Marcia's Miscellaneous

Harry Potter Theme Park

2012-02-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

I got to cross off an item on my bucket list earlier than planned---visit the Harry Potter Theme Park at Universal Studios in Orlando! The reason I was able to go earlier was because there was an awesome deal in November---like 60% off flights and hotels---it was a steal because the cost was all under $500!! And that's the kind of vacations I look for! This theme park was only built a few years ago. I have to tell you that the HP park has 2 of the most awesome rides ever!! First there is the Forbidden Journey in the Hogwarts castle---you sit on a bench with your feet hanging free and the ride is totally interactive--you feel like you are in it and experiencing it as you chase a dragon, escape the gigantic spiders, get away from the whomping willow and have Harry save you from the dementors! You are spinning, flying, and dropping suddenly at every turn! The second ride is the Dragon Challenge---there are 2 coasters---one for the Chinese Fireball Dragon and one for the Hungarian Horntail Dragon---once again you are on benches with your feet hanging freely---the coaster takes you upside down with your feet in the air and the corkscrews you down and around the corners---such a rush!!! I couldn't get enough of those 2 rides! There is also a Hogsmeade/Diagon Alley town and you can visit the different shops that are in the books. With so much cool stuff in all the shops, it was quite the task to not buy it all! And of course there was butterbeer and pumpkin juice! I had the frozen butterbeer and loved it---butterbeer has a cream soda base. And pumpkin juice was yummy too---tasted like apple cider with a hint of pumpkin flavoring in it.

We did go to the rest of Universal Studios too. One day we got so drenched from 2 rides, we were just wet or damp all day and night---they provided "people dryers" but it didn't help much. Got to take pictures with characters---which is always silly fun! I always feel like I'm the only adult doing that! The other 3 rides I loved in Universal was Rip Ride RockIt---it started out going totally vertically up for many yards and then it just went crazy looping and curving around, all while listening to the music of your choice--then the Incredible Hulk ride was like the Dragon Challenge but your feet were not free hanging---and then The Mummy was a fun interactive one---not as good as the HP one though.

Another super thing about being at Universal Studios in February was that the weather down there was hot! 80 degree weather---can't complain with that! The humidity did frizz my hair everyday, but had to just deal with that! I loved wearing summer clothes! It was a good break from the cold winter temperatures in Utah!

Rodizios

2011-12-11T17:36:00.001-07:00

Our raspberry lemonades! Mmmm!

Rodizio's is a Brazilian grill restaurant. As you sit, the waiters bring around varying meats on skewers and slice you a piece. It's like a meat-fest! They do have a salad bar to go along with it, but you mostly need to save room for the meat! And there was some delicious tasting meat!! They also bring around cheese rolls and grilled pineapple too. But my favorite thing there is the Brazilian lemonade--love that stuff!! I looked up a recipe and it looks like something I could do! You definitely don't go home hungry from that place!!

Blue Man Group

2011-12-11T17:20:00.001-07:00

The Blue Man Group came to Salt Lake City, so my nephew and his wife came with me to the show! We were on the 2nd row in the "splash" zone---yes there is a splash zone because paints and other liquid stuffs come flying off the stage. So we got to wear lovely plastic-wrap ponchos over us for protection. Luckily, I did not get splashed! This group uses their facial features and captions to entertain---no speaking! It's amazing how much you can convey without speaking! They do a variety of skits and musical numbers. Funny show!! Plus their audience interaction is awesome! And the show finale is like a big party with toilet paper, confetti, streamers shooting down at you while you try to hit these huge balls bouncing around in the audience! New Year's Eve parties should have that much fun!! Had a great time!

ABBAmania

2011-12-11T17:07:00.001-07:00

If you around in the 70s(and even if you were not), ABBA was one of the great bands. They were from Sweden. And they usually wore outrageous colorful outfits(at least now we think that---back then it was cool)! They had lots of catchy tunes and more recently they made a broadway musical called MammaMia using just ABBA songs(they made the songs follow a fun story)! Well now a pseudo-ABBA tours the world recreating the ABBA hit songs! So Jenn and I went to St. George to ABBAmania! I tried to dress as 70s-ish as I could with my flare sleeves and hair tied back with a scarf--if I could have found some reasonably priced knee-boots, I would have worn those too! The pseudo-ABBA group didn't dress too crazy though--in fact the girls almost looked in style since many of the 70s styles have come back right now. I was a bit worried about the fun-factor of the crowd seeing all the white-haired people around me--but luckily there's enough of the younger generation that know ABBA too---so we had a fun time dancing and singing to the songs! We even had our concert lighter app on our phones to sway back and forth on slower songs! Even though I lost my voice from singing and screaming for a few hours, it was well worth it!!

Falltime in Zion's

2011-12-11T16:54:00.001-07:00

I had a chance to do the Riverwalk at Zion's National Park at the beginning of November. Over Veteran's Day weekend, it's free to get into the park. So my friend Jenn and I took advantage of that! The red, yellow and orange leaves on the trees were absolutely gorgeous. On top of that we had the sound of river to walk beside! Plus we had the awesome canyon walls as a background! And being in the off-season, there were not too many crowds to deal with! Got some great pictures! What a great way to enjoy the God's beauties!

Haunted Hollow & Park City

2011-10-20T16:54:00.000-06:00

This past weekend 2 of my nieces, Selena & Tauna, and one great-niece, Tayley, came down to my place. One of the things we did was go to the Haunted Hollow. First of all I was so impressed to how brave 6-year old Tayley was! There were some true horrors in this hollow: the first true horror was the part where you couldn't see anywhere in front of you because of all the darkness and fake fog(about choked on it too)---I was leading and it seemed to go on forever---I just wanted to see where I was going instead of feeling my way around! The second true horror was the part where the path seemed to end, but there were 2 large black plastic balloon walls that you had to squish yourself through sideways---talk about claustrophobic--I thought it was never going to end--glad when it did finally end. Overall, it was not "scary" but it did bring some horror to my mind! So I guess it did it's job! The other thing we did was go to Park City to hang out. The most fun thing we did there was ride the Alpine Coaster! Your are taken up the mountain in a sled-like contraption, held in only by a seat belt. When you get to the top of the coaster, you push the levers down which make you go fast down the metal rods the sleds are connected to! It would twist and turn like a rollercoaster---I swear I was going to fall right out--but that was part of the thrill of it! The speed and "danger" of it, made it very exhilerating! We all had a great time thrill-seeking, shopping and eating!!

45th birthday

2011-10-20T16:36:00.000-06:00

I did something new for my b-day this year---I took off a day of work! I don't know why I haven't been doing that for the past 20yrs! But I will be doing it for the next 20!!! A new b-day tradition! Yea for me! I spent the day(and weekend) up in Logan. My sister, Diana, was down too. So my mom, Diana and I went clothes shopping--found a few things and we stopped in between at a movie theater so I could buy movie theater popcorn(love that stuff)!! Then that night David, Sherrie and their kids all came over for the fiesta! We had mexican food theme and you built your own salad, taco or quesodilla to eat. Then for dessert, I made a Haagan Daz tower of ice cream(with my fave, vanilla, on top with a candle)! Always good food and fun at my b-days! Makes it so it's not so bad to get a year older!

USU football

2011-09-11T11:10:00.004-06:00

USU football started out their season playing nationally ranked and defending champion Auburn(yes that's my Alabama Crimson Tide's rival). I think I can safely say that no one expected much from USU---I just hoped we wouldn't end up with zero on the scoreboard. Needless to say, I thought it would be a pretty boring game with Auburn dominating it. Much to my surprise, USU gave quite the battle. The scoring went back and forth between the teams(we have an awesome freshman QB--Chuckie Keeton) and I was on the edge of my seat the whole game---I didn't want to leave because the action was happening so quickly! And with 3 minutes left, USU was 10 points ahead. Unfortunately the defense broke down and Auburn ended up winning in the last 3 minutes by 4 points! Even though I was disappointed by the loss, I was so impressed with the offensive team! USU has had so many losing seasons, that to start out with such an awesome game, that I wanted to attend game up in Logan. So last weekend my friend and I attended the Weber State vs USU game up in Logan. With the first half of the game, I was ready to leave---we were playing awful(not anything like last week)---it didn't matter we were tied 17-17 by half-time because it was not good football to watch. But I don't know what was said to the team during half-time, but they came out with their game on--back to exciting football game watching---we ended up winning 54-17--and each touchdown was an exciting play/s to watch! I have to admit though, I was feeling bad for Weber State after we got 2 touchdowns ahead---I secretly wished we would just leave an area open for them to have some success cuz they had to be feeling horrible! All I can say is I better start saving for a bowl game ticket if their success continues as such!

The Aquarium & Temple Square

2011-09-11T10:52:00.002-06:00

My nephew and his family came to visit me a few weekends ago. We explored the Utah Aquarium---loved seeing the octopus climbing up a rock wall, the lit up jellyfish, the cute seahorses, the rapid swimming penguins, the soft sting-rays(which we got to help feed) and the multitude of other sea life we got to observe! Afterwards we stopped by Temple Square in SLC to admire the beautiful grounds and buildings. Inside the south visitors center, we saw all sorts of stuff on temples(there was a mini-replica of the SL temple showing all the inside of it) and family(loved watching the LDS commercials on family). And we couldn't leave without going to the north visitor center to walk up the circular ramp(walls painted like beyond earth's atmosphere--in purples and blues) and ending up viewing the white statue of Christ's outstretched arms! Love that place! Anyway, it was great to have visitors and great to have an excuse to eat out(because I'm such the non-cook)!

