Has everyone on Facebook pretty much done the 15 meaningful albums off the top of your head list by now? I made my list but now I'm itching to say something about each of them. The idea was that you had to list them quickly, no searching your iTunes or going through your CD collection to find the best albums-just 15 things that came to you naturally. Here we go...
1. Pneumonia-Whiskeytown
My sister sent me this album when I was lonely and homesick in California in the fall of 2002. Her note said that while all the songs were gems on their own, it was an album best enjoyed in it's entirety. This was a couple of years before iTunes crushed our collective ability to listen to anything other than a playlist so I followed her advice. This album is actually kind of sad but it ended up being an enormous comfort during those months when I was tempted every day to run away. It was also my first introduction to Ryan Adams, a love affair that hasn't cooled over the last eight years. This is a live version of "Jacksonville Skyline" and it's beautiful.
2. The Flaming Lips-The Soft Bulletin
In early 2003 my friend Dave sent me an email that said, "my friend Keith lives in LA. He likes music, you like music. You should be friends." He gave Keith my number and the first time he called we talked for 2 1/2 hours. I probably had a crush on him for about five minutes because that's how I function but we soon settled into one of the sweetest and most meaningful friendships of my life. He gave me The Soft Bulletin for Christmas one year and the more I listened to it, the more I adored him. He is married now and about to be a papa but his is still one my favorite names to see in my inbox. You all know this song but I think the lyrics are fabulous and when I saw The Flaming Lips live at Madison Square Gardens for New Year's several years ago it got me all choked up.
3. Heartbreaker-Ryan Adams
Anyone who knows me or reads the blog knows I'm almost irrational in my affection for Ryan Adams. I think he's enormously talented and there are literally dozens of songs between Whiskeytown, the Cardinals and his solo albums that thrill me right down to my toes. There isn't a period of my life in the last eight years that doesn't have a little Ryan woven into it. Here's a lovely one from Heartbreaker, a perfect album if ever there was one.
4. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco
Again, a little credit to my sister Emily here. She made me a mix CD that included "Jesus, etc". I have never once skipped this song when it cycles through iTunes, I have put it on every mix CD I make for boys I like, I sang along to this song at that same New Year's show in NYC with a sold out crowd. The whole album is terrific and the story of how it almost didn't happen is worth checking out. But this song will always be the standout to me.
don't cry
you can rely on me honey
you can come by any time you want
I'll be around
you were right about the stars
each one is a setting sun
5. August and Everything After-Counting Crows
Oh the Counting Crows. Oh this album. Oh freshman year of college. A pattern in my life seems to be that I kind of hate the first two or three months of any new and exciting adventure-college, mission, California, Boston...apparently I need to be miserable for a bit before I can really enjoy anything. August and Everything After came out my senior year of high school and I really connected with it. I took the CD to college and played it and played it and played it. To this day, the first few bars of "Round Here" will instantly take me back to my goofy little College Way apartment in Cedar City.
6. Crash-Dave Matthews Band
I was a nanny for a few summers in college and spent a fair amount of time in Chicago with eight kids, three dogs and divorcing parents. It was a zoo to say the least. One of the daughters was only a few years younger than me and we got to be good friends. We spent an inordinate amount of time driving kids around and Ashley had a CD of "Crash" that we would listen to almost exclusively. It cracked us up to teach the little Vasya and Ola the lyrics to all these adult songs. And then I liked to listen to it in the rare moments I got to myself and be glad that I was a carefree college girl and not anyone's mom. There is a Dave Matthews album for my sophomore, junior and senior year of college but this one will always be my very favorite. "Say Goodbye" is a stand out since at any given time I had a crush on one of my guy friends.
7. Give Up-The Postal Service
In the space of about three months, three different people put "Such Great Heights" on mix CD's for me. It happened to be a time in my life when I was reevaluating my tastes in everything from jobs to clothes to music to boys and The Postal Service was a band I might have been too afraid to like before that summer. Keith and I saw their very first show at a little club in San Diego and two years later a boy who would go on to shatter my heart quoted the lyrics "I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images" in a moment that I later managed to settle into a sweet memory.
8. Tracy Chapman-Tracy Chapman
Oh what to say about Tracy Chapman..."Fast Car" came out when I was in elementary school and I would scour the radio waiting to hear it. I wasn't totally sure what the lyrics were all about but I knew it was sad and at 11 or 12, that's kind of your favorite thing. When I was in high school I got the CD in one of those Columbia Records 12 for 1 deals and played it nearly to death. My favorites tracks on this album have changed over the years, it always manages to feel new to me. This is one I used to skip when I was younger but as I've gotten older, find to be incredibly romanatic. I love these lines
Deep in my heart
Safe from the guards
Of intellect and reason
Leaving me at a loss
For words to express my feelings
9. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy-Sarah Machlachlan
Were you a girl in America in the mid to late nineties? Then you have some sort of connection to Sarah Machlachlan. I guess it probably doesn't seem this way anymore since she played the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics but 15 years ago, Sarah was edgy and liking her made me feel like I was growing up (I was 18!). I bought Fumbling Torwards Ecstasy at a record store after-cliche alert!-a boy broke my heart. Years later, Megan used Sarah Machlachlan to track Felicity's feelings for Ben in an episode of one my all time favorite television shows. Mary is a pretty song that still makes me feel better even when my heart is in good shape.
10. Sufjan Stevens-Greetings From Michigan
I don't even know who first told me about this guy. It just seemed like there was a month a few years ago where everyone was talking about him. It's hard to explain what he sounds like, you just kind of need to trust the person recommending him and just listen. I love that he's a religious guy and he's not shy about weaving spiritual themes into his music but he's uber talented enough that it doesn't ever come off as cheesy Christian rock. This song is not from the album noted above but it's a cover of my favorite hymn and it makes me cry almost every time I hear it. He does a brilliant job of making it his own, and the words have always felt like it was written just for me.
11. Florence and the Machine-Lungs
I've already written about this one recently. Great album, been in my ears a lot lately. Reminds me of someone I maybe have a little crush on.
12. Trouble-Ray Lamontagne
I used to participate pretty regularly in an internet message board. It was started by a bunch of my brother's friends from high school and was essentially a cyber hang out for kids who wanted to talk about music and politics and religion and movies and relationships with friends who were spread out all over the country. Everyone kept inviting people and soon we had a pretty active network of folks sharing their favorite albums in the same space they shared their fears about life and questions about their beliefs. It was a fascinating little society and although I don't participate anymore, I made some lifelong offline friends there and got literally hundreds of amazing music suggestions. One of them was from Jeff in Tennessee who might have sold his soul to the devil to get his impeccable taste. He told me if I liked Ryan Adams, I would like Ray LaMontagne and I bought the CD at Newbury Comics on my way home from work that very day. Every. single. track. kills. I think he keeps getting better and his new album has been my permanent driving soundtrack for a few weeks now but I still adore this album. Here's one of the many keepers.
13. Grace-Jeff Buckley
I really can't remember when I bought this album. I just know that Jeff Buckley has a voice that is other-worldly. My favorite song is "Last Goodbye" and the lyric, "kiss me out of desire baby, not consolation" pretty much slays me everytime.
14. The Bends-Radiohead
I almost didn't put this one on my list because I'm sure somewhere on "Stuff White People Like" there is an entry on "pretentious rock bands, i.e. Radiohead". But whatever, this truly is an album that means a lot to me. It took me a loooooooong time to warm up to these guys. I had tried-every single person I trusted would get almost reverent when they talked about Radiohead. But I just never really got it. Then I got a mix (you knew that was coming right?) with Fake Plastic Trees on it. I was letting the whole thing play while I was out for a run on the beach one afternoon and it was like this song just exploded into my head, took root and wouldn't leave. I asked my friend Jayd at church that week which Radiohead album I should start with, he said it was a controversial choice but definitely The Bends and I never looked back. I finally got to see them live with my friend Linda a few years ago in Boston and when they played Idioteque we both nearly fainted.
15. Broken Social Scene-You Forgot it in People
I think I have mentioned this before but for all the wonderful blessings I have in my life in terms of family and friends and jobs and opportunities, I have a pretty terrible relationship record. I was thinking about that the other night-not feeling any particular sadness, just looking at the facts of my age and my relative lack of real relationship experience. So then I started counting sweet romantic moments and thought that perhaps I've had more than my share of those over the years and maybe I'll take them over the series of painful breakups a normal 33 year old ought to have had.
One of those fabulous moments was when all the planets aligned and put me in San Francisco for work on the very birthday of the boy I was stupidly trying to date while living in Boston. It also happened that a band we both loved was playing that night and fifteen of our friends wanted to see them too. So we enjoyed a perfect show, with a bunch of people we loved and then spent the rest of the night laughing and talking and catching up at my hotel. He had brought a couple of CD's for me which is truly the best thing a boy can ever do. One of them included a Broken Social Scene song. People had been CRAZY RAVING about BSS and their self titled album for almost a year at that point and I just hadn't ever bothered to listen to it. "Lover's Spit" completely changed my mind and I became one of those raving lunatic fans as well. I still consider them one of my all time favorite bands, that discovery night ranks pretty highly as well. I saw that boy again last weekend in California and even though it's been six years and we've both certainly moved on-I still feel an enormous amount of affection for him and for what a delight our time together was.
I could on for days with this stuff but I'll obey the meme and leave it at 15.
p.s. Yes, Miss Katie, for sure there are albums that I might not want to brag about that meant a lot. John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Kenny Loggins. Maybe next I'll do a guilty pleasures top 15 ; )
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Stalker
Ah Monday, you are always such a weird day. So here is a delightfully weird song that I fell in love with this weekend. It's totally about a stalker but still manages to be such a fun song.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Flashback
Twelve years ago at this time I was living in France and working for my church as a missionary. One night pretty early on, a nice American couple in our congregation invited my companion and I over for dinner. The wife promised familiar food and I was really excited about a night of my head not exploding from trying to understand all the rapid fire French around me.
We had a perfectly lovely time and it felt nice to talk to people who could related to some of the things we felt homesick about. Then they started talking about their upstairs neighbors-a Muslim family that they sort of jokingly but sort of not thought might be terrorists. They told us a couple of stories-a knife dropped onto their patio from upstairs once, and those people sure have a lot of visitors and meetings in their apartment-and we politely listened and rolled our eyes after we left but it left a sort of nasty taste in my mouth.
We had some extra time after dinner and before we needed to be home so we decided to knock on a few doors in the building since that is pretty much what missionaries do with any extra time. After plenty of slammed doors we found ourselves at the apartment directly above the American couple. A nice looking Middle Eastern guy answered and said he would love to talk about God with us. He quickly told us that he was Muslim and not interested in converting but he was chatty and we were tired of rejection so we spent a few minutes visiting with him. He was new to the area and it came up early in the conversation that he was pretty sure all his neighbors assumed he was a terrorist because his family was Muslim. I can still clearly remember his frustrated face when he said, "I have a wife and a baby! Do I look like a terrorist to you?" He did not, if fact, look like a terrorist to me. And sadly, he was not the only Muslim I had a conversation with in my 18 months in France and Switzerland who told a similar story.
Being a missionary means hearing a LOT of people say say a LOT of stupid things to your face about your religious beliefs. People told us we were members of a cult, that our religion was just a sect, that we were secret polygamists, that our leaders were evil and trying to control us. People will say things with such authority, as if they know better what you believe than you do. We had people quit letting us come over because they read horrible things on the internet about "the mormons", or their friends warned them that we would brainwash them if they joined us. I knew that people in France weren't going to know much about Mormons but I was still so shocked and disappointed at how ignorant and hateful people could be about something they really knew nothing about.
So although I respect that everyone gets to have their own opinion about some of the current political hot buttons, I feel that same sense of shock and disappointment when I hear much of the public conversation about who should and shouldn't be able to worship according to the dictates of their own consciences. It wasn't so long ago that there was an extermination order out for my very own ancestors because people didn't trust what they might be up to.
Flying back to the United States after a year and a half abroad was amazing. We flew past the Statue of Liberty before landing at JFK and I cried. I loved my time in Europe and I met amazing people, but I'm delighted to be an American. To me this is a country of freedom and of hope and of respect and of understanding. A country where we all get to believe what we want, and talk to God in the way that we want, and gather with like minded folks in the places that we want. I feel like if we all really believed that and acted that way, it would be the very best kind of memorial to those who died nine years ago today.
