Baking Frenzy

I had the [un]fortunate pleasure this month of hosting our bunco group. Which, if you all remember one of my previous posts on that subject, everyone always seems to bail when I host it! I had to scramble to find the subs at the very last minute, so thanks to Idyllic Ideas and her roomie, and Serena for coming on short notice!

I promised them a fun, fancy, yummy treat if they came. I was originally going to make the desert that is shown on the front cover of this Culinary Institute of America textbook, but changed my mind when I saw that I could buy frozen puff pastry shells. Not all of them baked up perfectly when I actually baked them, and the cream filling wasn't completely set, but I still think they turned out alright. My bunco group seemed to enjoy them anyway, so I guess I can't complain too much!



I had a ton of leftover cream (I made a double batch fearing I wouldn't have enough to fill the puff pastry shells), so I promised one of the girls who did me an enormous favor that I would make her cream puffs as a thank you! It's been since I was in my first couple of semesters of Culinary School since I made these, so I was WAY out of practice! I used a recipe I found in one of my textbooks, and the batter (pâte à choux or eclair paste) was runnier than I remembered, but I thought I would bake it and see how they turned out.


No need to zoom in or come back with comments about how these are either sugar cookies, or snickerdoodle cookies and not cream puffs. They are,in fact, the first batch of the puffs! No need to post a pic of the second batch, because there wasn't much change in appearance. I decided to add a bit more flour to tighten up the paste. Turns out I had too much flour in there! I again, wanted to see how they baked, just in case. Not much puffier than the original, but definitely more dense! (Heavy cream puff cookies!)

Anyway, I left and went to dinner with the fam, and was still fuming and very disappointing that these were not working and not up to "my standards!" Nats, my roommate, was quick to recite the little vinyl saying we have stuck to our kitchen wall:

"If you don't like my cooking, lower your standards"

That made me more determined to get it right! I quickly jumped on the Internet to one of my favorite recipe websites: www.allrecipes.com to get a different recipe than the obvious not-going-so-well recipe I had been playing around with for two hours beforehand. I changed it a tad from what they wanted me to do, but right from the get-go I knew this was going to be a much better recipe, and a much better turnout! I was right! My cream puffs were tall and puffy, light and fluffy, and golden brown! I filled em, drizzled em with melted chocolate, and then dusted them with powdered sugar! Now these I am actually proud of enough to call them mine (meaning that I actually made them and I will admit to it), and then give them away so I don't eat them all!

They took up all the room in my fridge! I am actually suprised that my other roommate who often seems to find her way into mine and Nat's food didn't steal any! Especially when I told her I used all HER eggs to make 'em since I was out!

You Know You Might Be In For A Rough Day When...

...You have a Ski-Break night like this:

I awoke in the middle of the night with a tickle in my throat which cause me to have a few hard coughs. I keep a water bottle next to me, for just such an occasion (cause who wants to walk all the way out to the kitchen to get a glass, and wake yourself up more).

The next little bit is kind of a blur because I apparently fell back asleep again with the water bottle in hand. The next thing I remember is turning over, or twitching or moving my arm in such a way that I doused myself with water! Talk about a rude awakening. I kinda had to laugh at myself, but at the same time I was pretty upset because I had to change out of my wet pajamas!

Remember when I gave all those reasons as to why I struggle? Yeah, better add this to the bottom of the list (There are three links, this one must be number 25 or so from those previously linked lists)!

101

So I am totally stealing this from Goddess Divine, because hey, it is a post, and I don't have anything more entertaining to say! Thanks Goddess!

