So, it's like 100 degrees here.

And it has been for the last three days. We've been dying of heat, and annoyed that we already have to blast the air conditioning. (Isn't there supposed to be a break in the seasons between heating and cooling the house?)

Anyway, to get me through it, I made this fun purchase that I've already enjoyed, after sweating through several errands. Pools aren't open yet, and the heat/humidity here is quite miserable. It's actually quite big, so come on over if you want to escape the heat like I did.

It's supposed to get back down to the sixties later this week, but I'm now aware, and reminded that the horrid summer days are well on their way. Might as well be prepared, right?

Give my regards to Broadway.

So, it was a quick trip to NYC, and we're back to tell the tale. It was a great time with Mom and Dad Robinson. They were awesome, taking us around, and showing us the sights. They had been there for a few days, and had their feet on the ground. We stayed in the amazing Marriott Marquis, and I'm telling you, that is the way to go. It was right in the middle of the city, within close reach of everything. Here's a lowdown on our trip.


We got an early start, to catch our bus by 7:30 am. We had to park near the bus stop, take that bus to the metro, and walk a few blocks in DC to get to the actual bus that was taking us to NYC. Not too convenient, but not too bad either. This is KC still in DC on the way to out Bolt Bus.


It was an uneventful ride, which is always nice, and we were greeted by Janice and Clyde where bus let us off. While walking the streets, we did a little shopping, and then hopped in a cab to take us to the Hotel. This is KC in the scary cab. They are seriously nuts, those drivers, but at least they got us there fast.
We freshened up, dropped off our belongings, and went to eat lunch at this awesome burger place across the street from the hotel, Juniors. They give you pickles and pickled cabbage when you sit down (which I loved, of course). And as you can see, they served us the most massive plate of a giant steak burger, onions rings, and steak fries. Yeah, we were pretty stuffed, even sharing and all.
The weather was quite nice. I kept taking off, and putting on my jacket, but I like it that way, not too hot, not too cold.

We decided to take on of those tour bus rides that we got to sit on the roof and see all the sights. We got a bunch of fun facts about the architecture, what celebrities live in what apartment buildings, where the plane landed on the Hudson River, and where certain scenes of Seinfeld were shot, etc. Yeah, we were the ultimate tourists. We were also pleased to pass the temple. It's quite small among all the giant buildings. You really have to search for that Angel Moroni (below).
Then we perused FAO Schwartz. I took this picture for Lili. And of course we had to see the infamous giant piano, made famous from the movie BIG. I didn't stand in line to play a little "Heart and Souls", but it was fun nonetheless.



And instead of waiting in the two hour line to go to the top of the Empire State Building, we went to the Top of the Rock instead. Turns out the Rockefeller Center started to do the same kind of things a few years ago, and with the same view, and only a fraction of the wait, we were happy with this option. And we could see the Empire State Building, instead of standing on it. Win, win.
The next morning, we decided to go see the Statue of Liberty first. We took the [frightening] subway to battery park, and made our way to the back of the loooooong line, which moved surprisingly fast. We took the ferry to Liberty Island, and enjoyed the massiveness and architecture of the statue, and of course the skyline of the city. Then we took the ferry again, to Ellis Island, where the others took and audio tour while I just enjoyed the scenery. It was such a beautiful day.
After that, which isn't pictured because I was worn out by then, was ground zero. It was just so weird, and eerie. There used to be giant buildings right there, and now it's a construction sight. But it was interesting to see the future plans for what they are building. We ate lunch in the building near the sight, and then had to make our way back to catch our 4:30 bus.

This is what we felt like on our bus ride home. Exhausted. But we were so happy we went to play with Mom and Dad. They were so nice to invite us along, and we were happy to have an excuse to go to this great (though incredibly crowded and smelly in parts) city.

Our bus ride home was more eventful (detours, stop-and-go traffic, and rain, ugh) than the one there, but we eventually made it to DC, which seemed so much more serene, homey, and sanitary than in had before were were in NYC. It was pouring rain on our walk to the metro, and the bus we took to the metro wasn't running that late on a Saturday. But with New York still fresh in our minds, we thought to call a cab, and were finally home in our own territory, free of public transportation.

Until next time, New York.

Because I can.

