Goodbye Summer

Summer break is over. I had to report back to work today for policy meetings and other boring, boring, BORING types of things. It’s a tad depressing to be back at it, but there’s nothing to be done. This summer was really fun, but also really busy. In the midst of that fun busy-ness, I was able to check two more things off my list.

I visited a number of awesome historical sites while on vacation in New York City. Check #20 off the list! I spent an afternoon with Jake G. and he showed me around the Financial District in Lower Manhattan. Specifically, we went to Trinity Church, Wall Street, and Federal Hall. I loved Federal Hall. It was here that George Washington was sworn in as the first US President. Pretty darn nifty. Let me also note that after our sightseeing we ate at a really yummy Afghan restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen. Delight!

I also had a chance to go camping (#3)—twice! Two weekends in a row, I went on an overnight camp of some sort. The first was with my ward at Lava Hot Springs in Idaho, and the second was with the fam at Lilly Lake Campground in the Uintah National Forest. I loved it. This last weekend’s family trip was practically perfect. We caught lots of fish (and I gutted & cleaned some of them myself!), roasted hotdogs and S’mores, slept cozy in sleeping bags, and had a tasty breakfast in the clean mountain air. I really just love camping, and its been too many summers since I’ve been able to go.

In reviewing the 27 in my 27th List, I must admit I'm growing slightly concerned. You see, yesterday was my Half Birthday--we are six months into this "List" experiment and less than six months now remain to accomplish what is left. To be fair, I think I'm doing a mighty fine job thus far. But I can't help but worry about a few of the remaining goals--most notably #12 Enjoy a mutually desirable kiss. I express concern here because, quite frankly, I'm not sure where that's going to be coming from anytime soon. Most of my waking hours are spent in the society of pre-pubescent humanoids...so its doubtful I'll meet somebody in my daily social circles.

But here's where you, the reader, can come in! This is not a booty call or a want ad for a hook-up. Rather, I'm in the market for a fine young man who'd be interested in going out. The hope would be that one date could turn into two or three, and eventually #12 would get the old Heave Ho--follow? I'm going to assume most of you know how to contact me in the traditional ways, so if you've got a real prospect to help me out...let me know.

10 down, 17 to go! (And a number of things in process...)

Tools were Involved

And no, I don't mean tools like the contestants on "The Bachelorette." I mean like...screwdrivers and tape measures and stuff. What I'm trying to get at here is simply this: Today was devoted to Home Improvement around my little pad. I even went to a hardware store--by myself. And it was AWESOME.

Let's back up--being a homeowner has given me opportunity to tackle all sorts of tasks I've never done before. And every time I do something on my own--like turn on the gas and light the water heater--I feel a great sense of empowerment. Today was chock full of those moments! In fact...I toted my camera around the house with me to show off my handy work.

First--and this wasn't really "handy" home improvement but I'm so happy I have to share--I finally found my perfect Salt & Pepper shakers. I'm so excited about this its embarrassing. But when you've been searching for affordable--yet perfect--salt & pepper shakers for four months...you've got to celebrate the find. Thank you Ross!!Okay, on to the "handy" stuff. I vacuumed out my furnace and A/C unit and changed the air filter. This required the use of a tape measure to figure out what size of filter I needed, and then a trip to Lowe's to track down the 14 x 20 x 1 filter. It fits SO much better than the cheap-o crap one that was in there before. This particular brand of filter even came with a Reminder Sticker, so I'll remember to perform this routine maintenance every 3 months. Good call. Here's my happy--and clean--unit now. At my Housewarming party, Erin gave me a fabulous home decor gift that's been sitting on my counter ever since. My trip to Lowe's also provided the necessary hardware to hang the sign above my sink. A tape measure was involved--to make sure the sign was perfectly centered over my ugly window coverings (that's a job for another day)--as well as HAMMERING. Really. With all that in mind--Isn't it awesome!!?My bathroom door has been opening too far and slowly creating a dent in the wall opposite. This is...not good. The helpful man at Lowe's pointed me in the direction of the Hinge Pin Door Stops. Just what I needed! There was hammering, unexpected grease, and one or two missteps, but I got the piece installed on my door--making the walls safe from doorknob dents for one more day!!! There are 5 smoke detectors in my little pad. I purchased the 9V batteries today at Sam's Club and systematically climbed on and off a stool to change every single one. This wasn't actually that hard. The hard part was making myself push the button to test each one. Man those suckers are PIERCING!! But I guess that's the point, right?The final task was a little more involved, so I enlisted the help of my best Tool Girl, Catie, to help me out. The key rack was the very first piece of "decor" I purchased for my house...and its been sitting unused in the office/nursery for a while now. I bought the screws at Lowe's, but we needed Catie's know-how and her dad's Stud Finder (So many jokes...so little time...) to make it happen. But happen it did! And here's the final product with a big Thank You shout out to Catie!

