the bride and groom, gave our congratulations, and then left. We were the only ones on the shuttle back to our car, so we chatted it up with the driver. He was REALLY good at his job! We had parked halfway across the parking lot from where the shuttle picked us up, and when we left the parking lot, the shuttle was as full as it could be, but when he took us back up to the lot, he knew exactly which car was ours and dropped us off right next to it. If I'd had cash on me, I would have tipped him. Blast!
We drove back down the mountain and back home, luckily avoiding a lot of the construction going on in Utah Valley. Jayce played DJ with her iPod, and she knew just the right songs for me. She's so great!
So, I was 0-2 for the day, but it was still a super fun one!
So, I went and met Misti at her house, we packed her three-year-old daughter, Tempe, in the minivan and drove to the Red Cross. They were kind of confused as to why I had brought someone with me, and when we explained we both wanted to put our names on the donor list for bone marrow, they looked at us and told us they didn't do that. Sorry for the confusion, Misti! I thought I had researched it enough, but apparently I should have called ahead. Well, I donated my blood, anyway, during which we discussed my plans for that evening. My old roommate was having her wedding reception that evening at Sundance, and I was planning on going with my friend, Jaycelyn. The two of us were going to go and ride the Alpine Slide (which is on my list) and then drive the Alpine Loop to look at the fall colors, and end up at Sundance for the wedding reception. Misti was extremely jealous, not because she wanted to come for the slide or the ride, but because of the wedding. My friend married Donny Osmond's oldest son, and apparently Misti is a big Donny fan. She really wanted to come, but couldn't abandon her family all day. Sorry again, Misti!
We ran a few errands together, then went back home. I finished installing a new car stereo in my Jeep (apparently, a week long project) and Jayce met me at my house. I grabbed clothes for the reception, and we were off. I had to stop at Target on our way to Park City to grab the finishing touches for the wedding gift. Jayce didn't think it would be a good idea, because it would take too long. I promised her we would be in and out in ten minutes. We made it in twelve, which isn't bad!
We got on the road and popped in the new Glee soundtrack I had picked up while we were in Target, and sang along with Rachel and Finn all the way to the Park City Mountain Resort. We found the ticket window (he was attractive!) and hopped on the ski lift. There was a lot of great scenery on the way up, and we took a lot of pictures.
As we approached the top, it started to sprinkle a little bit. As we got off the ski lift, we were informed that the slide was on a "rain hold." We got to wait in the "photo shack," which was really just a log cabin about twelve feet by twelve feet with filmed over windows and lots of flies. A suburban came to take us back down the mountain, but the people already waiting in the shack filled up the seats. We were OK with waiting, so back in the shack we went. More and more people showed up, including an Asian family from North Carolina here for a NuSkin convention, a young family from Utah, and a few other people (among which were a lot more attractive guys). Just as one of the guys was saying it wouldn't be raining for much longer, lightning hit the ski lift pole, and a wire providing electricity to the shack sparked and the ski lift stopped. Then there was and enormous crack of thunder. Yikes! Luckily, the suburban showed up for the next group, and since we had been there the longest, we were first in line for the next ride down. (The driver was also quite attractive. I think it must be a requirement to get a job there.) We climbed in the the back of the car with the Asian family, and they asked for advice of places they could see in SLC while they were in town. We told them of a few places, and the father was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to see the inside of the temple. I suggested he stop by the visitor's center, where he could see pictures and a model of the inside.As we got to the bottom of the slide, we said our goodbyes and one of the employees signed our tickets so we could use them again. We stopped by the gift shop and I bought a lapel pin (I collect them from all of the different places I go) and we ran back to the car in the now pouring rain.We made our way down to the Alpine Loop, a scenic highway which encircles Mt. Timpanogos. There was some concern that we were too late for the fall colors, but we saw plenty. We stopped at the visitor's center at the Timpanogos Caves and changed into our wedding attire, and continued on our way. We arrived right on time for the reception, but it was so packed, we had to park up on the mountain and a shuttle took us to the right place. I'm not a huge fan of receptions, so I dropped off my gift, signed the book, and said hello to a couple of friends. There was no official receiving line, so the bride and groom and parents were just mingling. I saw Donny Osmond from a distance, but didn't even get close to talking to him or meeting him. Eh, I used to sell dog food to Marie all of the time. We found the bride and groom, gave our congratulations, and then left. We were the only ones on the shuttle back to our car, so we chatted it up with the driver. He was REALLY good at his job! We had parked halfway across the parking lot from where the shuttle picked us up, and when we left the parking lot, the shuttle was as full as it could be, but when he took us back up to the lot, he knew exactly which car was ours and dropped us off right next to it. If I'd had cash on me, I would have tipped him. Blast!
