"A Crocus Raised it's Golden Head..."

March 10, K11


 Does anyone else know that song?  My mom used to make the family sing it, in a round no less.  I hated it but it always reminds me of spring, and it seems that spring has sprung!

I just finished a wonderful trip to Idaho, knocking off one more state to which I had never been, leaving just Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska on my "to do" list in the US.
For those of you who may have wondered I want to save you the suspense and confirm that, yes, the human to livestock ratio in Idaho really is a healthy 27:1 which seemed to work well.  It was a beautiful area and the (few) people there were super friendly and seemed both content and generally pleased with their lives.

My favorite series of books of all time is The Dark Tower by Stephen King and I am listening to it on Audiobook again for perhaps the fifth time through.  I think the books are unusual for Stephen-King, more a hybrid of Lord of the Rings and any John Wayne movie than anything one may expect from "The King of Horror".  At any rate, I drove the highway and listened to my book and was struck by the sensation that I was driving through a land being described in the book, rolling hills, a backdrop of snow covered mountains, sheer cliffs and real cowboys.  It made for a very interesting drive as well as a whole different sense of a book I have read many times.  On the way home I listened to what is in my opinion the most beautiful piece of music ever written, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on the Theme of a Paganini.  My favorite version starts heavily in piano and other instruments join and build and it seemed perfectly timed to the towering mountains, cliffs, waterfalls and one massive bridge I crossed.  It was truly majestic and awe inspiring.  But then...

it occurred to me what an impact sound has on the visual experience, which made me wonder whether Psycho, Scream or Halloween could have packed the same fear factor accompanied by "Afternoon Delight", "You are My Sunshine" or "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy".  That thought of course got me laughing hysterically and completely ruined the previous moment but let to a swell laugh..




March 24, K11
Well, for the first time since I arrived in Utah, I have to say it's been a pretty uneventful month.  I'm really enjoying the peace and quiet and some time to catch my breath.  Don't worry though.  I am keeping it interesting here.  As you can see, Andy and the dogs continue to enthralled by my many riveting stories and, in truth, the whole gang spends a good deal of time on the edge of their seats.

 

March 25, K11

Last but not least, I hope everyone will join me in a big "Welcome Back" to Howard's waistline.  Two months on his little piggy diet have returned him to a lean and handsome four pounds!

 

Go Pack Go....

(Feb. 7)

Hi all,

What an exciting time this has been, and a busy one as well.

Andy picked up our friend Ben on the 4th and the two of them headed to Park City for a day of snowboarding at The Canyons.  They had a great time, and I had a good laugh watching two very sore guys try to make it up the stairs when they came home.  

Saturday afternoon we went to Jutta's for German lunch and loved them even more when both Uwa and Jutta assured us they were rooting for the Pack on Sunday.  (Andy considered inviting them over for the game then wondered whether they would think we were stalking them and thought better of it.)  Ben said that his sampler plate was some of the best food he had ever eaten and I felt the same way about my meatball and the hazelnut cake.  

After lunch we headed for the bowling alley where I was NOT dead last every game which I enjoyed immensely!

We had a couple spare hours so the guys headed back to the slopes for a couple more hours of snowboarding while I made Super Bowl desserts, rice crispy treats with green and yellow sprinkles (super good, but not as good as either of our mom's) and pretzels dipped in white chocolate and drizzled with green and yellow.

Around six the guys were back and we all motivated ourselves to get ready for the evening, a production of “Urinetown” at Beverly’s Plaza Playhouse with some of our friends here.  I’m at a loss for what to say about Urinetown, so I’ll just leave it at “we saw Urinetown”….and that’s enough about that.

Sunday we got up early and started getting ready for game time and guests!  We had a great time hanging out with our new Utah friends and getting to know them better.  There were a few tense moments during a shaky performance the second half of the game followed by LOTS of cheering when the Pack won.  GO PACK!!!  Could we do back to back years?  Dare to dream!

Also, our guests were enchanted by the pups in their Green Bay bandanas, though one couple threatened several times to take Howard home with them!