All in all, these are small tasks and small additions. But I love my little house, and I love taking care of it and all its little details.

Spreadin' the News

Just got back. Happy to report that New York City is still there. Not only is it still there, its hotter and humider (no, that's not a word. Until NOW!) than ever. I was melting 10 of the 14 days I was in the city, and it was pretty gross. We moved forward, though, and good times were still had. Recognizing that you, the reader, probably don't want a play-by-play of a fourteen-day trip, let's just hit the highlights, shall we?

1. Friends: I adore Mariah and her fiancee, Ryan. So much fun to chat and hang out with them. I also got to spend an afternoon with Jake G. He showed me around the Wall Street/Trinity Church area--and we had yummy Afghan food for lunch! And then Gregory B. came into town for the last week and I had another chum to join in NYC playtime. Good stuff!

2. Broadway: We saw Tony Award Winner, Douglas Hodge in the matinee of La Cage Aux Folles. Brilliant! He was wonderful and the show was a riot. I loved so much about it!! "If he loved me, he'd vacuum!" So great. That night we had box seats to a major Tony winner--Billy Elliot. I can't say enough how much I loved this show! Great music, amazing acting and dancing, wonderful story--maybe the perfect show. Love love love.

3. Breakfast: I had at least two A-Mazing breakfasts in the city. Community Food & Juice provided one of the best things I have ever eaten in a 7-Grain Waffle served with Lemon/Raspberry Cream sauce. I wanted to weep with joy when I was eating it, and that's not exaggerating by much. The next week we ventured to Greenwich for Creme Brulee French Toast at a place called Jane. Yum, Yum, and some more YUM.

4. Coney Island: I love this place. Shelling out $8 for the crazy wild roller coaster, Cyclone, was just the beginning of the happiness. A hotdog from Nathan's and a jaunt on the boardwalk were also wonderful. But nothing tops the pure delicious glee I found in watching the Side Show. A Contortionist, the Seal Boy, a well-endowed Sword swallower/Flame-eater, and of course--our host--a Carnie who literally hammered a nail into his own head. WOWZA!! Love love love.

5. Bakeries: Any followers of my Facebook status updates should be aware that I made a major effort to visit a plethora of bakeries in Manhattan. First prize goes to Levain on 74th and Amsterdam for the most luscious cookie EVER. Second prize goes to Amy's Bread for the best carrot cake I have ever eaten in my life. Also a good sticky bun. And butter cookie. Third prize to Jacques Torres for another brilliant chocolate-chip cookie. Honorable Mentions go to Crumbs (because you gotta love a huge Crumbs cupcake!!), Fat Witch Bakery, Magnolia (good brownie!!), and Bombolini. The final entry providing not only tasty Italian donuts, but tasty Italian eye candy as well. I should note--no pictures from the bakeries. I always intended to, but the goodies seemed to disappear into my belly too fast for me to remember the need for a photo shoot. Oh well!

6. Sights o' the City: I've done a lot of the "touristy" things before, but still managed to take in some awesome spots in the Big Apple. I especially loved the American Museum of Natural History (though their charge for special exhibits is ridiculous) and the big model blue whale. There were some great exhibits at the Met. And I really loved walking along Highline Park with a yummy coconut-almond ice cream shake from the Chelsea Markets.

So...there was a lot more that happened in my 14-day adventure to New York City, and a lot more amazing foods I got to eat. Heck, I didn't really say anything here about the Gilder Lehrman seminar at Columbia University that got me out to the city in the first place!! If you want to hear more about adventures, Reconstruction seminars, and/or great NYC food, feel free to ask*. I Love New York!!

*Obviously, I like to talk--especially about food.

From the "Me Likey" File

Just before I head out on a 2-week NYC Adventure that I'm sure makes many of you green with envy, let me share a random sampling of things I've been enjoying lately. Feel free to take these as "2 Thumbs WAAAY Up!"-type recommendations, because that's what they're meant to be.

I am happily on the Inception bandwagon, ladies and gentlemen. I saw it opening day--loved every minute of it--and I have every intention of seeing it again in theaters very soon. If you haven't seen it yet, RUN to your nearest theater and get yourself a ticket! Intelligent, ingenious, entertaining, and just an overall fabulous cinematic experience. GO. Now. In fact, its okay if you want to stop reading this post in order to leave immediately for the movie theater. I doubt anything I write below will be as entertaining as Inception, after all.

