Dartman, to our 9 year old: Hey, don't freak out when you see mom's boulder holders hanging in the bathtub tomorrow.
S: Boulder holders??
Dartman: Yeah, you know, OVER-THE-SHOULDER-BOULDER-HOLDERS. Her bras.
S: Eeeeeeeeew! That's just GROSS!
July 4, 2007
July 2, 2007
Tagalicious
Upon my return from vacation in Vegas, I caught up on a bunch of blog reading...and soon discovered that I'd been tagged by Sacred Sister, Chanson, Lisey's Mom, and Jazzy to post 8 random things about me. I was also tagged by Wry Catcher AND Sara Sue to give you 8 things I know about Sideon. I have a nagging suspicion that I may have missed other tags directed my way, and if I did, I am including any with this post as well.
Killing 6 birds with one stone, I shall shake this up a bit to combine both tag types:
1. It never fails that when I'm sitting in a public restroom stall, and the toilet paper is hanging down past the holder, I wonder who may have tampered with the T.P. that I'm about to use. I even consciously think how strange it is that I just had such a ridiculously paranoid thought, but that doesn't prevent me fromthinking about actually ripping a length off first, throwing it away, and THEN tearing another untouched length off for personal use.
Sideon only has to use T.P. occasionally, due to his anatomical make-up and his super power of vertical urination.
2. In the time it took to type out #1, I got two spam e-mails in my inbox, one from SwivelSweeper Ease and one from Make a Match. Each time I hear the chime that I just got e-mail, I hope it's because someone has posted a comment on my blog. I love it when that happens!
Sideon refuses to eat Spam. His words are, and I quote: "I do not eat Spam! No mystery meat for me, not even if he's tall, dark and handsome!"
3. I love people watching. I could sit for hours and watch people, and never tire of it. I enjoy making up life stories for them in seconds as they walk by...it's even more fun when I have someone I really like to share my stories with. "See that woman? She looks so haggard because she just found out that her husband who's been on disability and hasn't worked for 20 years is leaving her for a younger woman - that skanky clerk with a lip ring and mongo cleavage who works at the deli around the corner."
Sideon doesn't have to tell me he's also a people-watcher for me to know it's true. His awesome writing skills suggest it better than I ever could.
4. I wish sometimes that I were more of a domestic goddess. Of course, I wonder how much of that has to do with growing up my whole life knowing that my very worth hinged on being a stay-at-home mother and doing everything just right. I grew up knowing the only worthy and admirable thing I should pursue was motherhood and making Home a Heaven on Earth. Well...I may as well go paint flames on my walls and crank up the heat, I'm that far from heavenly domesticity!
Sideon recently endured construction of an addition to his home with Scott. They are still doing improvements such as installing tile and landscaping. Sideon has NO IDEA how lucky he is to not be living closer to me, or I'd have him over all the time, teaching me how to do stuff like that. (I'm thinking flame-colored tile mosaic in my bathroom, and a gurgling Beelzebub fountain in my backyard...)
5. I once gave a giant Hershey's Kiss to a boy I liked on Valentine's Day with a note that read, "I heard the way to a man's heart is through his stomach...Is it true?" I wonder where that cheesy romantic in me went.
Sideon is a poet at heart. His romantic side is alive and kickin'. Although, I don't think he's cheesy at all, nor could he be, even if he tried.
6. I accidentally typed "69" when I numbered this line and I didn't notice it until after I had started typing something else. Then I just had to make that Freudian slip be what I shared here.
Sideon appreciates the number 69. What healthy American male doesn't??
7. I once went on vacation to Hawaii. There were countless Asian tourists there, and once we got home, my husband was shocked to see over 150 photos of Asian people that I took. I did so with the hope that I could paint some of them. I am fascinated by Asian people, and wish the one or two found in Montana would model for me.
Sideon hears the word 'modeling' and immediately thoughts race through his mind, each one better than the last: "Modeling? As in, sunken cheeks and super thin, but extremely attractive? Or as in, oh gawd I wish I had better genes? Or, why couldn't I have been born a porn star? Wait - that's not modeling, is it...?" What Sideon doesn't know is that I'd model each of my friends after him if I could. He's fabulous.