We had a perfectly lovely time and it felt nice to talk to people who could related to some of the things we felt homesick about. Then they started talking about their upstairs neighbors-a Muslim family that they sort of jokingly but sort of not thought might be terrorists. They told us a couple of stories-a knife dropped onto their patio from upstairs once, and those people sure have a lot of visitors and meetings in their apartment-and we politely listened and rolled our eyes after we left but it left a sort of nasty taste in my mouth.
We had some extra time after dinner and before we needed to be home so we decided to knock on a few doors in the building since that is pretty much what missionaries do with any extra time. After plenty of slammed doors we found ourselves at the apartment directly above the American couple. A nice looking Middle Eastern guy answered and said he would love to talk about God with us. He quickly told us that he was Muslim and not interested in converting but he was chatty and we were tired of rejection so we spent a few minutes visiting with him. He was new to the area and it came up early in the conversation that he was pretty sure all his neighbors assumed he was a terrorist because his family was Muslim. I can still clearly remember his frustrated face when he said, "I have a wife and a baby! Do I look like a terrorist to you?" He did not, if fact, look like a terrorist to me. And sadly, he was not the only Muslim I had a conversation with in my 18 months in France and Switzerland who told a similar story.
Being a missionary means hearing a LOT of people say say a LOT of stupid things to your face about your religious beliefs. People told us we were members of a cult, that our religion was just a sect, that we were secret polygamists, that our leaders were evil and trying to control us. People will say things with such authority, as if they know better what you believe than you do. We had people quit letting us come over because they read horrible things on the internet about "the mormons", or their friends warned them that we would brainwash them if they joined us. I knew that people in France weren't going to know much about Mormons but I was still so shocked and disappointed at how ignorant and hateful people could be about something they really knew nothing about.
So although I respect that everyone gets to have their own opinion about some of the current political hot buttons, I feel that same sense of shock and disappointment when I hear much of the public conversation about who should and shouldn't be able to worship according to the dictates of their own consciences. It wasn't so long ago that there was an extermination order out for my very own ancestors because people didn't trust what they might be up to.
Flying back to the United States after a year and a half abroad was amazing. We flew past the Statue of Liberty before landing at JFK and I cried. I loved my time in Europe and I met amazing people, but I'm delighted to be an American. To me this is a country of freedom and of hope and of respect and of understanding. A country where we all get to believe what we want, and talk to God in the way that we want, and gather with like minded folks in the places that we want. I feel like if we all really believed that and acted that way, it would be the very best kind of memorial to those who died nine years ago today.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Give Up
Sometimes I am late to a really great party. So stop me if you've heard this one. Mumford & Sons is absolutely one of the best bands of 2010. I had heard a few of their songs and was decently obsessed but Sunday night, one of the guys at the house was playing clips for people and my heart almost stopped when he got to this one. It's just brilliant. The lyrics, the melody-just listen and make sure you can turn it up.
Happy Friday all!
Happy Friday all!
Thursday, September 09, 2010
I Feel Home When I See Faces That Remember My Own
I'm always a bit sad to see Labor Day weekend arrive since it means saying goodbye to summer. Summer and I really love each other and yet it passes too fast and I never do all the things I said I was going to do and I end up feeling vaguely unsatisfied for most of the weekend.
However, this summer was pretty alright. Races and hikes and trips and fun visitors and plenty of flirting-I am pretty pleased with what summer 2010 brought. Corey had talked me into topping it off with a quick weekend trip to California to hang out in some beach houses our friend Carin was organizing.
I flew into LAX and as soon as Corey and Eliza picked me up we started laughing and pretty didn't stop until I left on Tuesday.
I will spare you the travelogue especially since I posted plenty of silly photos and obnoxious inside joke status updates on Facebook but the trip was pretty fabulous. It was great to catch up with a lot of old friends and to make some new ones. We went four wheeling and saw Hearst Castle and ate good food and I finally FINALLY went on a vacation where I got to dance as much as my little heart wanted. I faced my kareoke fears and got to sing Journey at the top of my lungs. I overdosed on single mormon friends which I don't really have much of here in the Springs. I have said this before and I will say it again-I am ridiculously and embarrassingly spoiled when it comes to the quantity and quality of good people in my life.
Maybe the best part of the trip however was getting a little bit of time in my beloved Huntington Beach. It is not the prettiest beach in Orange County and the city itself is a bit sleepy but I am just crazy in love with that place. My intention all those eight years ago when I packed up my car and drove out to California was to be an LA girl. But the minute I walked into the chapel in HB to go to church with my friend Racie, I felt like I was home home home. Those first six months were rough as I faced the reality of my first adult move away from home without the safety net of college or a mission. I spent many nights in my bedroom on Brookhurst and Hamilton wondering what on earth I had been thinking. I trained for the marathon that helped pull me out of my homesickness in that town. I rebuilt a network of friends, I advanced in my job. I made a scary decision there to leave and start over again in Boston and when I came back two years later, HB was a place to relax and breathe after a stressful East Coast experience.
I know Colorado is the right place for me now and as I'm creeping up on my year anniversary in this place (cheesy blog post on it's way folks), I am the happiest I have been in a long, long time. But Huntington Beach will always make me a little wistful for days when a bike was the best way to get to the pier and sand was the best thing to run on and the sound of ocean waves out my window was the best natural white noise machine. I may be in an adult relationship with Colorado now but it will always feel like a teenage fantasy that HB was my first.
However, this summer was pretty alright. Races and hikes and trips and fun visitors and plenty of flirting-I am pretty pleased with what summer 2010 brought. Corey had talked me into topping it off with a quick weekend trip to California to hang out in some beach houses our friend Carin was organizing.
I flew into LAX and as soon as Corey and Eliza picked me up we started laughing and pretty didn't stop until I left on Tuesday.
I will spare you the travelogue especially since I posted plenty of silly photos and obnoxious inside joke status updates on Facebook but the trip was pretty fabulous. It was great to catch up with a lot of old friends and to make some new ones. We went four wheeling and saw Hearst Castle and ate good food and I finally FINALLY went on a vacation where I got to dance as much as my little heart wanted. I faced my kareoke fears and got to sing Journey at the top of my lungs. I overdosed on single mormon friends which I don't really have much of here in the Springs. I have said this before and I will say it again-I am ridiculously and embarrassingly spoiled when it comes to the quantity and quality of good people in my life.
Maybe the best part of the trip however was getting a little bit of time in my beloved Huntington Beach. It is not the prettiest beach in Orange County and the city itself is a bit sleepy but I am just crazy in love with that place. My intention all those eight years ago when I packed up my car and drove out to California was to be an LA girl. But the minute I walked into the chapel in HB to go to church with my friend Racie, I felt like I was home home home. Those first six months were rough as I faced the reality of my first adult move away from home without the safety net of college or a mission. I spent many nights in my bedroom on Brookhurst and Hamilton wondering what on earth I had been thinking. I trained for the marathon that helped pull me out of my homesickness in that town. I rebuilt a network of friends, I advanced in my job. I made a scary decision there to leave and start over again in Boston and when I came back two years later, HB was a place to relax and breathe after a stressful East Coast experience.
I know Colorado is the right place for me now and as I'm creeping up on my year anniversary in this place (cheesy blog post on it's way folks), I am the happiest I have been in a long, long time. But Huntington Beach will always make me a little wistful for days when a bike was the best way to get to the pier and sand was the best thing to run on and the sound of ocean waves out my window was the best natural white noise machine. I may be in an adult relationship with Colorado now but it will always feel like a teenage fantasy that HB was my first.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Hiatus
Tomorrow I am headed up to Boulder to hang out with my friend Alex who is finally home after a long summer away and then I'm off to spend a day in Huntington Beach trying to get through Fiesta Grill, TK Burger and Carnitas without getting food poisoning (see: March 2009),and finally Corey, Eliza, Sara and I will head up to Pismo beach where we will sit on the beach for four lovely days and pretend we are the stars of a bad Katy Perry song.
I'm sure I will have much to say when I get home. Happy Labor Day everyone!!
I'm sure I will have much to say when I get home. Happy Labor Day everyone!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Home
Well I'm in love with THIS, that is for sure.
These lyrics are knocking me right between the eyes.
Her:
Alabama, Arkansas
I do love my ma and pa
Not that way that I do love you
Him:
Holy moley, me oh my
You're the apple of my eye
Girl, I've never loved one like you
Her:
Man, oh man, you're my best friend
I scream it to the nothingness
There ain't nothing that I need
Him:
Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie
Chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
Ain't nothing please me more than you
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
La, la, la, la, take me home
Mother, I'm coming home
Him:
I'll follow you into the park
Through the jungle, through the dark
Girl, I never loved one like you
Her:
Moats and boats and waterfalls
Alleyways and pay phone calls
I've been everywhere with you
Him:
That's true
Laugh until we think we'll die
Barefoot on a summer night
Never could be sweeter than with you
Her:
And in the streets you run a-free
Like it's only you and me
Geez, you're something to see
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
La, la, la, la, take me home
Daddy, I'm coming home
(talking)
Him: Jade
Her: Alexander
Him: Do you remember that day you fell out of my window?
Her: I sure do, you came jumping out after me
Him: Well, you fell on the concrete, nearly broke your ass, you were bleeding all over the place and I rushed you out to the hospital, you remember that?
Her: Yes, I do
Him: Well, there's something I never told you about that night
Her: What didn't you tell me?
Him: While you were sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette you thought was going to be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you, and I never told you until just now
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is where I'm alone with you
Him:
Home
Let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Her:
Ah, home
Yes I am home
Home is when I'm alone with you
Her:
Alabama, Arkansas
I do love my ma and pa
Moats and boats and waterfalls
Alleyways and pay phone calls
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is where I'm alone with you
These lyrics are knocking me right between the eyes.
Her:
Alabama, Arkansas
I do love my ma and pa
Not that way that I do love you
Him:
Holy moley, me oh my
You're the apple of my eye
Girl, I've never loved one like you
Her:
Man, oh man, you're my best friend
I scream it to the nothingness
There ain't nothing that I need
Him:
Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie
Chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
Ain't nothing please me more than you
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
La, la, la, la, take me home
Mother, I'm coming home
Him:
I'll follow you into the park
Through the jungle, through the dark
Girl, I never loved one like you
Her:
Moats and boats and waterfalls
Alleyways and pay phone calls
I've been everywhere with you
Him:
That's true
Laugh until we think we'll die
Barefoot on a summer night
Never could be sweeter than with you
Her:
And in the streets you run a-free
Like it's only you and me
Geez, you're something to see
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
La, la, la, la, take me home
Daddy, I'm coming home
(talking)
Him: Jade
Her: Alexander
Him: Do you remember that day you fell out of my window?
Her: I sure do, you came jumping out after me
Him: Well, you fell on the concrete, nearly broke your ass, you were bleeding all over the place and I rushed you out to the hospital, you remember that?
Her: Yes, I do
Him: Well, there's something I never told you about that night
Her: What didn't you tell me?
Him: While you were sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette you thought was going to be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you, and I never told you until just now
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is where I'm alone with you
Him:
Home
Let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Her:
Ah, home
Yes I am home
Home is when I'm alone with you
Her:
Alabama, Arkansas
I do love my ma and pa
Moats and boats and waterfalls
Alleyways and pay phone calls
Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is where I'm alone with you
Monday, August 30, 2010
Bored
With summer on it's way out, I'm trying to figure out what winter activity Colorado can introduce me too once it's too cold and icy for any of the things I am doing now.
Maybe snowboarding? This is my friend Alex, I totally think he can teach me to do this too.
Maybe snowboarding? This is my friend Alex, I totally think he can teach me to do this too.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Hippies
Last week was kind of insane. We have a sale after every Olympics to get rid of all the extra gear we end up when the Games are over and we invite all the athletes, USOC employees and staff from the local National Governing Bodies. Needless to say, it's a giant event and guess who had the pleasure of running the thing?
I was tired yesterday. I slept for about ten hours which was really nice, got a haircut, helped my friend Heather move and did a visit for church. But I felt guilty all day that although I had been running around like crazy all week, I hadn't really done any kind of good exercise in six days and for sure hadn't done anything active that I enjoyed. So when my friend Tom mentioned while we were lifting boxes out of a U-Haul that he was going to do the incline that night with some people, I invited myself along.