I'm in favor of riding horses named Nellie. It gives you a very legitimate reason to say "Whoa, Nellie!" for one thing. But if you can't get yourself a horse named Nellie, I'm willing to settle on a recommendation for horseback riding, period. I went recently with mi amiga, Caryn, and her grandpa. We took a trail up by the Alpine Loop and I have to admit--Utah can be lovely! Especially from the back of a horse. This is my favorite picture from the adventure because it perfectly captures how the majority of the picture-taking went: I try to pose while my horse has a different idea entirely.

I'm sort of in love with my new nephew, Charlie. Well, its Charles, but there are all sorts of nicknames already floating around. I used "Chuck" the other day and I can see that sticking. Who knows? What I DO know is that he is Adorable, and I could spend every day cuddling him and not get tired of it. "How is this a recommendation?", you might ask. Well, since 2008 I've been a big proponent of nephews, so I say if you can get one, do it. And if you can't, just look at that pic and be jealous of mine.

If you haven't seen HCT's The Wedding Singer yet, you're running out of time! It closes July 31st. And if you miss it--you should be sorry, because its brilliant. I'd highly recommend the MWF cast, because that's the cast I saw and they were fabulous. And my friend, Derek, is in the lead role MWF and he's just awesome like that. I saw the show as part of the Hale Centre 25th Anniversary BASH (Thanks Charisse!!), and it was a truly fabulous evening. I got to dress up, look sassy, and drink "Sally" Temples...a wonderful night, indeed.

And finally, on these bloody hot summer days (100 degrees, again, Mother Nature? Come on. Take a chill pill.) I'm in love with my blender and the Orange Julius it allows me to make. I adore orange julius, and its the #1 reason I invested in a blender this summer. This frosty treat is so easy to make too, with my mom's recipe. I hope its not a family secret, because here you go:

Mom's Orange Julius Goodness

3/4 c. milk
1 1/4 c. water
6 oz. frozen OJ concentrate
1/2 c. sugar
10-12 ice cubes

Put into blender. BLEND. And enjoy. In fact, enjoy as many as you can as often as you can because its just that good. Plus, I think you deserve it.

To Whom it May Concern

Dear "Just One Date" Date:

Thanks so much for a great evening. It was nice to meet you. I'll most likely never see you again because, let's face it, we're not going out again. Are you surprised? I don't know if you really are. But if so, let me fill you in on some basic reasons why we most likely will not be headed out the door for another date anytime soon--or ever. Please note that I don't say this in an attitude of bitterness, but rather this is a message that could help you in future dating endeavors. With that disclaimer, just a few thoughts:

• You might have missed this, but I'm your date--not your kid sister. Just because I'm a few years younger than you, doesn't give you leave to call me "kid." I've already got brothers and I'm not really in the market for another one at this point.

• I was under the impression you wanted to go out with me--hence you asking me to spend Friday night with you. As such, I guess I just assumed you'd have some idea of what we'd be doing. For future reference, ladies appreciate planning.

• If I'm going to give up a precious weekend night to spend with you--possibly a complete stranger--I'd have appreciated it if you'd spent it with me and not your phone. Hot Tip! I turned mine off before you picked me up.
  

• Spending the evening regaling me with tales of your bad boy days--without a clear indication that they're over--isn't really impressive. Next time (not with me, of course) I'd suggest steering the conversation in a direction that casts a positive spin on you and your life. Talk about your classes, family, or your achievements before whipping out your police record.

• Don't forget that this is a first date. It's okay if we keep it short. They say the best entertainment leaves you wanting more. If I get enough the first time around--SIX HOURS of it, for example--no girl's gonna need another dose anytime soon.

• No, I'm really not okay with driving.

• I'm sorry I've been sitting in your truck for the last 30 minutes, requiring you to come up with yet another zany story about your insane family. This entire awkward scene could have been avoided if you'd turned the car off and walked me to the door. And yes, you should have walked me to the door.

Anyway, good luck! I'm sure that with a little more effort, and maybe just a little thought, the next time around will be awesome. You can do it! If at first you don't succeed (and really, no, you didn't succeed here), Try Try Again!

Sincerely-
Me

P.S. And can I just give a big shout out to the few fabulous first dates I have been on in the past? Some of you guys REALLY have it down; some of you guys I went out with twice or more! (Some of you guys I wanted to go out with again, but...yeah...) Anyway, perhaps you could offer some hints, or even one-on-one tutoring, to some of your peers. Because some of them REALLY need it. Peace out. Happy dating.

