1. I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships lately. Not that I am dying to be in one, but I think it’s healthy to think about whether or not I am where I want to be in order to be in one. Does that make sense? Anyway, twice a year, my church has a world wide conference, called General Conference. One happened to fall this last weekend. I came to the realization, as I listened to a great talk given by a man named Jeffrey R. Holland about emotional abuse and how our words can really hurt people, that I am not where I want to be . Well, I realized that this is one of my weaknesses. Sometimes I say really mean things and sometimes, when I do it, I think I am being funny. I don’t want to be that person.
It was also interesting to think about my mother (he mentioned that parents should not compare or criticize children) and realize that I don’t have a single memory of her ever criticizing me or comparing me to my siblings. I am so sad to no longer have her physically with me, but what a blessing to have had such a great mom while she was alive. I hope she knows how much I appreciate that and how blessed I feel.
2. There were several other great talks given (the conference is four, two-hour sessions), but the other one that really struck me was given by Dallin H. Oaks about divorce. He talked about how sad it is that today marriage is often not taken seriously; people aren’t willing to work at it and all too often want out for a number of stupid reasons. I want to mention that he also said that there are reasons to get out of a marriage and that sometimes divorce is necessary. But one of my favorite things that he said was that the best way to not need to divorce someone who is abusive or adulterous, etc., is to do not marry them. And the best way to not marry them is to get to know them really well. Not exactly rocket science, I know, but sometimes the basics are what we need to hear.
3. I want to read the bible from cover to cover. My 30th birthday is quickly approaching and I have yet to read the bible in entirety…and I have been religious my entire life. It’s embarrassing, I know. So, I started Sunday night. So far, so good. Granted, it’s only Tuesday, but I’m going to take that as a good sign.
4. I am tired of obsessing about how I look (in other words, how much I weigh), so I haven’t weighed myself in over two weeks (if your not a scale junkie, just realize that this is a big deal) and I’m trying to just relax about it and be healthy. Last night, I invited my friend Catherine over and instead of hanging out and sitting on our bums, we went for a walk and got in our fill of gabbing. It was great! I think we covered about three miles and I felt so good afterward.
5. I haven’t had voice lessons in over three months, which makes me sad, so today, I set up a time and I am back on track next Monday.
6. I really like my dad. It’s one thing to love your parents, but over the past few months being at home (in the apartment over the garage) and spending time with him, I have come to the conclusion that he really is a good person and I really enjoy spending time with him. And he’s seriously funny! Now, that isn’t the first impression most people get, but he really is hilarious.
7. I took a cake decorating class when I was in fifth grade and I still remember how to make clowns out of frosting…but since that’s almost the only thing I remember, I am starting a cake decorating class this week. How fun is that?
8. Sometimes I purchase and listen to music not because I like it, but because I want to like it or I think I should like it. And sometimes I do the same thing with food (well, eat rather than listen to, but you get what I mean)…and movies,. And usually, I end up liking what I wanted to like in the first place, but I wonder why I do that. What am I trying to prove and to whom? And why can’t I do that with people?
9. I’m heading down to Vegas this weekend and I am so excited. Not only am I excited to see my brother, sister-in-law and nephew (is he not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?), but I’m also excited for some good driving/alone time. I basically live by myself, so you would think that I have plenty of alone time, but there is something nice about 5 hours (yes, I also like to drive fast), uninterrupted with nothing to do but look at the road ahead and listen to whatever I want to listen to…for example, the same song 100 times in a row if I so choose.
10. I love that when my sister calls in a crisis wanting me to come down and help her get the baby’s room ready for the baby shower, I can do it because a) I am single and have no husband or children of my own to worry about, b) I now work a M-F job, so I can easily head down to AZ for the weekend without needing to reschedule clients and c) we have a father who, despite his complaints about how much money we cost him (yes, we are all grown-ups and still cost him money), he is always willing to help us help each other (i.e. buy my plane ticket down there because he knows I’m working my way out of debt and that it will really help my sister feel less stressed about life).
Interestingly and on a side note, in doing the math, the cost of my plane ticket is about equal to what it would cost for my sister to have the baby’s room painted (which is essentially what I’m going down to do), but my dad would never pay to have the room painted. He is, however, willing to pay for me to go down there to do it. Once upon a time, I didn’t understand his logic, but now that I’m older, I can see all of the ways we are better people because of it. For instance, I do an amazing job cutting in edges free hand (I hate taping things off).
I was reading my friend, Sarah’s, blog today and she had this great picture of a red velvet cupcake. She found the picture here. So, I went to the link. It is a “foodie” blog. Well, I consider myself a foodie. Not quite like these people (really, you should take a tour of all of the blogs that are listed on the one where she found the picture…they are incredible), but I love to cook and dream of someday going to culinary school.
Now, granted, I am an amature (both in baking and blogging) and I do not have the time to create a blog as beautiful as this (nor the photographer to make my food look like the picture to the left), but I do love food. So I got to thinking, wouldn’t it be great to have a place online, that we could all access, where we know the family recipes live on? Part of my desire is also in a hope that we will never again lose a family recipe. (Sadly, my mother took her pizza sauce recipe to the grave and none of us have been the same since.)