Turns out Tom and his three friends were in outstanding shape and I probably had no business trying to keep up with them, but there I was and I certainly wasn't going to complain or lag behind. I ended up shaving about five minutes off my usual time which felt good mentally but made me feel like my heart, lungs and maybe even kidney were going to explode at the top. By the time we got up it was already dark which meant we ran down the trail by moonlight. Aside from the risk of tripping on a tree branch or rock you absolutely cannot see, running downhill at night is every bit of thrilling. We got down to the bottom and decided that even though we were sweaty and smelly, we should reward ourselves with a really great dinner. We sat outside and ate delicious things and talked about all sorts of things. I love meeting people who go from being strangers to friends almost instantly and that's exactly what happened last night. After dinner we decided we weren't ready for the evening to end so we slipped over to the playground next to the restaurant and played on the swings, hung on the monkey bars, climbed a tree and went down the slide. At about 11, totally worn out and doing a little stretching on the grass, a group of scruffy hippie looking kids approached us and asked if we were doing yoga. We said not really but we can! So we formed a big circle and started a late night yoga flash mob. It was a perfect way to end such an organically fun night.
Summer, can't you stay forever?
I was tired yesterday. I slept for about ten hours which was really nice, got a haircut, helped my friend Heather move and did a visit for church. But I felt guilty all day that although I had been running around like crazy all week, I hadn't really done any kind of good exercise in six days and for sure hadn't done anything active that I enjoyed. So when my friend Tom mentioned while we were lifting boxes out of a U-Haul that he was going to do the incline that night with some people, I invited myself along.
Turns out Tom and his three friends were in outstanding shape and I probably had no business trying to keep up with them, but there I was and I certainly wasn't going to complain or lag behind. I ended up shaving about five minutes off my usual time which felt good mentally but made me feel like my heart, lungs and maybe even kidney were going to explode at the top. By the time we got up it was already dark which meant we ran down the trail by moonlight. Aside from the risk of tripping on a tree branch or rock you absolutely cannot see, running downhill at night is every bit of thrilling. We got down to the bottom and decided that even though we were sweaty and smelly, we should reward ourselves with a really great dinner. We sat outside and ate delicious things and talked about all sorts of things. I love meeting people who go from being strangers to friends almost instantly and that's exactly what happened last night. After dinner we decided we weren't ready for the evening to end so we slipped over to the playground next to the restaurant and played on the swings, hung on the monkey bars, climbed a tree and went down the slide. At about 11, totally worn out and doing a little stretching on the grass, a group of scruffy hippie looking kids approached us and asked if we were doing yoga. We said not really but we can! So we formed a big circle and started a late night yoga flash mob. It was a perfect way to end such an organically fun night.
Summer, can't you stay forever?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Firesale
One of my very favorite phrases on earth is "have you heard of this band? I think you would like them." Another one of my favorite things on earth is making a new really good friend. So you combine the two of them and well, this girl is pretty much in heaven.
I have NO IDEA how this artist escaped my radar screen-especially since one review said Florence and the Machine is what it would sound like if Adele and Kate Nash had musical offspring. I love those two and now I love Florence so much I'm not listening to much else. And it doesn't hurt a new friendship for someone to nail my tastes so well. This is my favorite track off the album "Lungs" but really, it's loaded with good stuff. Her voice is so awesome it makes me wish I could trade everything I was good at for that one talent.
I have NO IDEA how this artist escaped my radar screen-especially since one review said Florence and the Machine is what it would sound like if Adele and Kate Nash had musical offspring. I love those two and now I love Florence so much I'm not listening to much else. And it doesn't hurt a new friendship for someone to nail my tastes so well. This is my favorite track off the album "Lungs" but really, it's loaded with good stuff. Her voice is so awesome it makes me wish I could trade everything I was good at for that one talent.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Meet the Fockers
Sister came this weekend.
And she brought husb.
We had a delightful weekend and I am pretty sure I can count on Emily to post more and better photos than I have so I'll just direct you to her link at some point.
We always have so much fun together, it's delightful to have someone around who wears clothes I can steal and who laughs the same way I do and who likes to drink Diet Dr. Pepper late at night and sleep in like I do.
So I wasn't sure how it would change a sister visit now that she's hitched and all. This whole "brother-in-law" thing is still a little new. You would think that having three biological brothers would mean it was no big deal to add another Y chromosome to the family. But I'll confess I was a bit apprehensive. Even when I talk too much, or cry when they tease me, or say stupid things or post to Facebook too often-my brothers are still required by family law to like me. A brother-in-law is under no such obligation and since I really prefer that people like me rather than simply put up with me, I wanted to win Aaron over.
I'm pretty sure I still talk too much and he will probably never quit teasing me about how much I love to update my status but I'm definitely sold on brothers-in-law. Aaron came in handy for finding a breakfast spot, getting us out on our bikes, answering ALL my computer questions, providing my weekend teasing quota, taking endless photos AND helping me finally buy a television which I still can't believe I waited almost a year to do. He's good for my sister and maybe the weirdest thing about the whole weekend was how it didn't feel weird at all to add him to the mix. My siblings sure have done a terrific job choosing mates-I certainly have my work cut out for me if I intend to bring one board.
It's friday and I'm in a particularly good mood for a variety of reasons-but the one I will share with all of you is that my sister-in-law is bringing nephew to town this weekend and I'm pretty excited that I don't have to share them with the rest of the family! I found this clip of 13 great songs from 2009 that I can't stop listening to-every single one of these is worth looking up on it's own. I'm OBSESSED with that Discovery song "So Insane." Check it out and happy weekend!
And she brought husb.
We had a delightful weekend and I am pretty sure I can count on Emily to post more and better photos than I have so I'll just direct you to her link at some point.
We always have so much fun together, it's delightful to have someone around who wears clothes I can steal and who laughs the same way I do and who likes to drink Diet Dr. Pepper late at night and sleep in like I do.
So I wasn't sure how it would change a sister visit now that she's hitched and all. This whole "brother-in-law" thing is still a little new. You would think that having three biological brothers would mean it was no big deal to add another Y chromosome to the family. But I'll confess I was a bit apprehensive. Even when I talk too much, or cry when they tease me, or say stupid things or post to Facebook too often-my brothers are still required by family law to like me. A brother-in-law is under no such obligation and since I really prefer that people like me rather than simply put up with me, I wanted to win Aaron over.
I'm pretty sure I still talk too much and he will probably never quit teasing me about how much I love to update my status but I'm definitely sold on brothers-in-law. Aaron came in handy for finding a breakfast spot, getting us out on our bikes, answering ALL my computer questions, providing my weekend teasing quota, taking endless photos AND helping me finally buy a television which I still can't believe I waited almost a year to do. He's good for my sister and maybe the weirdest thing about the whole weekend was how it didn't feel weird at all to add him to the mix. My siblings sure have done a terrific job choosing mates-I certainly have my work cut out for me if I intend to bring one board.
It's friday and I'm in a particularly good mood for a variety of reasons-but the one I will share with all of you is that my sister-in-law is bringing nephew to town this weekend and I'm pretty excited that I don't have to share them with the rest of the family! I found this clip of 13 great songs from 2009 that I can't stop listening to-every single one of these is worth looking up on it's own. I'm OBSESSED with that Discovery song "So Insane." Check it out and happy weekend!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tantrum
Two things I love to do on a cross-country flight:
1. Read the latest Vanity Fair cover to cover
2. Catch up on all the podcasts stacking up in my iTunes
Last Sunday night I was flying to New York and after I finished hearing what Angelina thinks about "Brad, the kids and giving up acting", I turned on the KCRW's Top Tune podcast. The first song was a new LCD Soundsystem track that was pretty good but I was still browsing the magazine a little bit while I listened. And then. What happened next was one of those things I absolutely love about music and one of the reasons I never get tired of it-a song burst into my ears that made it next to impossible to sit still in my seat. I have been on this neo-soul kick recently and this little tune hit me right between the eyes. It's by a little band called Fitz and the Tantrums and the album doesn't come out until later this month so you'll have to settle for this little live version.
I'm now officially OBSESSED with these guys. Perfect perfect summertime music.
1. Read the latest Vanity Fair cover to cover
2. Catch up on all the podcasts stacking up in my iTunes
Last Sunday night I was flying to New York and after I finished hearing what Angelina thinks about "Brad, the kids and giving up acting", I turned on the KCRW's Top Tune podcast. The first song was a new LCD Soundsystem track that was pretty good but I was still browsing the magazine a little bit while I listened. And then. What happened next was one of those things I absolutely love about music and one of the reasons I never get tired of it-a song burst into my ears that made it next to impossible to sit still in my seat. I have been on this neo-soul kick recently and this little tune hit me right between the eyes. It's by a little band called Fitz and the Tantrums and the album doesn't come out until later this month so you'll have to settle for this little live version.
I'm now officially OBSESSED with these guys. Perfect perfect summertime music.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Last Goodbye
Obviously I would love all my siblings regardless of how impressive they all were.
But sometimes I look at all of them and think "hot damn! what a family! Because sometimes my little sister's perspective on life is brilliant.
And sometimes my younger brothers kick butt at hard things.
And sometimes the baby is brave and sells her art to strangers.
And sometimes the one just younger than me who thinks he's just older than me is terribly google-able.
That's some DNA worth selling right there. I may be on a bit of a hiatus next week...headed to NYC for some work meetings and to check in with some old friends. And to satisfy that little itch for crowds and shopping and men in suits that COS can't quite scratch.
But sometimes I look at all of them and think "hot damn! what a family! Because sometimes my little sister's perspective on life is brilliant.
And sometimes my younger brothers kick butt at hard things.
And sometimes the baby is brave and sells her art to strangers.
And sometimes the one just younger than me who thinks he's just older than me is terribly google-able.
That's some DNA worth selling right there. I may be on a bit of a hiatus next week...headed to NYC for some work meetings and to check in with some old friends. And to satisfy that little itch for crowds and shopping and men in suits that COS can't quite scratch.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Six O'Clock
I had a party for myself when I turned 30. Because you can do that kind of stuff when you get old. My friend Mark brought his poor married guy cousin to the party and said cousin spent most of the evening talking to my mother in the kitchen. They were the only married redheads at the party so it was fitting. My mother discoverd that cousin was a musician and within a few weeks, we had developed something of a family fan club. In the past few months, he and his band The Madison Arm have covered two of my favorite songs and they are both just beautiful. It's rainy in the Springs today and kind of grey, these are fitting songs for the slightly moody state I am in.
The fact that this guy isn't famous kind of confuses me frankly.
The fact that this guy isn't famous kind of confuses me frankly.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Class of 94
My mom recently moved into a house with less storage and so I have re-inherited all of the boxes of childhood memories that have been sitting in her basement for about fifteen years.
If you have been out of high school at least ten years, I will tell you that a very funny evening activity is to take your yearbook, look up boys you had crushes on or people who intimidated you and then find them on Facebook. Take note sophomore self-in fifteen years most of these guys you are losing sleep over will be someone's dad and you my dear will be quite fulfilled with what has happened in your own life.
High school was a funny time for me. I wanted what just about every adolescent girl wants-boys to like me and to be popular. I failed spectacularly on both fronts but reading my old yearbook messages, it is nice to remind myself that apparently I did have some good times and some fun friends.
So high school has been on my mind this week and then we watched Pirate Radio last night and that fabulous soundtrack got Otis Redding on my mind. Which obviously led to me looking up one of the greatest scenes in teen cinematic history-Duckie's performance of "Try a Little Tenderness" in "Pretty in Pink".
It has bothered me ever since I reached adulthood that Molly Ringwald's character ends up with the jerky rich kid at the end of this movie instead of the Duck-man. The story goes that the original plan was to end the movie with Andie and Duckie together but test audiences HATED that and so they changed it and she kisses Andrew McCarthy in the parking lot (one of the WORST kissing scenes EVER by the way). This after he was a complete loser and backed out on dating her because his popular friend disapproved. I get so mad every single time I watch it that audiences were so stupid in the 80's that they wanted her to end up with the rich, handsome dude at all costs. Any girl who was ever 16 and complaining about why the cutest boy in the 10th grade didn't notice her probably heard her mother say at least one hundred times, "you will be so surprised when the boys you think are nerds now turn out to be the best adults."
