Who You Gonna Call

Note to self: do not wear snow boots as part of costume when attending a Halloween party that involves dancing. Those dance floors get hot fast, and wearing footwear that is intended to keep your feet warm in freezing temperatures is less than ideal. Also, they're quite cumbersome to get your groove on in.

But when I had the idea to be a Ghostbuster for Halloween a couple months ago I was not thinking about any of that. I just knew that the movie was awesome and the song awesomer. I mentioned the idea to Cat, and together we researched costumes. The ones that came already packaged in stores and online were either of the slutty variety or extremely cheap looking. We took matters into our hands, literally, as Cat made and sewed the Ghostbuster emblem and the nametags for our flightsuits, which Cat bought online after many unsuccessful attempts to find them at sporting goods, hunting, and mechanic stores.

Tonight we showed off our (Cat's) hardwork by attending a party at the Skybox Gateway. We danced, brought sexy back, were Single Ladies, got jiggy with it (yeah, they're still playing that song), showed everyone who'd they call, and stayed alive.




And when we got too hot and tired for dancing, we took a breather to watch Ghostbusters, which started playing after the Jazz game (thankfully they won) in the stadium room.

We did one more dance around the floor before calling it a night and heading home around ten (Cat's a nurse and has to be to work for a twelve hour shift tomorrow morning at seven). We were super tired driving home, which made me kinda wish for a subway ride so we could take a little nap.
And there's just more of it all tomorrow!

Trick-or-Can

Tonight Cat and I participated in a Trick-or-Can with the University of Utah's Bennion Service Center. We basically walked around, knocked on people's doors, and asked them to donate cans of food for the Utah Food Bank. Even though flyers were circulated the week before, no one seemed to be ready for us coming. No matter, though, as people were still willing to go look in their cupboards and come back with what little or a lot they had. There was a lot of beans, some cream of chicken, a big can of crushed pineapple, a jar of Adam's peanut butter. The night was cold and I couldn't feel my toes, but it was all worth it to think of the blessing the food would be for people who needed a little help.

As Cat and I walked around in our Ghostbusters costumes (pictures of our totally awesome get-ups will follow with the subsequent Halloween post) we talked, met some very nice people, and enjoyed the night serving and being together. Hopefully we can all remember those less fortunate than ourselves, not just at the holiday season but year-round, and donate something today.

Girls Night at Su Casa

My fabulous friend Pam is visiting all the way from Pennsylvania. Pam, me and Cat, when we all lived in the same state, used to have dinner together once a month.We all met in Sign Language at the U and didn't want to fall prey to the friendship ending once the class ended. We called it our Girls' Night (after failed attempts of trying to think of a cooler name) and would eat at a different place each month. We were so diligent, and when I moved to New York and Pam to Pennsylvania, leaving Cat all alone, it was a sad occasion. So whenever one of us would be visiting, or when luck would have it that we were both visiting, we would get together.

Tonight we went to Su Casa, which has kind of become "our place." I think it's because of the chips and mint truffles.

I love these girls so much. I can't think of a better reason for me taking Sign Language than meeting these two people, because there wasn't much else I got out of the class. After four years, moving to other states, and a baby, we can still get together and fall right back in to everything (of course, blogs and Facebook helps, along with visits to PA). Friends are awesome, and I'm excited for Pam to be "moving back" in December.

Me and Pam, and Cat with Pam's little guy, Dutch.

Winter is Here

It snowed today. A lot. I looked out the windows while at work and just saw little fluffs of white falling most of the day. It's so lovely to see the mountains and trees blanketed in a fresh layer of white snow. There's something idyllic and magical about it. It could also be that I've been ready for Christmas since about July, when I had this strange hankering and excitement for it, and with the snow here it makes it seem like it's closer than the two months it really is. So I'll enjoy this snowfall for now, until, as always happens, it wears off and I'm just ready for it to be gone. But, oh how I love to bundle up in gloves and scarves and hats!

Today was special, though, not just for the snow but also because it happened to be the birthday for my best friend, Lindsay, and my sister, Emily. Two years ago it was my sister's Golden Birthday. I was in New York, but surprised her and everyone else when I flew in for the weekend. It was pretty much awesome. This year it's Lindsay's Golden Birthday, and I wasn't quite on the ball with this one. If I had a car I would've driven up there to surprise her, but alas, a phone call was all I could give (well, and a gift card to Amazon to fill up her Kindle). Happy Birthday Lindsay-loo and Em!

Lovin' My New Home

This is where I live now. It's right in the heart of Sugarhouse, and close to everything a girl could want. It's super close to work and entertainment and shopping. The other night after work, during that magic hour, I went to Barnes and Noble and Whole Foods and felt like everything was right. I then caught the bus for a short ride home. And I missed New York a little more, because it was so similar, and a little less, because I now felt less at the mercy of others to get me places and in charge again.

