Messiah Sing-In

I attended our neighborhood Messiah Sing-In last night. They provided the orchestra & soloists and the congregation provided the choir parts(we didn't do the whole score, just an hour and a half worth). So you have a score of the music with you and it's like crazy to follow(especially for someone like me who can't keep count of notes). I tried to keep to my alto part but I sang all the different parts (I was used to singing with the record when I was younger, so many times I just sang those parts that were embedded in my mind). Growing up, my parents had the Messiah album and as it neared Christmas, it would be played on the record player every Sunday(My dad still listens to the CD every Sunday during December). And during the Hallelujah Chorus there was a part that the needle always got stuck so it literally played "forever & ever Hallelujah" forever & ever. By the time CD's came out and I listened to it without the 'scratch', I found it odd to hear the song perfectly played. My mind still heard the 'scratch repeat'. Anyway the Sing-In was worth attending to feel the Lord's Spirit and get me focused on the true meaning of Christmas! Plus it's fun to try singing the chorus parts like professionals!

Mayan Restaurant

Last night Jake & Kristie came down. We ate at the Mayan Restaurant before we watched Harry Potter 7(Part 1) in the IMAX theater. The Mayan is a unique place in that it is set up like a rain forest(and I swear it's just as humid!). There are trees, vines, straw huts, waterfalls, etc...even thunder and lightning(with sound of rain) while you eat. But what it is really known for is the entertainment. From the waterfalls, Mayan clad employees dive into the water below. Also they have a trapeze acrobat showing off their skills. Lastly there was fire twirling. And even with all this extra special atmosphere, the prices are all reasonable. Most atmosphere-y restaurants make you pay for the atmosphere but not here!

Thanksgiving Weekend

For Thanksgiving weekend I traveled to 2 places. First I spent Wed & Thurs in Logan with my parents. Since a major blizzard was just getting over, we left for Logan later than anticipated. The roads were pretty good on the freeway, but still bad in town! We ate a delicious dinner over at my brother's home. Mashed potatoes & stuffing are my favorite foods to overeat! My brother & his wife got a new kitty so it was fun to snuggle and pet it(no name yet).Then Fri & Sat, I spent time in Ephraim, UT with my sister and her husband. I go to help out decorating the 9ft Christmas tree(this year the decorations were a Victorian theme & every year there is a different theme)! I had planned on staying Sat night and going to Harry Potter 7 movie(again) with my sister but another blizzard was coming in Sat night/Sunday, so I left before the storm came on Saturday night. Yes, I let the snowy weather control my life! The next morning I was oh so glad I didn't have to drive on the slick & icy roads! And during the weekend I did get to enjoy watching 2 Utah Jazz games which they won(including Lakers!!) but was disappointed that Alabama lost to Auburn by one point! One of these Thanksgiving weekends I want to get down to Alabama for the Iron Bowl! I always love spending time with my family!But getting home earlier than usual did allow me to decorate my own place! Just need a small tree to make it complete!

Harry Potter 7: Part 1

Since movie 7 will be the last event for the 14 year Harry Potter Era, I have felt drawn to participate in any HP activity I can! My friend and I went to the HP party before the midnight showing of part one of movie 7. There wasn't a lot going on for what I expected, but we still managed to enjoy the night! First I got my custom-made rose-wood wand from a muggle wand maker(you picked your wood and design and he carved it up with a machine). Then we got sorted by the sorting hat into Gryffindor and given an appropriate scarf(which I have always wanted to have) to match that house. An owl was brought in and I learned some trivia about owls. And I thought it was cool to get my picture taken on a green screen so it looks like I'm flying on a broom in front of Hogwarts! Plus it's always fun to see how people dress up as characters! During the whole event, they played old HP movies to watch. There were about 15 theaters open for midnight showings(and they even had 3am showings after we were done)! This was the first time I actually loved the first showing of a HP movie! Normally I complain about everything the producer has changed and omitted the first time around and then learn to appreciate it seeing it multiple times, but this time they stayed truer to the book. Obviously there were still things left out, but not the important(or what I thought important) parts. The movie was just as intense and sad as the book had been! Can't wait to see part 2 July 15!!

iFLY

IFLY is the experience of skydiving without jumping from a plane & using a chute. Ben, Whit and I tried it out. Basically, you fall into 160mph wind(coming from underneath) and spread your hands and legs just so(with chin up) and you get the feeling of flying through the air. Since it was our first time we had a trainer in the fly zone with us to make sure we were holding the right position. Once we kind of got used to flying then the trainer would spin us up and down in the air. It was a wild experience! Makes me want to try real skydiving! We watched our video and we laughed a lot with how funny we looked(and the times we'd hit into the wall). I had a bit of a headache after with all the wind pressure going up my nose! And you couldn't open your mouth too much or slobber would come dribbling out! It's definitely worth trying out!