I watch Pretty in Pink now and I think that Duckie probably grew up to be a really interesting adult and Blane (Blane!!) is probably mostly bald and boring and having an affair with his secretary. Which is not to say that kids who were cool in high school are all lame adults. Pretty much all the rest of my siblings managed to climb about ten rungs higher on the teenage food chain than I ever did, but it is wildly interesting to me to look at where people are now and to see how little your High School popularity index has to do with, well, anything. But what also occurs to me when I watch that movie, or when I browse the old high school yearbooks, is that perhaps it's precisely the ratio of struggling to feel good about yourself you do at a young age that corresponds to how you "turn out". As Jack once told Liz on 30 Rock, "I don't know what happened to you as a child that led you to develop humor as a defense mechanism but I'm grateful for it."
I hope my future daughters realize that I'm going to be advocating for boys like the computer club president or the captain of some totally uncool sport. And probably teaching my sons to do a REALLY good Otis Redding impression.
If you have been out of high school at least ten years, I will tell you that a very funny evening activity is to take your yearbook, look up boys you had crushes on or people who intimidated you and then find them on Facebook. Take note sophomore self-in fifteen years most of these guys you are losing sleep over will be someone's dad and you my dear will be quite fulfilled with what has happened in your own life.
High school was a funny time for me. I wanted what just about every adolescent girl wants-boys to like me and to be popular. I failed spectacularly on both fronts but reading my old yearbook messages, it is nice to remind myself that apparently I did have some good times and some fun friends.
So high school has been on my mind this week and then we watched Pirate Radio last night and that fabulous soundtrack got Otis Redding on my mind. Which obviously led to me looking up one of the greatest scenes in teen cinematic history-Duckie's performance of "Try a Little Tenderness" in "Pretty in Pink".
It has bothered me ever since I reached adulthood that Molly Ringwald's character ends up with the jerky rich kid at the end of this movie instead of the Duck-man. The story goes that the original plan was to end the movie with Andie and Duckie together but test audiences HATED that and so they changed it and she kisses Andrew McCarthy in the parking lot (one of the WORST kissing scenes EVER by the way). This after he was a complete loser and backed out on dating her because his popular friend disapproved. I get so mad every single time I watch it that audiences were so stupid in the 80's that they wanted her to end up with the rich, handsome dude at all costs. Any girl who was ever 16 and complaining about why the cutest boy in the 10th grade didn't notice her probably heard her mother say at least one hundred times, "you will be so surprised when the boys you think are nerds now turn out to be the best adults."
I watch Pretty in Pink now and I think that Duckie probably grew up to be a really interesting adult and Blane (Blane!!) is probably mostly bald and boring and having an affair with his secretary. Which is not to say that kids who were cool in high school are all lame adults. Pretty much all the rest of my siblings managed to climb about ten rungs higher on the teenage food chain than I ever did, but it is wildly interesting to me to look at where people are now and to see how little your High School popularity index has to do with, well, anything. But what also occurs to me when I watch that movie, or when I browse the old high school yearbooks, is that perhaps it's precisely the ratio of struggling to feel good about yourself you do at a young age that corresponds to how you "turn out". As Jack once told Liz on 30 Rock, "I don't know what happened to you as a child that led you to develop humor as a defense mechanism but I'm grateful for it."
I hope my future daughters realize that I'm going to be advocating for boys like the computer club president or the captain of some totally uncool sport. And probably teaching my sons to do a REALLY good Otis Redding impression.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Small World
About ten years ago I was working on my very first Short Track Speed Skating World Cup. We were working on the list of VIP accreditation and my boss told us to add two for "USOC Reps". I was so nervous to have people from the Olympic Committee at my first event! So of course we took really good care of them and they were really nice and end of story.
So about two months ago I saw this woman in the office who only comes in once a week. Her face and her name felt really familiar and I realized hey, she's that USOC lady from the Short Track event! So I sort of nervously asked her if she had been in Provo for that World Cup and she laughed and said yes. Turns out her husband had been a skater and a coach and back then Speedskating was one of the sports she managed.
We ended up hitting it off and I found out she is some kind of CRAZY cyclist/runner/swimming fiend who seriously does at least two of those things every single day. In between being a kick ass mom and working one day a week for us. Girl crush to say the least. Yesterday she emailed to see if I wanted to do a bike ride tonight after work. She and my boss are friends so the three of us ended up heading out together.
I probably should have known when I got to her house ON A HILL and we headed DOWN that hill that um-the very end up of our ride would be a somewhat brutal climb. That doesn't really say great things about the rest of the ride now does it?
We did 27 miles and she made sure to take us on one of nastiest hills in Colorado Springs. There were several points at which I weighed the embarrassment of telling them they would need to come back for me with the fact that my lungs were straight going to explode. Instead I put my head down and kept grinding and felt like a complete rock star when I came up over the last bump and her husband told us how tough we were.
It was a great ride and I probably have lots to say about how this might be the healthiest era of my life and how much I am enjoying finding my inner athlete. But mostly it was just fun to think about how you absolutely never know how and when people will float in and out of your life. And how glad I am that I learned from a young age by watching my mother that it's better to be nice to people. They might come back in ten years in kick your butt on a random Tuesday...in the best possible way.
So about two months ago I saw this woman in the office who only comes in once a week. Her face and her name felt really familiar and I realized hey, she's that USOC lady from the Short Track event! So I sort of nervously asked her if she had been in Provo for that World Cup and she laughed and said yes. Turns out her husband had been a skater and a coach and back then Speedskating was one of the sports she managed.
We ended up hitting it off and I found out she is some kind of CRAZY cyclist/runner/swimming fiend who seriously does at least two of those things every single day. In between being a kick ass mom and working one day a week for us. Girl crush to say the least. Yesterday she emailed to see if I wanted to do a bike ride tonight after work. She and my boss are friends so the three of us ended up heading out together.
I probably should have known when I got to her house ON A HILL and we headed DOWN that hill that um-the very end up of our ride would be a somewhat brutal climb. That doesn't really say great things about the rest of the ride now does it?
We did 27 miles and she made sure to take us on one of nastiest hills in Colorado Springs. There were several points at which I weighed the embarrassment of telling them they would need to come back for me with the fact that my lungs were straight going to explode. Instead I put my head down and kept grinding and felt like a complete rock star when I came up over the last bump and her husband told us how tough we were.
It was a great ride and I probably have lots to say about how this might be the healthiest era of my life and how much I am enjoying finding my inner athlete. But mostly it was just fun to think about how you absolutely never know how and when people will float in and out of your life. And how glad I am that I learned from a young age by watching my mother that it's better to be nice to people. They might come back in ten years in kick your butt on a random Tuesday...in the best possible way.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Prize Fighter
I don't usually like to repost funny stuff from the internet on my blog but this happens to feature a friend of mine AND it's hilarious so...for your Monday viewing pleasure:
The Jane Austen Fight Club
(Emma is my friend Farrah, I'm glad I know not to mess with her!)
Feel free to share...it's burning it's way across the web today.
This just in...also directed by a dear old friend, one Mr. Keith Paugh. Crazy talented fella, happy to see some of his work getting so much attention.
The Jane Austen Fight Club
(Emma is my friend Farrah, I'm glad I know not to mess with her!)
Feel free to share...it's burning it's way across the web today.
This just in...also directed by a dear old friend, one Mr. Keith Paugh. Crazy talented fella, happy to see some of his work getting so much attention.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Kids in the Hall
Who needs kids of their own when you have these to spoil and then give back to their parents?
This week was completely bonkers. The first ever Youth Olympic Games are next month in Singapore and we had 125 athletes and staff to outfit. It's been kind of a zoo as you can imagine.
My summer of Colorado exploration continues tonight as I head to Steamboat Springs with some girlfriends. We're going to sit in hot pools, float down the river, run a 5K, hike, bike, and probably take a photo or two. Is anything better than summer?
This week was completely bonkers. The first ever Youth Olympic Games are next month in Singapore and we had 125 athletes and staff to outfit. It's been kind of a zoo as you can imagine.
My summer of Colorado exploration continues tonight as I head to Steamboat Springs with some girlfriends. We're going to sit in hot pools, float down the river, run a 5K, hike, bike, and probably take a photo or two. Is anything better than summer?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Kid Rock
Dear Morgan,
Two years ago tonight your Aunt Katie was having a pretty big day. She took a private plane with the Chief Marketing Officer of a great big shoe company to New York for a big party she planned to open a very cute little store in SoHo. It was a very cool party and all kinds of fancy people from trendy magazines came and danced and drank lots of free beers and told us how darling our store was. I kept my blackberry close that night because I was waiting for some other big news as well. I was in the middle of a conversation when I felt the vibration of phone in my pocket. A message from my sister, "larrybird is here!"
I imagine your parents have told you that we called you larrybird for most of the time your momma was growing you. I had to go right back to that party and pretend that I was glowing over sneakers and rubber boots but for about ten minutes, I stood on a street corner in Manhattan and thought about how I would never forget that moment and how someday I would get to tell you that you managed to upstage one of the major milestone days of my career.
You are turning two today and it seems like pretty much everything is different than it was when you were born. You got a little brother, a cousin, and a new uncle. All your dad's siblings AND several of your grandparents have moved to new cities or houses or jobs. Maybe you were the catalyst for a lot of nice things happening to so many of us. You were progress Morgan. A brand new invention, something we'd never had in our family before. And now there are more little Clifford babies for us to adore and overphotograph and brag about, but you will always be our first.
I found out what a nephew was in kindergarten when my friend Ryan, whose brothers and sisters were all VERY OLD, brought one for Show and Tell. I was the oldest so it seemed like it would be a long time before we had any in our own family. In the meantime, every human being I knew became and aunt or uncle and blabbed on and on about how great nieces and nephews were. Now I like kids just plenty but I was always just a little suspect about how great they could really be. And then I met you. And i haven't been able to stop buying tiny LeBron James high tops and stuffed monkey's and miniature hoodies for you. You and your cousin are the background on my phone, your face is all over my fridge, you are in more frames in my house than your parents are.
You have plenty of people there in Utah who love you and I know when I come around it's always a struggle to remember who I am and to figure out why I seem to like you so much. I had a different kind of crazy day at work today, in Denver, not New York. But I got funny texts from your Grandma and called your dad and saw a photo of the fabulous cake your mom made for your big day. It's funny for me to think about you running around Murray Park today-completely oblivious to how many people adore you and have all kinds of dreams and hopes for you.
So on your second birthday, indulge me a few auntie style wishes.
-I hope you keep demanding that your parents let you watch the US Open on The Golf Channel
-I hope when you start talking, your miraculously have a slight spanish accent
-I hope you learn to dribble before you learn how to read
-I hope one day you will sing "hot dog hot dog hot diggity dog" on my voicemail
-I hope that your Aunt Emily posts photos from your birthday party before I am dead
Mostly Morgan, I hope you know how lucky we are that you came to our family. I love you so much that I say ridiculous things like "i want to eat that baby!" when I get photos of you. You have reduced me to the personification of every dumb aunt cliche and I don't even care. I post photos of you, I show people funny videos of you acting like a chicken, I squeeze you to pieces when I see you even though you look at me like I'm a space alien.
I love you Morgan, and it thrills me to my toes that I get to be your Aunt for pretty much the rest of forever. Happy happy birthday you little weasel.
Two years ago tonight your Aunt Katie was having a pretty big day. She took a private plane with the Chief Marketing Officer of a great big shoe company to New York for a big party she planned to open a very cute little store in SoHo. It was a very cool party and all kinds of fancy people from trendy magazines came and danced and drank lots of free beers and told us how darling our store was. I kept my blackberry close that night because I was waiting for some other big news as well. I was in the middle of a conversation when I felt the vibration of phone in my pocket. A message from my sister, "larrybird is here!"
I imagine your parents have told you that we called you larrybird for most of the time your momma was growing you. I had to go right back to that party and pretend that I was glowing over sneakers and rubber boots but for about ten minutes, I stood on a street corner in Manhattan and thought about how I would never forget that moment and how someday I would get to tell you that you managed to upstage one of the major milestone days of my career.
You are turning two today and it seems like pretty much everything is different than it was when you were born. You got a little brother, a cousin, and a new uncle. All your dad's siblings AND several of your grandparents have moved to new cities or houses or jobs. Maybe you were the catalyst for a lot of nice things happening to so many of us. You were progress Morgan. A brand new invention, something we'd never had in our family before. And now there are more little Clifford babies for us to adore and overphotograph and brag about, but you will always be our first.
