It started as a joke around a Sunday dinner at my parents' house. I mentioned that next summer I want to train for a sprint triathalon and would love it if anyone would join me. Everyone's blank expressions and Hilary's question of "Why the heck would we want to do that?" was an obvious answer. But then my dad, the most laid back funny guy ever, said, "Yeah... if I could bike downhill, swim downstream and walk a mile at the end." Everyone laughed and forgot about it.
So today he took me out to breakfast between classes and said, "So I'm serious about the triathalon. I want to call it 'Charlie's triathalon'. We would coast down Provo Canyon from the top, float down the Provo river in tubes/whatever, and walk downhill for about a mile. I want to get hundreds of people to sign up, have an entrance fee, give away t-shirts and snacks and have it all sponsored. And I want all the proceeds to go towards a charity, like the Huntsman Cancer Research Institute. I want everyone who has ever wanted to say they've done a triathalon, but who don't want to commit to the training to be able to do it. It wouldn't be about the competition, it would be about the charity."
Now we're really considering the idea of creating this triathalon. Obviously it would be do-able for ANYONE. We are thinking about doing it next summer in June. So I'm blogging about it because anyone who reads this, I would LOVE to hear any ideas you have. We want this to be a big community event. Like radio stations advertising for it, sign ups on college campuses, whole church groups involved, etc. If you have connections in sponsorship possibilities, ideas for how to make the actual race work, where exactly to hold everything, advice from past experience with charity events, what charity is deserving, or ANY idea, we want to hear it!! Even if you just think its a stupid or good idea. We want it to be fun, have a huge element of humor but benefit the community.
So please! Anyone! Tell me what you think. It's only an idea right now, so we're open to anything!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Fall Semester 2008
So yesterday I officially started my first semester back at the U of U as a junior for fall semester. I've only been in school for two days, and this may change later on in the semester, but I love it!! Anyone who reads this will probably think, "what? are you insane? are you a masochist? seriously, what is your problem?" I know, I get it. School is rarely something people love or jump for joy over. And having a 7:30 am class three days a week isn't the most fun...
I have been out of the university for 2 years now trying to support someone else and going to massage school. It's so refreshing to be back! Today I was walking through campus looking around at all the other students and professors and I literally thought, "wow, what an amazing place! I get to come here and pay to learn ANYTHING I want!" What a gift! Knowledge at my fingertips. Granted, I do have to pay out the freakin ying yang (what does that expression even mean?) to do it, but I'm happy to.
I declared my major in Exercise Science (which may change to Exercise Physiology, depending...) and began some of my classes this week. Here is my schedule:
-Exploration of the Movement Sciences
-Human Anatomy (YAY!!)
-Sports in American Society
-Intellectual Traditions of the West
-Nutrition
Even though I'm taking 16 credit hours (gulp) I'm really excited to be back in school. I can't wait to learn everything about my major, write papers, speak up in class, etc. I love learning and I love school. I'm so grateful to go to a great university with awesome professors and facilities. And now I'm going to go for a run and then come home and start reading "The Odyssey" for my ITW class. The end!
I have been out of the university for 2 years now trying to support someone else and going to massage school. It's so refreshing to be back! Today I was walking through campus looking around at all the other students and professors and I literally thought, "wow, what an amazing place! I get to come here and pay to learn ANYTHING I want!" What a gift! Knowledge at my fingertips. Granted, I do have to pay out the freakin ying yang (what does that expression even mean?) to do it, but I'm happy to.
I declared my major in Exercise Science (which may change to Exercise Physiology, depending...) and began some of my classes this week. Here is my schedule:
-Exploration of the Movement Sciences
-Human Anatomy (YAY!!)
-Sports in American Society
-Intellectual Traditions of the West
-Nutrition
Even though I'm taking 16 credit hours (gulp) I'm really excited to be back in school. I can't wait to learn everything about my major, write papers, speak up in class, etc. I love learning and I love school. I'm so grateful to go to a great university with awesome professors and facilities. And now I'm going to go for a run and then come home and start reading "The Odyssey" for my ITW class. The end!
Monday, August 18, 2008
The One Word Challenge
Evelyn did it... why can't I? Also, am feeling insomniatic (yes, it's a new word)
One Word Challenge (it's pretty challenging...really.)