KC and I are currently on a 4+ hour express bus ride to NYC. We chose BoltBus as we were buying out tickets last night, and I have to say, it's quite enjoyable with the comfortable seats and footrests. And yes, it has free Wi-Fi, which is how I am writing this post this morning. It definitely the way to travel, having the internet, with hours of entertainment at my fingertips.

We are excited about this little jaunt we are taking. It is, afterall, KC's first time in the big city. His parents are there for business/pleasure, and we couldn't pass up the oppotunity to join them while they were on the east coast. They even are staying at the Marriott write smack-dab in the middle of Times Square. Can't beat that.

So of course, there will be a post following this is a couple days with pictures, etc. of what our trip consisted of, but for now, I am mostly writing, just because I can.

New York, here we come!

Mom came for Easter!

One reason for my lack of posts is that I've been busy hangin' with my mom. I LOVE having her here with me, especially now that we're all alone here on the East Coast, as far as family goes. We didn't have many set plans for her visit, so we just did things on a whim, or just sat around watching movies together. (We really got into the Masterpiece Classic "Little Dorrit" on PBS. Two episodes left. It's getting good!) I think I learned my homebody-ness from my mom, so we get along quite well in that respect, and enjoy just sitting around the house together. We also are alike in our love of shopping, so we had to indulge a little while we were together. I've said it before-she is my good luck charm when we go shopping together. I always find deals I can't pass up.

We weren't so enthusiastic about any Easter festivities since there were no kids around to make it fun, but we did make a miniature (there are only three of us eating) traditional meal with all the trimmings, and had strawberry shortcake for dessert, and we did not forget to get some candy on sale the next day. Those Cadbury eggs were going fast.
We cooked together (well, she did most if not ALL the cooking), went on several scenic walks in the new and gorgeous warm weather around the neighborhood, and I just enjoyed her presence in my little residence. I get so lonely sometimes during the day, so it made a huge difference with her here. I wish she was here still now, and every day. In fact, I just kind of wish I lived closer to my entire family that are all together. I know that day will come someday, but for now, KC and I will just stick it out together, and enjoy the visits from any family members that want to come, and they know they are always welcome. That drive home from the airport after dropping someone off will never get easier for me. The only thing that keeps me from crying is the crazy DC freeways and traffic. Otherwise, I'd be a mess.

Oh, and, for our last hurrah, Mom and I went to one of my faves around here, Eggspectation. We were silly to each get our own HUGE stack of the same pancake breakfast. We barely made a dent.

I miss her so.

Honestly? People are falling for this rubbish?

I couldn't have said this better myself.

Thanks for the laughs Matty.

Must. . .stay. . .awake.

Am I the only one who inevitable falls asleep during part of conference? I'm sure I'm not. It seems since I've been an adult, this has been so hard for me. We try to make it a habit to watch some of the talks that we/I missed over the next few months for family night. You know, like one every Monday or something. And it seems to work pretty well. But there is something about the soft-spoken voices, and the sweet sounds of the choir (Yeah, Aunt Belinda!) that just set me off into a wonderful restful nap. I really do look forward to listening the leaders of our church and the council they have to give, but I'm just cursed. Maybe I should take up caffeine during conference. Ha!

KC is at the temple visitor's center with a new member so he can watch it there. But I don't think that would even work for me. Even when I went to the conference center in Utah for a session, I was still nodding off. At least at home, I don't get super annoyed that I'm tired, like I would in the uncomfortable seats. Sometimes I bake during the sessions and have it loud enough to hear throughout the house, but I don't think I'm planning on that today. At least I know the words are forever recorded on the website to refer to later on.

We'll see how much I make it through this session. . .

Tissues seem to be my best friend this week.

So, I suppose it's high time I update. I know it's been a while, but I've been battling this annoying chest cold, sinus thing that has really has me down for a few days. I always hear that the more rest and the more fluids, the sooner you start to feel better, so that has been my goal. I'm getting a little cabin fever, especially since we've have gorgeous weather this week (nearly 80s today) and KC had to work the majority of Saturday (though, when he got home, we played a good round of Farkle, in which my luck completely dominated, and we had a good laugh about it), and his Sunday is filled with obligations. Meanwhile, I sit here at home trying to find new places to lie down as to not get too bored. I tried reading outside for a while today, but actually got too warm, and fear getting sunburned. Imagine that. But the fresh air, and needed vitamin D felt great. I hoping this constant need of tissues, and chest congestion will be over soon so I can take advantage of this much awaited sunshine. But in the meantime, my windows, and shades are open so I can enjoy it as much as possible while inside. Unless of course, it's nap time, and I want it dark and quiet.