Denver, CO

2011-08-14T17:30:00.006-06:00

Last weekend I visited my niece and her family in Denver. The kids taught me about Xbox, but I still couldn't figure it out(and I tried). I fear my hands, fingers and brain are just not "wired" for that kind of entertainment! But I had an awesome time playing other activities with all 4 of them! We always play 'til we're worn out!! Plus we got to celebrate Alana's 4th birthday!! We rode bikes(with Alana learning to ride better & faster) to a park nearby, and spent a few hours there. And I couldn't believe that I got sunburned(on arms and face)--it's not like this was my first time in sun this summer--I did have a healthy tan already--so I was quite surprised(and I didn't even get a hint of burn in Jackson on water)! Anyway, I sure slept well at nights after exerting so much energy during the days!! And of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Denver if I didn't play Phase 10 with my niece 'Netta---we both absolutely LOVE that game---I barely won by 25 points! It seems to be that the only time I play Phase 10 these days--I need to find a fellow Phase 10-lover in my neighborhood! Years ago, I believe in 1997-1998(or both years) I played every Thursday night with 2 or 3 friends that would come over to my place for our "Friends"/"ER" night(played Phase 10 in between shows) and Sunday nights after "Hercules"/"Xena"---even made own score cards in lamination so they could be used over and over again! Maybe that's another reason I love the game so much is because of the many fond memories with my niece and friends that come along with it!

Sisters

2011-08-14T17:15:00.004-06:00

I was able to spend some time with my sisters this past summer just having some fun! First, I visited Diana in Twin Falls, ID--we ate out(Buffalo Wings), went to a movie(Captain America) and went to temple there in Twin Falls! We had a great time hanging out!(And I did help with some organizing at her place)! Then I visited my other sister, JoAnn(and her husband) down in Ephraim, UT. We had a cook-out up Ephraim Canyon(my first time eating bratz--and the chili and cheese one was delicious--loved the chili dog taste without the mess)! We also went to the drive-in theater in Mt Pleasant to see Harry Potter 7.2. I hadn't been to a drive-in theater since the 90's, so it was fun to enjoy the fresh air while watching a movie from car(we laid down back of my CR-V and lined with pillows and blankets)! Loved getting to spend some time with my older sisters!!!

Jackson Hole

2011-08-14T16:47:00.005-06:00

A few weekends ago, I went to Jackson Hole, WY with my nephew and his wife. We drove the way there is more freeway(though construction through ID slowed us down) thru Idaho and then go east to Jackson. Going that way allows you to stop at Swan Valley for square-shaped ice cream scoops---definitely worth the stop! We used the GPS to find our motel to which the final directions were: "Drive 12 miles and make a U-turn"---hafta say that was the oddest driving command I had ever gotten on my GPS(our motel was at an intersection that we couldn't turn across to get there ). And I bet our Pony Express Motel was the only motel in town with bunk beds! It was nice to arrive to cooler temperatures in Jackson---so we took time to explore the town ---got pics at Jackson Square with all the antlers, rode on a horse drawn carriage(and we were the envy of everyone's eye as we passed--so we're in pictures and kids waving at us--felt like a bit of royalty) and browsed the shops. And we ate at some awesome restaurants: Bubba's for you meat-loving bbq people and Merry Piglets for those who love fresh-tasting, homemade salsa type Mexican food! But the main purpose of coming to Jackson was to white water raft, of course! I've been here many times to raft the Snake River and absolutely LOVE it!!(even if I did fall out one time)! There are some "new" rapids in the trip since a land slide this past Spring(with all the rain), but the Lunch Counter and Big Kahuna are still the "big ones"! We had 2 sturdy and strong men at the front so I had no worries(but at the beginning of the season there were many cap-sized rafts since water was so high(once again from all that rain and snow we had)--so I was glad we waited until August when water levels were more "normal" and water a "bit" warmer(like the 40s-50s). Always love a good adventure!

Smurfistic

2011-07-31T11:07:00.002-06:00

Last weekend I spent some time with Skylar and his family in Burley, ID. Our main activity was seeing the new Smurf movie---it was very cute! I think I enjoyed listening to the children laughing more than the movie itself. But now I have "la, la, la, la..." song stuck in my head! The movie theater(the only one in town) we went to only accepted cash for everything---how bizarre is that! It's not like Burley is some small town(and I've been to smaller towns than Burley with credit/debit card machines) so they need to catch up with the 21st century and have credit/debit card accessibility at a movie theater! But of course they had a ATM machine right there so the bank is making a fortune on all our $2 fees for withdrawing! Also, I was able to enjoy some playtime with the kids before the movie and meet their new great dane "puppy", Jazzy(who is huge already)! And I loved chatting with the kids(and as Lindsey said "let's talk" as she pulled me into the front room) about bugs and Smurfs and movies! After the movie we all went to Dairy Queen for ice cream(love that stuff)! In the end, I had a smurfistic time hanging with all of them!

Shreveport 2011

2011-07-19T10:36:00.005-06:00

Last weekend flew down to Shreveport, LA to visit my nephew and his family(got to bed at 4am on Fri morn from HP celebrating and had to get up 1hr and 45 min later to catch my flight). That night we ate at Herby K's--I had a shrimp po'boy(sandwich) which was delicious and I got brave and tried some catfish--I was pleasantly surprised that it almost melted in my mouth and not fishy tasting(at least how they cook it here)!And later that night I also tried some hummus---not something that got me hooked on it---but I think if I ate it enough my tastebuds would get used to it. Later on, Rachel and I went to HP 7.2---she wanted to see it and I usually see the HP movies 3 or 4 times anyways. It was excellent again(and eyes teared up again)! It was a late night movie & I was still sleep deprived from the night before of no sleep, so I slept in late automatically that next morn! In the late afternoon, we took Diana to bowl for real(she has only done it on Wii)--I think she still prefers Wii(since much easier), but now she has had an authentic bowling experience! And on our way out I couldn't pass up a chance to play air hockey(my fave game)! Another fun thing we did was learn a new UNO game---UNO Spin--if the card you put down or pick has "spin" marks around the number, then you have to spin the spinner which can have you trade hands, put down multiple cards, etc---so game can change drastically with one spin! Plus we were able to just sit around, relax and chat in their new home(and enjoy AC)! I flew directly into Shreveport this time(with one stop along the way) so I didn't have to rent a car and drive 3 hrs to get to their place---so glad I did that(usually flew into Dallas cuz 'Netta lived there, then drove to LA--after Netta moved thought cheaper to still fly into Dallas but after renting car, it wasn't). Shreveport has small airport--on my way home, I arrived at Shreveport airport to catch my flight 3o min before take-off and only one person was in front of me in security! Anyway, I love to hang with my family members!

Harry Potter Palooza

2011-07-19T09:59:00.005-06:00

The final installment of the HP films(8th one) happened last weekend. Mandy and Kristie came down to my area to attend the pre-movie party and the midnight showing. We attended the party in SLC and the movie in Ogden(3D no less). When we arrived at the party we were given 4 galleons to spend on butterbeer(cream soda/butterscotchy flavor with lots of foam), the sorting ceremony(I got Ravenclaw), a treat from the trolley(got grape stick), and pins of all the horcruxes. Plus there were other activities going on. I loved seeing all the costumes people wore---we tried to get pictures with those who looked really good! We also "rode a hippogriff" which was a mechanical bull---I could not, for the life of me, swing my leg up to face forward but my leg swung easily to face backwards onto the bull, so that's what I did---it actually was easier to hang on backwards because I could set my butt on the neck area of bull and wrap my legs around the head(and the guy controlling it, let each of us take over the controls for each other). Kristie and Mandy took advantage of the free massages offered while I wandered around. And then we left the party early and headed to Ogden to see our 12:30am movie. We had a 3D showing and the glasses were shaped like HP's! I thought that was clever! The movie was excellent--action packed and emotional! Not only was the story-line emotional, but realizing that this was the end to a 14 year Harry Potter era(that I have been involved in)!! I guess it's time for me to reread the books for the umpteenth time! But what do I look forward to now with HP?! JK Rowling said she was going to start some interactive kind of HP reading on-line this October--so maybe that will feed my addiction to HP! Needless to say, it was a bittersweet night!!

Rock Haus

2011-07-12T13:43:00.008-06:00

I went with my nephew and his wife to the Rock Haus---a rock climbing wall venue. Our instructor was the same cool guy who taught me to rappel about a year ago! Anyway, we learned how to tie the knots and hook up as the belayer and we were on our own to choose whatever wall we wanted! I stuck with the simpler ones because I could at least be successful on those! My nephew and his wife did great on more difficult climbs(they would actually reach the top)! It was great fun learning and doing(and I had a great object lesson of why you do not let go of the rope end---sorry Mandy)! It was definitely a great work out!! Afterwards we rewarded ourselves with dinner from Olive Garden

Transformers 3

2011-07-09T10:46:00.002-06:00

My nephew and I went to see Transformers 3 on IMAX 3D screen for his activity with me. Right now the closest IMAX theater is 40 minutes away---this year another one is being built closer to where I live(only 20 min). So before the movie we ate at a restaurant called 'Spaghetti Mamas'---I'd never eaten there before, but I loved the atmosphere it portrayed of an Italian Villa at night(food was good too). We had perfect seats for the movie(and I love the Megaplexes around Utah because they have reserved seating so you don't have to show up extra early for good seats). The 3D glasses seemed a bit too snug on the bridge of my nose and I was wishing I could take them off many times during the movie(and gave me a bit of headache). The movie was what you would expect from Transformers(my nephew loved it and I thought it was okay). But more importantly, I got to spend some time with my nephew(who I don't see very often)!