8. Someday when we're all financially able, I'd love to start a Sisters' Annual Trip to exotic places, for just my sisters and me (and Mom). Of course, my youngest sister is the same age as my stepdaughter, so she'd obviously come too. And since I couldn't just take ONE daughter and leave my other daughter out, she'd be invited too. Oh, hell. May as well charter a bus.
Sideon knows how to have a good time, no matter where he is. I've seen him completely entertained by a drunken woman in a bar, and I've seen him completely enthralled by a conversation with a long-lost uncle years older than him. Part of what makes Sideon so great is his ability to make those around him feel good about themselves, and free to be who they are without apology.
. . . . .
I hereby refuse to tag anyone else, for fear Tag Karma comes back again to bite me in the butt. I can only think up so many random things about myself! In future, remember you can find out all you want to know about me, by simply reading my blog. Eventually it'll all come out.
A big thanks in advance to Sideon for being a good sport about the unexpected comments here with his name on them.
Killing 6 birds with one stone, I shall shake this up a bit to combine both tag types:
1. It never fails that when I'm sitting in a public restroom stall, and the toilet paper is hanging down past the holder, I wonder who may have tampered with the T.P. that I'm about to use. I even consciously think how strange it is that I just had such a ridiculously paranoid thought, but that doesn't prevent me from
Sideon only has to use T.P. occasionally, due to his anatomical make-up and his super power of vertical urination.
2. In the time it took to type out #1, I got two spam e-mails in my inbox, one from SwivelSweeper Ease and one from Make a Match. Each time I hear the chime that I just got e-mail, I hope it's because someone has posted a comment on my blog. I love it when that happens!
Sideon refuses to eat Spam. His words are, and I quote: "I do not eat Spam! No mystery meat for me, not even if he's tall, dark and handsome!"
3. I love people watching. I could sit for hours and watch people, and never tire of it. I enjoy making up life stories for them in seconds as they walk by...it's even more fun when I have someone I really like to share my stories with. "See that woman? She looks so haggard because she just found out that her husband who's been on disability and hasn't worked for 20 years is leaving her for a younger woman - that skanky clerk with a lip ring and mongo cleavage who works at the deli around the corner."
Sideon doesn't have to tell me he's also a people-watcher for me to know it's true. His awesome writing skills suggest it better than I ever could.
4. I wish sometimes that I were more of a domestic goddess. Of course, I wonder how much of that has to do with growing up my whole life knowing that my very worth hinged on being a stay-at-home mother and doing everything just right. I grew up knowing the only worthy and admirable thing I should pursue was motherhood and making Home a Heaven on Earth. Well...I may as well go paint flames on my walls and crank up the heat, I'm that far from heavenly domesticity!
Sideon recently endured construction of an addition to his home with Scott. They are still doing improvements such as installing tile and landscaping. Sideon has NO IDEA how lucky he is to not be living closer to me, or I'd have him over all the time, teaching me how to do stuff like that. (I'm thinking flame-colored tile mosaic in my bathroom, and a gurgling Beelzebub fountain in my backyard...)
5. I once gave a giant Hershey's Kiss to a boy I liked on Valentine's Day with a note that read, "I heard the way to a man's heart is through his stomach...Is it true?" I wonder where that cheesy romantic in me went.
Sideon is a poet at heart. His romantic side is alive and kickin'. Although, I don't think he's cheesy at all, nor could he be, even if he tried.
6. I accidentally typed "69" when I numbered this line and I didn't notice it until after I had started typing something else. Then I just had to make that Freudian slip be what I shared here.
Sideon appreciates the number 69. What healthy American male doesn't??
7. I once went on vacation to Hawaii. There were countless Asian tourists there, and once we got home, my husband was shocked to see over 150 photos of Asian people that I took. I did so with the hope that I could paint some of them. I am fascinated by Asian people, and wish the one or two found in Montana would model for me.
Sideon hears the word 'modeling' and immediately thoughts race through his mind, each one better than the last: "Modeling? As in, sunken cheeks and super thin, but extremely attractive? Or as in, oh gawd I wish I had better genes? Or, why couldn't I have been born a porn star? Wait - that's not modeling, is it...?" What Sideon doesn't know is that I'd model each of my friends after him if I could. He's fabulous.
8. Someday when we're all financially able, I'd love to start a Sisters' Annual Trip to exotic places, for just my sisters and me (and Mom). Of course, my youngest sister is the same age as my stepdaughter, so she'd obviously come too. And since I couldn't just take ONE daughter and leave my other daughter out, she'd be invited too. Oh, hell. May as well charter a bus.