I found out what a nephew was in kindergarten when my friend Ryan, whose brothers and sisters were all VERY OLD, brought one for Show and Tell. I was the oldest so it seemed like it would be a long time before we had any in our own family. In the meantime, every human being I knew became and aunt or uncle and blabbed on and on about how great nieces and nephews were. Now I like kids just plenty but I was always just a little suspect about how great they could really be. And then I met you. And i haven't been able to stop buying tiny LeBron James high tops and stuffed monkey's and miniature hoodies for you. You and your cousin are the background on my phone, your face is all over my fridge, you are in more frames in my house than your parents are.
You have plenty of people there in Utah who love you and I know when I come around it's always a struggle to remember who I am and to figure out why I seem to like you so much. I had a different kind of crazy day at work today, in Denver, not New York. But I got funny texts from your Grandma and called your dad and saw a photo of the fabulous cake your mom made for your big day. It's funny for me to think about you running around Murray Park today-completely oblivious to how many people adore you and have all kinds of dreams and hopes for you.
So on your second birthday, indulge me a few auntie style wishes.
-I hope you keep demanding that your parents let you watch the US Open on The Golf Channel
-I hope when you start talking, your miraculously have a slight spanish accent
-I hope you learn to dribble before you learn how to read
-I hope one day you will sing "hot dog hot dog hot diggity dog" on my voicemail
-I hope that your Aunt Emily posts photos from your birthday party before I am dead
Mostly Morgan, I hope you know how lucky we are that you came to our family. I love you so much that I say ridiculous things like "i want to eat that baby!" when I get photos of you. You have reduced me to the personification of every dumb aunt cliche and I don't even care. I post photos of you, I show people funny videos of you acting like a chicken, I squeeze you to pieces when I see you even though you look at me like I'm a space alien.
I love you Morgan, and it thrills me to my toes that I get to be your Aunt for pretty much the rest of forever. Happy happy birthday you little weasel.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Sign of the Times
I must finally be getting either 1) old or 2) responsible because despite the fact that I have loads to write about and it's only 10:14, I am going to put myself to bed so I can be a well rested and productive member of society tomorrow.
Something is wrong.
Something is wrong.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Payoff
Take a look at this list of Emmy Nominations and see if you can figure out why I am so excited today:
Best actor in a drama
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Matthew Fox, "Lost"
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Best actress in a drama
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Connie Britton, "Friday Night Lights"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law and Order SVU"
January Jones, "Mad Men"
Best actor in a drama
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Matthew Fox, "Lost"
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Best actress in a drama
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Connie Britton, "Friday Night Lights"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law and Order SVU"
January Jones, "Mad Men"
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Tony Award
I'd like to take you on a little tour of the random ways a person can end up downloading a small fortune from iTunes in an astonishingly short period of time.
Last night I was watching "It's Complicated" while I worked on a few projects and wound down from my weekend. The movie was pretty good but the soundtrack was outstanding. It opens with a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song that I could identify as them but couldn't seem to find the title. I Googled it about ten times but the song that kept coming back didn't seem right. So I called the one guy who I knew could figure out what I was looking for-my dad. I sang the part I liked from the movie and he said "oh you mean Judy Blue Eyes? The best seven and a half minutes in music?". Ladies and gentlemen, is it crystal clear where I got it?? So we talked about how awesome Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are for awhile and then I went back to watching the movie.
Turns out I did know the song but I actually thought it was two different songs. The whole thing IS worth a listen but it's right around 6:35 that I was so obsessed with last night. Like so obsessed I want to put that minute on a loop and throw a dance party where that is all we play. Download #1.
So then there is a scene with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin having dinner that ends in laughing and dancing and there are several songs in a row that had me so excited. First it was this John Legend gem that I already own and have always loved. My favorite lyric is "love hurts sometimes when you do it right".
Then it was Joss Stone who I always forget I really like. This one is maybe a little more "wealthy white people falling in love in New York" then I normally love but there was something so danceable and happy about it, I pretty much HAD to download it. #2
I decided to finish the rest of the movie at that point and wait until the end to do some more searching. So the next thing I looked up was from that same scene and was by Raphael Saadiq. I knew his name but hadn't really ever listened to him. In a sort of odd twist of musical fate-I had downloaded some Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings earlier in the day (yep, I am an addict people) and he was on the "you might also like" section of the iTunes store. So I downloaded "Love That Girl" without even listening to a sample. #3
Does that voice sound sort of vaguely familiar to anyone else? I did my standard wikipedia search that I always do on new artist and OMG! Raphael Saadiq is actually Raphael Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone! He was lead vocals on this piece of R & B perfection from my youth...
So maybe I ended up picking up this, "Let's Get Down" and "Anniversary". I already own "It Never Rains (in Southern California)". I think I have mentioned before that I am a sucker for the other clips that run down the side of your You Tube selection and I got lost in about 30 minutes of New Edition. I actually thought I had this one already but I didn't. Now I do.
When I was sixteen and my parents let me paint my bedroom I listened almost exclusively to New Edition's Greatest Hits and "Homebase" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. A memory that made me realize I didn't own "Summertime" which *might* be one of the greatest summer songs of all time. So I bought that too. We are up to 8 at this point.
I went back for a little more Saadiq..
Which lead me to some Anthony Hamilton
And then I realized maybe I should go to bed when I got here a few hops later
Because I could probably actually drown under the weight of nostalgia for the gloriousness that was 1997-98. But just for good measure I downloaded this
Ah Toad the Wet Sprocket. Why didn't I already own this song?
And so that my friends is how I kill and evening AND part with about $15 without even trying.
Last night I was watching "It's Complicated" while I worked on a few projects and wound down from my weekend. The movie was pretty good but the soundtrack was outstanding. It opens with a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song that I could identify as them but couldn't seem to find the title. I Googled it about ten times but the song that kept coming back didn't seem right. So I called the one guy who I knew could figure out what I was looking for-my dad. I sang the part I liked from the movie and he said "oh you mean Judy Blue Eyes? The best seven and a half minutes in music?". Ladies and gentlemen, is it crystal clear where I got it?? So we talked about how awesome Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are for awhile and then I went back to watching the movie.
Turns out I did know the song but I actually thought it was two different songs. The whole thing IS worth a listen but it's right around 6:35 that I was so obsessed with last night. Like so obsessed I want to put that minute on a loop and throw a dance party where that is all we play. Download #1.
So then there is a scene with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin having dinner that ends in laughing and dancing and there are several songs in a row that had me so excited. First it was this John Legend gem that I already own and have always loved. My favorite lyric is "love hurts sometimes when you do it right".
Then it was Joss Stone who I always forget I really like. This one is maybe a little more "wealthy white people falling in love in New York" then I normally love but there was something so danceable and happy about it, I pretty much HAD to download it. #2
I decided to finish the rest of the movie at that point and wait until the end to do some more searching. So the next thing I looked up was from that same scene and was by Raphael Saadiq. I knew his name but hadn't really ever listened to him. In a sort of odd twist of musical fate-I had downloaded some Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings earlier in the day (yep, I am an addict people) and he was on the "you might also like" section of the iTunes store. So I downloaded "Love That Girl" without even listening to a sample. #3
Does that voice sound sort of vaguely familiar to anyone else? I did my standard wikipedia search that I always do on new artist and OMG! Raphael Saadiq is actually Raphael Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone! He was lead vocals on this piece of R & B perfection from my youth...
So maybe I ended up picking up this, "Let's Get Down" and "Anniversary". I already own "It Never Rains (in Southern California)". I think I have mentioned before that I am a sucker for the other clips that run down the side of your You Tube selection and I got lost in about 30 minutes of New Edition. I actually thought I had this one already but I didn't. Now I do.
When I was sixteen and my parents let me paint my bedroom I listened almost exclusively to New Edition's Greatest Hits and "Homebase" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. A memory that made me realize I didn't own "Summertime" which *might* be one of the greatest summer songs of all time. So I bought that too. We are up to 8 at this point.
I went back for a little more Saadiq..
Which lead me to some Anthony Hamilton
And then I realized maybe I should go to bed when I got here a few hops later
Because I could probably actually drown under the weight of nostalgia for the gloriousness that was 1997-98. But just for good measure I downloaded this
Ah Toad the Wet Sprocket. Why didn't I already own this song?
And so that my friends is how I kill and evening AND part with about $15 without even trying.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
June Bug
Oh hey, it's the 4th of July already-does anyone else feel like 2010 is the Usain Bolt of years??
June certainly had a lot going for it-the Wasatch Back Relay and getting to meet my new nephew , the trip to Portland, a site visit to London, an old friend making a pit stop on her great escape from Provo to New York...and it still managed to outdo itself.
Some highlights...
-My nephew Wyatt Mark is a doll-baby. Holding a newborn just never gets old. My little brother being the father of two children also never stops taking my breath away. He and Tasha are so good at making kids I think they shouldn't stop until they have a baseball team.
-Wyatt's big brother Morgan gets funnier every time I see him. I took him some tiny LeBron James high tops I picked up in Portland and got my first unsolicited hugs from the guy. He was so excited that we ran, kicked the soccer ball and dribbled in the house to try out the new kicks. He's still not so sure about me but I think we both learned an important lesson about the value of a good bribe. I always sort of fantasized about being the fun aunt who gave the kids fun toys but always figured that as the oldest, I certainly wouldn't be the auntie before I was the mommy. Fate, you have a wicked sense of humor.
-The Wasatch Back was fabulous as usual. It's such a thrill that the thing my siblings like to do together is something so active and that takes us through the most stunning parts of our home state. The best news of this year's race is that all this training in Colorado and doing that infernal Incline once a week without fail meant that I ran my legs in my fastest times ever. And I felt really fantastic too. My second leg started at 12:30 at night and was a little over six miles long. I was totally alone for most of it, just me, my headlamp and my playlist. I really can't think of many things I've ever done that make me feel more like I am truly living than those night runs. If you haven't done one of these races, and you like running even a little bit-just DO IT.
-Post race we finally did what I've been dreaming of since the first year and stayed up in Park City at a fancy hotel with a hot tub and big comfy beds. It was just as dreamy as I hoped it would be and it had better be a tradition...are you listening siblings?
-I got back from Utah on a Sunday night and sort of forgot we'd be leaving for London so quickly. But before I left, it turned out my sister-in-law Kristen would be in Denver on her very first business trip. I drove up to take her out to dinner and oddly, three couples from college-including the lovely Jane who was here in May for the dance competition-also happened to be in Denver for the Sox-Rockies series. So Kristen and I met up with them after the game and I got to catch up with all of them. I hadn't seen Troy and Daphne in probably ten years but there is something about your college people-they always feel so familiar. Jane posted an awfully cute photo of all of us here. I promise no one has aged a day. Good people, great families-lucky lucky me to be able to steal a little time with them.
-London was a delight. I got to spend a good chunk of time in the school we are going to use to process the athletes in 2012. We saw a bunch of venues and then spent a couple of days just getting to know the city. I am enjoying my Colorado home more by the second but oh boy is there ever a city girl in my soul. I love the crowds, I love the Tube, I love the shopping, I love the energy. I can't wait to keep going back and kind of can't believe I have a job that is going to allow that!
-The highlight of the trip was getting to sneak off one night and say hello to my friend Danny from my Boston days, and my friend Monica from my HB days, both of whom are now living in London. And then walking into the pub and running smack into my friend Troy from my SUU days who happens to be there taking a class during his break from law school. Epic.
-In yet another random coincidence, on our way back from London we had a layover in Denver. I was scanning Facebook and noticed my friend Alex also happened to be at DIA and his flight was delayed. I texted, he called and within 10 minutes we were catching up in an airport bar.
-I landed in Colorado Springs and my friend Heather texted to see if I was up for the Incline. I was tired and jet lagged but I had workout clothes and a headlamp with me so I went to her house instead of home and up we went. It's awfully satisfying to choose pushing yourself over going home and passing out.
Which brings me to this 4th of July weekend. It's been such a busy busy few months that I flat forgot to make any sort of plans for the 4th of July. I toyed with going to Huntington and considered a road trip of some sort but in the end, decided to just stay put.