Boise

I flew up to Boise last weekend to spend time with some of my nieces. We went to a place with Chinese pedicurists. According to one of my nieces(who is a beautician), their business practices are not in line with the state licensure practice(so for example they use razors to shave off callous'). But they sure do a good job! I got a design put on my big toes for the first time ever. After the pedicurist meticulously painted my design, I left my chair and brushed one of my toes on a table. She was very kind and redid my toe(but I think she was a bit rougher handling my foot)! And I did like that the seats massaged you mechanically! Felt good! Afterward, we went shopping but when you bring a carry-on as luggage, you can't buy much! I did have to buy a new carry-on since the one I brought started falling apart at the seams! Then we saw movie "Despicable Me". I thought it was rather funny and cute! Later we went to a Halloween farmstead place---there are different activities and food to enjoy. It's very kid-oriented so it was perfect for my nieces kids. And because of the kids, we did not go into the haunted corn maze. But we did find our way out of the non-haunted one all by ourselves(with no help from the corn police)! Had a great time! Thanks goodness for planes so it only took me 45 min to get there instead of 5 hours to drive!

44th Birthday

This year for my birthday dinner, we had paninis and soup. We made homemade clam chowder & I bought some organic creamy tomato soup. Then I bought ciabatta bread squares and various meats, cheeses and spreads(all panini recipes from Zupas) for the paninis. For dessert, my sister made me a striped ice cream cake. It seemed like a lot of work getting it all together that night, but it was worth it having all my family(that could come) around me!

New on TV

It's been a transition thinking there will not be any 24 or LOST this year! Plus I have no channel connections(tv for Netflix or hooking up computer). So when I want to watch a tv show I watch it from the broadcasting website(and the full episode usually remains for a few weeks) with very limited commercial time--like it takes up 1-4 minutes of whole show. Needless to say, I have found 2 new shows that look promising: The Event and The Whole Truth. The Event is a bit LOST-ish---more questions than answers---so it keeps me captivated(involves aliens with great powers). The Whole Truth takes you through the the court process/jury decision and then the last 5 minutes of the show they let you find out what really happened---was the jury correct in their verdict. Or if I choose I can always wait until the shows come out on Netflix.

The Zoo: Part 2

I had another chance to visit the zoo again with another nephew and his family! We got to see the baby elephant, Zuri, playing and running around! It was soooooo cute!! We also got to watch as the gorilla tried to arrange his blanket and himself to take an afternoon nap! It was funny to watch! And the monkeys that look almost skunk-like were chasing each other around the pen! Why are we so fascinated with animals? It was great to yet again enjoy a day with the animals!

Canadian Rockies

During August, my friend and I drove up to see the Canadian Rockies for a week. We stopped in Glacier National Park first before heading up into Canada. Then we hit Waterton Lakes Park, Banff Ntl Park, Columbia Ice Fields and Kootenay Ntl Park. We wanted to explore Jasper Ntl Park more but the rainfall was so heavy we couldn't see anything. So that's one place I'll need to go visit again! One thing I especially loved seeing were all the waterfalls(I was truly in waterfall heaven!) and the turquoise coloring of the glacial lakes! With our lodging, we would camp for 2 days and then motel it every third day so we could re-charge our electronic stuff and ourselves! We did get to see 2 bears(at 2 different times) crossing the highway we were on---luckily no one hit them! There were lots of short hikes to enjoy and even waiting during construction was ok because we were surrounded by beautiful areas to gaze at. It was simply gorgeous! It needs to be on everyone's "must see" list!