Sideon knows how to have a good time, no matter where he is. I've seen him completely entertained by a drunken woman in a bar, and I've seen him completely enthralled by a conversation with a long-lost uncle years older than him. Part of what makes Sideon so great is his ability to make those around him feel good about themselves, and free to be who they are without apology.
. . . . .
I hereby refuse to tag anyone else, for fear Tag Karma comes back again to bite me in the butt. I can only think up so many random things about myself! In future, remember you can find out all you want to know about me, by simply reading my blog. Eventually it'll all come out.
A big thanks in advance to Sideon for being a good sport about the unexpected comments here with his name on them.
Main Street Plaza
I posted a new creative writing piece titled Dear Mr. Church over on Main Street Plaza...
Check it out.
Check it out.
What Happens in Salt Lake, STAYS in Salt Lake!
Friday evening the exmo party was to be at 6:00 p.m. Xcetra and her husband FoMo had kindly offered their home, since they had built a new home and had been wanting to host a get-together since December. She invited a group of exmos she knows in addition to those from FLAK who said they'd like to be there too. It was a BBQ: bring your own meat, drinks and side dishes or snacks to share. Aaaah, ward potluck memories!
Dartman and I couldn't be there until 8:00 p.m., so by the time we arrived, the party had been going already for a couple hours. We met Xcetra at the door, and when she led us into the kitchen, Christy saw that we had arrived, and ran over to introduce us to the people we didn't know. I saw that From the Ashes was there, and everyone else besides Christy, her friend Craig, and FTA were strangers to me. I'm sorry to say that my memory for names is HORRIBLE, so I can't name all the people I met, but they all seemed nice. It was apparent from the first look that they had partied together before, and that they were all quite good friends.
We sat down at the dining room table where the munchies were, and we sipped our drinks and talked with people who were there. I had a lot of fun...I don't have a lot of opportunity to enjoy parties like that. The others were having a great time. Every once in awhile the music would be turned up loud, and the group of friends would converge on the kitchen, the deck out back, or the living room, and they were very lively.
A couple different times during the evening one of them would approach me and ask if I was uncomfortable. Um, I wasn't uncomfortable until you ASKED me if I was! Apparently I must have LOOKED uncomfortable at times. In my own defense, I was sporting a migraine that night, and it's hardly fun for others at a party to hear someone complaining that their head hurts like a sonofagun, so that may be why I looked "uncomfortable."
I was thrilled when a couple of my favorite bloggers showed up: JulieAnn from Ravings of a Mad Woman, and T.Wanker from Mormon Erotica. They may have shown up and left together, and looked like a couple who fits perfectly together, but I'd never let THAT cat out of the bag, would I?? They were so much fun to talk with, and it really did seem like we had known each other for a long time as we talked and laughed together. I was very glad to get to know them better, and to meet them in person. Great people.
We also met Julianna (Enlightened Molly) and her husband Richard (whose exmo forum name I promptly forgot)...they were very easy to talk to and I really enjoyed getting to know them. I have found a kindred spirit in Julianna, and I look forward to getting to know her better via email as well. I have a feeling I'll be seeing them again someday. We all had fun snacking on brie and bread, fruit chunks soaked in port, sugar cookies, and chips and salsa. All of us talked for what seemed like hours, with an occasional interruption of fun times from the other guests as they came and entertained us with what they had to say.
Christy's BFF, Shiree, was very fun, lively, and memorable in how she handled being drunk. She had a cute tendency to start talking loudly, and slowly, while waving her arms for emphasis as she told us a story. We decided that when I wrote about the party on my blog, I'd describe it as awesome. Only, just for Shiree, it's gotta be OSS-UM! It was fun meeting her after reading about her on Christy's blog before.
The group of couples there whom I didn't know before that night seemed very fun and carefree. There were some unexpected things going on at the party, such as clove cigarettes, pot, cigars, and other stuff that I'm hesitant to write about for fear I come across as judgemental when in fact I'm not judging, just processing. I have a To Each His Own mindset that is growing broader every day. I will say it was rather unexpected for me to see people behaving so openly in front of people who are basically strangers, without reservation. Some things that I saw: people making out with or fondling someone else's spouse, girls feeling each other up, girls flashing their bras to the group. I try to keep an open mind, and if both partners in a relationship are willing to be open in that way, and their friends are also open to it, then I can see no problem. I sometimes wish I were less inhibited myself.