Hell's Canyon????

2011-06-11T21:13:00.008-06:00

This past weekend, my friend and I went jet-boating down Hell's Canyon(near White Bird, ID and on ID & OR border). So I was expecting lots of steep red shades of rock and HOT weather. The first thing I was surprised at was that we went into Pacific time zone in Idaho(UT is Mountain Time Zone like I though t all of Idaho was too---Hell's Canyon is right on border of time zones)! Secondly, I was surprised at all the shades of green steep mountain sides and 70 degree weather(but it has been a very cool Spring and Summer out West). It was so green, it reminded me of mountain sides(or hillsides) of Europe, not of someplace in Idaho! And the water was extra high because of all the snow and rain we've had this year so the rapids were even more rapid! In fact we couldn't even go all the way to the dam because the rapids near there were too dangerous to go through. But we had some sweet level 3 and 4 rapids to go through upstream and downstream. The jet-boat careened through those waves so speedily! It was the best part of the ride! And going upstream sometimes gave the illusion that the land/mountains were moving instead of the boat moving---very strange perception! It was an all day tour so we stopped at different areas along the way to walk around and enjoy the beauty in those areas! Hell's Canyon is on the Snake River(I swear that's an unbelievably long river--it's all over WY and ID)! But I definitely think this canyon has the wrong name! It was so green and beautiful!

Meet the Authors

2011-04-24T19:56:00.004-06:00

Last weekend Whit & I had an opportunity to meet 5 popular young adult book authors- Shannon Hale, Brandon Mull, James Dashner, Jessica Day George and Ally Condie(who all happen to live in Salt Lake area). The first hour to hour & a half, they were all up on a stage to answer questions. I enjoyed this part of the night the most because they were so funny together, bantering with each other, and having some great answers to questions!! And then it was to the book signing. I had 3 of the authors books already from home, but bought one of each of the other 2 I didn't have. I had to control myself not to buy more---much more! This year I've been trying not to buy books, but be a library user instead(which I have become--I don't even have to look for the books---I just put the books I want on hold on-line and I can go pick them up the next day at the front desk!). My total now comes to 5 new books I've bought this year which is a huge leap down from other years!! But I had to at least have one book from each author! We went to the 3 shortest lines first---leaving Shannon Hale and Brandon Mull to the last since they had the longest lines. By the time we finally got to Brandon Mull, it was midnight(and there were only like 2 people left in the whole place to get books signed)! So we arrived about 5:45pm and were one of the last to leave! It was fun to watch the authors be so personable with those who came to have their books signed(and it almost made me buy more books), especially with the kids who came! One girl had her dad fly her out from Los Angeles(because she found out about it on Shannon Hale's blog) and all these authors were favorites of hers---she had a whole book bag full of books! It was a long night of waiting, but that's what you do when you go book-signing! Glad I went! Now if they could just bring JK Rowling to town!

Las Vegas: Unstripped

2011-04-09T14:09:00.013-06:00

My friend and I headed to Las Vegas for Spring Break(leaving winter temps behind)! We decided to explore a different side of Vegas---the regions around it. First we went to Mt. Charleston(35 miles NW)---it was too early in the Spring for trails to be open(except 1) so while we were looking in a Christmas store located there, I bought a disc sled and we found snowpacked areas to sled down! Very fun but very cold on toes, legs, fingers and butt! The token trail that was open---Fletcher Canyon---still had major snow patches on the trail so we didn't get to the end of the trail, but most of it. It was frightful to me to hike and think of not slipping down those snowy/icy areas--especially when the snow melt formed into a creek below---really didn't want to fall into that. But I survived--only had a few cuts and scrapes from it! The next day we explored Valley of Fire(50 miles N). It had tons of fun rock formations to climb on. The trail was mostly soft, red sand---so for the first time ever, I hiked barefoot! I had to watch where I was going though, so I didn't step on anything too sharp. My friend was not as lucky---she stubbed her big toe on a rock which took off some layers of skin--but she survived. Another place we visited was Red Rock Canyon(20 miles W). The wind conditions were extreme that day so we didn't do a lot of hiking(30+ mph---on news that night it reported that it got to 70mph in Red Rock Canyon). We stuck pretty close to the driving loop. But it was beautiful at all the look-out points too! Just a few miles south of Red Rock Canyon was a place called Bonnie Spring Ranch--it was a replica of an old mining town. It had fun photo ops and a petting zoo. Lastly, we visited Primm, NV(40 miles S). This place was chosen because of it's colossal Desperado Rollercoaster--the special feature on it was a high-speed dive down a 55 degree hill into a tunnel followed by a 155 ft second hill(higher that most coasters)! I loved the thrill of it! There were other "rides" there too---so we did the log ride and a 3-D glacier ride while we were there. Besides our "out of the box" LV adventures, we did see a couple of shows in Vegas: Blue Man Group and David Copperfield. The shows were unlike what I had seen before in that most "shows" you see, you just watch and leave. These shows are very casual and interactive with the audience! With Copperfield, I had only seen him on tv as a pretty boy who dressed nice and never said much---but at the show, he was making jokes and dressed casually---along with the magic tricks using the audience in every aspect of show! With the Blue Man Group, I was expecting more just muscial stuff, but they were very humorous too! And they used audience members a lot---it was amazing how much they could communicate without saying a word! And then we came back to winter-like conditons in Utah---roads were kinda scary at times! But I'm glad I got a break from the freezing weather---even if it was only 5 days of it!

Bon Jovi Concert

2011-03-23T00:33:00.003-06:00

After 8 yrs, Bon Jovi FINALLY made it back to SLC to do a concert! When each new album came out I had to be disappointed that SLC was not included in the tour! But I was not disappointed with this concert---it was like a greatest hits of all time concert!! I was about at center court with a step up from the floor(with stage to south end of b-ball court)---so I had pretty good seats. Marilyn and Rod had front row seats with backstage passes which was pretty cool(can't wait to see their pics)! But I couldn't afford those seats. So I had dinner beforehand with Marilyn & Rod's 3 girls and Carol, Marilyn's sister. Their seats were in the upper bowl. I danced and sang the whole time(2 hrs worth) so I'm thinking I got my exercise in! All I can say is that I LOVED IT!!! And Jon Bon Jovi is still hot, hot hot!!! As long as they keep coming to SLC on tour, I'll keep going, since I've been an avid fan for 27 yrs!

Weekend in SLC

2011-03-11T23:33:00.002-07:00

Every year my best friends from highschool and I get together(there's 4 of us) for a weekend get-away. It seems like it's becoming a yearly Salt Lake trip which is okay because the important part is that we are getting together not where. We can have fun anywhere! SaRene picked me up and we met up with Carol in Layton to shop at Kohls. And I actually found some cute stuff! Usually I never find anything(because what I want is never in my size)! And for once I found something my friend wanted but it was in my size, not hers(she's very thin)! So she couldn't buy it and I could! That never happens! Since everything was 50% or more off at the store I saved a couple hundred bucks! Gotta love that! Then we met up with Marilyn at the Marriott Hotel downtown. We headed to the Gateway Mall to eat at Z-Teja's(yummy crab tamales) and see a movie(The Adjustment Bureau---loved it!)--and enjoyed movie theater popcorn. And my friends laughed at me because I knew I would have left overs from the restaurant, so I brought little tupperware dishes to put my food in so those huge styrofoam boxes would not take up so much room in the hotel fridge(and it worked wonderfully). There are 2 double beds in the room so we have to share beds, but the room always has a couch hide-away. So I volunteered to sleep on it the 1st night which turned out to be good since I tossed and turned all night. Not even my relaxing music on my iPod got me to sleep! But the next night when I did share, I was so exhausted I fell immediately to sleep and didn't move from my spot(which you can't do anyway when sharing a bed). Anyway, the next morning we got 50-minute massages at one of the massage schools. It felt wonderful! But afterwards we couldn't stop laughing because we all had a "sheet"-face from laying on the tables. Then we showered and got ready for lunch and another movie(more popcorn)! For lunch we ate at Macaroni Grill---Carol and I split a mushroom ravioli dish--mmm! While waiting for our meal we played "spin the crayon"(their tables are covered with drawing paper and 2 crayons). So whoever the crayon "landed" on, had to draw something on the table! It was fun for the 5 minutes it lasted! Then we caught an early showing of The King's Speech---awesome movie!! Not only did I love the storyline of the movie, but there were lots of characters from Harry Potter movies(Dumbledore, Peter Pettigrew, Bellatrix) and Pride and Prejudice(the wife of the king's[Colin Firth aka P&P Mr. Darcy] speech teacher was none other than Jennifer Ehl[Elizabeth of P&P]) and Pirates of Caribbean(Barbossa). So I had fun seeing them in different roles! After the movie, we headed down to Desert Star to see Beverly Hillbillies 90210---it was funny& we got more popcorn, but I was getting so tired by that time(it started at 8:30pm) I could hardly keep my eyes open! Loved getting away from reality for a weekend!