We drove back down the mountain and back home, luckily avoiding a lot of the construction going on in Utah Valley. Jayce played DJ with her iPod, and she knew just the right songs for me. She's so great! So, I was 0-2 for the day, but it was still a super fun one!
Crystal Hot Springs
My extended family on my dad's side goes camping every year together over the first weekend in October. We go to watch General Conference, as well as to have fun together. In the past, they have camped at Cherry Hill, Crystal Hot Springs, as well as in my parent's back yard. The only one I had been able to participate in up to this point was the back yard camp out. This year, the family had decided to camp at Crystal Hot Springs again. I was in luck, because my schedule allowed me to attend this year. It was also perfect timing, because this trip was going to be the "jumping off point" for my birthday extravaganza, seeing as how I had never been to Crystal Hot Springs.
Friday afternoon rolled around, and we packed everything up in the trailer and cars. The group going up was my dad, my mom, Annie, me, my two dogs, Linus and Augusta, and my brother's dog, Bruce. We would be taking my dad's truck and my mom's SUV, so we lined the back seat of my mom's car with sheets and blankets for the dogs to ride on, with my mom and I in the front seats, and Annie rode with my dad in his truck. (She's a bit allergic to the dogs, but she puts up with them for me, bless her.) We (and by we, I mostly mean my dad, because he is the gadget guru of the family) had to take our portable fire pit, a TV and speakers (for conference), as well as all of the other stuff we are accustomed to for camping. We also threw in three guitars, coolers, duffel bags, and all of the other stuff we needed to get us through the weekend. Our favorite quote for camping is from "A Goofy Movie." Goofy is trying to get Max to go camping, and "get away from it all." Max responds, "I don't want to get away from it all. I LIKE it all." This is apparent when it takes two cars and a trailer to take four people and three dogs camping. But, we got it all in, and we were on our way!
Upon arrival at the campsite, my mom went and got us all checked in. It was slightly difficult for us to figure out exactly where our campsites were, because, shockingly enough, we were the first people to arrive! We got the dogs tied up (rules required by the campsite) and started setting up camp. Not long after that, other people began to show up. My parent's and Annie would be sleeping in the pop-up tent trailer, but with the three dogs under my supervision, I was in a tent. (Trust me, all things considered, it's just easier that way. :) ) Annie helped get the trailer set up and get our site ready for the weekend, while I put up my tent and got my air mattress and sleeping bag ready. Grandma Snow had already said she was going to make stew and scones for dinner (which was DELICIOUS) for everyone, so we had nothing to do after that but sit back and relax. We also received word that evening that Renate George, my brother-in-law Dennis' mother, had passed away. She had been very ill, and the death was expected, but that doesn't take away the pain. For this reason, my sister Sarah and Dennis did not join us camping.
The next day, I woke up with the sun, but lay in my tent for a while, listening to the rest of the family wake up. The sounds of breakfast are what finally pulled me out of bed. Breakfast was a group meal that morning, with pancakes, eggs, hash browns, sausages, and fruit. I love camping breakfast! Then we sat and watched/listened to the first session of conference. I'm terrible at remembering who said what and in what session, but I remember conference was really good, as always.
Our little view of conference
Grandma watching conference in the shade (everyone
else was watching, too, they just didn't fit in the picture.)