Well sorta. As you may know, Colorado is rather full of places you have all heard of what with all the skiing they do here. Breckenridge, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs, Durango, Grand Junction...the list kind of goes on and on and I figure I really ought to take advantage of my time here and do some exploring. So I talked my friend Greg into just hitting the road yesterday. We sort of made a plan but mostly, we just got in the car and headed out of town. We atarted by driving to the top of Pike's Peak. I was ONLY willing to drive it after Greg pinky swore that we would get some people together and climb the thing before summer's end. Do I even need to say that the view from 14,000 feet is spectacular? These are the views that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful back in the late 1800's-a fact I didn't know until yesterday.
After Pike's Peak, we headed West and then North and stopped in Leadville. They have a pretty famous bike race and 100 mile run there so we decided to check it out. Poor Greg discovered that I am pretty much my mother as I chatted my way through two antique shops, an art gallery and introduced myself to the Leadville 100 founder who happened to be wandering around near the finish of a marathon they held yesterday. Then we drove up to I-70, stopping in Frisco long enough for me to fall wildly in love with it AND get my third Diet Coke of the day. Fourth if you count lunch but I think she may have given me Pepsi. We ate dinner in Denver and I dropped Greg off a respectable 13 hours after we set off.
There was an episode of This American Life recently that was all about road trips and the American desire for a road trip to spur some sort of adventure or ephiphany. My honest expectation for yesterday was to explore my new home a little bit and to take advantage of a three day weekend, but I have to admit maybe in the back of my head I was hoping for an adventure or an epiphany.
Colorado delivered on both counts. This will come as a shock to no one but I was controlling the iPod for most of the trip and at one point "Rocky Mountain High" cycled through. I have heard that song about a zillion times in my life-John Denver was a staple when my dad would play guitar with us as kids. But here we were, driving along through the Rocky Mountains, in a state that was never on my list, a year after one of the toughest stretches of my life and the lyrics reached right through the speakers and almost made me cry:
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door
This is just how I feel about Colorado. I realize more and more as I get older how much Salt Lake is a part of me and I love it so much. California is the only home I really ever chose myself and will always be special, Boston is a place where I learned and grew more than I ever wanted to but it felt temporary from day one. Enter Colorado. I don't have any idea if I will live here forever, but for the first time in maybe my entire adult life, I am not thinking about the next move. I'm really, really happy here. Happy and settled in a way I haven't been in I don't know how long. I love seeing mountains every day as I drive home and knowing I get on one in about ten minutes if I want to. I love that people at work want to go for bike rides. I love that tonight we watched The Sandlot on the lawn and tomorrow there are ten places to go running that I've never seen before. We're coming up on the anniversary of that email from my friend saying, "there is this job in the Springs...are you at all interested?"
Best yes I ever said. I'll be John Denver would agree.
June certainly had a lot going for it-the Wasatch Back Relay and getting to meet my new nephew , the trip to Portland, a site visit to London, an old friend making a pit stop on her great escape from Provo to New York...and it still managed to outdo itself.
Some highlights...
-My nephew Wyatt Mark is a doll-baby. Holding a newborn just never gets old. My little brother being the father of two children also never stops taking my breath away. He and Tasha are so good at making kids I think they shouldn't stop until they have a baseball team.
-Wyatt's big brother Morgan gets funnier every time I see him. I took him some tiny LeBron James high tops I picked up in Portland and got my first unsolicited hugs from the guy. He was so excited that we ran, kicked the soccer ball and dribbled in the house to try out the new kicks. He's still not so sure about me but I think we both learned an important lesson about the value of a good bribe. I always sort of fantasized about being the fun aunt who gave the kids fun toys but always figured that as the oldest, I certainly wouldn't be the auntie before I was the mommy. Fate, you have a wicked sense of humor.
-The Wasatch Back was fabulous as usual. It's such a thrill that the thing my siblings like to do together is something so active and that takes us through the most stunning parts of our home state. The best news of this year's race is that all this training in Colorado and doing that infernal Incline once a week without fail meant that I ran my legs in my fastest times ever. And I felt really fantastic too. My second leg started at 12:30 at night and was a little over six miles long. I was totally alone for most of it, just me, my headlamp and my playlist. I really can't think of many things I've ever done that make me feel more like I am truly living than those night runs. If you haven't done one of these races, and you like running even a little bit-just DO IT.
-Post race we finally did what I've been dreaming of since the first year and stayed up in Park City at a fancy hotel with a hot tub and big comfy beds. It was just as dreamy as I hoped it would be and it had better be a tradition...are you listening siblings?
-I got back from Utah on a Sunday night and sort of forgot we'd be leaving for London so quickly. But before I left, it turned out my sister-in-law Kristen would be in Denver on her very first business trip. I drove up to take her out to dinner and oddly, three couples from college-including the lovely Jane who was here in May for the dance competition-also happened to be in Denver for the Sox-Rockies series. So Kristen and I met up with them after the game and I got to catch up with all of them. I hadn't seen Troy and Daphne in probably ten years but there is something about your college people-they always feel so familiar. Jane posted an awfully cute photo of all of us here. I promise no one has aged a day. Good people, great families-lucky lucky me to be able to steal a little time with them.
-London was a delight. I got to spend a good chunk of time in the school we are going to use to process the athletes in 2012. We saw a bunch of venues and then spent a couple of days just getting to know the city. I am enjoying my Colorado home more by the second but oh boy is there ever a city girl in my soul. I love the crowds, I love the Tube, I love the shopping, I love the energy. I can't wait to keep going back and kind of can't believe I have a job that is going to allow that!
-The highlight of the trip was getting to sneak off one night and say hello to my friend Danny from my Boston days, and my friend Monica from my HB days, both of whom are now living in London. And then walking into the pub and running smack into my friend Troy from my SUU days who happens to be there taking a class during his break from law school. Epic.
-In yet another random coincidence, on our way back from London we had a layover in Denver. I was scanning Facebook and noticed my friend Alex also happened to be at DIA and his flight was delayed. I texted, he called and within 10 minutes we were catching up in an airport bar.
-I landed in Colorado Springs and my friend Heather texted to see if I was up for the Incline. I was tired and jet lagged but I had workout clothes and a headlamp with me so I went to her house instead of home and up we went. It's awfully satisfying to choose pushing yourself over going home and passing out.
Which brings me to this 4th of July weekend. It's been such a busy busy few months that I flat forgot to make any sort of plans for the 4th of July. I toyed with going to Huntington and considered a road trip of some sort but in the end, decided to just stay put.
Well sorta. As you may know, Colorado is rather full of places you have all heard of what with all the skiing they do here. Breckenridge, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs, Durango, Grand Junction...the list kind of goes on and on and I figure I really ought to take advantage of my time here and do some exploring. So I talked my friend Greg into just hitting the road yesterday. We sort of made a plan but mostly, we just got in the car and headed out of town. We atarted by driving to the top of Pike's Peak. I was ONLY willing to drive it after Greg pinky swore that we would get some people together and climb the thing before summer's end. Do I even need to say that the view from 14,000 feet is spectacular? These are the views that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful back in the late 1800's-a fact I didn't know until yesterday.
After Pike's Peak, we headed West and then North and stopped in Leadville. They have a pretty famous bike race and 100 mile run there so we decided to check it out. Poor Greg discovered that I am pretty much my mother as I chatted my way through two antique shops, an art gallery and introduced myself to the Leadville 100 founder who happened to be wandering around near the finish of a marathon they held yesterday. Then we drove up to I-70, stopping in Frisco long enough for me to fall wildly in love with it AND get my third Diet Coke of the day. Fourth if you count lunch but I think she may have given me Pepsi. We ate dinner in Denver and I dropped Greg off a respectable 13 hours after we set off.
There was an episode of This American Life recently that was all about road trips and the American desire for a road trip to spur some sort of adventure or ephiphany. My honest expectation for yesterday was to explore my new home a little bit and to take advantage of a three day weekend, but I have to admit maybe in the back of my head I was hoping for an adventure or an epiphany.
Colorado delivered on both counts. This will come as a shock to no one but I was controlling the iPod for most of the trip and at one point "Rocky Mountain High" cycled through. I have heard that song about a zillion times in my life-John Denver was a staple when my dad would play guitar with us as kids. But here we were, driving along through the Rocky Mountains, in a state that was never on my list, a year after one of the toughest stretches of my life and the lyrics reached right through the speakers and almost made me cry:
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door
This is just how I feel about Colorado. I realize more and more as I get older how much Salt Lake is a part of me and I love it so much. California is the only home I really ever chose myself and will always be special, Boston is a place where I learned and grew more than I ever wanted to but it felt temporary from day one. Enter Colorado. I don't have any idea if I will live here forever, but for the first time in maybe my entire adult life, I am not thinking about the next move. I'm really, really happy here. Happy and settled in a way I haven't been in I don't know how long. I love seeing mountains every day as I drive home and knowing I get on one in about ten minutes if I want to. I love that people at work want to go for bike rides. I love that tonight we watched The Sandlot on the lawn and tomorrow there are ten places to go running that I've never seen before. We're coming up on the anniversary of that email from my friend saying, "there is this job in the Springs...are you at all interested?"
Best yes I ever said. I'll be John Denver would agree.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Law
Of course the day you run into the cute snowboarder you met at the Olympics and haven't seen since the day you left Vancouver, it would be after a nine hour flight when your makeup has worn off and you didn't even bother to comb your hair.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Unknown
I was cleaning up my inbox last week and ran across the first email I wrote to a gentleman who ended up being sort of an important character in my life later on. It's a super casual message and I had no idea at the time that he would become so signifigant to me. He sort of came out of the blue, when I was least expecting, in a way I wouldn't have imagined.
It's been over for awhile but seeing it made me feel good, like when you are so sick of people telling you that you'll meet someone when you stop looking, it's ok to get a reminder that duh, those people are kind of right.
It's been over for awhile but seeing it made me feel good, like when you are so sick of people telling you that you'll meet someone when you stop looking, it's ok to get a reminder that duh, those people are kind of right.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Eve
I head to Salt Lake for my fourth Wasatch Back Relay tomorrow evening. 4 Cliffords, 2 Sanchezes, 2 Holley, one Honorary Cooper Clifford and a Way Rad Rick, my brother-in-law's boyfriend, and a friend Emily and I have been internet stalking for years and finally get to meet in the flesh will all be stuffed into 2 vans for 30 hours and 188 miles that none of us are probably entirely ready for. Four years and I'm still dizzy excited about it. It gets bigger every year which has some drawbacks but I always end up running to all kinds of random old friends, getting a great workout, running under the stars and ending up with a million inside jokes we'll talk about for years. This time around we even got rooms at The Canyons so that post-race we can stumble right into long hotel showers, big soft beds and plenty of time in the hot tub.
Top it all of with getting to meet our newest family member, Wyatt Mark, and give Morgan the tiny LeBron high tops I bought at the Nike store last week and I think I can rightly refer to this weekend as "epic".
Don't worry, with my iPhone charged up and my camera glued to my hand, you probably won't miss much ; )
Top it all of with getting to meet our newest family member, Wyatt Mark, and give Morgan the tiny LeBron high tops I bought at the Nike store last week and I think I can rightly refer to this weekend as "epic".
Don't worry, with my iPhone charged up and my camera glued to my hand, you probably won't miss much ; )
Monday, June 14, 2010
Give a Little
I'm not going to get into specifics because contrary to all the teasing I get, I actually DON'T splash personal information all over the internet, but this last month, someone I love was diagnosed with a particular evil form of cancer.
It just so happens that my amazing friend Lori, who has a fancy job with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, is running the Ragnar Relay this weekend and raising money for her company. Pretty much the whole amount she raises goes directly into research right there at her very Institute so it's basically the best thing you can do with whatever good deed money is burning a hole in your pocket. Every little bit helps.
Check out her link.
http://www.huntsmancancerfoundation.org/onramp
It just so happens that my amazing friend Lori, who has a fancy job with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, is running the Ragnar Relay this weekend and raising money for her company. Pretty much the whole amount she raises goes directly into research right there at her very Institute so it's basically the best thing you can do with whatever good deed money is burning a hole in your pocket. Every little bit helps.
Check out her link.
http://www.huntsmancancerfoundation.org/onramp
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Rest Stop
Dear Dixie Chicks-
Thank you for being so awesome and for reminding me that timelines are all in my head.
I really love this song.
yours,
not in any hurry in COS
Thank you for being so awesome and for reminding me that timelines are all in my head.