**In case it wasn't clear, the thoughts herein have been compiled over several years of swimming in the dating pool. If this had all occurred in one night, with one guy, I'd have felt responsible to disclose his name as a public service to other women who might wander into his path.

Summer Happenings, including #5

Anybody else wondering where the heck June went? How did the first month of summer go by so fast?! This means I've got only 1 1/2 months left to make the summer break Awesome to the Max. Before we get to that, however, some catch up on the events of the past few weeks of Summer Magic.

Last week I hit up the water park with my sisters and two of the little one's--Lyric and Spencer (pictured here in all his summertime glee and glory). It was a madcap day of water, tubes, lazy rivering, slides, fried chicken, and lots and lots of sun. And it was a total blast! I definitely got sunburned, despite reapplying my SPF 50 sunblock on numerous occasions, but its all good now. Look at that picture again! Can you doubt how much fun we had?! AWESOME!

Father's Day weekend took the family to our timeshare condo at East Canyon Resort. We played at the pool, read books, watched a bunch of mostly mediocre movies (Boo on you Leap Year and Dear John), and had a ton of fun fishing at the reservoir. I re-learned how to gut a fish (that just sounds gross...), and practiced tying on my own hook and swivel. Woohoo!

In case you've been living under a rock for the past few days and hadn't heard, the newest Twilight film, Eclipse, opened in theaters on Wednesday. My amazing friend, Charisse, got free tickets and we hit up the 12:10 showing Wednesday morning at Jordan Commons. We tried to blend in with all the "Twi-hards" by dressing appropriately (I sported my homemade "Team Taylor Lautner" shirt (because I am)) and cheering at perfectly sculpted abs whenever they appeared. It was a serious good time, and I really did enjoy the movie.

These are happy smiles brought to you by the Salt Lake Real and Rio Tinto Stadium. I went to the game on Friday with my sister and parents--part of our Father's Day gift to Dad. The game was fun, even if it ended at 0 - 0. At least we didn't lose! I love soccer!! After the game we headed to Leatherby's and feasted on Toasted Almond Ice Cream, hot fudge and cheese fries. YUM!

Surely one of the highlights of my summer occurred last night--110 in the Shade at Hale Center Theater Orem, starring Audra McDonald. I got a ticket thanks to that amazing friend I mentioned before--Charisse. Isn't she the best!!? I don't think I'm a gifted enough writer to capture in words how extraordinary the performance proved to be. I was goosebumpy and enthralled and feel all sorts of lucky to have seen it. Really the entire cast was awesome, but Audra was phenomenal. I chalk this one up to "Best Theater Experience EVER in the State of Utah." Standing O, all the way.

And that finally brings us to a MAJOR accomplishment of the summer! I can check #5 Finish the quilt I started last year off the 27 in 27 list, because I finished it! Pictured above is the quilt I started sewing last summer--now, all done. It has been quilted and bound and it is lovely. Its currently the highlighted piece in my barely-decorated living room. Now I'm just waiting for an invite to an outdoor venue so I have reason to show it off!

Keep up the good work, folks, and happy summering!

The Problem of Summer

I love summer. Summer is popsicles, sleeping in and staying up late, reading fluff books, going to the movies, and basically doing whatever you want. Just reading that list makes me happy!! As it is, however, my summer hasn't entirely felt like that. Oh sure I've had my quick vacations to California, and yes I can sleep in when I want to. But this summer there's a boat load of work I still find myself having to do.

First I've got this Gilder Lehrman conference coming up in July. By the time I get on that plane to go to New York City, I must have completed three nonfiction history books. One of which is over 600 pages in length. Interesting, but definitely not the fluffy, beach reads I would hope to crack open in the summer.

Second, I'm working on a project for the Teaching With Primary Sources grant. I have to put together Primary Resource Sets for individual Indicators in the State Core. In fact, I am signed up to complete 18 of these sets. Yes, I get paid, but wow...I'm at "1 down, 17 to go" at this point. *sigh*

Third, I would really like to get up and going on my Curriculum plans for my night school classes next year. Life in the 2010-2011 school year will be MUCHO simpler if that gets done before September.

But going back to The Problem of Summer. The real problem is that IDEA of summer. I want to play! But my blasted logical mind is struggling to let me really enjoy the play time I take when there are all these other RESPONSIBLE things I should be doing. Blast.

I think the universe is trying to make me work too. When I asked my two-year old nephew last Sunday if we could "hang out sometime this week"--as long as it was okay with his mom, of course--she responded that he was pretty busy with playdates and other such things. Yeah, that's right. My two-year old nephew has a busier social calendar than me. Thank goodness I have those Resource Sets to keep me company, right?