1. Ridden in a train. (In Croatia it was much more safe than the bus!)
2. Slept under the stars (Froze my butt off each time...why'd I keep doing it?)
3.Played in a band/orchestra
4. Visited Hawaii (Happy 18th B-Day to ME!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain (Timpanogos here/Slieme in Croatia)
9. Held a praying mantis (More like it landed on me and I freaked!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (Adriatic Sea was right out the window of my apt in one of my mission areas)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Define ART?)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (Two Words...Mama Chu's)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Lines are 4 hours long every day...I had better things to do)
18. Grown your own vegetables (Watched others, then benefited!)
19. Had a letter to the editor published
20. Slept on an overnight train (Croatia Again)
21. Had a pillow fight (Who hasn't?)
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when not really ill. (Macey's)
24. Built a snow fort (Well mostly watched my brother's)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (I can't run to the end of the street let alone 26 miles)
28. Seen the running of the bulls
29. Seen a total eclipse (I think anyway)
30. Watched a sunrise (These are cool!)
31. Hit a home run (Short fences)
32. Been on a cruise (Almost went again, just can't afford it)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (I know another one, but kinda had a little help with that one)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (Hard to define truly satisfied...)
38. Been on a draw-bridge (Croatia once again)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Received a traffic ticket (Just A ticket...lol too many over the years!)
41. Sung karaoke (Not by choice)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (San Diego after we got done with our cruise)
46. Been transported in an ambulance (Sister and I were in a minor accident, I rode, she was being attended to)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Been a story on the news
50. Seen a wild mustang
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (Not my favorite)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (I was a dumb child)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (Kinda miss these!)
55. Been in a movie (UV Culinary Recruiting Video--regularly shown on channel 17)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Hopefully in the future)
58. Taken a martial arts class (Want to)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen (Helped prepare T-Giving Day dinner, but didn't actually serve)
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (Only bought and eaten them)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Received flowers for no reason (Does a friend forgetting your b-day count?)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (They think I have mad cow disease now, so they won't let me anymore)
65. Gone sky diving (Never!)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (Paycheck bounced, then everything else bounced)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (Not good)
72. Pieced a quilt (Does tied one count?)
73. Stood in Times Square (SO FUN...WANNA GO BACK!)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (Mutal hatred at Macey's)
76. Won a contest (Battle of the sexes on the cruise ship!)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (What a rush!)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Been in a cave (Croatia)
82. Bought a brand new car (Only used)
83. Walked in Jerusalem (One day!)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (Culinary Arts from UV)
85. Read the entire Bible or other religious book (Never completed Bible from cover to cover)
86. Visited the White House (Would love to!)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Not at the same time though!)
88. Had Chicken Pox (Scratchy Scratcherson)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (ALMOST HAD TO)
91. Met someone famous (Few people, but it depends on how you define famous!)
92. Joined a book club (Never really participated though!)
93. Lost a loved one (Never fun)
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Been to the top of the Gateway Arch
99. Been stung by a bee (Pieces of crap!)
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument (Don't remember much, but I learned the piano!)

The Numbers

Since it is almost the end of March, and I haven't posted anything in over a month, I thought I'd better hurry and write one (that and Mjillie threatened me with violence if I didn't)!

Anyway, I went to AZ for my brother's opening weekend of Spring Training games, and read this in the Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine on the way home. I've been meaning to post this since then, which was around the beginning of the month, and just haven't out of shear laziness!!!

Here you go...

• 4-John D. Rockefeller was nearly 4 times richer than Bill Gates. Even though he was only worth $900 million when he died, they figured today it would equal close to $190 billion. Bill Gates is worth $58 billion.

• 2-Women generate 2 times more trash as men. We average around a dozen miscellaneous items in our medicine cabinets compared to the seven for men. They were quick to also point out that it is no wonder who the cleaner sex is!
  

• 65-People over 65 dream in black and white. At least 25% of the time anyway. People under 25 said their dreams are in black & white only about 5% of the time. They figured it was due to the type of television set we watched while growing up. Whether it was a black & white set, or colored. The question was then posed as to whether or not today's kids will be dreaming in HD!
  

• 633-We eat 633 hot dogs per second. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (they have one of those for real?) figures Americans eat about 20 billion hot dogs per year. The killer thing in this number is that the figures do not include sales from Wal-Mart, sporting events, or street vendors!!! They figure baseball parks sell during the regular season alone around 30 million hot dogs. Just imagine all those Family BBQ's/Costco/J-Dawgs/Sporting Event hot dogs you've eaten! Since my family has practically lived at the ballparks/sporting events my entire life, I am kinda grossed out to even think of how many I have consumed in my ripe-old lifetime to date. Probably won't be enough to stop me from getting them again though. There is just something to be said sometimes about a dumb hot dog!
  