Just so Dartman doesn't assume that if I'm ever at a future exmo function alone, I'll be engaging in stuff I wouldn't do if he were there. Although, since I've never been fully drunk before, who knows what I'm capable of?? ;)
I was really glad to have had the chance to meet bloggers and exmo friends on that Friday in Salt Lake City. It was quite memorable and I look forward to the next time I can do it again, hopefully without a headache next time!
And sadly, I didn't take any pictures at either exmo gathering that day. I considered taking my camera, but wasn't sure how well that would be received, since many of the people I met were strangers to me, so I decided against photos. Next time I'll see what I can do to rectify the situation.
Dartman and I couldn't be there until 8:00 p.m., so by the time we arrived, the party had been going already for a couple hours. We met Xcetra at the door, and when she led us into the kitchen, Christy saw that we had arrived, and ran over to introduce us to the people we didn't know. I saw that From the Ashes was there, and everyone else besides Christy, her friend Craig, and FTA were strangers to me. I'm sorry to say that my memory for names is HORRIBLE, so I can't name all the people I met, but they all seemed nice. It was apparent from the first look that they had partied together before, and that they were all quite good friends.
We sat down at the dining room table where the munchies were, and we sipped our drinks and talked with people who were there. I had a lot of fun...I don't have a lot of opportunity to enjoy parties like that. The others were having a great time. Every once in awhile the music would be turned up loud, and the group of friends would converge on the kitchen, the deck out back, or the living room, and they were very lively.
A couple different times during the evening one of them would approach me and ask if I was uncomfortable. Um, I wasn't uncomfortable until you ASKED me if I was! Apparently I must have LOOKED uncomfortable at times. In my own defense, I was sporting a migraine that night, and it's hardly fun for others at a party to hear someone complaining that their head hurts like a sonofagun, so that may be why I looked "uncomfortable."
I was thrilled when a couple of my favorite bloggers showed up: JulieAnn from Ravings of a Mad Woman, and T.Wanker from Mormon Erotica. They may have shown up and left together, and looked like a couple who fits perfectly together, but I'd never let THAT cat out of the bag, would I?? They were so much fun to talk with, and it really did seem like we had known each other for a long time as we talked and laughed together. I was very glad to get to know them better, and to meet them in person. Great people.
We also met Julianna (Enlightened Molly) and her husband Richard (whose exmo forum name I promptly forgot)...they were very easy to talk to and I really enjoyed getting to know them. I have found a kindred spirit in Julianna, and I look forward to getting to know her better via email as well. I have a feeling I'll be seeing them again someday. We all had fun snacking on brie and bread, fruit chunks soaked in port, sugar cookies, and chips and salsa. All of us talked for what seemed like hours, with an occasional interruption of fun times from the other guests as they came and entertained us with what they had to say.
Christy's BFF, Shiree, was very fun, lively, and memorable in how she handled being drunk. She had a cute tendency to start talking loudly, and slowly, while waving her arms for emphasis as she told us a story. We decided that when I wrote about the party on my blog, I'd describe it as awesome. Only, just for Shiree, it's gotta be OSS-UM! It was fun meeting her after reading about her on Christy's blog before.
The group of couples there whom I didn't know before that night seemed very fun and carefree. There were some unexpected things going on at the party, such as clove cigarettes, pot, cigars, and other stuff that I'm hesitant to write about for fear I come across as judgemental when in fact I'm not judging, just processing. I have a To Each His Own mindset that is growing broader every day. I will say it was rather unexpected for me to see people behaving so openly in front of people who are basically strangers, without reservation. Some things that I saw: people making out with or fondling someone else's spouse, girls feeling each other up, girls flashing their bras to the group. I try to keep an open mind, and if both partners in a relationship are willing to be open in that way, and their friends are also open to it, then I can see no problem. I sometimes wish I were less inhibited myself.
Just so Dartman doesn't assume that if I'm ever at a future exmo function alone, I'll be engaging in stuff I wouldn't do if he were there. Although, since I've never been fully drunk before, who knows what I'm capable of?? ;)
I was really glad to have had the chance to meet bloggers and exmo friends on that Friday in Salt Lake City. It was quite memorable and I look forward to the next time I can do it again, hopefully without a headache next time!
