Pssst!

1.  I'm wearing my new maxi dress for the third time in three days. Thank goodness for deodorant, inside activities while sporting it, and gorgeous weather that didn't make me sweat.

2.  My sister Jess is currently sitting in the hospital a couple metro stops away with broken ribs and a healing liver laceration. If she doesn't get to go home today, I'm popping by after work.

Thursday after work when we got mani-pedis and then Mr. Yogato

Friday after work (ok actually Saturday, but I'm sure Friday didn't look much different, maybe more doctors and nurses).
Also, this picture looks really bad. But Jess was looking at Michael who was at the end of the bed so her eyes are kind of closed, she's not dying,
 just under close watch and supervision by the ICU nurses.

3.  I'm going to the beach this weekend and I can't seem to stop looking at bathing suits I don't need. And because I'm going to be at the beach, my mom is flying in on Wednesday to help take care of Jess before she moves to Brooklyn, NY at the beginning of next month.

4.  Something miraculous happened to me last week. I discovered THIS tumber. And despite the occasional bad words and references to things this Mormon girl doesn't do, it's pretty funny (just giving you a warning).

5.  Saturday night after some mishaps and logistical detail malfunctions we ended up sitting on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. It was the most gorgeous night. And let me tell you, sitting on the ground in a maxi dress? So much better than sitting on the ground in anything else. And after paying homage to Mr. Jefferson, reading a favorite part on his four quotes, and then coming out of the rotunda and seeing my friends just chilling on the steps (or in the boy's case, practicing their golf swings and imagining what it would be like to launch a ball off the steps into the Tidal Basin), it just seemed like the start to a beautiful summer.

Weekend Review

1. National Kite Festival at the Washington Monument

2. Watching General Conference while baking cake (and waiting for Elder Archuleta!!)

3. Moving Shannon's box spring up to our house. Yeah, we really drove like that.

 4. Making homemade ice cream (Roasted Pistachio and Fresh Banana) to go with the strawberry cake (although that's not my picture, it's the recipe's picture, I forgot to take a picture)

5. Playing catch, or watching catch while enjoying a beautiful sunny evening. (And it's DOMINEAU'S Birthday today and her birthday week so she gets to wear a crown a few days early)

So in other words, it was a super chill, awesome weekend.

Things not pictured:

1. the cake obviously

2. watching conference with two kids under 3. (didn't hear a lot)

3. trying on our bridesmaid dresses to figure out accessories for next week's wedding!

A special thanks to Allie, Domineau, Lisa, Shannon, Laney and Tracie for making the weekend great!

"Have a good one!"

I remember once when I was 14 or 15 the guy at the gas station handing my mom her receipt with a, "Have a good one!" And my mom saying thanks as she rolled up the window and then complaining that the command to, "have a good one" just didn't sit well with her. "Have a good what?" She said. "Have a good day?" "Have a good week?" "Have a good time trying to pop that zit between your eyes that's luckily covered by your glasses?" (Actually that's me today, not 10 years ago...it's a really pesky zit. It doesn't want to leave my face.) Now every time I hear that inadvertent command to, "have a good one" I think it sounds funny.

Yesterday I had a mini panic attack. I couldn't find my Kindle. I was worried but not that worried thinking it was probably at the bottom of a pile of clothes on the floor of my room. (Yes I'm violating one of my New Years resolutions to "Keep my room clean.") So I grabbed my iPod and earphones and decided I would have to listen to a book or music at the gym instead of reading, and gave up for the time being. But then I stressed about it. All. Day. Long. I couldn't even go to the gym after work because I needed to check my room again. And more thoroughly (I was worried about missing the bus.)

No Kindle.

Lisa suggested I call the gym and see if I left it there.

"Bally's Total Fitness this is _____"
"Um, Hi, I know this is a long shot, but uh, I think I might have, uh, left my Kindle there yesterday?"
"Is it in a cream case?"
"YES! With a brown leather band?"
"Yes we have it here."

How. in the world. did I leave my Kindle at the gym??

But, it was there, and I picked it up. And as I was closing out I looked at the lady with a big smile and a big thanks and found myself saying excitedly, "Have a good one!"

(On a side note, I'm pretty excited that Phil did not see his shadow and I'm SO ready for Spring already. I love Spring. It's so pretty here. And I'm glad I don't have to relive a cold day in February over and over and over. And another side not? Someone broke down the Groundhog's Day movie and how long Bill Murray must have been reliving February 2. He figured it out to be 12,403 days or 33 years 358 days! Wow. No wonder he was so good at ice sculpting!)

Last weekend in Utah

I went to Utah last weekend because Liz got married. Hooray! And here are the pictures I'm borrowing from my friends (thanks Erin and Amy).

From the dinner the night before the wedding. 

Left to right: Erin, Steph, Linds, LIZ THE BRIDE, Cath, me, Amy

Us as the bridesmaids minus the bride.

Me with the beautiful bride. Doesn't she look so pretty?

Pictures I can't wait to see from the official photographer:

• My sister Cami boxing me out, basketball style, to get the bouquet. (I would have gotten it too.)
• Dancing in a huge circle adding on to the dance move done by the person before.
• Liz and Mark leaving on their vespa after running through sparklers.

Pictures that I wish would have been captured but most definitely weren't:

• My sister Emma picking up a peach that fell out of a flower arrangement and eating it.
• The band playing a cover of Ice Ice Baby only identifiable by "All right stop, collaborate and listen." Otherwise it would have been completely lost.
• My sisters dancing.

And a picture I'm glad was not captured? My sweaty back from dancing. Ew.