What's Your Flavor?

I know this may come as a shock to some of you, and for others, you may just shake your head in shame at me and think to yourselves, "How Pathetic!" Anyway, I am on the frequent email list for The Cheesecake Factory and I received an email asking me to find out what my perfect cheesecake flavor is.
I quizzed my roommate Nats, and her friend Frino who was over, and they thought it did a pretty good job of describing them. The description makes it, not necessarily the actual flavor, so be sure to read it all the way through if you decide to play. Also, let me know what your flavor is, and what you think mine might be according to you cause that's the fun of it also!

My flavor is Carmel Pecan Turtle:

"Your precocious, yet delightful personality endears you to everyone you know. This flavor of cheesecake has that same effect, which is why it is your perfect match. How could it not be? Layers of chewy chocolate pecan brownie, and creamy caramel cheesecake swirled with caramel and Belgian fudge have that ability. Certainly you understand better than most. You're just that lovable!"

Probably not what I would have chosen for myself for my personal flavor of choice, but I guess it's kinda fun to be described as a flavor anyway!

Thirty, Flirty, But Definitely NOT Thriving

Have I mentioned to anyone yet that being 30 sucks so far?  I have been sick for almost exactly 3 weeks straight now!  I remember it all started on a Monday, and I woke up with a scratchy throat.  Well the sore throat came and went but then developed into a major head cold.  That started clearing up until the sore throat came back with a vengeance (all within a week's time)!  

I spent my birthday just a little achy but I could feel it was getting worse.  Sunday, I couldn't make myself even go to church, but the more I got up and showered I felt well enough to go have birthday dinner with my family.  Monday was the last straw.  I stole the batteries out of my roommate's remote (AAA) to use in her flashlight to check the redness of my throat.  I thought it was strep, so after learning my Doctor was booked for the day, I forced myself to go to the InstaCare facility nearby.  

After the strep test came back negative, the Dr. told me it was probably a secondary infection caused by whatever infection initially caused my head cold.  I was given an antibiotic "Z-Pack" which cleared up the sore throat and sinus issues pretty well.  

All last week I had this little hack that continued to get worse and worse as the week progressed.  I went and bought some Robitussen cough syrup but after spending this past Tueday night (almost ALL night) hacking so hard I wanted to puke, I thought it was time to visit the Dr. again.  By this time I had been on Nyquil/Dayquil for sinuses, Antibiotics, Nyquil (but the regular syrup this time), and Robitussen.  I am still getting more sick.  How is that possible??!!

Again, my Dr. was booked but at least an associate in the same office was available.  After an hour and a half wait in the waiting room, the Dr. listens to my lungs, and asks me a bunch of questions (beyond the ones the nurse asked me before he got there).  He tells me he isn't liking how my breathing/lungs sounds so he wanted to get a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia.  X-ray tech was out to lunch!  He decided that instead of making me wait or come back, that an  x-ray probably wasn't 100% necessary, unless I wanted it.  How do I know if I want it or not, I am not the Dr. that's why I am here!  

I told him it was his call cause I just want this sickness gone!  3 sicknesses in 2.5 weeks.  I will do whatever it takes!  I didn't have the x-ray, but got two new prescriptions for stronger antibiotics, and cough syrup (w/codine).  So, with my high deductible it came to $150.  The pharmacist warned me before filling it, and asked what I wanted to do. 

Let's see, not get better because you are a cheapo, and really end up with a full blown form of pneumonia and be in the hospital for who knows how long--which would only cost a freakishly tiny bit more than the medicine would.  I opted for the medicine cause I am tired of spending the entire month of January wishing I could trade in my immune system for a better one!  I have to go back in a week if I am still not 100% better, so all I have to say is, 

"SELF, COULD YOU PLEASE GET BETTER ALREADY?  THIS IS GETTING VERY TIRESOME, AND VERY EXPENSIVE.  I PROMISE I WILL GIVE YOU CHOCOLATE IF YOU JUST GET BETTER!"  (Should work right?)