And sadly, I didn't take any pictures at either exmo gathering that day. I considered taking my camera, but wasn't sure how well that would be received, since many of the people I met were strangers to me, so I decided against photos. Next time I'll see what I can do to rectify the situation.
June 29, 2007
On Meeting Exmos in SLC
I decided since I didn't find time to write more about last week's trip, that I'd shake up the chronological order of my writing, and write about the final days first, since that's when I met some of my blog friends and ex-Mormons that live in the Salt Lake City area. Vegas memories can wait...
I decided to post on FLAK, asking if anyone would be interested in an exmo get-together. Immediately there was more interest than I ever anticipated or expected, which was a sweet surprise. It was determined that some could not attend an evening get-together, and some could only meet in the evening, so we planned two different gatherings.
LUNCH
Nom de Cypher, a good friend and charmer of many on FLAK, helped me coordinate the lunch, and we ended up meeting at Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square per Christy's suggestion. My kids and husband went with me (the kids were thrilled to be there, thanks for asking!). I had a great time. Dartman didn't seem uncomfortable there, which was good. We weren't sure what to expect, but there were no awkward moments as could easily happen, I imagine, when strangers meet.
They gave us a big table in the back room, and it was perfect for our group. There were 13 in all:
Me, Dartman, Nom de Cypher, Christy (Degenerate Elite), From the Ashes, Mr. From the Ashes, Amber Ale, Magic Cicero, Radioactive Wrath, Garbageboy, Demon of Kolob, and my two kids. We ordered our food, and had an interesting moment when Radioactive Wrath ordered a beer that was apparently stronger than 3.2%, causing the waiter to inform him they may not serve anything stronger than 3.2% before noon. It was 11:50 a.m. That gave us a good laugh, and we talked about that and other things until our food came.
It was so awesome meeting these people! A few thoughts on each one, based on way too little time to form really good opinions:
Nom de Cypher: Charming, funny, witty, and handsome in a classy way just as his Cary Grant avatar suggests. He stayed longest, and was the last one to leave. A great guy...you should get to know him if you can. His conversation skills are quite good.
Amber Ale: He is a musician who slightly resembles Billy Joel (woo woo! which is my version of a whistle), as his avatar suggests. He's a very nice man, who runs the Zarahemla City Limits website. The first time I ever communicated with Amber Ale, it was when he asked me in an email if he could post my If Joseph Smith had the Internet post in the Satire section of ZCL. I'm so glad I got to know AA better during lunch. He has a great laugh, and he uses it often. Oh, and I found out he loves drinking amber ale. Go figure!
Christy: Our very own sweetheart of Degenerate Elite fame! She is beautiful, on the inside and out. I was sad that she ended up sitting three people away from me on the same side of the table, so we weren't able to chat as I'd have liked to. She did manage to take a quick photo of the two of us smiling into her cell phone camera (the only photo taken at all that day), which she sent to our good friend, Sideon, via text message. No, the photo is not available. You must be president of the SML Fan Club to be able to view it. Sorry. I was impressed with Christy's bubbly nature and her poise and ease with which she greeted all of us when she first arrived. She's great!
From the Ashes: I was so thrilled to meet my friend From the Ashes while we were in Utah, especially since she just moved there recently from living back east. I really admire and love her! She's also beautiful, inside and out, and much younger than you'd guess when reading her deep thoughts and wisdom on her blog. I'd encourage anyone to meet her if given the chance. I was bummed that she was sitting at the other end of the table as well, so I wasn't able to chat more with her too.
Mr. From the Ashes: I was highly impressed that he came to our lunch, despite the fact that he had injured his ankle recently, and was sporting crutches. Bummer, dude! I was sad to find out that his ankle was too overworked during our lunch, causing him to miss the evening get-together. Next time, I hope! He seemed very nice, and the two of them make a very cute couple. I could say he's as beautiful as his wife, but that might make him uncomfortable.
Demon of Kolob: Demon of Kolob is a blogger whom I never heard of before joining FLAK. He sat across from Dart and me and engaged us in some very interesting discussions. He is pretty tall, and has very nice eyes. One thing I remember ~ he told us that people simply don't drink outside in their front yards in Utah. They do so in their backyards, to avoid being picked up by the cops for questioning. I can tell you, this is NOT how it's done in Montana. We can drink wherever we want, except in our vehicles. ;) It was very good to meet Demon, too.