Ice Castles

2011-02-06T11:05:00.010-07:00

It's been such freezing weather, that a family in Midway, UT decided to have some fun with it when they saw water freezing to their yard items. Using sprinklers they create "ice castles". It was really cool to see! Just like glaciers, the red and yellow hues are absorbed which leaves blue to be visible thus giving the ice a bluish tint. There were ice tunnels to walk through. And to look up at some of the tunnel parts and see huge icicles pointing right toward your body was a bit eerie at times. I loved looking at the intricacies of the frozen water. It wasn't a huge place but I sure took tons of pictures! Since I went in the daytime hours, I had to wear my sunglasses to protect my eyes from the glare. At night, they put lights in the "castles" so I'm sure it's quite a beautiful sight then too! And while we were in Midway, we saw the cone shaped volcano that has hot springs in it. So people go scuba-diving in it(90 degree water).When your down in the water you can look up and see the volcano opening! During Labor Day weekend Midway hosts Swiss days. I might have to check that out! Already the architecture of there homes is very Swiss looking! Plus Midway is by Park City so we stopped by the outlet mall. One new place we stopped was Dave & Harry's. It has unique-blended food stuffs that all looked so yummy! The samples I tried were delicious(especially the barbq sauce and salsa & chips)! Anyway it was great to get out and explore this region of Utah!

A-V Therapy Endorsement

2011-01-30T09:51:00.003-07:00

For the next year or so, I am taking on-line classes from Utah State University to get an Auditory-Verbal(A-V) Therapy Endorsement. My school district has been and will continue to get more and more students with cochlear implants(CI). They need intensive auditory and verbal therapy to allow the implant to be a success. So I am getting the training I need to be a better service to my CI students. Plus I believe that it will better my services to my hearing aid students too. This semester I am taking 2 classes for 5 credit hours. I wasn't nervous about taking classes, but I was extremely anxious about doing the classes on-line! I seem to have a technology-curse, where if something can go wrong with technology, it will for me(maybe it can be called "Marcia's Law"). Needless to say, the first week was very frustrating for me trying to get everything to work correctly and figuring out the "set-up" of on-line courses. Now with 3 weeks behind me, I'm starting to feel a bit more confident with the on-line courses. I love learning new things! I swear, I could be a professional student all my life if I could get paid for it!

Messiah Sing-In

2010-12-05T09:39:00.006-07:00

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

2010-12-04T11:24:00.004-07:00

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

2010-11-28T20:45:00.010-07:00

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

2010-11-20T10:24:00.007-07:00

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

2010-11-06T18:27:00.002-06:00

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

2010-10-23T13:03:00.005-06:00

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

2010-10-15T12:42:00.002-06:00

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

2010-10-15T12:26:00.005-06:00

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

2010-08-29T15:02:00.004-06:00

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

2010-08-29T14:39:00.006-06:00

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

2010-07-29T16:53:00.002-06:00

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

2010-07-15T21:14:00.007-06:00

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

2010-06-25T15:30:00.003-06:00

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

2010-06-25T15:17:00.005-06:00

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

2010-06-25T15:02:00.002-06:00

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

2010-06-25T14:39:00.004-06:00

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

2010-04-19T18:40:00.010-06:00

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

2010-03-13T11:32:00.003-07:00

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

2010-02-27T19:55:00.003-07:00

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

2010-02-27T19:28:00.003-07:00

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

2010-01-09T15:12:00.002-07:00

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

2010-01-09T14:59:00.005-07:00

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.

Candyland

2009-12-07T16:15:00.005-07:00

Every year I go help my sister and her husband decorate for Christmas. Each year they have a different "themed" Christmas tree(which is 9ft tall). This year's theme was "Candyland" after the popular children's game. This year I didn't decorate as much as I made the decorations. We made lollipops, kisses, gingerbread men, ice cream cones, rainbows and a gingerbread house. My fingers were very sore after hours of using the glue-gun. But the homemade decorations did turn out cute! And I've been assured that next year I won't have to make any! Plus helping out with Christmas is always a great excuse to go down and enjoy my sister's gourmet meals!

Festival of Trees

2009-12-07T15:55:00.005-07:00

Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Festival of the Trees. I tree "watched" by making sure no one touched the trees I was assigned to. The Festival of Trees is a great fundraiser for Primary Children's Hospital. There are literally hundreds of decorated trees that are on sale, with all the proceeds going to the hospital research and patient care. A majority of the trees are decorated by those families who have lost someone, usually to cancer. Each tree has a little story of what inspired the tree decorations. One of the trees I was watching was called Grandma's Love. Grandma had died of cancer and the tree had been decorated in teddy bears, etc...and lots of gifts she would have given to her grandchildren if she was alive. The tree next to it was donated by 2 mothers who had stillborn daughters---so lots of pink, a tea set, ballerina stuff, baby doll stuff---basically all girly girl stuff surrounded the tree or was on the tree! Even though sometimes the tree stories made you sad, it was great to see the families celebrate their loved ones life and raise money for a great cause! It is a very popular venue to visit at Christmastime!

New Moon

2009-11-21T20:46:00.006-07:00

Yes it is true: I read the Twilight series. I haven't been as obsessed over it as other women, but I enjoyed them. Now the movies have started. New Moon came out last weekend. I loved this book because we learn more about Jacob and I learned to just love him! So the movie was extra awesome because Jacob was in it most of the time! And his body was so ripped! Wow! I lost my breath a bit when he took off his shirt the 1st time in the movie! One woman in the audience yelled out "rewind" after that scene. Plus the movie had a lot of humor in it(some of the cheesy stuff made me laugh too)! My friend had rented out a theater in SLC so I got to see it at 9pm before it "officially" opened at midnight! So I went with a bunch of my neighbors. We had a great time! This 2nd movie of the series was so much better than the 1st one! I wouldn't mind finding a Jacob(of course not as a werewolf and 20 years older)!

Bon Jovi

2009-11-21T20:29:00.004-07:00

Bon Jovi is my favorite all-time group! Recently they came out with a new CD and book. CD is great! I'm still waiting for the book to come. Bon Jovi has been around since 1983 and I've loved them ever since! I loved Bon Jovi with long hair, medium hair and now short hair! He just keeps getting better looking! Plus he's a dedicated family man and humanitarian! You gotta love that! Enjoy one of his new singles:

Additions to our family

2009-11-21T20:02:00.010-07:00

Since August, we have had 4 new additions to our family. In August, Brenner Jay came to TJ and Sari. In September, 'Netta & Bobby brought Anthony Luis into the world and 10 days later Kristie joined our family by marrying my nephew, Jacob. And finally at the beginning of November, Matthew Arlyss was born to Skylar and Annie! So we've had a busy few months! I now have 14 great-nieces & nephews! I love seeing the family grow!!

Park City

2009-10-25T12:38:00.005-06:00

A few weekends ago, my nieces, Selena & Tauna, and I spent a weekend in SLC and Park City. In Salt Lake we enjoyed eating at the Cheesecake Factory---love that place!! And while we were waiting an hour to get seated, we hit the mall nearby and spent some quality time in Bath & Body Works--so hard not to buy all the yummy scents! The next day, we headed to Park City to shop at the Outlet Malls. We had a competition with who could get the cheapest price for a whole outfit. There were not any great sales going on or I guess I should say they were all having great sales, but the sale price was still expensive! My outfit won costing a mere $70(with everything on sale), so I got the prize, a gift bag of Bath & Body Works products! Time went by so quickly while we shopped, so we were too late to ride the zip-lines there---darn it! So we headed back to SLC to the Gateway Mall to look around and eat at the California Pizza Kitchen(great mexican pizza!)Also, like SLC, Park City had the Red Rock restaurant, one of my favorites, so I was happy to eat there! Great weekend of fun and laughing!

My Birthday

2009-10-25T12:27:00.003-06:00

I had a great birthday dinner at the beginning of this month! Served "made-from-scratch" lasagna, spring mix salad and garlic bread from Fredricos pizzaria--they have the best garlic bread!! Then I found a triple chocolate brownie mix, so we had a rich brownie, vanilla ice cream(Aggie ice cream of course), topped with chocolate sauce. It tasted so scrumptious! My mom and niece decorated with balloons and signs! Having the decorations made it even more festive for me. Great time spent with my family! My life is always brighter when I am surrounded by family!

Horseback Riding

2009-09-20T16:21:00.005-06:00

I went horseback riding in Logan canyon with Raechel and Ben & Whitney. The 4 of us rode in the mountains near Beaver Mountain area. The elderly guide and his young grandsons led us through creeks and trees and brush to a summit overlooking Beaver area. The guide had fun retelling his stories to us while we rode. Made a note to self: wear long pants when riding horses through mountains. My calves & shins got a bit scratched up through the vegetation! Also I learned it's okay to push away from a tree so you don't bang your knee on a tree. I got a minor bruise on my knee from hitting a tree trunk! Another thing I learned was that trotting is easier on my body if I stand a bit while the horse is trotting! But it's still ouch! It was a beautiful area and so peaceful....until near the end of trip, Raechel's horse tried to kick mine! There were kind of some tense moments hoping the horses wouldn't get out of control, but we all kept control of ourselves and got safely down the mountain! Then we got some take-out from Fredrico's...I absolutely love the ham & cheese salads and their garlic bread is to die for! We took our food to Lundstrom park and enjoyed our meals while listening to the babbling brook(inside huge plastic pipes...but if you didn't see the pipes you'd think the stream was right there). We had a good time!