I hardly ever get sick, and this one definitely takes the cake for the worst one in forever.  I didn't really have another choice, so hopefully February (and let's hope the last week of January too) goes MUCH better! 

Inauguration Cartoons

One of my favorite cartoons from this website today. Was it just me, or was the inauguration a tad bit of a let-down? I mean, its great that we have overcome such issues as race, etc. but how big of a deal do we have to make about the guy's race for crying out loud?!

I don't get too much into politics, but I have been kinda bugged by hearing every two seconds about how much this thing IS about race ever since the election. Even though the point, in my opinion, is supposed to be that we have come so far as a nation to overlook the color of a man's skin, and freedom and justice for all men. Ever since the election it has been about nothing but Obama's skin color! Don't get me wrong, I agree that history has been made, and that we really have come far as a nation. I just wish that more could be focused on him and his qualifications, what he is going to do to keep us safe from terrorists, or help rebound our economy without putting us further into a problem.

I am excited for changes, and I am excited for freshness--even though he wasn't my first choice for President. Let's hope that expectations aren't so high that Obama is looked at as a "God." It's easy to say changes need to be made coming into the situation from an outside perspective. It's another to actually do it! Drop the race card and get on with business!

"Thirty, Flirty and Thriving!"

So, I know I am only 4 years too late on this movie, but tonight was an "eventful" evening. I went to dinner with Idyllic Ideas and my roommate Nats. After that typical, obnoxious wait staff/service experience, we decided to come back to my house and watch a movie.

I received this DVD in a gift basket from some friends along with some other items to help me feel young. Coloring book and crayons, slippers, and Razzles candy. "First it's candy, then it's gum!" I don't even remember the last time I had these. Couldn't even remember why they are still around since they pretty much taste like butt!

Anyway, I watched this for the very first time, and finally understood some of the quotes that have floated around for the last four years. I don't know why I never saw the movie to tell you the truth. Just missed it somehow. It was probably during school when I felt I didn't have time to breath, let alone watch a "teeny bopper movie!" It is definately one for the collection for those times you need a blast from the past pick me up!

"Eminem is on the phone and he wants an answer now...PLAIN...no PEANUT...no PLAIN!"

Gotta love karma in it also. The "cool kids" turn out ugly, and the "dorks" turn out pretty cute. Go Mark Ruffalo! Maybe I should start lying about my age now.

"I'm 13...If you are going to start lying about your age, I would stick to 27!"

I could pass for that yeah? I don't know that I want to start claiming I am no longer in my 20's!

I Am Getting All Domesticated!

Sorry I have been MIA the last few weeks.  My body knew it was getting old, so it decided it wanted to catch the worst cold I can remember getting in a very long time!  I am finally back, so stay tuned for a lot more posts!  

 

Between Christmas and turning a really ripe old age, I am finally starting to get all domesticated!  It all began long ago...just kidding...a couple of years ago I got my very first Kitchen Aid Mixer.  I thought I scored big time back then, let me tell you!  Then for my birthday last year I got an angled liquid measuring cup.  That way you don't have to crouch down to eye level to see how much liquid you poured into the cup.   Trust me, it's cool, you just think you are too cool for the measuring cup!

 This Christmas I got my very first shower curtain and set of towels.  Not to mention my stainless steel cookware with utensils to actually be able to cook!

As the day of old age came and went, I got my very first down

 comforter,

which was SO VERY needed!  It was one of those things  that you just don't think of to ask for.  At least I didn't.  I guess I complained too much about being cold all the time or something!  

Next, since I didn't get opportunity to create my wish list, I got a gift card to a very helpful store--Target.  One night as my roommate Nats and I were making ourselves grilled chicken salads for dinner, I realized how much I have grown to dislike soggy, wet lettuce.  You know even though you drain out what water is left after washing said lettuce, it is still very damp and

 soggy.  Unless you plan on eating the leftover lettuce in a salad for breakfast the next morning,

 the gross brown spots have already begun to form.  Forget it!  