Shreveport

I just spent the past few days in Shreveport, Louisiana with my nephew's family. Unfortunately my nephew wasn't there due to out of town work, but I still loved seeing his wife and 6 yr old daughter. It poured rain while I was there so we did a lot of indoor stuff like playing games, listening to music, watching videos, me being introduced to iCarly show, shopping for Back to School, eating out at great restaurants, seeing Ramona & Beezus on the big-screen, meeting Oscar(another aunt's dog), snacking on Klondikes(dark chocolate), putting puzzles together & having tickle fights. It was a great way to spend a few days of my summer!

Hogle Zoo & Salt Lake Aquarium

I had a chance to go to the zoo with my nephew, his wife & 3 kids. The big attraction was Zuri, the new baby elephant! It was amusing to watch the cheetah as he paced behind the fence looking at all the on-lookers as if trying to decide who would be the best for dinner. And of course we couldn't pass up the carousel!

A man in Salt Lake City just recently created an Aquarium. The kids loved seeing all the "SpongeBob" characters in reality! There is even a Stingray petting pool! But my favorite animal was the penguin because I love watching them jump & swim everywhere!

Manti Pageant

My nephew, Robert, and I drove down to Manti to see the pageant down there. We stayed with my sister & her husband who live nearby. The pageant is a dramatic production of church history, the Book of Mormon, and living the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's staged on the back hill of the Manti Temple. Starting at 9:30pm, we had to bring warm jackets to endure the chilly night. And after the production we were actually able to get out in a timely manner(normally it takes hours with all the traffic, but we were back at my sister's within 20 min)! It's always great to spend time with family and think on spiritual matters!

Denver

My niece & her family live in Denver so I try to visit once a year. It's always fun(and tiring...but a good tired) to play with my 3 great-nephews & 1 great-niece! Wow, they have a lot of energy! But I kept up with them fairly well! Then after the kids are in bed, my niece and I watch movies and play Phase 10(double phase 10 with 20 cards each), our favorite game! We also got together with some cousins in that area at Texas Roadhouse! Love that restaurant! I always enjoy visiting with my family!

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is truly an amazing place! How the winds and rivers shaped this area are a miracle to look at! We stayed at the South Rim and saw every stop on the shuttle route. Plus we hiked down into the canyon on Bright Angel trail. The hike down was great, but the hike up was exhausting. I had to rest along the way! The next day we thought to drive to the North Rim. After the 3 hours it took to drive there, the rain started, then the sleet, then the hail, then the blizzard...it was like 32 degrees....in June....in Arizona! Needless to say, we didn't see much on the North Rim. Plus I was not amused to drive in wintery conditions and slick roads! It literally took hours to get out of that area! Everyone says that the North Rim is the most beautiful, but I wouldn't know. I guess when the elevation is 8000-9000ft then there is bound to be startling weather. We were glad to get back to warmer weather off the North Rim! The next day we drove 3 hours west to the West Rim which houses the Skywalk. The Skywalk is an arched piece of plexi-glass that allows you to look at the canyon under your feet. I had to build up my courage a little at a time to be able to walk down the center of it! It's hard to ignore your depth perception even though you know you are safe! But I eventually did it!

South Weber

At the end of May, I moved up north to South Weber. It is on Hwy 89 between Layton & Ogden. I needed to get out of my dungeon-like basement apartment because the elderly lady I lived with went to a long-term facility. I had lived there for 9yrs because rent was so cheap. As I looked at places to rent, I had 3 criteria: more than 1000sq ft, a carport/garage, and a walk-in closet in master bedroom. In this new place, I met all my criteria and it was cheaper rent than other places with same criteria. It's just a few minutes from Ogden or Layton. And I'm closer to Logan! I'm still organizing a month later. I love all the light in this new place! I feel like it gives me renewed energy! Plus I have not seen one bug(namely spiders) yet! And each room has more than one plug outlet---no more extension cords and power surge strips everywhere! Also it was great to get all my things out of storage to see what I had! I'm excited for the new opportunities of a new area I will have!