Oh, sounds like KC just walked in. I get him for 15 minutes until his next appointment. I better say hi.

P.S. I wish I was this cute when I'm sick. I'm not so lucky.

Serious Nostalgia

I remember few things about my first day in Kindergarten. Riding the bus for the first time, sitting on the rug with my new classmates all listening intently to the teacher, and talking to Megan Lamoreaux (currently Megan Wilson). I'll always remember her as the first person I talk to in elementary school. We remained good friends during all of k-6, and even went to the same high school where we saw each other often. As it happens with most close relationships from our younger years, life changes and people grow apart. But, it's good remember the good times from the past. I was delighted to get an email from Megan a couple days ago. Here are some of it's contents:

So, I am currently going through a huge bin that my mom just gave me. 
It is filled with old school stuff from way back in kindergarten.  I
found this card from you.  It is so fun.  I'm not sure when you made
it, but I thought I'd share.

On the front:

YOU'RE
   My Best
friend
(2 stick figures are are the bottom


Inside the card:

Dear Megan,
I like you alot!
you were the
first person I
talked to in all
the school years!
"CAN YOU
     BELEVE
 IT!:
"well anyway"
you're never mad
at me and
you're never
mean to me
that's why you're
my Best frind.

YOU'RE
GOOD
friend
EMILY

here is a luck teddy
BEAR
from Me
of corse on the front.

I was so touched that she took the time to send this to me. The memories of my childhood came flooding back. I'll have to go through some old stuff to see what treasures I can dig up. Thanks again Meg.

Of course

So I left my house first thing after waking up to help KC drop his car off at the shop and get him to work. Thinking I wouldn't see anyone, or even get out of the car, I didn't bother to get ready in the least. I was a complete scrounge from head to toe. A perfect candidate for Ambush Makeover complete a mismatched outfit of tennis shoes, baggy yoga pants, layers of clothing and a hat trying to cover up my mess of dirty hair.

Wanting to be productive with my drive home, I decided to stop in the drug store for something that has been on my list for a while. Either I didn't care that I looked like that, or I forgot, but it was this trip to the drug store that a very kind middle-aged man was looking for make-up and asked my advice. (And that is a story in and of itself. He needed it for another man, whose bald head was too shiny for being on camera or something so he needed translucent powder.) I kind of wanted to ask him if it really looked like I, without a stitch of makeup on, knew anything about make-up, but I just proceeded to help him out until he found what he was looking for. He must've given me the benefit of the doubt, or was desperate, so any female was better than nothing. He said he was completely overwhelmed, and I was too a little bit with the gigantic selection. I mean, I think we girls all have our favorites when it comes to makeup, so I was also exploring new territory. But I guess I had a little more experience than he did.

I promptly went home, showered, and slapped on the makeup, even though I don't have anywhere else to go today. It was just to make myself feel better.

It's time

I suppose I should finally write this and get it over with. I know it will make me sad since I've been trying not to think about it. But when you write, you have to think, so I have to come to grips with reality.

The Turpins, my sister Cami and her family, are moving from Maryland to Utah this very day. We've been with them the last couple days helping with cleaning, packing, or baby watching, and it was just weird looking around at the emptiness of the house and knowing we won't be going there again. Yes, I am happy that they are doing what's best for their family, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I'm going to be selfish for just a moment and say why I'm not so thrilled about this idea.