Before I decided to make the big move to New York two years ago, I was considering moving to Sugarhouse. It seemed to be a neighborhood that fit my sensibilities more than my then-current area, West Valley. Since coming back from New York, I find that it fits my sensibilities even more. The only things that might make it a little bit better is the dollar theater, of which New York has zero. It's walkable, quaint and old, filled with local restaurants and shops, and close to the beautiful mountains that New York's got nothing on.

Homeless no more.

Coming Together For a Good Cause

Last night I went with my cousin Phaedra to a high school extravaganza, How the West was ONE. Four of the west's high schools, Hunter, Granger, Cyprus, and Kearns, came together with their choirs, dancers, crazy teachers, and enthusiasm to support and help a family or individual from their school in need of help. It was actually quite amazing, and a great way to put my life in perspective and realize that my life is actually pretty great. I have full use of my body, I am able to work and support myself, I have not fleed a war-torn country, I know where all my family members are, I have a rockin' bus pass. Who would've thought a bunch of high school kids dancing and singing could make such an impact?

A Crazy Night

I've been on my ward's Family Home Evening Committee since June. Everything has pretty much been planned and all I've had to do was show up, help clean up afterward, talk with some people, and then go home. Until tonight.

I was put in charge of the Corn Maze activity. It didn't seem like it'd be that hard to organize and put together. And this is basically my essential flaw: I tend to underestimate either the ease or hardness of everything. Also, I'm a procrastinator. Put these two things together and it's not a good combination. Also add the fact that I don't have a car, and it was a recipe for disaster. Oh, and did I mention that it was raining? And that I gave everyone the wrong address.

It was complete craziness, and when I was in the moment it seemed like it was awful. Everything eventually turned out okay, though; people enjoyed the Corn Maze, we had apple cider (even if it was warm) and doughnuts after, and no one wanted their money back. Hopefully the next FHE I have to be in charge of will be at the church, require no money-handling, and there will be other people from the committee there to help.

A big thanks to Cat for driving me around to find doughnuts and apple cider and for putting things in perspective when I was wallowing in my misery and was pretty sure I would have to change wards. I'll be there on Sunday, and hopefully with some lessons learned about planning, not procrastinating, and not worrying about things I can't change.

Fall Foliage

As my fellow displaced-New-Yorker friend, Jeff, and I attended a regional conference downtown today, I decided to stay after to take advantage of the fabulous weather and snap some pictures of the trees changing colors. There were leaves all over the sidewalk, and as they crunched beneath my feet I wondered if the day could get any better or peaceful than that.

This is why fall is amazing:




















After I got my color fix, I headed out west to make sugar cookies with my nieces, Ivy and Elliett. They had fun adding ingredients, stirring the dough, cutting out shapes, and decorating. Like the good aunt that I am, I loaded them up with a lot of sugar and sent them on home!

Apple Pickin' On a Perfect Fall Day

Today was the perfect weather for apple picking. If it weren't for the brightly colored trees to signify that it was fall, one would have thought it was spring, or even summer, with the 70 degree temperatures. Phaedra and I drove south to Provo to the McMullin Farms to get some apples. We were a little curious why there weren't any other cars on the small road to the orchard. It seems that it's not the usual, commercialized version of an apple-picking-orchard. We were actually afraid we were trespassing as we parked and walked around the trees. We finally saw a man with a tractor and asked if we were allowed to pick. He gave us the a-okay and we filled up my bag with beautiful, delicious, red apples.

Afterward, as we wanted to finish off the perfect fall day with some cider and perhaps a caramel apple or cinnamon roll, but needing some actual real food first, we headed over to the Arby's/gas station combo and "kicked it in Payson." It's amazing how exciting Payson....isn't.

We went to Winder Dairy, but unfortunately, no apple cider until closer to Christmas, so we settled for soft serve ice cream in a waffle cone. I also made out like a bandit with bread and a bag of bananas for 99 cents each!! I'm hoping to make some banana bread once they start to get brown and to make something with all the apples I now have sitting in my kitchen. Does anyone know any good apple recipes?

Words and Phrases for Two-Hundred, Alex

My oldest niece, Ivy, is eight. She's in the third grade and currently reading the first Harry Potter book. She remembers everything and loves to talk. Recently, as I've been hanging out with her, she's asked me the meaning of words or phrases I've said--"pay your respects", "take a raincheck", "pace ourselves", "sturdy". I love that instead of just going along with what I'm saying she'll actually say, "What does that mean?". Sometimes I'm hardpressed to describe the word, but I like trying to find other ways to say the things I say in a way she'll understand. I enjoy the little moments of getting to see the world from an eight-year-old's perspective. My mom and sister always tease me that I use big words, but I sorta hope Ivy will pick up on my words and be cool just like me.