Radioactive Wrath: He was a very interesting guy, who sat just far enough away from me to limit getting to know him better. He seemed like someone with a great sense of humor. He's young, handsome, and pretty easy-going, I'd say. He had a manner that reminded me of Jack Black, I don't know why. I really like Jack Black, I can't help it, and that's how I feel about RW too. It was very good to meet him in person.
Garbageboy: Another FLAKer that I hardly knew of before meeting him at lunch. He's very likeable, with a huge smile that makes you want to get to know him better, because you just know he'd be a great guy to be friends with. He's young, tall, handsome, and married (sorry, ladies). He is married to a TBM woman, so send some good karma thoughts his way. Someday, maybe, they'll both be on the same page religiously. I hope so. I don't wish that kind of experience on anyone. I was glad to meet him.
Magic Cicero: Of Magic Cycero's Odyssey, writer of one of my favorite blogs to read. He's got a great sense of humor, and words things very well. I wish I had his intellect! He's a very interesting person to talk to, which, since we sat so far away from each other during lunch, we were able to do after lunch outside the restaurant in the quiet mall. He's tall, dark, and handsome as well, with a wife and small child(ren). I've been reading his blog for some time, and was very glad he came to lunch so I could meet him in person. What a great guy he is.
DINNER
I was going to post about the evening get-together we went to later that day, but it's pretty late, so I'll have to write that up tomorrow!
I decided to post on FLAK, asking if anyone would be interested in an exmo get-together. Immediately there was more interest than I ever anticipated or expected, which was a sweet surprise. It was determined that some could not attend an evening get-together, and some could only meet in the evening, so we planned two different gatherings.
LUNCH
Nom de Cypher, a good friend and charmer of many on FLAK, helped me coordinate the lunch, and we ended up meeting at Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square per Christy's suggestion. My kids and husband went with me (the kids were thrilled to be there, thanks for asking!). I had a great time. Dartman didn't seem uncomfortable there, which was good. We weren't sure what to expect, but there were no awkward moments as could easily happen, I imagine, when strangers meet.
They gave us a big table in the back room, and it was perfect for our group. There were 13 in all:
Me, Dartman, Nom de Cypher, Christy (Degenerate Elite), From the Ashes, Mr. From the Ashes, Amber Ale, Magic Cicero, Radioactive Wrath, Garbageboy, Demon of Kolob, and my two kids. We ordered our food, and had an interesting moment when Radioactive Wrath ordered a beer that was apparently stronger than 3.2%, causing the waiter to inform him they may not serve anything stronger than 3.2% before noon. It was 11:50 a.m. That gave us a good laugh, and we talked about that and other things until our food came.
It was so awesome meeting these people! A few thoughts on each one, based on way too little time to form really good opinions:
Nom de Cypher: Charming, funny, witty, and handsome in a classy way just as his Cary Grant avatar suggests. He stayed longest, and was the last one to leave. A great guy...you should get to know him if you can. His conversation skills are quite good.
Amber Ale: He is a musician who slightly resembles Billy Joel (woo woo! which is my version of a whistle), as his avatar suggests. He's a very nice man, who runs the Zarahemla City Limits website. The first time I ever communicated with Amber Ale, it was when he asked me in an email if he could post my If Joseph Smith had the Internet post in the Satire section of ZCL. I'm so glad I got to know AA better during lunch. He has a great laugh, and he uses it often. Oh, and I found out he loves drinking amber ale. Go figure!
Christy: Our very own sweetheart of Degenerate Elite fame! She is beautiful, on the inside and out. I was sad that she ended up sitting three people away from me on the same side of the table, so we weren't able to chat as I'd have liked to. She did manage to take a quick photo of the two of us smiling into her cell phone camera (the only photo taken at all that day), which she sent to our good friend, Sideon, via text message. No, the photo is not available. You must be president of the SML Fan Club to be able to view it. Sorry. I was impressed with Christy's bubbly nature and her poise and ease with which she greeted all of us when she first arrived. She's great!
From the Ashes: I was so thrilled to meet my friend From the Ashes while we were in Utah, especially since she just moved there recently from living back east. I really admire and love her! She's also beautiful, inside and out, and much younger than you'd guess when reading her deep thoughts and wisdom on her blog. I'd encourage anyone to meet her if given the chance. I was bummed that she was sitting at the other end of the table as well, so I wasn't able to chat more with her too.