Labor Day

2009-09-12T11:53:00.003-06:00

For Labor Day, I went up to Burley, Idaho to visit with Skylar, Annie, Kolby & Lindsey(and Rizzo, the darling dog). We were thinking of going on a picnic to a park but it was rather cool and windy that day. So we ordered take-out Chinese food and watched a movie at their home. I enjoyed hanging out with them for a few hours! Kolby and Lindsey are growing so quickly! And I can't wait to have Matthew join the family in October!

Parent's 60th anniversary

2009-09-06T13:23:00.005-06:00

Saturday we celebrated mom and dad's 60th wedding anniversary at Maddox Restaurant. These days it's quite an accomplishment to be married that long! Various family members attended the celebration to make it a special day. Maddox food was delicious(like I had any doubt), especially their rolls with raspberry butter, fresh peach pie and tender corn on the cob---okay my whole meal was excellent--turkey steak & mashed potatoes included. It makes my mouth water thinking about it! After our savory dinner, we gathered in a small park behind the restaurant to record mom and dad answering various questions about their lives. I loved listening to their memories. I think I need to record more of their memories! It was a great day of celebration and family! Loved it!

Salt Flats

2009-08-09T16:29:00.013-06:00

I got the opportunity to go with some friends to the Speedracing at the Bonneville Salt Flats. It's definitely a unique Utah experience! I couldn't believe all the miles and miles of salt in every direction! And we saw some pretty cool hot rods going 200-300mph! Luckily it was one of the coolest summer days we've had(like in the 60s) so it was perfect for sitting all day in the sun(with white reflective salt surrounding you)!

Harry Potter IMAX 3D

2009-08-02T18:50:00.003-06:00

I went to see Harry Potter 6 for the 4th time with my nephew, Jon, and his wife, Mandy. But this time it was IMAX and 3D(at least for the 1st 10 minutes)!! I loved seeing it on such a huge screen! And the 3D parts really made me feel like I was moving on a rollercoaster as the movie cameras swept through the streets of London and Diagon Alley! I like the movie better each time I see it! Can't wait for the last 2 movies(for book 7) to see how they are going to set it up!! After the movie we went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner! Great food! I was glad to be able to take some home for another meal sometime! Plus they had a yummy chocolate chip cookie and ice cream dessert! It was great spending time with Jon and Mandy!

New Orleans, Louisiana

2009-08-02T17:53:00.016-06:00

I was able to visit New Orleans for a few days when I went to visit my nephew in Shreveport and then at the end of a Gulf Shores, AL trip with my friend, Lisa. When I was by myself, I went on a few group tours around the city. First I went on a night walking tour where we got to enjoy some jazz music at a club after eating a local restaurant(the 2nd oldest & excellent bread pudding). We walked down Bourbon street(not a very family friendly area!). And before the tour ended we stopped to eat beignets(thick pieces of funnel cakes with piles of powdered sugar on top). Also I went on group walking tours around the French Quarter and Garden District. The French Quarter was where the original French and Spanish settlers came(a pretty wild bunch). When Americans started coming, the Garden District was made because the French Quarter didn't want them in their area(and vice versa). So Canal Street splits the 2 areas and the east/west streets have one name in the French Quarter and another name for the same street in the Garden District still. I loved the unique architecture in both areas! But I did favor the Garden District because it seemed more of a spacious clean area than the narrow dirty areas of the French Quarter. I especially loved seeing the above ground tombs at cemetery. To save space, whole families are buried in same tomb(after year of death, they sweep back the ashes/bones into hole in tomb and then it's ready for next body). And then after my trip to Orange Beach, AL to enjoy the Gulf shores, my friend Lisa and I spent a day in New Orleans because our flights were leaving from that airport. We rode a steam/paddle boat on the Mississippi River that included dinner and jazz band along with interesting commentary from the captain. We also went on an alligator swamp tour. Capt Allen was very informative and interesting! He'd call the alligators like we would dogs and talk to them like they were cute and cuddly! We saw lots of smaller alligators and even Old Joe, the oldest and biggest in that swamp area(whom Capt Allen took time to pat on his nose). I never realized how beautiful the the swamps were! The vegetation was amazing!

Orange Beach, Alabama

2009-08-02T17:34:00.005-06:00

Recently, I got with my best friend from 3rd/4th grade(in Wyoming) named Lisa. We had not seen each other for 33 years! We met at a hotel in Orange Beach, AL, right on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Not only was it great to see Lisa and meet her family, but the beaches there were perfect! The water was warm and the sand white. We had our own beach umbrella and lounge chairs. We were able to sail a catamaran with Capt. Andy. Since we were the only 2 people on our ride, we sailed at extremely fast speeds so we got the ultimate experience of sailling a catamaran! Also, we were able to dolphin watch! Two speed boats went out at the same time and got 20-30yds apart and sped through the water. The waves and wakes created were natural surfing and jumping areas for dolphins! So that was cool! At the end of our trip we spent some time in New Orleans, LA, but I put that in a separate blog.

Shreveport

2009-08-02T16:54:00.011-06:00

I visited Russ, Rachel & Diana in Shreveport, Louisiana for a few days. I was lucky enough that Russ was able to be home during those days! We went to the Natchitoches Alligator Park. It was cool watching the alligators jump out of the water for a piece of raw chicken. And there were great photo ops---we got to get our picture holding a baby alligator. Diana's favorite part was riding the mechanical alligator and horse! Then we went to Oakland Plantation. The oak and pecan trees were so huge because they were so old! They were beautiful! It was interesting to learn about the life at plantations. Next we went to Fort St. Jean Baptiste. We got there just as they were closing but a worker went the extra mile and took us around the fort explaining the various information. And at night we'd stay up much too late chatting! I had a great time hanging with all of them!

Denver

2009-07-03T12:25:00.009-06:00

I recently flew to Denver to spend some time with 'Netta & Bobby and their family. Dominick and Gabe remembered me, but Alana was a bit wary of me at first(but she was soon letting me hold her and play with her). Anyway, I got set up in their basement(which I loved because it was nice and cool down there) and then we got ready for a BBQ that night. Carolyn and Joe Harris came to the BBQ, along with their grown kids Ryan(and his wife & 2 girls), JR(and his son) and Jordan(who is 6'10" ). The other boys couldn't make it(she had 7). I used to babysitt for Carolyn and Joe when I was in jr high and high school! 'Netta & Bobby had just bought the grill that day so they got to break it in with all of us! It was fun chatting with everyone! After the kids were in bed that night, 'Netta, Bobby and I sat down for a game of Phase 10(my favorite game). I got behind on phases but I was able to make a come back and win(even up by one phase). So I was feeling pretty good about myself! The next day I played in the backyard with the kids. They have a little house and sand area to play in. I took the family to lunch at Olive Garden(yummy) and then we went to a small water park(no slides or tubes, just water squirting out and up). Dominick and Gabe were having fun in the water, but Alana would have none of it! I thought it felt good to be in the water on such a hot day! Then that night we did some park-hopping. We eventually went to Carolyn and Joe's place to see them. Then we went home and played the waiting game. Mandy and the kids were supposed to arrive sometime that night, but they didn't get in until about 2am. The next day I played some more with the kids outside and then it was time for me to go. We all piled in the Suburban to the airport! I loved hanging out with 'Netta and her family!! It was also fun to have Mandy and the kids there for that short time while I was there!

My HS Reunion

2009-07-03T12:03:00.005-06:00

I went to my Logan High 25th High School reunion. About 50 students(probably out of like 250) came. After 25 years, we were all finally on equal status. There were friends there I hadn't seen in a long time. This reunion was the first that I actually brought a camera to take pictures. I've gone to all my reunions with my best friends from high school: Marilyn, SaRene and Carol. If I didn't have them to go with, I probably wouldn't go. Small talk is not one of my strengths. I did have fun seeing everyone and hearing about their lives! Yet, it was kind of hard listening about their lives too because all their lives revolved around their spouse & kids(which it should be)...and mine doesn't. I was surprised that it was tough on me to listen to it all. I really am okay with who I am as a single person, but it was one of those nights that I was reminded what I didn't have and what I have always desired. But my time will come, so I tried not to be bummed about it for too long. Overall, I had a good time though!

IMAX Transformers 2

2009-06-26T11:38:00.009-06:00

Yesterday, Robert and I saw IMAX Transformers 2. The IMAX is a bit more expensive than a regular show but it's well worth it! I loved the huge screen! The sound is incredible too! It's so loud I don't think you'd be able to hear a baby cry in the middle of the movie! Transformers 2 is full of action and just as good as the first one. I didn'tknow the characters that well since I never have read the comic books or seen the cartoons. But Rob knows the Transformers inside and out so I could ask him any questions. Afterwards we ateat Joe's Crab Shack. I love that place! But it's changed so much: the funky decorations and lights are gone and the menu was new. The food was still delicious! And the music was still awesome(70s & 80s music)! But the atmosphere was not as impressionable as it used to be(and maybe that's because we went at a low time--only maybe 10 people there--usually it's packed).