(Howard and Ben.  Howard has become a little piggy as you can see so he is on a FAT BOY DIET…poor guy)

(Feb. 14)

Saturday Andy and I tried a new restaurant downtown called Bistro 258.  When we finished eating we tried to get out the front door and found it blocked by ten thousand or so people!  It turned out that as part of the Dew Tour the rapper Ice Cube was playing a free show on the street.  Andy and I agreed that since it was unlikely we would ever again walk out of a restaurant into an Ice Cube concert this qualified as a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Never folks to turn down opportunities, we took full advantage and fist pumped on the street to the classic sounds of “you betta check yo-self befow you wreck yo-self”.  It was fun for two songs and then we headed home for quieter surroundings.  We were a little sad to give up our awesome parking space, though another one will be along soon since Andy has a gift for finding front row parking EVERYWHERE…it’s a pretty nice perk.

Andy made dinner for Valentine’s day in the form of an amazing salmon with his mom’s rub along with potatoes and asparagus.  Everything was amazing and the salmon was more moist than in most restaurants.  Then he surprised me with flowers which were a beautiful surprise.  The last time he bought me flowers the most resilient guy in the bunch hung on for over a month! 

(Feb. 18)

We have a new dog at the house!!!  Choji (named after an anime character) joined us yesterday.  Not to worry though, she’s just a loaner from a guy Andy works with who needed a sitter while he attends a “Magic: The Gathering” convention this weekend…seriously.  (Feb. 22) We had a great time with our guest.  She settled in beautifully with the other dogs, and especially with Lambeau, who was grateful to have another dog to play with instead of the usual three dog-shaped lumps sleeping in front of the fire!

(March 2)

I had an awesome birthday weekend.  Andy and I went for dinner to one of our favorite restaurants and I (almost) beat him bowling one game…almost.

Hope you are all well.  I miss you!

Jen

First of all, sorry for the delay in writing.  As I get into the swing of things here I find myself getting busy and not doing a great job of prioritizing.

Christmas here was beautiful.  It was a little sad with Andy away and me not going home but I still had a great time.  I woke up to a beautiful clear day and the mountains visible, snow covered and beautiful.  Andy surprised me with a canvas print of one of my favorite pictures he took on our trip to Mount Rainier and mom got me a pair of heated slippers of which I have made good use.   I had a great relaxed day with the pups and dinner with some friends I met here…overall a super nice time.

We have discovered an amazing restaurant here, less than a half hour into the mountains in Eden.  It is called Jutta’s Fine German Food and we have been going there every couple weekends.  The couple who own the place, Owa and Jutta are super nice and surprise us with different dishes she prepares for us.  Owa will come to the table with a dish and tell us that his wife (“the boss” he says) thought we would enjoy this dish or that.  They both smile a lot and are clearly grateful to be in the U.S.  She makes the most amazing meatballs I have ever had, along with a super tender schnitzel and bratwurst unlike any I have tried.  The chocolate cake is completely unique and was a huge hit at  my office Christmas party.  I have not yet warmed up to sauerkraut but keep trying!

Earlier this month I went to the Mac plant in Ohio which was FREEZING but the Hyundai plant in San Diego and Tijuana last week made up for it with temperatures in the seventies.  It was a lovely couple days and interesting to see a different culture.  We had a terrific meal on the ocean Thursday which some unique menu choices.  My favorite was a Lemongrass Prawn Beignet, which, after getting a description from the waitress, my favorite grumpy old sales guy here ordered as a “fish doughnut”…the waitress was not amused, but the fish doughnut was amazing anyway!

It has been a super exciting few weeks at the house with all the Packer’s excitement.  It is funny to think that a few weeks back we were worried about even making the playoffs, then concerned about the odds of a Wild Card team making it past  the first or second round.  I was stuck in Denver for the Philly game, which worked out great since I was almost able to see the whole game in the airport.  There were Packer shirts all over Denver and there must have been over a hundred people crowded around the TV I was watching.  The crowd erupted at the last play of the game and there were cheers and celebration throughout the airport.  It turned out to be a great day  despite spending almost 14 hours in two airports!

The next week I was home (yeah!) for the Atlanta game and we had a blast watching and cheering, though we scared the little dogs into the laundry room with all the noise. 

This week was a bit more subdued as we watched a game whose outcome seemed much less certain than the week before.  Green Bay versus Chicago involved less cheering and more four letter words than against Atlanta but we’ll take the win any way we can get it!