Mr. From the Ashes: I was highly impressed that he came to our lunch, despite the fact that he had injured his ankle recently, and was sporting crutches. Bummer, dude! I was sad to find out that his ankle was too overworked during our lunch, causing him to miss the evening get-together. Next time, I hope! He seemed very nice, and the two of them make a very cute couple. I could say he's as beautiful as his wife, but that might make him uncomfortable.
Demon of Kolob: Demon of Kolob is a blogger whom I never heard of before joining FLAK. He sat across from Dart and me and engaged us in some very interesting discussions. He is pretty tall, and has very nice eyes. One thing I remember ~ he told us that people simply don't drink outside in their front yards in Utah. They do so in their backyards, to avoid being picked up by the cops for questioning. I can tell you, this is NOT how it's done in Montana. We can drink wherever we want, except in our vehicles. ;) It was very good to meet Demon, too.
Radioactive Wrath: He was a very interesting guy, who sat just far enough away from me to limit getting to know him better. He seemed like someone with a great sense of humor. He's young, handsome, and pretty easy-going, I'd say. He had a manner that reminded me of Jack Black, I don't know why. I really like Jack Black, I can't help it, and that's how I feel about RW too. It was very good to meet him in person.
Garbageboy: Another FLAKer that I hardly knew of before meeting him at lunch. He's very likeable, with a huge smile that makes you want to get to know him better, because you just know he'd be a great guy to be friends with. He's young, tall, handsome, and married (sorry, ladies). He is married to a TBM woman, so send some good karma thoughts his way. Someday, maybe, they'll both be on the same page religiously. I hope so. I don't wish that kind of experience on anyone. I was glad to meet him.
Magic Cicero: Of Magic Cycero's Odyssey, writer of one of my favorite blogs to read. He's got a great sense of humor, and words things very well. I wish I had his intellect! He's a very interesting person to talk to, which, since we sat so far away from each other during lunch, we were able to do after lunch outside the restaurant in the quiet mall. He's tall, dark, and handsome as well, with a wife and small child(ren). I've been reading his blog for some time, and was very glad he came to lunch so I could meet him in person. What a great guy he is.
DINNER
I was going to post about the evening get-together we went to later that day, but it's pretty late, so I'll have to write that up tomorrow!
June 26, 2007
Random Thoughts about Vacation
We left at noon on Friday to head to Salt Lake City, where I have family. We stayed overnight, and had a little get-together the next day with my mom, two brothers, and sister at the pool and clubhouse at my mom's apartment complex. It was great fun. The kids swam, and we had pizza and talked and wondered about how my kids look so much like my sister and brother. My kids look more like my siblings than they look like me.
We had gone earlier in the day to visit my paternal grandma, who is in her eighties. We called my dad and invited him to come to her house and see us at the same time, since we had arrived so late that we slept in, and only had a couple hours before the party my mom had scheduled, but he declined, saying he'd been at Grandma's house the day before. Besides, "it IS fifty miles away, after all." Okay, Dad. Happy Father's Day, I guess. I was reminded of the time there was a family reunion (my grandpa was adopted as a child into his aunt's family, and this reunion was for the original family) in Cody, Wyoming, only an hour or so away from where I was at the time, and I never heard of it until afterward.
On Sunday we got up too early and headed for Las Vegas. It was nostalgic driving past Provo. Something about seeing that "Y" painted on the mountainside brought back fleeting memories of people and places I knew when I was there for my one year of college. We stopped there for breakfast, and moved on. I couldn't help thinking during my time in Utah that the person in the next car on the interstate, or that guy taking my order at the restaurant, could be someone who reads my blog. A very surreal feeling.
I don't recall ever traveling south of Provo (maybe I did as a child), but it was interesting to me how the landscape changed as we moved south. Something is killing the pine trees, I noticed. You can see fields and fields of tree skeletons, stark and white against the brown dirt of the hillsides. Strange. I really have a love for trees. Soon the dirt turned red and we were in St. George. Beautiful country, but no way could I live there. We stopped to visit my mom's boyfriend's mom who lives there, and it was great meeting her. She's very sweet. We asked her what the super tall, narrow shrubs (or trees) are that are grown in straight rows, looking like green toothpicks against the red that surrounds them, but she had no idea what we were talking about. They were everywhere. Probably so common she doesn't even notice them anymore.