Mexican Riviera

For Spring Break my friend and I went on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. Not only was it a nice break from work, but it was also a break from the cold, snowy weather of Utah. Our ports were Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Even though my 30 SPF sunscreen was slathered on regularly, I still managed to get a burn. After the first day, I had to buy a cowboy hat so I at least could protect my face more. Obviously the most fun of the cruise was on our excursions at the various ports. In Cabo we parasailed silently and peacefully through the atmosphere while we took in the beautiful surroundings. While in Mazatlan, we catamaran-ed over to Deer Island for beach time, hiking, and ocean kayaking. Yet Puerto Vallarta had to be my favorite excursion with the speed-rafting, 4-wheeling, mule-riding, multi-zip-lining, waterfall rappelling adventure of a lifetime!! In comparison, the "days at sea" were much less eventful. But we did attend some healthy life-style seminars, ballroom & line-dancing classes, hot stone massage, and daily spa-ing in the hottubs and lap pool(that had a current & sometimes some wicked waves). We decided to have "toe" themed pictures so we tried to get some toes in all our activities.

Brian Regan

A few nights ago I went to see the comedian Brian Regan with my nephew, Jon, and his wife, Mandy. I had never gone to see a comedian before. I've had the tickets pinned on my cork board for a year!(It will look so empty, now that they are gone). Since I purchased the tickets last year, our seats were awesome! We were on the 6th row, right in the center! The seats were perfect! I liked not having to depend on the giant screen behind him to see him! And he was so hilarious! I haven't laughed that hard for that long of time in like forever! Good thing I wore water-proof mascara because I was laughing so hard that I was crying! Laughter is the best medicine!

Olympics

I've always enjoyed when the Olympics were going on, both summer and winter. Not only do I enjoy watching some of the competition, but I love the stories of the athletes overcoming their adversities and failures! It's so inspiring to me! And then there is the on-going drama happening during the Olympics! There's never a dull moment! When the Olympics were in SLC in 2002, I volunteered down at the Olympic Square, where all the sponsors had fun activities, where the medal ceremonies occurred, where the ice skating venue was , and a daily parade went through. It was an exhausting job but I absolutely loved it! I loved making new friends, seeing the athletes, going to events and even being able to use my Swedish for once! I think the Olympic games help the world be united for 2 weeks of the year!

Ballet

I have been to the ballet Swan Lake 3 times in my life. Each time I've gone with my sister, JoAnn, who loves ballet with a passion! I wouldn't call myself a lover of ballet, but I can enjoy the story line and graceful moves. Plus it's always amazing to see the strength they have in their leaps and how many times they can rotate around on their one foot again and again! JoAnn got me in the habit of counting how many rotations dancers do. I believe the most we saw the other night was 26 rotations. Ballet started for me when my sister took me to see the Cinderella ballet. And I loved it(but then again I love anything "Cinderella-ish" since it's my favorite fairytale)! The step-sisters were played by males and they had to purposely be ungraceful! So after that I went to the ballet with her. As long as there was a definite story line, I enjoyed it. But if it was just abstract ballet to music, then not so much. Anyway, so we saw Swan Lake a few weekends ago. It's a classic ballet! If you've seen the animated movie "Swan Princess" then you have the basic story line of the ballet(except in the movie Odette and the prince still live at the end). In Swan Princess, Odette and the prince kill themselves since they cannot be together on the earth. So then in the finale, the music comes to a crescendo and the couple meets together in heaven(in the foggy stuff). Well the 2nd time we saw Swan Lake, the 2 dancers missed their cue and came after the music crescendo and the fog was starting to leave. So we were a bit disappointed to miss the "finale". Needless to say, we were anticipating seeing the finale this last time. But as it happened, in this finale, Odette and the prince are hanging together from the clouds against a moonlit scene, but the lighting never went on them, so we couldn't even see them(friends who went the night before told us how beautiful it was)! So we missed the finale again! I swear we must have the curse of Swan Lake finales! So we came home and you-tubed a Swan Lake finale so we could see it properly!

Lasertag

I went lasertagging with Jake & Kristie for their activity with me (for last year). We had a fun time hiding from each other and shooting each other. The lasertag area we went to had a fun set up because there was an upstairs area too! I was pretty lousy at it but that's okay---it was still fun! Yes I lost both games! Afterwards we ate Chinese Food at The Dragon! Great food! And great company!

Humanitarian Kits

For Christmas each year my siblings, parents and I give money for supplies for one of the humanitarian kits. There are 3 kits so we rotate between the 3: school, newborn & hygiene. This year we did newborn kits. It always feels good to do something worthwhile with your money for Christmas! Then on the first Sat after Christmas we put the kits together. It's always a fun time to chat and have a good meal while doing a great service! When I drive home from the holiday, I take the kits to the Humanitarian Center in SLC.