One Word Challenge (it's pretty challenging...really.)
1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Where is your significant other? home
3. Your hair? beachy
4. Your mother? saint
5. Your father? sinner (jk)
6. Your favorite thing? love
7. Your dream last night? confusion
8. Your favorite drink? h20
9. Your dream/goal? sanity
10. The room you're in? sanctuary
11. Your hobby? fitness
12. Your fear? unworthy
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? TBA
14. Where were you last night? parents
15. What you're not? settled
16. Muffins? nasty
17. Where you grew up? party
18. The last thing you did? injured
19. What are you wearing? underwear
20. Your TV? storage
21. Your pets? cousins
22. Your computer? OOOOOLD
23. Your life? stagnant
24. Your mood? depressed
25. Missing someone? ironically
26. Your car? Harold
27. Something you're not wearing? contacts
28. Last summer? heartbreak
29. Like someone? one :)
30. Your favorite color? green
31. When was the last time you laughed? yesterday
32. Last time you cried? minutes
33. Who will resend this? question?
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Jackson Hole
This week we went on a mini-adventure to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We left early- way too early- on Wednesday morning. On the way up we stopped at Salt River pass so Justin could practice riding it (though on his mountain bike) for the upcoming Lotoja. For those who don't know, the Lotoja is a one day ride from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY. It's about a 212 mile ride which takes around 10-12 hours. Pretty insane. This pass is where the competition for "King of the Mountain" takes place. They just take the quickest time to ride up the pass and the winner gets the title. He only brought his mountain bike, but I was his support vehicle. 
After biking we ran the river with three of his friends. I'm not an adrenaline junkie so it was a little scary to hit the rapids. But Justin's BFF did a great job guiding us. 
Even though the raft taco-ed when we hit Big Kahuna, nobody got hurt. And no fish ate me or jellyfish stung me. (Inside joke.) After rafting, we drove home! We took a minute to fry up some steaks on the side of the road, but that was it! Short and sweet! 
When we got into town we went to Cache Creek and biked Putt-Putt. It was a shorter, easy ride. (So, essentially, it was perfect for me.) I really enjoyed it after being totally defeated the last time I rode-which was on Slickrock trail in Moab.
When we got to the parking lot we met up with Justin's three friends. Tyrel left Justin a blowfish on his car. So to repay the present, Justin coated his lips with chapstick, ate a few powdered donuts and then left him two blowfish. Haha! Take that!
That night I slept in a tent by the river and Justin slept in his treasured Brazilian hammock and the three boys slept on a tarp. One of the boys-whose bike seat had bent OFF the bike earlier that day, woke up to a deflated air mattress. (Yay for Thermarests!) He wasn't having the best of luck. But I laughed pretty hard when I took this picture of Justin asleep in his hammock in the morning.
After everyone crawled out of their bags we hit up Cache Creek again and did Hagen trail. It was GORGEOUS!
When we got to the parking lot we met up with Justin's three friends. Tyrel left Justin a blowfish on his car. So to repay the present, Justin coated his lips with chapstick, ate a few powdered donuts and then left him two blowfish. Haha! Take that!
That night I slept in a tent by the river and Justin slept in his treasured Brazilian hammock and the three boys slept on a tarp. One of the boys-whose bike seat had bent OFF the bike earlier that day, woke up to a deflated air mattress. (Yay for Thermarests!) He wasn't having the best of luck. But I laughed pretty hard when I took this picture of Justin asleep in his hammock in the morning.
After everyone crawled out of their bags we hit up Cache Creek again and did Hagen trail. It was GORGEOUS!
After biking we ran the river with three of his friends. I'm not an adrenaline junkie so it was a little scary to hit the rapids. But Justin's BFF did a great job guiding us. Even though the raft taco-ed when we hit Big Kahuna, nobody got hurt. And no fish ate me or jellyfish stung me. (Inside joke.) After rafting, we drove home! We took a minute to fry up some steaks on the side of the road, but that was it! Short and sweet!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
My first real vacation in a year
I really love vacations. I love sleeping in, working out at the hotel fitness center, taking long naps on beaches, eating crazy local food, buying worthless junk that ends up in a landfill the following year, taking walks in new places, etc. But for the last year my life has been filled with stress, school, too much work, a family wedding and a horrible breakup.