Lunch (from left to right) Nate, Carrie, Caryl, Joe, Kirsten, Ryan
After the second session of conference, I convinced Annie to go over to the pool and hot springs with me. That was an.....interesting experience. There was a regular old swimming pool, three hot spring tubs, and a wading pool, which I think was also from the springs. The night before, when we had checked in at about the same time, the pool area only had about ten people there, most of which were children. This night, the place was PACKED. We walked out of the locker room and looked around to see where our time would be best spent. We approached the first hot spring tub, and I stepped in. I promptly stepped right back out. It was HOT! We tried the next tub, and it's temperature was much more pleasant. We sat in there for a little bit, and chatted with an older couple from Salt Lake. I'm not sure how long they had lived in Salt Lake, or if they were visiting the hot springs while on their vacation to Salt Lake, because they had a very strong accent and their English wasn't the best I've heard. For example, when I asked the where they were from, they asked me what I meant. But they were very nice. We wanted to try the next tub, but it was occupied by three older men. We didn't really feel the need to wander over there until they were gone. They left eventually, and we gave the third tub a try. It felt nearly as hot as the first one, but little by little, we were able to ease our way in. Once we got used to it, it was very relaxing. A young couple had joined us in this tub, and we chatted with them for a while. When we were done in the third tub, we went for a dip in the pool for about a minute to cool down and wash the "minerals" off. Annie had an orange stripe across her back from the water level of the hot springs.
We traipsed our way back to camp, where my wonderful mother had been making tinfoil dinners for us. My dad had left halfway through the second session, because he needed to be back in our home stake for the priesthood session to help with the technical side of things there. I went and showered while dinner finished cooking, and came back to guitars and campfire singing. We weren't really around a fire, but it works. All this while, my amazing mother had also been keeping an eye on the three dogs for me, who were "locked up" in my tent. All in all, they were pretty good while I was gone. We sang more songs, made s'mores (my Aunt Carrie introduced me to the beauty of making them with Reese's peanut butter cups!) and mingled with the family. My dad came back and brought my sister Rachel with him, who had driven up from Provo. They also brought cake and ice cream with them, because it was my grandfather's birthday. (He passed away in 1995, but we still try to recognize his birthday.) So we lit candles and sang, and there was ice cream all around.
Most people were off to bed at this point, but Annie had brought Iron Man 2 along with her, and we decided to watch it. So, we plugged in the portable DVD player, and my parent's went to bed on the other end of the trailer while Annie, Rachel, our cousin Braxten and I attempted to watch the movie. Brooke, a cousin, came knocking on our door not long after. Her three-year-old daughter was having a night terror, and needed a blessing. The screaming had woken up Brooke's 10-month-old twin boys, so her husband was busy trying to get them calmed down. Braxten went and got his step-dad, Nate, and by that time, Brooke's husband Wade was able to join us. The three of them were able to give her a blessing, and she was able to wake up and calm down. I'm glad Brooke knew she could ask for help. I'm also glad to have the power of the priesthood in my life. We tried to continue watching the movie, but one by one, we all fell asleep. We turned it off, and all went to our beds.
Sunday morning came, and I joined my family in the trailer for cereal and hot chocolate. We watched the morning session of conference, and I started on lunch, which was my responsibility. I had decided on chicken salad in pita pockets. Rachel helped me chop and slice everything, and lunch was delicious. We then started packing up camp, so that we could be out of there as quickly as possible after the last session of conference. After conference was over, we took everything down and packed it all out. My cousin Kirsten had her boyfriend up there, and he was very helpful, just pitching in wherever he could see help was needed. (Kirsten, hang on to him!) We managed to get everything back in, and we made our way home. My mom and I stopped to take some pictures of the scenery, which was absolutely beautiful, and eventually made it home. With all five of us, it didn't take long to get the cars unloaded and get everything put away. I think the dogs were the ones most excited to be home. Overall, a great trip!
Friday afternoon rolled around, and we packed everything up in the trailer and cars. The group going up was my dad, my mom, Annie, me, my two dogs, Linus and Augusta, and my brother's dog, Bruce. We would be taking my dad's truck and my mom's SUV, so we lined the back seat of my mom's car with sheets and blankets for the dogs to ride on, with my mom and I in the front seats, and Annie rode with my dad in his truck. (She's a bit allergic to the dogs, but she puts up with them for me, bless her.) We (and by we, I mostly mean my dad, because he is the gadget guru of the family) had to take our portable fire pit, a TV and speakers (for conference), as well as all of the other stuff we are accustomed to for camping. We also threw in three guitars, coolers, duffel bags, and all of the other stuff we needed to get us through the weekend. Our favorite quote for camping is from "A Goofy Movie." Goofy is trying to get Max to go camping, and "get away from it all." Max responds, "I don't want to get away from it all. I LIKE it all." This is apparent when it takes two cars and a trailer to take four people and three dogs camping. But, we got it all in, and we were on our way!