Whoops

A few weeks ago went into the bathroom at work to fix my hair. This resulted in an examination of my earring-less earlobe. One earring in, one earring out. I searched my pockets, the area around my desk, my purse, and even my jewelry box at home. That earring was no where to be found. I figured it must have fallen out somehow on the commute to work.

Well, last week when I cleaned my room I threw away the lone earring.

But, this morning while messing around with all the chords under my desk/organizing the small pile of shoes down there, I found that missing earring that I thought had been lost forever; it was under a shoe.

I was excited at first, until I realized I threw the original away last week.

Shoot.

I may not have that cute earring anymore, but I do have this cute picture (taken on my phone) of me and Jess from last Thursday. We went to Amsterdam Falafel in Adams Morgan before walking down to Dupont Circle for dessert (Mr. Yogato, evidenced by Jess' stamped forehead).

I'm adoring this warm weather and am really excited to walk around DC and find good places to eat, lounge, and relax this summer.

First Weekend of April,

and I'm totally sunburned.

We went to my friend Shannon's lake house and took the boat out. I'm red. Like a lobster. But as Julie said, I'll soon turn into a Hawaiian Tropic Model. Here's hoping it'll happen over night!

Fondue and a snow day

(View from my bathroom window. I have a bathroom with a view.
"Don't you agree that in someone's first house in Arlington they should have a bathroom with a view?"
--taken liberally from E.M. Forster's masterpiece.)

Last weekend was supposed to be our roommate Steph's last weekend at our house before moving. So to celebrate we had fondue!

Here we are making cheese and chocolate fondue and cooking steak to be dipped in the cheese fondue. Mmmm!

And then, today was a no-church-snow-day. My second snow day of the year. So, Katie made cookies and Holly and Ian made french toast and it was a fantastic brunch. (Although, it's now 9:00 and Katie is still working on those cookies...)

Rebecca (who is taking Steph's place) and Katie

(Stuart getting more bacon) Holly, Amber, and Ian

Stuart (eating bacon) and Steph

And I thought I wasn't going to have anymore snow days once I graduated from public school. Hooray for the East Coast and an area that doesn't know how to deal with it!

Um...

Intercourse is a town in Pennsylvania

Saturday we went up to Lancaster County Pennsylvania. Amish country. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get there which didn't seem to bad for a day trip. Perhaps it's because I'm from the West coast and everything takes longer to get somewhere, so the fact that we'd be in a different state in 2 1/2 hours seemed like a great deal to me! The highlight of the trip seemed to be the petting zoo and feeding the animals there. Who would have thought that five 20-somethings would have gotten as excited as we did about feeding animals?



We also made plenty of jokes about the town names in the area and then found these little town signs at Good and Plenty (where we ate lunch/dinner) . So of course we had to buy them and have a photo shoot!



(Unfortunately the appearance of Katie in these photos is slim because I looked bad in all the pictures she was in and I'm not going to post a picture of myself mid word. It just looks funny. So, rest assured, Katie was there with us. And thanks to Holly, again, for the pictures!)

Halloween

We're off to see the Wizard! The wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Tinwoman (Katie); Scarecrow (Andrea); Cowardly Lion (Erin)

(And, a special thanks to Holly for the pictures!)

Happy today

I'm making a healthy Chicken Parmesan tonight courtesy of The Biggest Loser cookbook. Hopefully it tastes good. But I thought I'd write about what's making me happy today while it cooks:

1. I have Viva La Vida playing as I cook. I love this CD. There is something about it that makes me so happy. It makes me think of Jerusalem. I think that's because the CD came out just a couple weeks before I left or maybe it's because Viva La Vida says, "I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing..." It makes me think of my sisters too. Coldplay came to Salt Lake in November and we went to the concert. Now Cami's on her way to Finland and Emma's in London and it makes me think of them.

2. Speaking of Cami and Emma, I got to talk to both of them today. Emma told me all about London and all the plays she's gone to see. She saw Jude Law in Hamlet the other night, and said he was really good. She also told me about visiting the Portrait Gallery and the British Museum, and it has me super jealous. And Cami finally gets to leave the MTC after a two week delay thanks to Swine flu. She called from Salt Lake and again from Chicago before boarding the plane for London. (No they aren't going to meet up. Cami said it would be too hard to see Emma.) She sounds really good, and hearing her say Finnish words and phrases sound like she's making up sound combinations.

Sweaty Summer Round 2

Last year I spent the entire summer bathed in sweat.

1. Valley of the Kings, Egypt: My undershirt was completely soaked.
2. Jordan: If you look closely I have pit stains. It was hot and that shirt was not forgiving.
3. River Jordan: Trever's back is very wet. Had I had my picture taken, the results would have been similar.

4. Tel Dan, Israel: Enlarge the picture. You can see the sweat on my forehead.
5. Gamla, Israel: I am starting to get a puddle of sweat on my neck. If I had photographic evidence of the end, That sweat triangle extended to my belly button. And I had had a camelbak on. It was incredible, I had no idea I sweated that much.

This summer is turning out to be similar, but not for the same reasons.
First off, I'm moving to DC. And it's humid there, so I'll be sweating.
Second, I'm trying to get back in shape so that adds another significant element of sweat.

Today we hiked Mt Pisgah, which if you had asked me before we went how long of a hike it was, I would have told you for sure five or six miles to summit. I found out that it was about two miles to summit. I am not in good shape that's for sure. Here are a few pictures from the hike. It was beautiful:

And yes I was really sweaty.

Good news is that when we got home we jumped in the pool for a few laps and then powerwashed the deck ghetto style-- meaning we used a hose and a brush. Too bad the only brush we could find was a toilet brush. The 70s house dress added to the over all ambiance.

PS. My diploma came today!