A year ago my family went to Aruba for a week which was AMAZING. But waking up at 4:00 am and finding out on the hotel internet that $500 had been taken from my bank account by a certain boy who was a jobless druggie was definitely a downer. I was a little stressed out on that vacation. (Especially given that I was in school 40 hours a week and$500 was a month's worth of money!)
Okay, you know what... I'm really sorry for all this history. I just wanted to give a little background to fully express how much I enjoyed my recent vacation to San Diego. Justin's family took me to San Diego for 3 days to go to Sea World, San Diego Zoo and Mission Beach.
Honestly, I really can't stand theme parks/zoos. But getting away from everyday life and spending time with him and his family was totally worth it.
Day 1 we went to Sea World. I love dolphins (my fave animal since I was 6) so I didn't mind it too
much. Justin and I spent most of our time near tanks and indoors since it was so bloody hot. I think the funniest thing that happened was when we went to do a ride at the Arctic exhibit and they brought us in to load. The doors opened and the operator walked through to check before we were seated. Just then he realized someone had thrown up all over the back row. So while we stood there for 15 minutes the janitors cleaned up the mess. Justin and I looked at each other and said, "Glad we're not in that row!"
Day 2 we went to the San Diego Zoo. I think everyone was pretty tired from the day before. I was just glad I got to hold Justin's niece, Oakley.
She's really adorable at only 18 months old and it's rare that I get to hold babies. She fell asleep in 3 minutes while I held her. The rest of the time we just wandered around looking at all the 
animals in cages. My favorite was the reptile house. I also made friends with a baby goat at the petting zoo. I think he liked me because I massaged him. I've learned that I really have no idea how to pet animals anymore. I only massage them.
The last day was the best. Justin and I rented a sea kayak and paddled out through Mission Bay around Vacation Island for an hour. We really sucked at getting it to go straight. But the best part of the trip was when we saw an unanchored sailboat get blown away by the wind.
So someone in San Diego, an hour later, was probably flipping out that their sailboat was no where in sight. I guess Justin and I could have jumped in after it to try and save it. However, neither of us can sail. Oh well! We also spent three hours on Mission Beach.
(Which was a really crappy beach compared to the last three I've been to in Costa Rica, Hawaii and Aruba... but hey! it was a beach nonetheless!) Justin's back and chest haven't seen the sun since before his mission to Brazil (which was over 3 years ago) so he blended in with the sand. I've seen a little more sun than him, but I'm still pretty white!
After the trip I have realized two things:
1. I am so lucky to have Justin. I love him more than ever. And I think he's way hot. :)
2. I need another vacation.
A year ago my family went to Aruba for a week which was AMAZING. But waking up at 4:00 am and finding out on the hotel internet that $500 had been taken from my bank account by a certain boy who was a jobless druggie was definitely a downer. I was a little stressed out on that vacation. (Especially given that I was in school 40 hours a week and$500 was a month's worth of money!)
Okay, you know what... I'm really sorry for all this history. I just wanted to give a little background to fully express how much I enjoyed my recent vacation to San Diego. Justin's family took me to San Diego for 3 days to go to Sea World, San Diego Zoo and Mission Beach.
Honestly, I really can't stand theme parks/zoos. But getting away from everyday life and spending time with him and his family was totally worth it.
Day 1 we went to Sea World. I love dolphins (my fave animal since I was 6) so I didn't mind it too
much. Justin and I spent most of our time near tanks and indoors since it was so bloody hot. I think the funniest thing that happened was when we went to do a ride at the Arctic exhibit and they brought us in to load. The doors opened and the operator walked through to check before we were seated. Just then he realized someone had thrown up all over the back row. So while we stood there for 15 minutes the janitors cleaned up the mess. Justin and I looked at each other and said, "Glad we're not in that row!"Day 2 we went to the San Diego Zoo. I think everyone was pretty tired from the day before. I was just glad I got to hold Justin's niece, Oakley.