Upon arrival at the campsite, my mom went and got us all checked in. It was slightly difficult for us to figure out exactly where our campsites were, because, shockingly enough, we were the first people to arrive! We got the dogs tied up (rules required by the campsite) and started setting up camp. Not long after that, other people began to show up. My parent's and Annie would be sleeping in the pop-up tent trailer, but with the three dogs under my supervision, I was in a tent. (Trust me, all things considered, it's just easier that way. :) ) Annie helped get the trailer set up and get our site ready for the weekend, while I put up my tent and got my air mattress and sleeping bag ready. Grandma Snow had already said she was going to make stew and scones for dinner (which was DELICIOUS) for everyone, so we had nothing to do after that but sit back and relax. We also received word that evening that Renate George, my brother-in-law Dennis' mother, had passed away. She had been very ill, and the death was expected, but that doesn't take away the pain. For this reason, my sister Sarah and Dennis did not join us camping.
The next day, I woke up with the sun, but lay in my tent for a while, listening to the rest of the family wake up. The sounds of breakfast are what finally pulled me out of bed. Breakfast was a group meal that morning, with pancakes, eggs, hash browns, sausages, and fruit. I love camping breakfast! Then we sat and watched/listened to the first session of conference. I'm terrible at remembering who said what and in what session, but I remember conference was really good, as always.
Our little view of conference Grandma watching conference in the shade (everyone else was watching, too, they just didn't fit in the picture.)
In between sessions, the original plan was for some of us to drive out to the Golden Spike and the Spiral Jetty, two more things on my list, but it was decided there just wouldn't be time to do it, and two trips out would just be too much. Since my Aunt Caryl had volunteered to take me to those two, she promised me she would find a day to make it happen. I wasn't too worried about the postponement. Caryl is one of the most responsible people I know! So instead of venturing off into the west, we relaxed and Annie made our family a yummy lunch of hoagie sandwiches. Have I mentioned I love camping food?
Lunch (from left to right) Nate, Carrie, Caryl, Joe, Kirsten, RyanAfter the second session of conference, I convinced Annie to go over to the pool and hot springs with me. That was an.....interesting experience. There was a regular old swimming pool, three hot spring tubs, and a wading pool, which I think was also from the springs. The night before, when we had checked in at about the same time, the pool area only had about ten people there, most of which were children. This night, the place was PACKED. We walked out of the locker room and looked around to see where our time would be best spent. We approached the first hot spring tub, and I stepped in. I promptly stepped right back out. It was HOT! We tried the next tub, and it's temperature was much more pleasant. We sat in there for a little bit, and chatted with an older couple from Salt Lake. I'm not sure how long they had lived in Salt Lake, or if they were visiting the hot springs while on their vacation to Salt Lake, because they had a very strong accent and their English wasn't the best I've heard. For example, when I asked the where they were from, they asked me what I meant. But they were very nice. We wanted to try the next tub, but it was occupied by three older men. We didn't really feel the need to wander over there until they were gone. They left eventually, and we gave the third tub a try. It felt nearly as hot as the first one, but little by little, we were able to ease our way in. Once we got used to it, it was very relaxing. A young couple had joined us in this tub, and we chatted with them for a while. When we were done in the third tub, we went for a dip in the pool for about a minute to cool down and wash the "minerals" off. Annie had an orange stripe across her back from the water level of the hot springs.
We traipsed our way back to camp, where my wonderful mother had been making tinfoil dinners for us. My dad had left halfway through the second session, because he needed to be back in our home stake for the priesthood session to help with the technical side of things there. I went and showered while dinner finished cooking, and came back to guitars and campfire singing. We weren't really around a fire, but it works. All this while, my amazing mother had also been keeping an eye on the three dogs for me, who were "locked up" in my tent. All in all, they were pretty good while I was gone. We sang more songs, made s'mores (my Aunt Carrie introduced me to the beauty of making them with Reese's peanut butter cups!) and mingled with the family. My dad came back and brought my sister Rachel with him, who had driven up from Provo. They also brought cake and ice cream with them, because it was my grandfather's birthday. (He passed away in 1995, but we still try to recognize his birthday.) So we lit candles and sang, and there was ice cream all around.