They have lived in Columbia, and I used to live with them when I moved to Maryland, so Columbia still feels like home to me. I love the shopping there, the majority of my doctors are there, and it's just a good place to be. So when I go there for these things, I like to be able to either stop at their house to hang out, have a snack (they are always so nice to let me help myself), call to see if she wants to meet me at the mall for some fun, or to play with the kiddies. It was just like I had another place to call home. Now I'll feel almost like a stranger there. Even though I still have friends in the area, it won't be quite the same. We loved having family to have dinner with on Sunday evenings, or watch movies at their house with 4 dollar Harris Teeter hogies on Friday nights. The kids know us and we know them. I don't want that to change. And what about the holidays?We loved spending Easter, Thanksgiving, and sometimes Christmas with them. And also, they are moving where EVERYONE else in my family, and most of KC's family happens to be. At least within a 30 min. drive of everyone. So it's just lonely KC and me over here, all the way across the country.

So, now that my pity-party is over, I'll go ahead and say that I am very happy for them. Jake has a new job that I hope that I hope is just what they've been looking for. It's nice to have lots of family around, and that is what they will have. They get to build their dream-house, and who doesn't love that? The boys will have lots of cousins to play with, and will finally know their other aunts and uncles. We will see them again, and a lot. I mean, it's inevitable since everyone else is there. And since we are not planning to stay here forever, it would be completely selfish for me to not want anyone else to go where they feel is best. Plus, we scored on some perishables and other stuff they couldn't fit in the truck. And you know what, KC and I are okay here by ourselves. We were lucky, and spoiled to have family near us in the first place. We have made great friends, and have a life here. So they are not abandoning us, but we will certainly miss them.

So all that being said, it's funny how things change and life just goes on. When I think of where my life is, really just beginning, I wonder what twists and turns will present themselves. Some have already been made known, but I am aware that things are bound to change more and more in ways that I would've never thought my life would. And I'm okay with that. I like change. I always have. I like a challenge (though not too challenging, please), and am actually really good at adapting to new situations. These past several years in Maryland, I have gone through some major life changes, and made some hopefully life-long friends. Yet, it's so weird that this time in my life with just be a tiny segment compared to everything else that will follow. Sometimes I get so caught up in the here and now, and I fail to realize that it's only a matter of time before things change.

Weird rant. You'd think we were moving. But we're not, yet. It's the Turpins for now. And boy will they be missed. We LOVE you guys, and can't wait to see you when we visit. But, for now, any visitors will be welcomed with open arms. Of course you always were, but now we need you more than ever.

Here are a few pics from our final hang with the fam. We tried to go to the Arboretum for a picnic on Sunday evening, but it was closed. We chose a cute park instead and it was fun all the same.

Jane had fun lounging on the air mattress with a tutu on afterward. She found a pacifier that Iris left at my house once. Jane has never really used one, but she really seemed to like it that day.

I might as well add some pictures from a different picnic last Saturday. Everyone was giddy with the warm weather so, we took full advantage of it. After a nice lunch, they broke out the boccie. I don't think I could describe more perfect weather than last weekend.

Soakin' in some vitamin D

So, on Monday it looked like this, and today it is 70ish and sunny. I daresay hot, even. I was just cutting KC's hair outside (I love when it's warm enough to do that-much easier cleanup) and we were seriously starting to break a sweat. What is going down here? I hope it's not a tease. I really need that warm sun. I think it's supposed to go back down again next week, but I just might get away with no tights tomorrow. I guess it's time to paint the toenails and break out the flip flops. I feel an arboretum picnic coming on.

Richard Hayden: [watching Tommy squirt catsup into his mouth] "Ugh, I can actually hear you getting fatter."

Am I the only one that hasn't heard about Heart Attack Grill? I found out about this horrible place during my daily jaunt to fatwallett.com. It lets you know about daily deals a promotions. One of them happened to be to the aforementioned place. The promotion was:

Over 350 lbs? Free all you can eat . . just pay for drink.

Anyone over 350 lbs eats for free. All day. everyday unlimited. Must weigh in with Doctor or Nurse (waitress) before each burger. No taking food to go. No sharing with others. Does not include beverage.

Confused, and scared for the consumers, I started reading the forum and comments to find out if this place is for real, thinking it was another Onion News spoof. I found their website (which I am purposely not going to provide a link to due to scantily-clad waitresses. Should you find it on your own, don't say I didn't warn you. I am not responsible.) and was utterly and completely appalled. And not just because of the skanky waitresses, or as they are called in the restaurant, "nurses", but also because I felt last night's dinner rising as I simply watched the videos looking at what they sold. Anything from single to "quadruple bypass burgers", and all you can eat "flatliner fries". No lettuce or diet drinks allowed, and everything is fried in lard. And I think the waitresses even wheel you to your car in a wheel chair. I feel greasy just writing this.