Moving Day....Again

Yesterday was the sixth time in ten months that I had to pack up, load, lift and carry all my earthly belongings. A quick rundown of the aforementioned moves:

--moving everything out of my apartment in New York and into a storage unit while I head out to Utah to work Sundance Film festival

--all belongings were taken out of my storage unit and moved, most of it walking to and fro the five blocks between my apartment and the storage unit with a little handcart that I loaded up multiple times over several days, back into my apartment

--three weeks after above incident, everything was moved from the apartment to a moving truck and hauled across the country...again

--everything from the moving truck was moved again into my sister's house

--from my sister's they went to a supposed-to-be-permanent housing situation in Murray that I fled after two weeks of feeling very uncomfortable

-- all my treasured belongings (except my bed, which is getting moved on Saturday) are now residing in a cute little house in Sugarhouse

The girls I'm living with are very cool and I get a good vibe from them. I knew after looking at the place once and meeting two of the girls that this would be a good choice.

I sure hope I don't have to move anytime soon. I certainly don't foresee it. When my sister and I first moved to Salt Lake five and a half years ago my dad said he wouldn't help us move again unless we were getting married! Of course he was joking, but I've always sort of made that my mantra. Unfortunately that never happened even though I moved, but here's hoping it'll be true this time.

Trust Your Gut

Last night my mom and I were eating at Wendy's. As our meal was winding down I looked over my shoulder around the restaurant and saw a woman sitting by herself. If not homeless, she's probably very close to it. Her nose was red from the cold outside and only had a pair of flip-flops to cover her feet and shorts to (not) cover her legs. I thought it nice that the people of Wendy's were kind enough to let her sit there and get a small respite from the cold.

As we got up to leave and I tossed our empty cartons into the garbage can, I couldn't shake the feeling that I should do something for this lady. Maybe buy her lunch. In New York, we used to talk a lot about how to know who to help; there are so many people in New York that are asking for your change that it's hard to know who really needs the help. Most people agreed that even though it wasn't possible to help everyone, if you just went with your gut and trusted that inner voice of yours, you could be generous and helping to numerous people.

We walked out the door and I couldn't stop thinking that I should go back in and do something. But since I've never actually approached a homeless person I wasn't quite sure how to do it. I let my fear of approachment overrule the urge to help someone, and all night I couldn't stop thinking about it. So my advice to me and you: Trust your gut and do it.

Pumpkin Should Be Used for Dessert

And not for main dishes. The pumpkin lasagna was not a hit with my family. My brother looked at it, asked what it was, and when I told him he had a look on his face that no cook wants to see about their dish. One bite was eaten by all before it was abandoned entirely. I tried eating my entire serving but couldn't make it through. With my family, traditional is better; we like meat and my brother called this "some crazy vegetarian's idea." I took pictures, but since I can't find the cord for my camera (or one of my jackets and a pair of pants I just washed--I suspect a ghost) you'll have to take my word for it that it looked good, but just wasn't very good tasting. I think I'll keep my pumpkin for cheesecakes.

A Post for Phaedra

I was slightly chastised by my cousin for not blogging enough lately; normally my blog is on the top of her reading list but lately it has been falling in recentness. To slightly help explain, let me just say that after moving into my recent housing settlement I immediately felt like it wasn't right and tried my hardest to do things after work to avoid having to go home until absolutely possible. But that doesn't mean I didn't have things I wanted to blog about; I started a couple posts but abandoned them when I felt like my writing skills were slightly on the fritz.

Some of the things I was going to write about: time management, the first Jazz pre-season game, attending the blessing of my cousin's new baby girl, family dynamics (check out my new blog dedicated to The Perkes Girls), the irony of me getting a job at Myriad Genetics when in high school I wanted to be a geneticist before taking a film class my first semester at Snow College, the dating coach that spoke at my Singles Ward FHE and my own quest to be proactive in dating (check out my other blog project, The Cat and Julie Project), getting to 3 Nephi 22 again in my reading and remembering how comforting it was three years ago when I read it in the Conference Center waiting for conference to start, identifying with the lyrics of Yellowcard's Back Home while riding TRAX, and my newest obsession (and waste of time), Farmville.

Since I don't like blogging about things that are long past, let me start my blogging re-energization(that might not be a word; Firefox doesn't recognize it, so hopefully Phaedra won't be upset if it's spelled wrong) by telling you, oh faithful readers, about my attempt later today to make Pumpkin Lasagna for my family. I saw the recipe on MSN and thought it would be a great way to celebrate the fall season. I bought all the ingredients yesterday, including my first-ever purchase of chard, and will be starting to make it shortly. Updates, and pictures, to follow...