Crashing HS Reunion

2009-06-16T17:02:00.010-06:00

Recently, I was able to get connected with some former best friends from 7th grade: Beth Appelhans Richert and Lisa Yasenovsky Beagle. We all were living in Knob Noster, Missouri together and then moved. Since it was our 25th high school reunion this year, we thought it would be funny to attend Knob Noster High's reunion! This idea was soon formed into a reality! We found an alumni web-site and were notified of the reunion. Lisa flew from California, I flew from SLC and Beth drove from Oklahoma. We all met at the Kansas City airport one afternoon! We had not seen each other for 30 years! It was a blast to reunite with them! We laughed and laughed at memories, pictures(especially the clothes we wore!), autograph books and notes to each other. It was great reminiscing! Later that night we met more of our fellow classmates. And yes we remembered many of them, but there were some that came after our time there. There was probably a total of 20 people at the reunion(including spouses). Their graduating class was only 56 people! It was nice to be remembered! So we got reacquainted and acquainted with people. After dinner, we all went over to the Power & Light District. It's a huge outdoor area with furniture and big screen tv. It's surrounded by night clubs. We went to Big Sky, which had a mechanical bull in it. A few of the gals wanted to try it out, so I led the way! We were wishing we could find karaoke but there was none to be found. But at the Big Sky they would play familiar songs that everyone knew really loud and while everyone was singing the words, they would turn the volume down so it was just the crowd singing. So that was as close as we got to karaoke! We all had a fun time singing, dancing and convincing people to ride the mechanical bull! The next day, Lisa, Beth and I drove to Knob Noster to see our old stomping grounds! Back when we were there, the population was 2,264 and now it is 2,462! So it's grown by a couple hundred in the past 30 years! I don't know how to explain it, but as we walked around places the memories and past seemed so close! I'm glad we took time to visit there! Then it was time for Beth, Lisa and I to part ways! We loved our spontaneous, wacky time together! Hopefully it won't be 30 more years before we see each other again!

Tuacahn Theater

2009-06-16T16:46:00.008-06:00

I met TJ, Sarah and Alyssa in St. George for their activity with me. They live in Ely, NV now, so it was about a 4 hour drive for both of us to meet in St. George. We met at Wingers for lunch(I always order the original hot wings dinner everytime!). Then we hung out at the mall and their condo(time-share). We were waiting for the night to come because we were going to Tuacahn, the outdoor ampitheater, to see Annie. Dinner was served before the show. Then we had some time before the show to wait. There was a place where many kids were playing jumprope. Alyssa had never jump-roped before, but she got in line too. The first couple of times she didn't even get one jump over the rope. As she continued to get in line and jump again, she was eventually able to get to 12 jumps in a row! It was fun to see her learn and progress so quickly! The show was fun(I liked the 2nd half better than the 1st)! Alyssa was able to get her picture taken with Annie after the show since the cast comes out after the show. We had a fun time tonight!

Disneyland

2009-06-16T15:51:00.014-06:00

The day school was out, Jennifer Dahl and I left for California. We stayed with her aunt and uncle in Huntington Beach. It's close to Disney and beaches! When we rented a car, we were given a choice between a Yaris or Mustang...as you can imagine, we picked the Mustang '10. We thought we were pretty darn cool in that car! I always love Disneyland! I think it's my 5th time here(that I remember). We rode on all the rides we wanted, my favorite being the Indiana Jones Adventure(4-wheeling), Space Mountain(rollercoaster in space), and a new one we tried called Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster. The Astro Blaster is an interactive ride. So you are shooting your lasergun at targets while riding(and getting points). We rode that one many times because we both wanted to beat our scores from before. I did try to find Jack Sparrow at the Pirates Lair but was told he was on a long voyage...boo hoo! We ate dinner one night at the Blue Bayou, which is the restaurant that you see at the beginning of Pirates of Caribbean ride. The atmosphere was great and the food was even better! That has to be the best restaurant in the Disney parks! We had to make a reservation the day before we went because it is so popular! California Adventureland is just across from Disneyland. We made it a goal to go on every ride there, which we did. My favorite rides from there were California Screamer(long, fast rollercoaster), Soarin' over California(simulated flying over CA), and Toy Story(another interactive 3-D ride shooting at targets)! Between the 2 parks we were able to get pictures with many Disney characters. And the lines were not so bad, but we still got Fast Passes for our favorite rides. And the weather was in the 70's in the daytime and 60's at night. So it was cooler and I loved that! Only problem with cooler weather was at the beach! It was freezing just to sit on the beach relaxing because of the temperatures and the wind! But since we were at the beach, we did get in the water to freeze more! You can't go to a beach and not get in the water somehow. That was at Huntington Beach. Then we went to Laguna Beach because it has more rocks/cliffs to protect you from the wind. So I got my beach chair out there to write postcards. The high tide was coming in so it was getting my feet. But then a huge tide came in and about carried me and my chair away. Decided it was time to move! We didn't get as much beach time as we would have liked because of the weather. But it did save me from too many UV rays! Disneyland seems like such an equalizer of people because no matter your age or lifestyle, everyone acts younger and seems a bit happier!

NYC

2009-05-30T16:54:00.013-06:00

Over Memorial Weekend, I went to New York City with my friend, Chunhee. Our hotel was more of an apartment! It was better than what I live in now! So it was a comfortable place to be. But the nights were noisy( I think I heard more sirens this weekend than a do in a whole year in Utah). Luckily we were in walking distance of most midtown sights. But because places were walk-able, we would always end up walking way too much so that our feet and legs were hurting by the end of each night. Needless to say, as the days went on, we rode the subways more, even if it was just one stop away. There's plenty of walking even with the subways too! Chunhee had never been to NYC. This was my 4th time visiting, yet it was the warmest time of year I have been there. We did the regular touristy things like Times Square, Empire State Bldg(also went to Rockerfeller Observatory that has more space to move around and you get a great view of Central Park and Empire State Bldg), WTC, Statue of Liberty(which I never tire of seeing). We also saw Wicked(3rd time for me, but I love it! It's one of those shows you can see over and over again like Phantom or Les Mis). I never tire of it! Also, we took time to explore Central Park as much as we could in one day. It's so huge! We got to the Central Park zoo(sea lions, penguins, and polar bears, oh my), Belevedere Castle(great view), Bethesda Fountain and the Carousel( it's the fastest and has groovy music). Not only that, but we rented bikes, learning that you can't ride your bikes inside on all the paths---you can only ride the perimeter(which took us an hour). So we had to hoof it inside the park which has to be the easiest place to get lost. There were maps, but none of the paths are labeled in a way to find your place from one spot to another. I swear when we were looking for something specific, we couldn't find it. But we would always happen to find it by chance when we weren't looking. So from my point of view, it's pure luck to find what your looking for in the park. We didn't get lost once in the city, but were constantly finding ourselves in the wrong place in Central Park. But I guess finding your way through the park was half the adventure. We also spent time relaxing in the park too. Other parks we enjoyed were Bryant Park(we had a picnic there) and Roosevelt Island. To get to Roosevelt island, you rode a tram across the East River. At the end of the island is a park and lighthouse. I loved the parks because it was a chance to get away from the noise and smells(car exhaust and garbage) of the city! I also really enjoyed the activities like the cruise around Statue of Liberty(where we also got to see the place of the famous airplane landing in Hudson River a few months ago) and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Those are both refreshing activities. But I think the most memorable event was in Chinatown(where you can buy mock name brand purses, watches, etc). The better the quality of mock items you want, the more secretive and hidden the place you go to purchase them. So in all the shops they have a hidden door in the back for those who are interested. I've even been taken to warehouses to secret rooms. So Chunhee wanted a purse. We were led from the shop and down some streets to a van(with no windows in the back). The seller opened the van door and all three of us got in. She shut the door, turned on a light and it was full of purses(and it was miserably hot in the van). My friend did find a bag she wanted. So when we were ready to leave, the seller had to first call her look-out person to make sure it was "safe" for us to exit the van. Never a dull moment in Chinatown! And I thought I had anxiety watching the cabs and cars weave quickly through the streets until I took a cab to church on Sunday. Trust me, I had much more anxiety riding in the cab and watching near misses. And speaking of church, I saw 2 co-workers from the high school there with their families! I just can't escape school! What are the odds of that happening?! But it was nice to see familiar faces! I love visiting NYC! But I loved getting home to my breathable air and less congested roads. It felt so good to drive home myself from the airport(a control issue).

Arches National Park

2009-05-01T21:06:00.010-06:00

Last weekend I went camping in Moab. I went a down a bit earlier so I could go to the Monticello Temple. I was with a group of friends. You have to go to Moab in the spring or fall if you want to survive the hikes because in the summertime the temps are in the 100's. It was perfect weather last weekend: it was between 60-80 degrees during the daytime! And since storms were coming in, it was very windy to keep you cooled down! I hardly sweat at all! First, we went hiking in Arches National Park. We hiked to Landscape Arch, North and South Window Arches, Turret Arch, Delicate Arch and the Fiery Furnace(guided tour you sign up for). My favorite hikes were the Delicate Arch and Fiery Furnace. Delicate Arch because it is "the" Utah arch to see! The license plate arch! It was so windy at the top! You can see how huge it is from looking at the people standing under it! The Fiery Furnace was through a canyon of rocks. We climbed through and on top of many rock formations! We also hiked in the Canyonlands. We did a 6 mile hike! It took 4 hours! But it was beautiful too! By the time we got done with that hike, the rain clouds starting setting in. So we didn't get to see the other shorter trails and sites that we wanted. If I had to do it over again, I would probably not do the 6 mile hike, but go on the shorter ones so I could see more! By the time we got to Dead Horse Point, it was pouring! So the rain dampened our adventures! But it was still good fun and company! And it's only 4 hours away from Salt Lake! When we traveled home on Sunday, it was a snow flurry through the canyons...I couldn't believe it!