I discovered this handy little contraption while in school, a salad spinner, but didn't think to buy myself one until this gift card presented itself!  I even forced my mother to buy one about a year ago despite her thinking she didn't need or want one!  How messed up is that?  Trust me, once you use one, you will never go back to soggy, watery lettuce again!

Lastly, the main reason for thinking I am becoming all domesticated, is this last present I got.  My very own, very first,

 crock pot!  I always borrowed my Mom's whenever I decided to make something in a crock pot.  That happened only once, twice at the most, because it was a pain to haul the thing back and forth all the time!  It is 6qts. so even though I won't come close to even filling it all the way up for just my roommate and I, there is always the occasional dinner party!!! (hint hint)

Now that I am acquiring more "stuff" let's hope my landlord doesn't decide to sell the place to someone who will not continue to rent it out so I don't have to find a way to move it all somewhere else!!!

My Christmas

Some--not all--of my Christmas Presents...(in no particular order)

All ten seasons in this one little box. It also came with a triva book. My sissy and I quizzed each other all Christmas morning and then died laughing at each question!

The first season. Nats got me addicted to it in like season 5, so I have been recording the old re-runs on the soap channel while I run on the treadmill at my parents house! I was always asking her questions, so she finally figured I needed to start from the beginning. Go Figure!

Both sweats are supposed be black. My sissy Megs gave me these, and I wear them all the time they are so comfy!

I love me some Gap lotions. This is a new kind I guess but I love it!
I have wanted these for a very long time. All it took was me ordering them and telling my Mom and Dad to go get it. If I would have known that, I would have ordered them a couple of years ago!

Hot pads, and towels to match. I guess it's a good idea I start wearing an apron when I cook anyway seeing how I always end up with crap all over myself (among other places as well) in the process!

What is some nice cookware without any utensils to use with it?! I am kinda excited for the potato masher...even though I don't know what I am going to use it for...I usually just use my kitchen aid to make smashers!

Serious food lovers is right! How perfect is the name! Gotta remember that site for next time I need a perfect present for someone!

Again, what good are pans without the essentials to back it up? I am always calling my Mammy for certain recipes out of this book. Guess she got tired of it! I went through it page by page Christmas Day. How sad is that?!

Shamelessly wasn't too thrilled with my blue liner purchase not long after I switched into the bigger room with my own bathroom. I have never been one with the "eye for decorating" like her or most other people. I thought I did a fabulous job of organizing the towels all by myself don't you?!

Digital Picture Frame Keychain...Shamelessly put some very momentous pics on there to start, and then thought I could show off my nieces and nephews in the process since I usually have them all over my phone anyway!

100 Miles & Counting

Some of you may know that I participate in a little challenge with my friend Mjillie and her family. I bought a pair of Nike Shox shoes, and an adapter that goes into the sole of the shoe and transmits information to my iPod Nano. It keeps track of distance, speed, calories, and time among other things. (That is what that little counter thing is off the right of my blog).

Anyway, there are all sorts of things you can do through the Nike Plus website and one of them is participating in challenges with others who have the same nifty little device (friends and or strangers). Mjillie and her family are the only ones I know of that actually have this, and they are nice enough to let me play with them! Not much is at stake for the winners of our challenges, other than the satisfaction of knowing you won. Maybe that will change in another challenge, but for now, Mjillie and I are teamed up to be the first team to reach 200 miles from the time the challenge started (almost a month ago). So far we are ahead, but her sissy, and sis-in-law are gaining ground fast too. It will be fun to try and kick some trash if nothing else! The information gets transmitted automatically through iTunes, so there is no way you can cheat and pad your miles!

From the time I bought the shoes and the adapter (in September), the challenges have mainly helped motivate me to get going, my iPod has kept a continuous count of my total miles. I just wanted to brag that I have just reached the 100 Miles mark!!!

Halloween Outfits

Is anyone else but me glad that the elections are over??? I didn't love either candidate, and I don't get too involved with politics but now I hope that we can move on with life! Here's to hoping that Obama does a decent job, and not screw things up too badly!