Most people were off to bed at this point, but Annie had brought Iron Man 2 along with her, and we decided to watch it. So, we plugged in the portable DVD player, and my parent's went to bed on the other end of the trailer while Annie, Rachel, our cousin Braxten and I attempted to watch the movie. Brooke, a cousin, came knocking on our door not long after. Her three-year-old daughter was having a night terror, and needed a blessing. The screaming had woken up Brooke's 10-month-old twin boys, so her husband was busy trying to get them calmed down. Braxten went and got his step-dad, Nate, and by that time, Brooke's husband Wade was able to join us. The three of them were able to give her a blessing, and she was able to wake up and calm down. I'm glad Brooke knew she could ask for help. I'm also glad to have the power of the priesthood in my life. We tried to continue watching the movie, but one by one, we all fell asleep. We turned it off, and all went to our beds.
Sunday morning came, and I joined my family in the trailer for cereal and hot chocolate. We watched the morning session of conference, and I started on lunch, which was my responsibility. I had decided on chicken salad in pita pockets. Rachel helped me chop and slice everything, and lunch was delicious. We then started packing up camp, so that we could be out of there as quickly as possible after the last session of conference. After conference was over, we took everything down and packed it all out. My cousin Kirsten had her boyfriend up there, and he was very helpful, just pitching in wherever he could see help was needed. (Kirsten, hang on to him!) We managed to get everything back in, and we made our way home. My mom and I stopped to take some pictures of the scenery, which was absolutely beautiful, and eventually made it home. With all five of us, it didn't take long to get the cars unloaded and get everything put away. I think the dogs were the ones most excited to be home. Overall, a great trip!
Monday, October 4, 2010
In the beginning
Earlier this year, I decided I wanted to do something fun and memorable for my upcoming birthday. After all, turning 30 is a big deal, right? Well, I asked a few friends for any suggestions, as well as family, and I wasn't coming up with anything that felt right.
One day, my sister Annie and I were riding in the back of my mom's car (I don't remember where we were going...) and she suggested we go get sushi for my birthday. I made a face of disgust at her, because I don't eat things that come from the ocean. That is, except for calamari, but that could very well be that it is deep fried. Most things are much better deep fried, aren't they? I digress. I told her I hadn't actually ever eaten sushi, and she told me I was missing out. That is when the light bulb turned on, because she got very excited and said, "I know! You should do 30 new things in 30 days!" I was in love.
Since that day, I have been announcing to anyone who will listen my intended plans and asking for ideas of new things I could do. I started a Facebook event and invited everyone. People rose to the occassion. My cousin's wife even brought me a book of "Merit Badges for Grown-Up Girls" full of things I could do. The list started compiling. Many people have had amazing suggestions. Some have had some outrageous ones. No, I never HAVE shaved my eyebrows, but that doesn't mean I should. I was looking for unique ideas that would also be fun to do. I think the list that has been compiled is a good mixture. I just hope I can get it all done! Wish me luck!
One day, my sister Annie and I were riding in the back of my mom's car (I don't remember where we were going...) and she suggested we go get sushi for my birthday. I made a face of disgust at her, because I don't eat things that come from the ocean. That is, except for calamari, but that could very well be that it is deep fried. Most things are much better deep fried, aren't they? I digress. I told her I hadn't actually ever eaten sushi, and she told me I was missing out. That is when the light bulb turned on, because she got very excited and said, "I know! You should do 30 new things in 30 days!" I was in love.
Since that day, I have been announcing to anyone who will listen my intended plans and asking for ideas of new things I could do. I started a Facebook event and invited everyone. People rose to the occassion. My cousin's wife even brought me a book of "Merit Badges for Grown-Up Girls" full of things I could do. The list started compiling. Many people have had amazing suggestions. Some have had some outrageous ones. No, I never HAVE shaved my eyebrows, but that doesn't mean I should. I was looking for unique ideas that would also be fun to do. I think the list that has been compiled is a good mixture. I just hope I can get it all done! Wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)