In "Suspense"

2009-04-21T22:34:00.008-06:00

I got the opportunity to meet my favorite suspense writer, Mary Higgins Clark, tonight at a high school in Layton. She and her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, were the visiting authors for the Davis Libraries. Cool huh? First, we waited in line to get in the auditorium to listen to them both answer questions. Then we had to wait in line(about an hour and a half) for book signing! They both had new books come out this month, so I bought them for signing. I also got my picture with them! It's not very often in life you get to meet renowned authors! Mary Higgins Clark's book is Just Take My Heart and Carol Higgins Clark's book is Cursed. I haven't read them yet. And I know I can't start Mary's book until I have time to read all through the night! Her books are hard to put down once you start!

Tulip Festival

2009-04-19T17:41:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, a friend and I went to the Tulip Festival at the Thanksgiving Point Gardens. Needless to say, with the cold weather we have been experiencing recently, the majority of tulips had not bloomed yet. Hence, I was disappointed with not seeing the hundreds of tulips in bloom! It would have been so much more beautiful there on the grounds! But I am planning on returning to the gardens in May to see all the flowers! The gardens at Thanksgiving Point are comparable to the temple grounds in beauty, but it covers a lot more acres of land! It's absolutely gorgeous when all the flowers and trees are in bloom! Plus the waterfalls and ponds add to the beauty too! If you are wanting a peaceful, beautiful place to walk around, I recommend these gardens!

Spring Break

2009-04-12T16:20:00.006-06:00

I always look forward to Spring Break at school! It gives me a chance to collect the energy I need to get through the last 38 days of work! In the past I've always gone on some sort of trip during the break. This year I stayed close to home. I spent the first 3 days in Logan enjoying family and general conference. The middle 3 days, I got a huge list of things done on my "to do" list at home in Bountiful. The last 3 days, I took mom and dad down to Ephraim to JoAnn and Mike's home. Alan and Barbara met us there. Not only did we have a good time conversing with each other, but we had delicious meals of the new recipes JoAnn wanted to try on us. Also, we made truffles and fudge(cut out Easter shapes with cookie cutters). All of us were back to our own home by Saturday night, so we could enjoy the Easter/Resurrection morn in our own wards and our own way!

Making truffles is a messy affair!

Bountiful Temple

2009-03-29T14:12:00.005-06:00

For the past 12 or so years, I have been volunteering up at the Bountiful Temple every other Friday night for 4 hours. I work in the Family File office. I print off your family cards. What that means is that after you have researched your family, you can submit a disk, flash drive, or bar code to get cards of your deceased that still need ordinances done. But printing & cutting of cards happens sporadically so I have other responsibilities too. I help proof the finished ordinance cards to make sure they were done. I'm the first person you meet if you need further assistance from the full-time office workers. If I can't answer your question, then I send you to someone who can. If the phone operator gets busy, calls come to me and I can answer or redirect the call. And I do a variety of projects for the office workers to help them out. But once in a while, it is slow enough that I get to enjoy a good book or magazine(church affiliated of course). There's nothing like the peaceful feeling and love from my Heavenly Father I feel when I'm there! I love getting "out" of the world for those few hours to concentrate on the important matters of life. I always feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the world after leaving the temple!

Desert Star

2009-03-21T00:26:00.007-06:00

I have season tickets to a place called Desert Star. It is a theater that does melodramatic spoofs on movies, tv shows, plays or just about anything that has to do with Utah. For instance some of the shows this year are Home School Musical, American Fork Idol, and James Blonde: Casino Re'al. They have a hero, who you cheer for, and a villian, who you boo at. The cast likes to interact with the audience. We are on the front row, so we get to interact a bit more than usual. We go on the last night of the performance because it seems to be sillier since they do more improvising with lines on the final night. Not only can you see a hilarious(at least most of the time) show, but you can order pizza, drinks, ice cream and a large variety of other snacks. You sit at small round tables so you have someplace for your food. After the show, they perform songs set to a certain theme called an olio. They are all excellent singers and they make that part entertaining too. In between the show and oleo, they recognize birthdays(we all sing happy b-day song), anniversaries(couple dances while audience sings Let Me Call You Sweetheart & then they kiss at the end), 1st dates(which they embarrass the poor couple, but it sure is funny to be an onlooker!), etc.... I've been a season ticket holder for so long(probably since 1997) I have come to have my favorites in the cast(and the ones I'm not so excited to have). And it's fun to have the cast know us(since front row and so many years)! Laughter does the soul good and you can always get laughs at Desert Star!

Annual Weekend Trip

2009-03-14T18:22:00.010-06:00

Every year, since like 1995, my best friends from highschool and I get together for a weekend. The four of us have gone to different cities like NYC or San Antonio some of those times. Or we just go someplace close like Park City or Jackson Hole. It doesn't really matter where we go, we just like to spend time with each other. This last weekend we stayed in SLC at a motel(Marilyn's sister works for the Marriott so we always get good deals wherever we go)! I think the most important thing we plan when we get together is where will we eat? That always seems to be the first thing we decide. We enjoyed Texas Roadhouse, Red Rock Brewery, and the Spaghetti Factory(but I have to admit, I couldn't enjoy Spaghetti Factory as much because I was still full from lunch at Red Rock!) We also took in a musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie"(worth seeing if you get a chance--it's funny), a dollar show "Valkyrie"(awesome show if you like different perspectives about WWII/Nazis), and a massage from the College of Massage(2 for 1 special--but Marilyn got bruises from hers). And of course we talked and laughed for many hours! It's a fun tradition and I'm glad we started it!

Marcia, SaRene, Marilyn, Carol

Thin Mint Cookies

2009-03-04T21:26:00.008-07:00

My favorite cookie has to be the Girl Scout Thin Mints! Each year, I buy at least 1 case, sometimes 2 because I like them to last the whole year! After I bring them home, I immediately put them in the freezer. Eating them frozen is the yummiest! But I do have to limit myself to 2 a day and I savor each bite I take(I even make mmmm sounds as I'm slowly enjoying them)! Usually, I have my special treats when I get home from work--- it's a great reward for working that day(Plus chocolate is so soothing)! But this year because of budget cuts, they made the boxes smaller, hence less cookies-- not too happy about that! Like we weren't paying too much in the first place! I'll just have to appreciate every delicious morsel even more so!

Spiderman

2009-02-28T15:18:00.004-07:00

It's getting that time of year when as the weather gets warmer, the spiders start coming out. And as anyone knows, I am terrified, almost to the point of anxiety at times, of spiders! Every 3 months I pay for Dan the Spiderman to spray my place, inside and out, for spiders. Not only does he do that, but he goes the extra mile with me. Dan changes all my many, many spider traps around the apartment. He makes sure he doesn't throw them away in my trash, but takes them to the outside trash. If I need something from under the stairwell or furnace room(because everyone knows those are prime spots for spiders to lurk), he will get it and check it to make sure no spiders are on or in it for me. He has known my extreme fear of spiders since he first started coming(about 4 or 5 years ago). Initially, while he was spraying away, he tried to have a friendly chat about spiders with me. As he spoke for a few moments, he abruptly stopped because I looked like I was about to freak out at any moment. So now, he never talks spiders with me. I'd always been told that if you fear something, you just need to get more educated about it to overcome that fear. So I proceeded to find out more about spiders, especially the hobo spiders that are so prevalent in this area. Well I got on the web-site. Not only are there huge pictures of these ugly, scary creatures(while my heart was pounding and my breathing became more labored), but there were pictures of people who had been bitten by them. They were covered in these dark purple, blue, and red vein-like bruises radiating out from the area that had been bitten. And there were a few who had to have their fingers or hands amputated! Needless to say, this did nothing to diminish my fears! If anything, it freaked me out more! But through the years there have been less and less spiders I see, thanks to my hero, the Spiderman!

Sound of Music

2009-02-22T15:18:00.004-07:00

My main purpose with this post was to see if I could figure out how to add a video clip to a blog. So we'll see how it goes.

The Sound of Music has to be one of my all-time favorite musicals! Not only is it filled with intrigue and love, but the music is so darn catchy! My friend and I were able to attend a Sing-Along up at the outdoor theater at Sundance. It is one of the most fun memories I have! The movie was on the big screen and various people had dressed up as characters from the movie. We had a costume contest and were given instructions on how to react to the movie. As we came in we were given a goodie bag filled with paraphernalia to be used throughout the movie. Before it started, we were taught actions to the Do-Re-Mi song. Then throughout the movie we were given permission to bark when we saw Rolf(for the dog he was!), "aaww" everytime Greta came out and "boo" when the Countess came out, not to mention the fun things in the goodie bag to use at certain times(a confetti popper for when they first kiss, fake Eidelweiss to hold in the air while swaying, etc...). It was a blast! I hadn't seen that much action from audience movie-goers since The Rocky Horror Show which had been a midnight movie at the theater I worked in many years ago(and we had to discontinue that since it made such a mess on the floor!)! Anyway, last year, my friend gave me a puppet goat that sings the Lonely Goatherd song for Christmas! I laughed and laughed as I played with the goat. So that will be my video attempt:

Single Awareness Day

2009-02-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when exactly that Valentine's Day became Single Awareness Day to me(probably 30...that's a major "getting older" year). When I was in grade school, I loved decorating my Valentine box! And then I signed all my cute cards and individually picked who got which card (always being daring to give a card that had the word "love" on it to a cute boy). Next I remember in junior high that my friends(three best friends) and I would make so many goodies(especially pink frosted sugar cookies) for each other that we would make ourselves sick from eating it all(at that age the word "limit" is not in your vocab). And all through these years my parents always made sure I got some kind of Valentine treat or card! Yet with all those positive experiences, I still have chosen to call Valentine's Day: Single Awareness Day. The longer I am single, the more aware I get! (Don't get me wrong, I am totally okay with being single and am enjoying it while I can!) But one does tend to have a hint of bitterness on a day that constantly reminds you of your status! A few years ago some friends and I decided to have fun with Single Awareness Day. We had a "Past-over" dinner at someone's house and left a seat next to us empty awaiting our husbands[for those not familiar with Jewish tradition: The Jews celebrate Passover with a dinner and they leave one empty chair for Elijah(because he's coming before the Messiah comes)]. We did this for a few years but now life just keeps getting too busy to even get together. Although I do try to stay out of the public as much as possible that day and night, so I don't have to see all the sweet things couples are doing for each other. I guess if I was absolutely honest about it, it's called jealousy! I'm glad it only lasts for that one day out of the year! (okay maybe 2 days because I'm not fond of the other "couple" holiday,New Year's Eve, either!)