I really love this song.
yours,
not in any hurry in COS
Network
I finally got to realize a long held professional dream last week when we spent three days in Portland on the campus of the world's largest sporting goods brand. They'll be clothing the 2012 Olympic Team so we went to see the Spring 11 lines and meet with all the people who will be working on our product assortment. After eight years in that industry-always watching that brand and often feeling jealous of their resources and talent pool-it was certainly thrilling to see behind the curtain a little. Best of all, I think we are on track to do some really cool stuff that the athletes and staff are going to love wearing and that all of you are going to want to buy ; )
The funniest part about spending three days in Portland however, was the fact that there were more people I wanted to squeeze into the brief time I had there than I have managed to make friends with in nearly a year (what???)here in Colorado Springs. We had a design office up there when I was at RYKA so I have quite a few old coworkers and contractors there that I would love to have seen. Portland is also still a relatively affordable city so I have a number of friends who have moved there with their families. The result is that we kept pretty busy with meetings and dinners and I had to settle for about an hour with my dear Emily before she had to go to work and I missed out entirely on everyone else.
I'm not sure it's the actual definition of irony but then I come back to the Springs and go days and days where my social calendar consists of me, myself and I. I can't help wondering if I have missed the point of creating a vast network of people I love when I just move every few years and have to start all over again. Before you feel too sorry for me, I have definitely made some friends here-an odd mix of a few people I knew in previous lives who have ended up here and some new ones I like quite a bit. But sometimes I find myself thinking-do I really have to do this all over again?
Last month I had two visits from good Boston friends. I'm convinced I nearly talked them both to death because it felt so good to be around people I don't have to do the "hey, like me!" tap dance with. It might say something deeper about me that the person I've gotten closest to here in the last nine months is moving in a week.
I never imagined that at 33 it would still be so exhausting and terrifying to make new friends. An example from this very week. I've been hanging out with some girls a mutual friend introduced me to when I first got here. They are all very cool and smart and creative and interesting and I am enjoying broadening my scope beyond the usual Singles Ward crowd (the whole "getting booted from the singles congregation because you turn 31" is a subject for another post entirely. So many mixed feelings there even two years later.). But it's still a new group and although people rarely believe this about me, I'm actually pretty shy. So Friday night one of them mentioned that her friend Tom was going to be showing the USA vs. England World Cup game on his giant home theater screen and I should for sure come over. I had been to a movie night at his place once so he wasn't a complete stranger. Heather called Saturday morning to say she would be late but I should just head over to Tom's so I wouldn't miss any of the game. So even though I can give presentations to CEO's and negotiate with sports agents, I almost came up with an excuse so I wouldn't have to show up by myself. Fortunately the difference between being 16 and being 33 is that instead of indulging your fears and hiding in your room, you suck it up and you go to Tom's anyway and you have a perfectly lovely time watching the game with a bunch of not at all scary people.
It's tempting to think perhaps the solution is to live and work in Colorado Springs but visit my friends and family elsewhere as much as my bank account allows (see "pretty much all of 2010 thus far"). However, I've got myself pretty committed to the Olympics in Russi and Brazil which means, it's probably a good idea to work a little harder here. And when I am in "count my blessings" mode instead of "everything is the worst" pity party mode, the fact that any given Friday night I could transport myself to about 10 cities and have someone I adore to hang out with is a pretty fabulous gift. If Heaven really does turn out to be like my belief system says and we all get to keep being friends for the rest of forever, I'm imagining the most killer eternal block parties. And thus, I should start adding more people to the invite list I suppose.
It won't start this weekend though, I head to SLC this Thursday night for the Fourth Annual Clifford Clan Ragnar Relay fest. After years of threatening to do it, this time finally booked rooms in Park City so post-race we can take stupid long showers, sleep soundly in big beds someone else has to make, sit in the hot tub and eat ourselves silly. I'll have some bonding time with Morgan and new little Wyatt and get to spend Father's Day with my dad for the first time in I don't remember how long.
Speaking of things that are awesome, I can't stop listening to this version of "Poker Face" from Glee. These women are obscenely talented. More of this please Hollywood!
The funniest part about spending three days in Portland however, was the fact that there were more people I wanted to squeeze into the brief time I had there than I have managed to make friends with in nearly a year (what???)here in Colorado Springs. We had a design office up there when I was at RYKA so I have quite a few old coworkers and contractors there that I would love to have seen. Portland is also still a relatively affordable city so I have a number of friends who have moved there with their families. The result is that we kept pretty busy with meetings and dinners and I had to settle for about an hour with my dear Emily before she had to go to work and I missed out entirely on everyone else.
I'm not sure it's the actual definition of irony but then I come back to the Springs and go days and days where my social calendar consists of me, myself and I. I can't help wondering if I have missed the point of creating a vast network of people I love when I just move every few years and have to start all over again. Before you feel too sorry for me, I have definitely made some friends here-an odd mix of a few people I knew in previous lives who have ended up here and some new ones I like quite a bit. But sometimes I find myself thinking-do I really have to do this all over again?
Last month I had two visits from good Boston friends. I'm convinced I nearly talked them both to death because it felt so good to be around people I don't have to do the "hey, like me!" tap dance with. It might say something deeper about me that the person I've gotten closest to here in the last nine months is moving in a week.
I never imagined that at 33 it would still be so exhausting and terrifying to make new friends. An example from this very week. I've been hanging out with some girls a mutual friend introduced me to when I first got here. They are all very cool and smart and creative and interesting and I am enjoying broadening my scope beyond the usual Singles Ward crowd (the whole "getting booted from the singles congregation because you turn 31" is a subject for another post entirely. So many mixed feelings there even two years later.). But it's still a new group and although people rarely believe this about me, I'm actually pretty shy. So Friday night one of them mentioned that her friend Tom was going to be showing the USA vs. England World Cup game on his giant home theater screen and I should for sure come over. I had been to a movie night at his place once so he wasn't a complete stranger. Heather called Saturday morning to say she would be late but I should just head over to Tom's so I wouldn't miss any of the game. So even though I can give presentations to CEO's and negotiate with sports agents, I almost came up with an excuse so I wouldn't have to show up by myself. Fortunately the difference between being 16 and being 33 is that instead of indulging your fears and hiding in your room, you suck it up and you go to Tom's anyway and you have a perfectly lovely time watching the game with a bunch of not at all scary people.
It's tempting to think perhaps the solution is to live and work in Colorado Springs but visit my friends and family elsewhere as much as my bank account allows (see "pretty much all of 2010 thus far"). However, I've got myself pretty committed to the Olympics in Russi and Brazil which means, it's probably a good idea to work a little harder here. And when I am in "count my blessings" mode instead of "everything is the worst" pity party mode, the fact that any given Friday night I could transport myself to about 10 cities and have someone I adore to hang out with is a pretty fabulous gift. If Heaven really does turn out to be like my belief system says and we all get to keep being friends for the rest of forever, I'm imagining the most killer eternal block parties. And thus, I should start adding more people to the invite list I suppose.
It won't start this weekend though, I head to SLC this Thursday night for the Fourth Annual Clifford Clan Ragnar Relay fest. After years of threatening to do it, this time finally booked rooms in Park City so post-race we can take stupid long showers, sleep soundly in big beds someone else has to make, sit in the hot tub and eat ourselves silly. I'll have some bonding time with Morgan and new little Wyatt and get to spend Father's Day with my dad for the first time in I don't remember how long.
Speaking of things that are awesome, I can't stop listening to this version of "Poker Face" from Glee. These women are obscenely talented. More of this please Hollywood!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Circle
I'm not sure what kind of steriods 2010 is on but it seems to be attempting to crush the last few years. The amount of major life events in the space of five months is making me dizzy. Just the last three weeks I had a sister wedding, new babies for my brother and several dear friends, some difficult health news in the family, said goodbye to a favorite coworker and friend, and got the sad news that one of my key volunteers passed away last weekend in a biking accident. To say it's been an emotionally charged few weeks is something of an understatement. I've been in some kind of heightened state pretty much all the time and it's ranged from being so blissfully happy to some kind of heartbroken.
My experience with death is extremely limited. My paternal grandparents both died a long time ago and although I certainly loved them, they were old and tired. I've never lost someone I knew well. Ron was a retired guy here in the Springs who really loved the Olympics and did a ton of volunteer work for us. He spent hours and hours with us in the warehouse counting apparel and getting things ready and we liked him so much, we ended up taking him with us to Vancouver. He was a rock star for the three weeks he spent with us and became a favorite among the other volunteers, the hotel staff, and even the athletes. He was 67 years old but was still running and biking nearly every day. I saw Ron in spandex probably more than I really wanted to those weeks. I had actually met with him just two days before his accident to talk about projects coming up that I wanted him to help with.
A few of us from work went to his funeral. It was at a beautiful garden that usually hosts weddings but was a pretty perfect place for a guy who spent most of his retirement outside. He had been the Dean of Students at UCCS here in town and was active with lots of volunteer groups and running/biking clubs so the place was packed.
It was a really nice service. He had lived a rich life and people all had such wonderful things to say about him. But one thing that kept hitting me was that no one talked about his career accomplishments. He certainly had them, but that wasn't what anyone focused on. People talked about his sense of adventure, his love for his family, what a good friend he was, how honest and kind and full of integrity he was. His kids talked about having had a very present and supportive father. I do know that funerals are obviously a time to say nice things about the person but it was so clear that this man had been a good good person and it wasn't hard for those who loved him to gush.
I have been thinking so much since the service about the things that have or haven't been important to me in the last few years. I have to confess that I do take a lot of pride in my career accomplishments. And sometimes I get my identity a little wrapped up in what I do for a living. When I was feeling so out of my element in Boston, it affected the way I saw myself far more than it probably should have. But now that I have that aspect back in balance, and I'm feeling happier at work than I have in years and years, I'm anxious to concentrate more on what kind of person I want to be. Which means working harder to be patient, to be generous, to forgive and forget faster, to worry less, to apologize more sincerely, to be brave, to be teachable.
My Mission President gave me all kinds of great advice that I still think about ten years later but one thing he said that I truly believe is that people end up getting the thing they really want. I'm trying to make sure that what I really, really want is just to be good. I have this feeling that if that is the guiding principle of my life, I can't go too far wrong.
I've thought about Ron on every run and bike ride I've been on since the accident-I feel some sort of responsibility to take advantage of the beautiful place he loved so much and to take care of the strong, healthy body I have. Ron delighted in teasing me about my dating life. I like to think that now he's somewhere bugging my guardian angels to find someone for me.
We'll miss you Ron Wisner.
My experience with death is extremely limited. My paternal grandparents both died a long time ago and although I certainly loved them, they were old and tired. I've never lost someone I knew well. Ron was a retired guy here in the Springs who really loved the Olympics and did a ton of volunteer work for us. He spent hours and hours with us in the warehouse counting apparel and getting things ready and we liked him so much, we ended up taking him with us to Vancouver. He was a rock star for the three weeks he spent with us and became a favorite among the other volunteers, the hotel staff, and even the athletes. He was 67 years old but was still running and biking nearly every day. I saw Ron in spandex probably more than I really wanted to those weeks. I had actually met with him just two days before his accident to talk about projects coming up that I wanted him to help with.
A few of us from work went to his funeral. It was at a beautiful garden that usually hosts weddings but was a pretty perfect place for a guy who spent most of his retirement outside. He had been the Dean of Students at UCCS here in town and was active with lots of volunteer groups and running/biking clubs so the place was packed.
It was a really nice service. He had lived a rich life and people all had such wonderful things to say about him. But one thing that kept hitting me was that no one talked about his career accomplishments. He certainly had them, but that wasn't what anyone focused on. People talked about his sense of adventure, his love for his family, what a good friend he was, how honest and kind and full of integrity he was. His kids talked about having had a very present and supportive father. I do know that funerals are obviously a time to say nice things about the person but it was so clear that this man had been a good good person and it wasn't hard for those who loved him to gush.
I have been thinking so much since the service about the things that have or haven't been important to me in the last few years. I have to confess that I do take a lot of pride in my career accomplishments. And sometimes I get my identity a little wrapped up in what I do for a living. When I was feeling so out of my element in Boston, it affected the way I saw myself far more than it probably should have. But now that I have that aspect back in balance, and I'm feeling happier at work than I have in years and years, I'm anxious to concentrate more on what kind of person I want to be. Which means working harder to be patient, to be generous, to forgive and forget faster, to worry less, to apologize more sincerely, to be brave, to be teachable.