Anyway, I am actually glad that Halloween is over too. I loved seeing my little nieces and nephews in their outfits, but for some stupid reason, I gorged on freaking candy all day long! Not before, not MUCH since, but on that day, it was like I had been deprived of sugar all my life or something!!!

Below are some pics of my favorite little characters on that crazy day. I made my outfit for the day. I thought it was rather appropriate if you ask me! Not to worry, Boston had a scowl on his face all night because he didn't feel well. Cooper screamed bloody murder anytime anyone wanted to get a picture of him. I think it was because he could!!! I borrowed a couple of pics from the mothers' blogs of Brooklynn, and Boston. Cooper was no where to be found, but I think his bat ears can be seen in one of them!

Happy Halloween & B-Day!

By the way, B-Day does not stand for BIRTHday. It is a different event entirely that has now become a holiday with my sissy and I. This event happened one year ago this past Sunday on the 26th. We decided that from that time forward, Oct. 26th would be known as B-Day! Most of you should know what that event was, so you can figure it out pretty easily! My sissy doesn't want to remember it, but I do, and it was kinda fun to tease her about it! Being that it was on a Sunday, not much celebrating happened, but who says the celebration can't happen a few days later (like five or six even)!

Anyway, to celebrate Halloween, Jamz and I went to get a pedicure. My roommate Nats found this girl out in Spanish Fork, UT that specializes in Nail Art. She is a Certified Esthetician, so she can give you facials, and all that comes with it, but she will draw anything you want on your toes for like $10! It is not a full on pedicure (although for only $28 she will give you a pedicure too), it is more like just a polish change and design. She has all sorts of different designs, for the different holidays in a binder to choose from, or she said that some people bring in scrapbook paper and she will copy it. Amazing this girl is I tell you!


Mine and Jamz's toes all decorated for the season! (Left pic: Witch on broom
w/ghost in corner, bat, jacko-lantern, ghost, googly eyes. Right pic: Dead tree,
bat flying in the night moon, stripes with googly eyes, stitches, Halloween polka dots)

I do have a couple of restaurant reviews to add, but I will wait for another post to do so. Who is doing what to celebrate the holiday this weekend? I am trying to avoid a dumb ward party, so if someone is up for doing something fun...LEMMENO!

Birthdays and Ski Breaks

I had another name for this post when I was first thinking about what I wanted to write about.  The original title was "So Many Birthdays.  So Little Time."  Then Monday happened and I was forced to change my title.

I went on a little road trip by myself to visit my really good friend Mjillie in Boise, Idaho.  Her birthday was on the 16th so I thought I would go up and say hi, maybe take her out for her (late) birthday or something.  Anyway, so the weekend went great, no speeding tickets on the way up (found a friend to tail who liked to go 90 mph the whole way), and none on the way back.  The way home however, was filled with a little bit of drama all on its own.  Keep in mind this is my first time ever DRIVING to Boise.  I always flew because it was cheaper.  Obviously not the case now-a-day!

I was driving along just great, making good time by finding more speed demon friends to tail, and then somehow I started noticing I was on a different interstate than I remember.  I knew I started out on I-84, but then I started noticing signs for I-86 toward Pocatello.  Apparently the road forked and I didn't notice that I went left, instead of veering right toward SLC.  Kinda started freaking out to myself a little and then saw a sign that said x-amount of miles toward SLC.  

I figured by the time I found a way to turn around and go back to figure out what I did wrong, I might as well just keep going since Mjillie di

dn't answer her phone to find out what I did.  When I told her about it, and said I had no idea what I did, all she could tell me was that I went left instead of right!  So I ended up cutting across the great state of Idaho, and then coming down, instead of just staying on the road which would have intersected I-15 and gotten me home in a much faster way.  About 45 min to an hour sooner than I actually did!  My Dad called me and asked where I was, and then told me he was done talking to me when he found out what I did and that I didn't realize how I had done it.  I guess he couldn't believe he had one of those stereotypical blondes for a daughter!!!

Should have turned here!!!