This week I head to Vernal, Utah, which is known for having one of the largest collections of dinosaur bones in the world.  I may go to one of the museums this time, since I discovered on my last trip that there is little else to do there.  Vernal has a large number of trucking companies who haul for the oil fields, which is the reason for my trip, which I hope is a productive one!

In two weeks we have a friend coming to visit from Fort Wayne.  We are looking forward to a good time which will start with Andy and Ben skiing in Park City on Friday.  I was invited to go but assured the guys that they would be spending the day with me in the emergency room rather than on the slopes if I were to attempt anything but cross-country skiing.  Ben used to bowl with us in Fort Wayne, so I am guessing there will be a trip to the alley at some point.  Also, Andy has been wanting to go down to Saint George for a hike, so he and Ben may do that as well.

Andy has discovered that he makes amazing chicken wings so we have enjoyed them several days as they seem especially appropriate for football season.  He has also perfected the recipe for a “girly-wing” which is much less spicy but delicious!  I have done some cooking as well, my favorite so far being a white pizza with alfredo, pesto, chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, goat cheese, and both fresh and shredded mozzarella on an herb crust….tasty stuff.

This year for the first time ever I won my Fantasy Football league.  It was a huge surprise considering I barely squeaked by the last couple weeks and got into the semi-finals by the skin of my teeth (.30 points).  It was perhaps the smallest margin of victory ever in the league, but I’ll take it! 

I hope all is well with you.  Please send updates.  I love to hear how the rest of the world is doing outside my little valley!!!!  Love to all.

Jen

Thanksgiving in Utah!

Well, we had a super great Thanksgiving here in the West.  Andy and I woke up early to prepare food.  He got a tip that the turkey would be super moist if it were wrapped in bacon (see photo) which turned out to be a fantastic idea.  Of course it's hard to go wrong wrapping anything in bacon but it really was even better than expected.  I made Mouse's stuffing, mom's dill rolls, my broccoli cheese casserole, and a new desert recipe for a caramel, apple, cream cheese, pudding and cool whip layered desert.  Were were hoping that the majority of the recipes would turn out and were surprised when EVERYTHING was delicious.  We noted the humor in the fact that we spent four hours in cooking and preparation and ten minutes or so in eating.  The table was beautiful thanks to a fabulous centerpiece which was a great surprise from Andy's mom (see photo).

Saturday at sunset there was a Christmas parade downtown which had fifty floats, all with lights and ending of course with Santa.  After the parade Santa lit the Christmas Village at the end of the parade route, which is two square blocks of miniature buildings and other lighted decorations (see photo through dirty car window).  Following the lighting there was a fantastic fireworks display which was fun to see at a time other than the fourth of July.  The temperature was in the low teens so after all the fun we were ready to head out for a nice dinner at Bombay Cuisine, which we both enjoyed but agreed I got a little too bold when the waiter asked me how spicy I wanted my curry and I responded 5 (on a scale of 1-10).

Last week we were supposed to have a snowstorm, which instead arrived last night.  We (read Andy) have shoveled twice since yesterday evening.  It took me an hour and a half to drive to Salt Lake City this morning and Andy forty minutes to Brigham City.  This was about double our normal times.  I am hoping the snow stays on the mountain from now on and Andy is hoping it continues to dump on us.

Today is Andy's birthday so I think we will try a Thai place he has been saying he wants to go to.  I put out gifts yesterday and he was more disciplined than I would have been about snooping!  I am no good at waiting but he did a good job.

I sold my first trailer last Wednesday and I was pretty excited about getting my first one after just eight days.  It should deliver early next week and then I can truly count it as a "done deal".

We have our first company coming this weekend, Andy's brother and his girlfriend from California.  We are super excited, and planning for a Utah Jazz game and dinner on Friday.

I keep meaning to take some good pictures of the mountains outside the house all covered with snow, but I keep forgetting so I will do that soon.

The dogs all seem to be adjusting well.  They spend a lot of time by the fireplace keeping warm and lazy, which is just as they like it.  The smallest beast, three pound Lillian, cannot tolerate the weather right now for more than a minute or two, but oddly she runs outside every time the door opens to eat as much snow as possible before dashing back inside.  It is very cute and funny.  She will actually stand up and beg for a snowball and that trick hasn't gotten old for me yet.

Next week an expansion pack will be released for the World of Warcraft video game, so I have been warned that I will see Andy emerging only VERY rarely from the Man-Cave.  We'll see :)