She's really adorable at only 18 months old and it's rare that I get to hold babies. She fell asleep in 3 minutes while I held her. The rest of the time we just wandered around looking at all the 
animals in cages. My favorite was the reptile house. I also made friends with a baby goat at the petting zoo. I think he liked me because I massaged him. I've learned that I really have no idea how to pet animals anymore. I only massage them.The last day was the best. Justin and I rented a sea kayak and paddled out through Mission Bay around Vacation Island for an hour. We really sucked at getting it to go straight. But the best part of the trip was when we saw an unanchored sailboat get blown away by the wind.
So someone in San Diego, an hour later, was probably flipping out that their sailboat was no where in sight. I guess Justin and I could have jumped in after it to try and save it. However, neither of us can sail. Oh well! We also spent three hours on Mission Beach.
(Which was a really crappy beach compared to the last three I've been to in Costa Rica, Hawaii and Aruba... but hey! it was a beach nonetheless!) Justin's back and chest haven't seen the sun since before his mission to Brazil (which was over 3 years ago) so he blended in with the sand. I've seen a little more sun than him, but I'm still pretty white!After the trip I have realized two things:
1. I am so lucky to have Justin. I love him more than ever. And I think he's way hot. :)
2. I need another vacation.
Friday, August 1, 2008
I am a food lover
One of the unique things about my family-well, mostly my Dad's side- is that we are complete food snobs. Being LDS in Utah means that typical meals resemble 1950's comfort food or warped versions of what I consider normal meals adorn most family's tables. Dishes like "funeral potatoes," "jell-o salad," "carrot casserole," etc. are common additions to most meals centered around mass quantities of meat and white, refined breads.
My Dad is in the restaurant business. He has worked for Sysco Intermountain Food Service since before I was born. He currently is a sales rep and has clients like the Alpine Country Club, Pizza Factory, Flour Girls and Dough Boys, Ottavios, La Vigna, etc. He has worked with chefs around Utah developing menus and watching them cook. So growing up he was always experimenting with recipes infused with strong spices. I am not a stranger to intensely hot dishes or strong flavors of garlic, onion, cumin, etc.
My Aunt Catherine, who is not in the food business, (she is a judge in SLC) also has a talent with food. I moved in with her my sophomore year in college and haven't been the same since. In a good way. :) She is obsessed with cooking food from any ethnicity. Dishes like shrimp curry, baba ganoush, falafel, etc. are regular meals around here. She has cookbooks on Indian, Thai, Middle Eastern and Latin American dishes.
So when Justin and I started dating I felt disappointed to learn that he was a picky eater who hated the things I loved most. Namely fish, strong spices, ethnic food, and sushi. He loves Mexican food (the gross kind with hoards of melted cheddar and beans), milk (I can only stand soy milk), and Mormon comfort food classics. Since we can't seem to agree on food to cook, we eat out quite a bit. A few weeks ago we made an agreement to limit our eating out to conserve money. We also decided it would be best to try and eat at new places each time.
So I thought I would write reviews on the restaurants we eat at. My point of view, however, will probably not be the typical Utahn opinion. I am a food snob and am accustomed to fine dining so I am a demanding customer.
Last week we ate at The Blue Plate Diner for breakfast and Bangkok Talay for dinner.
The Blue Plate Diner:
The location and decor of this diner is really unique. There were vintage bicycles (which Justin appreciated) and typical retro diner embellishments. Althought 21st and 21st is pretty busy, it was a fun place to sit outside with the shaded patio and bustling street. The service was too slow and on the unfriendly side. We waited unreasonably long for a greeting and water. However, the food was tasty and classic. I ordered the heuvos rancheros verde. The verde sauce was extremely spicy, though delicious. My fried eggs were just right with barely runny yokes and the thick tortilla covered in black beans went well together. It would have been better with a side of pico or freshly sliced tomatoes. Although the breakfast potatoes were nothing to write home about, the dish was overall good breakfast diner food. Justin ordered biscuits with sausage and country gravy. His food was decent, but definitely needed more attention. The biscuits were dry, the gravy ordinary and sausage bits tasted artificial.
Overall, if you like typical diner food, I would recommend this place but be prepared to pay more than what the food is worth and to receive slow service.