The thing that really sucked is I had to still go into work for an hour when actually made it home, and then turn around and drive back up to SLC for Shameonyou21's birthday!  The things I do for those I love!  Anyway, it was at The Cheesecake Factory and I was very excited, so I am sure that helped my reasoning along with the fact that I do love Shameonyou21 very much also, and she would hate me if I didn't make it to her party!

I was running late (had to leave work, go home and shower, and then pick up SuziQ to head up to dinner.  I have lived in Orem my entire life so you would think I would know how to navigate Geneva Road after all these years.  I was going from my apt. just south of the Pkwy, to just north of Center.  I was yacking on the phone to Mjillie and all the sudden noticed I am almost to 1600 North!!!  

I was apparently a very easily distracted driver yesterday.  It's no wonder I didn't kill myself or someone else!!!  I apologize to anyone who was on the road at all yesterday!  I will be MUCH BETTER...I PROMISE!!!

Anyway, dinner was great!  A great friend's birthday, great food, and a GREAT Cheesecake for dessert!  It was ALMOST a refreshing ending to a hectic and chaotic and very long day for me.  My restaurant luck continued with the computer crashing at the end of dinner last night, so it took them an hour to HAND WRITE our checks.  If someone would have said it would have taken an hour to do that many checks (6), we would have just put it on one tab, have someone pay for it, and settle up in the parking lot for crying out loud!

In the words of Idyllic Ideas, you all really should just "leave me in the car" when we go places!  All in all, it was a fun evening, and just to give you an idea of how FABULOUS their new flavor is in honor of the 30th anniversary...

30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake

Two layers of our Original Cheesecake and Two layers of our Creamy Chocolate Fudge Cake filled with Chocolate Cream and finished with Crunchy Pearls of Chocolate.

NYC PICS!

I am going to post a few pictures of the highlights with descriptions, and then there will be a slide with all of them.

Just like the movie!  Mmm...FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE!!!

NYC had these fountains under a bunch of bridges.  Can't remember why though now!  Cirque Dreams was the first show we saw.  It is in the Broadway Theatre which is the ONLY theatre actually ON Broadway St.

Kinda funny to lump these together, but the Manhattan temple, and Yankee Stadium!

Friends anyone???  It's funny that this little Cafe on the bottom isn't even close to a coffee shop!  Statues of Liberty dressed in robes of all of the MLB teams could be found all over the city.  The All-Star Game took place at Yankee Stadium about a week before we went to the game!

Creepy Statue Men who force us, then charge us to take pics with our own camera!  WICKED!!!  My friend won the ticket lottery and got front row tickets for $26.  I think the cheapest ticket if purchased from the ticket office (which were probably sold out) were around $90.

As promised...here are the rest of the pics!  If there is one you are wondering about...leave me a comment, and I will try to remember...a lot of the random buildings and stuff I don't remember anymore, but most of the other ones I probably will!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Once A Month?

I promise I am not turning into one of those "only once a month" bloggers. Life has been super crazy since returning from NYC. Just as an example, before leaving for NYC, my family went to Las Vegas for some more baseball fun. After returning from NYC a week later, I did enough laundry to pack up and go to Vegas again since Mitch's season is coming to a close very soon. (My family goes through withdrawals if there aren't any baseball games to go to).

Upon returning, Mitch & Tavi had their 3rd child, a little girl!!! They finally got their princess among those two non-stop baseball boys. They are going to be such good brothers, and it is already obvious how much they love their little sister!

Baby Boston, now longer such a little baby, turned 1 the day after Baby Stori was born. Too bad Boston and his parents were still in Texas for it :(

Anyway, if this wasn't enough adventure for one month, let's add moving into the equation! What possessed us to move to a third floor apartment is beyond me. Anyway, it is a nicer area, a nicer apartment, more parking, supposedly a better ward, and best of all, there is NO PIGGY!!! (For now anyway).

Stori Mekai Jones was born Thursday, August 7th!!!

(I stole the pics from Tavi's blog since I can't find my camera right now in all my boxes)

I have been trying to upload pics from my NYC trip, but things are taking a little longer than expected to do so. I will get those uploaded as fast as I can and get you some more posts asap!