My Mission President gave me all kinds of great advice that I still think about ten years later but one thing he said that I truly believe is that people end up getting the thing they really want. I'm trying to make sure that what I really, really want is just to be good. I have this feeling that if that is the guiding principle of my life, I can't go too far wrong.
I've thought about Ron on every run and bike ride I've been on since the accident-I feel some sort of responsibility to take advantage of the beautiful place he loved so much and to take care of the strong, healthy body I have. Ron delighted in teasing me about my dating life. I like to think that now he's somewhere bugging my guardian angels to find someone for me.
We'll miss you Ron Wisner.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Little Feet
As if my sister getting hitched wasn't enough excitement for 2010-we added another baby to our nephew pool last night!
Wyatt Mark was born 10 minutes after his parents got to the hospital, I guess when it's time to come out, it's time to come out!
The good news is I only have to wait a few weeks to meet the little weasel because the Wasatch Back Relay is just around the corner. I wonder how a newborn would fare in the car with us for 30 hours?
With this new arrival, I'm pretty sure we've hit our quota of major family events for the year.
Major congrats to Christopher, Tasha and Mr. Morgan, the world's most adorable big brother.
Wyatt Mark was born 10 minutes after his parents got to the hospital, I guess when it's time to come out, it's time to come out!
The good news is I only have to wait a few weeks to meet the little weasel because the Wasatch Back Relay is just around the corner. I wonder how a newborn would fare in the car with us for 30 hours?
With this new arrival, I'm pretty sure we've hit our quota of major family events for the year.
Major congrats to Christopher, Tasha and Mr. Morgan, the world's most adorable big brother.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sister wedding weekend came and went far, far too quickly. I wish I had about ten more siblings because Clifford’s sure know how to pack a lot of fun into a few days.
Some highlights
• My friend Jimmy’s sister is the famous Sweet Tooth Fairy and he made five dozen super delicious cupcakes for our family dinner the night before the wedding. But not only were they great for eating, one of them made the ultimate sacrifice so that for once in my life, I got the upper hand with one of my brothers. Logan never even saw it coming and although I knew the second the frosting smeared across his face that it would end badly for me, those three to five minutes of him covered in cupcake are moments I will forever treasure. Another five minutes later I was pinned to the deck with a bowl of fruit salad being spooned into my hair and cupcake frosting in my ears. Worth it.
• We have a dear friend who is a hair stylist and cuts pretty much everyone in the family. She talked me into bangs. They are hot. Hot is the way the spinster oldest sisters should look at a wedding. Thanks Marian.
• Spoiler alert-nephew bragging coming! THEY ARE SO FREAKING ADORABLE. They are a perfect example of how wonderfully personal it is to be a human. Almost everyone on the planet has been and Aunt or an Uncle. It’s not anything unusual, and every last one of us was a baby at some point. But these two are absolute miracles to me. They are funny and they are sweet and when they are around I just don’t want to be anywhere else. It’s a huge relief when they are crying or cranky and I can give them back but if being a parent means being even more in love with a little creature than I am with these guys then I think every cheesy cliché about a mother’s love is probably still inadequate to explain what it really feels like. And on a shallow competitive Aunt note, they are really, really cute little boys.
• My sister throws one heck of a party. She did so much herself on a tight budget and it was beautiful and creative and classy-just like my little sister.
• My friend Mark, who is crazy talented and who shoots rock stars for crying out loud, worked his tail off and charmed great photos out of everyone from the mother of the bride to crying toddlers.
• I always say the only two things I care about in a wedding are the photos and the dress. Once again, sister turned up the awesome with a dress designed by a girl she found on Etsy. It was so fresh and sophisticated. Emily is a pretty girl anyway but she was stunning on Saturday.
• My family…oh my family. When I go back to Utah it’s always so hard because I have LOADS of people that I love there and I always want to see them. But then I’m sitting in Christopher and Tasha’s kitchen and Logan and Kristen come over and I never want to leave. Let me be clear that our family has been through our share of tough times. Divorce, illness, financial issues-it hasn’t always been a cake walk. And growing up, I was irritated at the little ones more often than not. All younger siblings do is get into your stuff and follow you around when you are trying to play with your friends. But everyone has turned out to be such a delightful, responsible, fun adult. And then four of them have made pretty stellar choices in mates. I have these three sisters-in-law who are smart and interesting and beautiful and independent and who all support and push my brothers to be better. And our very first brother-in-law has turned out to be quite a gem as well. And watching him adore Emily and treat her just like you hope someone will love your little sister, I’m thrilled that he’s stuck with us now. I feel lucky too that in this marriage obsessed religious culture I grew up in, I have never felt an ounce of pressure from my parents or grandparents or extended family about the fact that I am still single. They never make me feel like they are worried about me or think my life is sad or less full than the marrieds. I know they all want me to be happy and to find someone to be with but I never, ever feel any disappointment which is always such a relief.
The real joy of the weekend was seeing my sister so happy. She’s been so mature throughout this whole engagement, always focused on the fact that no matter what else happened that day, at the end of it she would be married to the boy of her dreams. There are a whole bunch of really tender posts on her blog about getting married that made me so proud of her and her adult perspective on the things that really matter. No talk of how big her ring was, she wanted a chair instead that would symbolize them starting a home together. She definitely wanted a fun wedding but it was always so balanced with how excited she was to be ending up with Aaron.
When I was a junior in college, Emily and her friend Libby came to visit me for a weekend at SUU. Of course I loved my sister and we have lots of fun memories growing up but in those few days, it dawned on me that hey, she was way more than a little sibling, we might actually be able to be friends. I’m five years older but I am constantly finding reasons to admire her. She is creative and fun and soft-hearted. She is a thoughtful friend and a good listener and advice giver. I have called her in full meltdown mode over boys and life choices so many times and she is always patient no matter how nutso she must think I am. She comes to visit me even when I live far away and always leaves my house ten times cuter than she found it.
My access to Emily changes now that she is married and even though I love Aaron, it makes me want to punch him a little bit. I know he realizes what a prize he got but I think he’s going to discover more and more as time goes by that she really is one of the best of the best. Watching so many people come to her wedding who love her made me wish I had spent less time trying to get her out of my room when we were little.
It was never part of my teenage fantasies that I would go to four younger sibling weddings alone and I won’t lie, there have been some good cries and a few, “wait really??” moments for sure. But I adore that girl and Saturday I just about burst with joy imagining all the good, good things in her life right now. And today when I got a text from her FROM HER HONEYMOON asking what that drink is that I like from Starbucks so she could get one (make that two! Good girl Em), I was happy to be able to provide some older sister wisdom.
Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez!!
Some highlights
• My friend Jimmy’s sister is the famous Sweet Tooth Fairy and he made five dozen super delicious cupcakes for our family dinner the night before the wedding. But not only were they great for eating, one of them made the ultimate sacrifice so that for once in my life, I got the upper hand with one of my brothers. Logan never even saw it coming and although I knew the second the frosting smeared across his face that it would end badly for me, those three to five minutes of him covered in cupcake are moments I will forever treasure. Another five minutes later I was pinned to the deck with a bowl of fruit salad being spooned into my hair and cupcake frosting in my ears. Worth it.
• We have a dear friend who is a hair stylist and cuts pretty much everyone in the family. She talked me into bangs. They are hot. Hot is the way the spinster oldest sisters should look at a wedding. Thanks Marian.
• Spoiler alert-nephew bragging coming! THEY ARE SO FREAKING ADORABLE. They are a perfect example of how wonderfully personal it is to be a human. Almost everyone on the planet has been and Aunt or an Uncle. It’s not anything unusual, and every last one of us was a baby at some point. But these two are absolute miracles to me. They are funny and they are sweet and when they are around I just don’t want to be anywhere else. It’s a huge relief when they are crying or cranky and I can give them back but if being a parent means being even more in love with a little creature than I am with these guys then I think every cheesy cliché about a mother’s love is probably still inadequate to explain what it really feels like. And on a shallow competitive Aunt note, they are really, really cute little boys.
• My sister throws one heck of a party. She did so much herself on a tight budget and it was beautiful and creative and classy-just like my little sister.
• My friend Mark, who is crazy talented and who shoots rock stars for crying out loud, worked his tail off and charmed great photos out of everyone from the mother of the bride to crying toddlers.
• I always say the only two things I care about in a wedding are the photos and the dress. Once again, sister turned up the awesome with a dress designed by a girl she found on Etsy. It was so fresh and sophisticated. Emily is a pretty girl anyway but she was stunning on Saturday.
• My family…oh my family. When I go back to Utah it’s always so hard because I have LOADS of people that I love there and I always want to see them. But then I’m sitting in Christopher and Tasha’s kitchen and Logan and Kristen come over and I never want to leave. Let me be clear that our family has been through our share of tough times. Divorce, illness, financial issues-it hasn’t always been a cake walk. And growing up, I was irritated at the little ones more often than not. All younger siblings do is get into your stuff and follow you around when you are trying to play with your friends. But everyone has turned out to be such a delightful, responsible, fun adult. And then four of them have made pretty stellar choices in mates. I have these three sisters-in-law who are smart and interesting and beautiful and independent and who all support and push my brothers to be better. And our very first brother-in-law has turned out to be quite a gem as well. And watching him adore Emily and treat her just like you hope someone will love your little sister, I’m thrilled that he’s stuck with us now. I feel lucky too that in this marriage obsessed religious culture I grew up in, I have never felt an ounce of pressure from my parents or grandparents or extended family about the fact that I am still single. They never make me feel like they are worried about me or think my life is sad or less full than the marrieds. I know they all want me to be happy and to find someone to be with but I never, ever feel any disappointment which is always such a relief.
The real joy of the weekend was seeing my sister so happy. She’s been so mature throughout this whole engagement, always focused on the fact that no matter what else happened that day, at the end of it she would be married to the boy of her dreams. There are a whole bunch of really tender posts on her blog about getting married that made me so proud of her and her adult perspective on the things that really matter. No talk of how big her ring was, she wanted a chair instead that would symbolize them starting a home together. She definitely wanted a fun wedding but it was always so balanced with how excited she was to be ending up with Aaron.
When I was a junior in college, Emily and her friend Libby came to visit me for a weekend at SUU. Of course I loved my sister and we have lots of fun memories growing up but in those few days, it dawned on me that hey, she was way more than a little sibling, we might actually be able to be friends. I’m five years older but I am constantly finding reasons to admire her. She is creative and fun and soft-hearted. She is a thoughtful friend and a good listener and advice giver. I have called her in full meltdown mode over boys and life choices so many times and she is always patient no matter how nutso she must think I am. She comes to visit me even when I live far away and always leaves my house ten times cuter than she found it.
My access to Emily changes now that she is married and even though I love Aaron, it makes me want to punch him a little bit. I know he realizes what a prize he got but I think he’s going to discover more and more as time goes by that she really is one of the best of the best. Watching so many people come to her wedding who love her made me wish I had spent less time trying to get her out of my room when we were little.
It was never part of my teenage fantasies that I would go to four younger sibling weddings alone and I won’t lie, there have been some good cries and a few, “wait really??” moments for sure. But I adore that girl and Saturday I just about burst with joy imagining all the good, good things in her life right now. And today when I got a text from her FROM HER HONEYMOON asking what that drink is that I like from Starbucks so she could get one (make that two! Good girl Em), I was happy to be able to provide some older sister wisdom.
Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez!!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Mission accomplished
Sister-radiant, weather-perfect, family-happy, friends-abundant.
Weekend an utter and complete success. Details when I don't have to type them on an iPhone.
Weekend an utter and complete success. Details when I don't have to type them on an iPhone.
Monday, May 10, 2010
(explosion sound here)
So all of the sudden the wedding that felt months away is in four days and I have a giant presentation due five hours before I get on the plane. It's making this week feel like it's on warp speed. And for some reason I thought Diet Coke at 9:30 was a great idea even thought what I clearly need is some sleep before I go home and live in the Clifford family talk until the middle of the night no matter how much we have to get done the next day crazy nuthouse schedule.
I have things to say and a post about another stellar May weekend but I have GOT to see what I can do about getting my eyes to close.
I have things to say and a post about another stellar May weekend but I have GOT to see what I can do about getting my eyes to close.
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