Bangkok Thai Talay:
This place was a great find. Close to home (Highland Dr. and 33rd S) and excellent, standard Thai made this one of my new faves. The decor is plain, the service definitely is too slow and when we arrived they were unprepared for the dinner rush. But the food redeemed the entire experience. The menu features typical favorite Thai dishes including curries, stir frys, noodle dishes and salads. For appetizers we had fried spring rolls which were hot, crunchy and good with the rice noodles and cabbage and pork dumplings which were also hot, but chewy and flavorful. I ordered the Lemongrass Stir Fry with chicken and brown rice. Justin had the Sweet Bean Noodles. My dish was fragrant and hearty. With coconut milk, thai basil, thai eggplant, baby corn, red pepper, chicken, onion and fresh lemongrass it was perfect. Justin's dish was also fragrant and delicious filled with veggies, steak and flat egg noodles.
I would definitely recommend this place. It's affordable, delicious Thai food. (All things I love.)
My Dad is in the restaurant business. He has worked for Sysco Intermountain Food Service since before I was born. He currently is a sales rep and has clients like the Alpine Country Club, Pizza Factory, Flour Girls and Dough Boys, Ottavios, La Vigna, etc. He has worked with chefs around Utah developing menus and watching them cook. So growing up he was always experimenting with recipes infused with strong spices. I am not a stranger to intensely hot dishes or strong flavors of garlic, onion, cumin, etc.
My Aunt Catherine, who is not in the food business, (she is a judge in SLC) also has a talent with food. I moved in with her my sophomore year in college and haven't been the same since. In a good way. :) She is obsessed with cooking food from any ethnicity. Dishes like shrimp curry, baba ganoush, falafel, etc. are regular meals around here. She has cookbooks on Indian, Thai, Middle Eastern and Latin American dishes.
So when Justin and I started dating I felt disappointed to learn that he was a picky eater who hated the things I loved most. Namely fish, strong spices, ethnic food, and sushi. He loves Mexican food (the gross kind with hoards of melted cheddar and beans), milk (I can only stand soy milk), and Mormon comfort food classics. Since we can't seem to agree on food to cook, we eat out quite a bit. A few weeks ago we made an agreement to limit our eating out to conserve money. We also decided it would be best to try and eat at new places each time.
So I thought I would write reviews on the restaurants we eat at. My point of view, however, will probably not be the typical Utahn opinion. I am a food snob and am accustomed to fine dining so I am a demanding customer.
Last week we ate at The Blue Plate Diner for breakfast and Bangkok Talay for dinner.
The Blue Plate Diner:
The location and decor of this diner is really unique. There were vintage bicycles (which Justin appreciated) and typical retro diner embellishments. Althought 21st and 21st is pretty busy, it was a fun place to sit outside with the shaded patio and bustling street. The service was too slow and on the unfriendly side. We waited unreasonably long for a greeting and water. However, the food was tasty and classic. I ordered the heuvos rancheros verde. The verde sauce was extremely spicy, though delicious. My fried eggs were just right with barely runny yokes and the thick tortilla covered in black beans went well together. It would have been better with a side of pico or freshly sliced tomatoes. Although the breakfast potatoes were nothing to write home about, the dish was overall good breakfast diner food. Justin ordered biscuits with sausage and country gravy. His food was decent, but definitely needed more attention. The biscuits were dry, the gravy ordinary and sausage bits tasted artificial.
Overall, if you like typical diner food, I would recommend this place but be prepared to pay more than what the food is worth and to receive slow service.
Bangkok Thai Talay:
This place was a great find. Close to home (Highland Dr. and 33rd S) and excellent, standard Thai made this one of my new faves. The decor is plain, the service definitely is too slow and when we arrived they were unprepared for the dinner rush. But the food redeemed the entire experience. The menu features typical favorite Thai dishes including curries, stir frys, noodle dishes and salads. For appetizers we had fried spring rolls which were hot, crunchy and good with the rice noodles and cabbage and pork dumplings which were also hot, but chewy and flavorful. I ordered the Lemongrass Stir Fry with chicken and brown rice. Justin had the Sweet Bean Noodles. My dish was fragrant and hearty. With coconut milk, thai basil, thai eggplant, baby corn, red pepper, chicken, onion and fresh lemongrass it was perfect. Justin's dish was also fragrant and delicious filled with veggies, steak and flat egg noodles.
I would definitely recommend this place. It's affordable, delicious Thai food. (All things I love.)
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