The drive to Las Vegas was through a desolate area, and at one point, we passed through a rock canyon that was fascinating in its difference to anything I've seen before. We were driving fast, and the road was winding sharply. . .besides, the camera was in the trunk, so I'm sad to have no pictures of that awesome rock to show you. Then suddenly the rock abruptly ended, and we were in open country again, dry, hot desert. An occasional cactus, which we decided resembled something straight out of Dr. Seuss. They grew in tall arms covered in hairy bark-like stuff, and the tops of each arm had a green tuft of pointy leaves that looked like fur from a distance. I'm not sure if they are really cactus, or a form of palm tree/shrub thingies, but they are COOL. After searching the web now for 20 minutes and coming up with nothing, I'm really kicking myself for not having my camera out during this vacation. We took no pictures at all. Sigh. Just gives me a good excuse to go back, eh? EDITED TO ADD: Thanks, Chris, for letting me know these are called JOSHUA TREES! Yesss. I knew someone cool would enlighten me, and I was right!!!
We arrived in Las Vegas, and the buildings of the strip were straight out of CSI: Las Vegas. It was way cool. We found our hotel, about four miles down the strip from Mandalay Bay, and we checked in. The temperature was about 100 degrees Farenheit or so. Not bad.
I'll write about Vegas next.
We had gone earlier in the day to visit my paternal grandma, who is in her eighties. We called my dad and invited him to come to her house and see us at the same time, since we had arrived so late that we slept in, and only had a couple hours before the party my mom had scheduled, but he declined, saying he'd been at Grandma's house the day before. Besides, "it IS fifty miles away, after all." Okay, Dad. Happy Father's Day, I guess. I was reminded of the time there was a family reunion (my grandpa was adopted as a child into his aunt's family, and this reunion was for the original family) in Cody, Wyoming, only an hour or so away from where I was at the time, and I never heard of it until afterward.
On Sunday we got up too early and headed for Las Vegas. It was nostalgic driving past Provo. Something about seeing that "Y" painted on the mountainside brought back fleeting memories of people and places I knew when I was there for my one year of college. We stopped there for breakfast, and moved on. I couldn't help thinking during my time in Utah that the person in the next car on the interstate, or that guy taking my order at the restaurant, could be someone who reads my blog. A very surreal feeling.
I don't recall ever traveling south of Provo (maybe I did as a child), but it was interesting to me how the landscape changed as we moved south. Something is killing the pine trees, I noticed. You can see fields and fields of tree skeletons, stark and white against the brown dirt of the hillsides. Strange. I really have a love for trees. Soon the dirt turned red and we were in St. George. Beautiful country, but no way could I live there. We stopped to visit my mom's boyfriend's mom who lives there, and it was great meeting her. She's very sweet. We asked her what the super tall, narrow shrubs (or trees) are that are grown in straight rows, looking like green toothpicks against the red that surrounds them, but she had no idea what we were talking about. They were everywhere. Probably so common she doesn't even notice them anymore.
The drive to Las Vegas was through a desolate area, and at one point, we passed through a rock canyon that was fascinating in its difference to anything I've seen before. We were driving fast, and the road was winding sharply. . .besides, the camera was in the trunk, so I'm sad to have no pictures of that awesome rock to show you. Then suddenly the rock abruptly ended, and we were in open country again, dry, hot desert. An occasional cactus, which we decided resembled something straight out of Dr. Seuss. They grew in tall arms covered in hairy bark-like stuff, and the tops of each arm had a green tuft of pointy leaves that looked like fur from a distance. I'm not sure if they are really cactus, or a form of palm tree/shrub thingies, but they are COOL. After searching the web now for 20 minutes and coming up with nothing, I'm really kicking myself for not having my camera out during this vacation. We took no pictures at all. Sigh. Just gives me a good excuse to go back, eh? EDITED TO ADD: Thanks, Chris, for letting me know these are called JOSHUA TREES! Yesss. I knew someone cool would enlighten me, and I was right!!!
We arrived in Las Vegas, and the buildings of the strip were straight out of CSI: Las Vegas. It was way cool. We found our hotel, about four miles down the strip from Mandalay Bay, and we checked in. The temperature was about 100 degrees Farenheit or so. Not bad.
I'll write about Vegas next.
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