There are a number of news programs about them on youtube, but again I don't want them present on my blog, as to not offend. One that I think is appropriate to show, might give you the idea.

This owner, i.e. "doctor" (ugh) seems completely delusional and self absorbed. I am literally disgusted with this man, his ethics, and his establishment. The irony to me finding this right now, is that the other day KC accidentally brought me home a "regular hamburger" from Five Guys burger containing two patties (of course they call the regular so you accidentally order it when you meant the smaller one) when I usually have a hard time finishing the "little hamburger" containing one patty. The burgers aren't grossly huge at Five Guys, but certainly filling. Especially with their amazing fries. So I took one of the patties out so I was able to eat it without feeling too stuffed or too guilty. Had I seen this before eating my burger, I would've felt a lot different about the size of my burger (though I still would've taken the extra patty out.)

Those poor, tempted souls that actually give into this mess. I hope they start watching Biggest Loser or some kind of inspiration soon so they might actually get to live a little longer.

Three years baby!

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary. Crazy how time has flown. It seems like just yesterday that Grandpa Carlson was sealing us in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. What a wonderful day with so many friends and family to support us.

I remember thinking that I never wanted newly wedded bliss to end. I would actually get really sad thinking it would someday. But I was naive and didn't realize that not only does it last, but it just gets better. As much as we felt like we knew each other then, we know each other so much better now. And actually, three years is still quite a young relationship. If we've come this far in a few years, think of what will happen in a lifetime. I can't wait! We have been blessed, to put it mildly. Oh, what would I do without my KC. It's almost to hard to put it into words. So I'll leave it at that to avoid cliches and corny phrases that don't actually describe my feelings accurately and give them the credit they deserve.

Anyway, we do have plans to celebrate, but it will be later on this month. Tonight will be a wondrous night full of leftovers for dinner, and mutual at the church. Hey, it's nice to have something to look forward to, right?

I can finally say it.

It's Sno-o-o-owing!
Well it was this morning anyway. I guess there was a little snowfall here while I was on vacation, but this is the first I've seen. It just kept coming down. And don't let those huge, fluffy flakes deceive you. This was heavy, wet, dense snow. Here is my boy hard at work. His back is feeling it tonight. You know, as much as I dislike the cold weather, I do the the peace and tranquility that an untouched snow covered morning brings. And the rest of the day for that matter. With all the schools, and a lot of other places closed, it seems that there was just a contentedness in the air. I myself celebrated this wondrous weather by getting a lot of chores done and watching the kiddos I normally watch. We popped popcorn, and wore our pajamas all day. It was quite cozy. Now, I am ready to move on to warm weather.

Re-post

Do you ever get lost reading your old posts? I'm sure I'm not the only one. Every now and then, when I'm searching for something in particular, or just wanting to reminisce, (or in this case, I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep) I find that I could sit for hours reading about past events. I've been blogging for a few years, being pretty faithful most of the time, so there is quite a lot to read. Some posts are informative, some are embarrassing, and some are just good times. I thought it would be fun to do a little something to give a shout out to those posts that have gone before, and maybe you want to join me. Choose your favorite post, and re-post it for fun.

One that I find particularly true and makes me laugh as I remember the actual occurrence is the one you see below. It was in my first few months as a blogger, and I remember really wanting to record this for the future. We were still newlyweds at the time, and it was so funny to me the way he asks questions, and was so interested in the simplest things. And you know what, he is still the same funny guy. Just a couple days ago, he was like a kid in a candy store when he saw the simple pasta with marinara being prepared when he came home from work. My sweetie.