Digital vs Traditional

2009-02-08T18:03:00.008-07:00

As many of you know, I switched from traditional scrapbooking to digital scrapbooking. Here are a few reasons why:

So as you can clearly see, digital scrapbooking saves me a mess and space! I love it! Recently I purchased a laptop solely for my scrapbooking. Now I can scrapbook anywhere!

Facebook

2009-02-07T17:06:00.004-07:00

Recently, I signed up on Facebook. Wow, is it addictive! I am having a riot finding people from my past who have helped shape a part of my life! I'm finding people from schools, workplaces, former wards, and my mission! But it's one of those things that can take up my time and I'm spending way too much time on it! But it's so new to me, I have to! So eventually, I'll have to learn to curb the amount of time I spend on it. It's a great memory booster and it makes the world seem a bit smaller. Plus it's nice to be remembered!

Dancing Queen

2009-01-30T23:56:00.006-07:00

I've always enjoyed dancing. In fact, in 6th grade, my friends and I formed a dancing group called the "Live Five". We made up dances to popular songs like Boogie Fever. And another friend had a huge basement with a concrete floor where we could make-up dances and kareoke. During jr high and high school I loved dancing to songs that had certain steps to them like The Hustle, Time Warp, or Rock Lobster. In college line-dancing became popular, which I thought was awesome. And at dances it was always more fun to dance with the guys who knew ballroom dances or western dances. Since college I have never really thought much about dancing until Dancing with the Stars began. Watching the show made me yearn to learn how to ballroom dance. So when a community class offered ballroom dance, I took it. In that class I learned the waltz and foxtrot with partners. Even though I could practice the steps over and over, I couldn't practice following the man's lead. For some reason, a part of me is drawn to learning choreographed dance moves, which must explain why I prefer aerobics to any other kind of exercise. With that said, I just started a new exercise regime using Dancing with the Stars work-out dvd's. On the dvd I started with, I am learning the waltz, cha cha cha, and jive. I am really enjoying the waltz and jive. I'm not sure my body is physically capable of doing the cha cha cha. Trying to rotate my hips in a figure 8, plus move my feet is very difficult!! Luckily, on this dvd, there is a slow-motion segment for those tough parts. I'm hoping with time it will get easier!And then I can become a dancing queen!

Night at the Movies

2009-01-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

I love Netflix! You pay a monthly fee(anywhere from $5-$20, depending on the package you get). To have movies come to you through the mail and to return them through the mail is simply awesome! And the choices you have in programs is amazing! Not only can you get classics and recent movies, but you can also get television series or movies! The problem I see with Netflix is that I like to watch my movies as soon as possible. Hence, sometimes I get to bed later than I expect or I procrastinate other things I should be doing. I try to justify my watching the movies because I don't watch tv that often, but I've had to learn to control when I watch! I especially love the history and time pieces I see! There are a few movies that come out that I have to watch in a movie theater, but for the most part I wait for the DVD to come out now.

LOST

2009-01-22T19:27:00.005-07:00

LOST is the perfect title for this tv show, because if you haven't watched it from the beginning, or you even miss one episode, you are lost about what is happening! The 5th season started last night! I turned off the ringers to my phones so I would have no interruptions during the 2-hour season premiere! There is just so much intrigue and so many unanswered questions that keep me coming back each season. And little by little you get some answers, but you add more questions by far. This show is as mysterious as getting a puzzle without a picture to follow. Each episode gives you a piece of the puzzle to start making connections in the story and with the characters. Eventually puzzles get finished, hence, LOST will end after Season 6. So by June 2010, I will know what the full picture looks like. This show is very unique in that way. Plus while you are watching it, you have to be alert or you miss some of the puzzle pieces. And then you can get confused quickly! So to keep on top of things, I always have to discuss the episode with another fan of the show or go to one of the LOST websites and read the comments and recaps.

Historic Day

2009-01-20T20:19:00.009-07:00

Today America made history by having its first black President. It's amazing how far we have come in just 50 years! Since it was a historical event, I actually took the time to watch President Obama's oath and speech. I thought his speech gave hope to the people, and hope is what people need right now. One part of his speech struck a chord with me: "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility...this is the price and promise of citizenship". We do need to take more responsibility being a good neighbor and guiding the destinies of our lives and world.

Reunion!

2009-01-17T18:44:00.008-07:00

Some of you may know that between 1st grade and 8th grade my family moved 7 times. I lived in Alabama, Ohio, Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana, Missouri and then Utah. So I've had lots of chances to make many friends. A few of the friends I tried to keep in touch with were Tara, Lisa, Cindy, and Beth. We kept in touch through letters then...you know those things before e-mail and texting. I slowly lost track of Lisa, Cindy, and Beth. A few years ago I got an email at school from an outside source and lo and behold, it was Lisa! She had found me by googling my name! And since I work in a school district my name appears with the district and a way to contact me! I was simply amazed she was able to do that! I can't tell you how happy I was to be in contact with her again! So of course I immediately tried it with Beth and Cindy, with no luck! So recently, I tried googling Beth again, with her maiden name, and this time I got a link to a high school reunion site. On that site they give you just enough info without registering. I found out her married name and where she lived so then I just had to google her name and the town's name. And because she is working in schools too, she was listed and I could contact her! It was so exciting! Also it was fun to read about her surprise at getting an e-mail from me! There is nothing more thrilling than getting an e-mail from someone you thought was gone from your life! This friend-finding quest is quite addictive! Since then I've located a few other friends too.

Teachers, Teachers

2009-01-16T20:38:00.009-07:00

I get asked why I chose teaching for a profession or what's the best part about being a teacher. Of course I always answer: June, July and August! I do love that about teaching but I also love working with the deaf and hard of hearing population. I travel to a variety of schools daily. I work one-on-one with my students for a period of the day. Since hearing affects language, I work on skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and vocabulary. Each child has different strengths so their goals(which are decided every year) reflect those skills the child needs to be successful in the mainstream classroom and in life. I can work with K-12 students, but I prefer the secondary levels. It's always a bittersweet moment for me when a student graduates or no longer requires services. On one hand I'm so excited for their new independent lives, but on the other, I will miss the association I have with them!

Your mind is a terrible thing to waste

2009-01-14T21:26:00.004-07:00

Every Tuesday for the next 14 weeks, I will be attending a 3 hour Writing Instruction class after school. It is part of a series of classes I've been taking the past few years that will allow me to get a Reading Endorsement...that means I would be able to be a Reading teacher at a school, if I wanted. But more important than getting an endorsement, these classes are so excellent! I learn about the most recent research and strategies which will help students learn the best. The info has helped me become such a better teacher! I think all teachers should have to take these classes to update themselves on better practices in their classrooms! These classes are the cream of the crop when it comes to professional development! It's like taking college courses without the tuition! But the homework load is like college too! But it's worth it because I learn so much and we get to practice what we are learning with our current students! I would love spending the majority of my time learning everything I could in this life! There is so much to know! The older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know.

The Perfect Combo

2009-01-14T21:14:00.004-07:00

It was such a beautiful winter day today! For wintertime in Utah, it was a blistering 50 degrees. Some of the schools I work at have their heaters on full blast. I actually had to open a window to cool down the room! On my way home from work, I couldn't resist stopping at Keva Juice for a Berry Berry Good. Usually I visit Keva Juice during the summer months, but I was drawn to it today! And through some marketing ingenious, Great Harvest Bread is right next door to Keva Juice...they even have an adjoining door! So of course I have to step over to Great Harvest for a thick slice of bread, which isn't so bad for you, but then I have to smother mine with honey butter! It is the perfect after work snack to hold me over until dinner(I am done with work at 3pm). Yum Yum!

24

2009-01-11T14:55:00.001-07:00

Tonight the tv show 24 returns! It's season 7! Last year we missed a season because of the writer's strike. I'm so excited to have some more Jack Bauer to watch! For those not familiar to the show, it is done in real-time...so each hour episode is an hour of the day and a season happens in just 24 hours. Jack Bauer is the hero of the show. He saves the country from terrorists acts with some help from his friends. It's very intense! There's not a dull moment in the show and each week you are riveted with the story and how quickly things change from one extreme to the other. I started watching with Season 4, but I had to watch the dvd's of the previous seasons so I would be up to par with all the characters. So for the next 16 weeks, my FHE activity will be watching 24 at 8pm on Mondays.