And now the re-post:

Tuesday, December 12. 2006

KC's Appreciation



I know what you're all thinking. Two posts in one day? But I just had to tell of my appreciation, for my husbands appreciation, for me. As we sat down to our quiche dinner, (Or any dinner for that matter. Tonight it just happened to be quiche.) He was commenting on how good it smelled and how he couldn't wait to eat it. Then when we started eating it, he began to comment on the texture of the flaky crust and how much he was enjoying it. When he finished his wedge, I said "a little more?" and he gave me a very long but sweet explanation for why he wouldn't care for any more. He told me about the level of appreciation he had for the quiche right now. He was satisfied to just the right amount. He told of his appreciation for the meal with one hand and the fullness of his tummy with the other. The higher the fullness hand got, the shorter the rises of the appreciation hand became, and eventually started going down. This shows so well the way KC thinks things though and can explain them a way that I don't think I ever could. I think we all know what he's talking about. I know that some great meals can be ruined if I get too full to remember how delicious the meal really was. All I can think is "I ate way too much." Most of our dinner conversations include questions from KC about what it entailed to make the meal, what this flavor or that flavor was, what ingredients I used, how satisfying it is, and even sometimes he comments on how nice the plate looks (we all know when we've made a nice colorful plate). Not because he's picky, but because he's intrigued. Sometimes I'll anticipate all his questions, and try to remember all the things I put in so that I have an answer for him when we asks. I might even answer before he can ask. Some meals are made from whatever I have to use up in the fridge so I really can't remember what to tell him. These nights I just say, "can we just have dinner and not talk about the food?" Then I feel bad because I really should always be grateful for his constant appreciation for the meals I prepare. Lunches the next day usually come out of dinner the day before so sometimes I even get double appreciation for one meal when he gets home from work and reports on lunch. A friends the other day told me that her husband never says anything about the food she makes. She said she asked once, and he just nodded, shrugged his shoulders and said "yeah, it's good." Why would I ever ask my husband not to appreciate me? I'm a lucky girl. I hope this sticks, along with his daily dish washing.

I'm addicted

I hope it's not too embarrassing to do another post about junk food, but this was too good to go unblogged.

Our friends brought their electric popcorn popper to a game night a while ago, and KC couldn't stop raving about the fresh popcorn flavor. I didn't realize how fond of it he was. KC's sister Michelle also raves about it when made in her Whirly Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper. So a couple days ago on the way to the store, I just decided to slip into Bed Bath and Beyond and buy it on a whim. It also happened to be on sale. Bonus. We counted it as a late Valentines Day, early anniversary (next week-yay!) gift to justify this little indulgence. And I'm telling you, it was worth it. I'm hooked. No more microwave popcorn for us. We inhaled a huge bowl of it while watching the disaster that is American Idol, commenting how good it was (the popcorn, that is) after every couple of handfuls. We'll try to keep it healthy (since we'll be eating it a lot) by using olive oil and kosher salt for flavor since the fresh popcorn it truly good in and of itself, but we decided, just this first time, to try the butter flavoring packet it came with. Whoa. I seriously could've eaten a second bowl (though I'm glad I didn't-ugh). And after our teeth were full of kernels and our lips were raw from the salt with an empty bowl in front of us, I told KC we needed to round the experience out with one more thing. I pulled out a can of diet A&W Root beer from the fridge (we never have soda, but this has been sitting in the fridge forever after a party of some kind, and it seemed like just the right time use it to it's full potential), and we enjoyed washing down the salty goodness with the cold soda. Thank you Michelle for the excellent recommendation. We owe ya.

Just wondering. . .

if anyone else's box of chocolates looks like this a few minutes after they open it.

Note to self:

Emily,

You have enough clothes in black, brown, grey, and red. Stop buying them! Although they have a purpose, try some bright colors like royal blue, orange, yellow, purple, or green next time you go shopping. Maybe spring fever is getting to you, but it's time to liven up the wardrobe. 

(Incidentally, I am about to buy a pair of black boots online. Does that count? Well, I'll make up for it when I buy the yellow shoes in my wish list later on.)

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 2003!

That's what we did last Friday. At least I did. You see, for this party we were invited, as stated in the evite, to "dress as the epitome of your teen years. . . either truly as you dressed, or how you dreamed you could." So, for me that was 2000-2003, and for KC 1991-1995. And this wasn't just any party, it was a real life dance party. Now, I haven't really danced since I was in high school. And I think I did it so much then, that I never had a desire to do it again. I felt like I'd grown out of it or something. And to tell you the truth, I didn't think anyone would actually dance. I thought I'd be humiliated and feel weird. But when that playlist of 80s and 90s songs started to play, people just started to get in the groove. I mean, they were really dancing. KC was getting so into it, it was hilarious. It was like I was seeing a new side of him, since this isn't the kind of activities we usually involve ourselves in. There was serious head banging, floor shaking, and roof raising. I kind of wished I brought my own cd with all the songs from my era. I could've pulled out my Brittany Spears dance moves, or sang my heart out as we danced to Backstreet Boys. But the music was great all the same. The graduating years ranged from 1987-2003. Yes, one of my good friends graduated with I was 3 years old. Weird. At one point I think there were about 30 people crammed in the apartment. But it never felt crowded, and the time just flew by. And if you were into these kinds of events in college, which I never had the pleasure of, the crowdedness was all part of the fun.KC and I dressed the best we could with our resources. I wore a powder puff t-shirt, my student council hoodie, with my favorite jeans and Tevas from high school (yep I still have them around), and though it still looks pretty normal, my style has changed quite a bit. KC did a great job with his slicked hair, silk shirt with sleeves rolled up, and pegged jeans with hiking boots. He even wore a cologne that he'd had for a while. A smell very distinctive of high school.It's amazing, the memories that came flooding back as the night went on. I remember dancing so hard that we girls would go outside for a rest, but couldn't wait to go back in to get our dance back on. We had those kind of breaks at this party too. Or just dancing with KC as I smelled his juvenile cologne was seriously a blast from the past. And maybe that I was in my Tevas that I wore almost non-stop back in the day, or having to yell over the music to talk to anybody (oh, my ears were ringing after), but it was all so nostalgic. And it's even better when you're married, knowing you'll always get asked to dance, and you actually get to go home with your date.So we weren't the only ones that got into the theme. We saw everything from overalls, and flannel shirts (unbuttoned over t-shirts), to black lipstick (on a guy) and cowboy hats. It was a great night, and we stayed well past our bedtime, about 1 am. They were starting a big pot of pasta for the ones who stayed really late (Christian, the host, is from Italy, and maybe this is a custom there or something), and as good as that sounded, my 8 am appointment followed by a ward temple session the next morning was warning me not to. But it was an awesome party that I would've never thought would be as fun as it was. It was nice to see everyone just let loose enjoy themselves. Dancing is such a stress reliever. We really need to do it again soon.

But not too soon. My neck, from the head banging, and calves from the jumping up and down, need a break. I'm totally sore. We were seriously dead on Saturday recovering. Am I getting old? This kind of thing never phased me in high school.

Turn it up!

So, realizing the previous post was little heavy, and not that fun to read about for most, I thought I'd write something a little easier to chew on.

So I have a question. Are you ever in the car, or in the house by yourself (I know, I know, you Moms are all going to tell me that that's not a luxury for you as much as you'd like) listening to music, and all the sudden you just need to turn up the music really loud to distract you from your surroundings and thoughts for a moment? (Of course, I do love driving in complete silence now and then, but it doesn't happen as much.)Well, I find myself in that position quiet often, when alone with my thoughts. Usually at home, I read or watch tv or bake when I need some time out. But sometimes, I decide to put my headphones on, or am in the car, and I can't help but turn it up as loud as I can stand it, and just let it take me away. It's almost like a craving, or an uncontrollable desire to just get lost in the music. There are a few artists that are good for this sort of activity. I like Imogen Heap, The Shins, Rufus Wainwright, or even or Michael Buble, if that is my mood. But I've been craving some new stuff lately. And my new found escapes are Seal (video below), and Sarah Bareilles (wouldn't let me embed the video). I happened to hear Seal on TV once with David Foster talking about this new album, and got sucked in when he started singing. I also heard Sarah live on one of our local radio stations a couple days ago. She is awesome live, completely in tune, and I love that she can play the piano and sing so beautifully at the same time. And they both have a great bluesy, deep-soul kind of sound that I'm drawn to. I must need right now.

I realize these artists aren't new to any of you, but I sometimes get behind with the radio, or in the case of Seal, was too young to get into him when he was new. But when I heard these songs, I knew they, and the rest of the albums they were on, would be added to my list. I'm going to download the mp3 files very soon so I can put them, and any other gold mines I can find, on my Ipod. Anybody else have a song/album that really helps you just get away for a while?