So, I created a blog all about food. It’s a team blog, so that all of my sisters and sisters-in-law can post to it, as well. How fun is that? (No, I’m not sexist, but I know my brothers well enough to know that, even if they decided they wanted to post something, their wives would be the ones to actually do it.)
Cadbury Mini Eggs have to be one of my most favorite candies. I love them. I think part of my obsession is the limited availability of said eggs. They only come out at Easter. My sister, Alicia, is the one who got me totally hooked. She’s worse than I am. She buys bags and bags, hoping to make them last throughout the year…but they never do. We have a similar problem with Mint M&M’s (thank you, Allison), but it’s not quite so bad.
So, this morning I decided to Google them (the mini eggs). I learned a few things. I didn’t know that Hershey made them, but they do. Hershey acquired the rights to manufacture and sell Cadbury chocolates in the U.S. in 1988. Did you know that Cadbury Creme Eggs were created in the 1920’s? I’m not sure when the littlest chocolate eggs of love came into existence, but it was a good year, whenever it was.
So, where is the dilemma in all of this? I’ve got a candy jar at my desk…and there’s one at the reception desk. I recently filled mine with mini eggs because if I put them in the other jar, they are gone in about 5 minutes. My reasoning worked. The little 
nuggets of goodness haven’t disappeared as quickly as they did last week. People don’t naturally look on my desk for candy (I added the jar when I took the position, whereas the other jar has always been there), and so it does last longer…the problem is I eat the majority of them. I don’t know what the solution is. I’ve considered just buying the mini packs and keeping them at home. That way there is a limited quantity and I seem to be better with those, except then I wouldn’t have them at work and that would be sad. I could have individual packages at work, but then I would feel greedy.
Really, I think I have found the only possible solution. I will have to sacrifice my waistline for the good of all. I am so kind. People are lucky to work with me.
I wish I could describe for all of you my fabulous trip so that you could really experience it, but I can’t. I do have lots of picture, though. Unfortunately, I also have a cruel sister who likes to get the WORST pictures possible, so just know that I am much cuter that some, if not all, of these pictures. Also, it’s not that I don’t love my sister, but she refused to be in any pictures…so, while I did manage to get several of her hand, I didn’t feel like uploading them.
I went to Palo Alto to visit my sister and decided, having grown up in the Bay Area, that it was time to visit my favorite restaurants (and I use that term loosely to describe any establishment where edibles can be purchased and consumed) and to discover some new ones. San Francisco is known for it’s world class gastronomy and I wanted to partake. I also got to enjoy some very vacationesque (yes, I’m making up words) experience, including a massage, facial and some pool side time. I miss California and 65 degree winters.
The gastronomic tour began the evening I arrived. Erika and I hit Fenton’s in Oakland (my flight was late–I love me some Southwest–so Chevy’s was out). Fenton’s is this great creamery and restaurant. It’s similar to Leatherby’s, which I have in Provo, but sooo much better. They have much better food and I think they do a better Swiss Milk Chocolate, as well (my favorite kind of ice-cream). Not only that, but it has the dive ice-cream parlor thing going for it. I don’t know the Leatherby’s owners were thinking when they decorated the new locale in P-town, but “yuck” is what I have to say. Unfortunately, as I was extremely tired and stuffing my face with ice-cream, I didn’t think to take a pic at Fenton’s. You’ll have to just check out the website.
Saturday morning, after getting a late start (I love vacation) we headed to Hobee’s,
this great local breakfast place in PA. They have eight locations in the south bay. They are known for their blueberry coffeecake and it’s delicious. I actually didn’t order it, I just ate some of Erika’s because I had cranberry-sourdough French toast with banans, toasted almonds and a sour cream and nutmeg sauce. Delicious!!!
Then it was off to Erika’s club for massages and facials. I am a big fan of Equinox, where we had our treatments. As an esthetician who has recevied more treatments than I can count or remember, I have to admit that I’m quite critical. Well, Jessica and Alejandro knew what they were doing. I was in HEAVEN!
We followed this by a trip to Santana Row in San Jose. Erika wanted to try out this Italian place that my aunt loves, but the first available reservation was at 10:15…a little late to eat, even for me. 
So we headed down and decided to look around and see what there was and much to my delight, there was a restaurant that I have wanted to try for years (ever since one opened in the town next to the town where I grew up). It’s called The Left Bank. It’s a French restaurant. It took a little convincing to get Erika to go with me, but once she saw the menu, she was sold. It was amazing, other than the fact that we were seated in the back of the restaurant because we were not dressed as nicely as some other patrons (although, I think I looked good, but aparently even a sweater with nice jeans…is still jeans). The food was delicious and the service was fantastic. We went ahead and ordered four courses (well, five if you count each appetizer individually). The Steak Tartare was my favorite…oh, and the bread. For those of you who have never had the privilege of experiencing bread in France, this comes in a close second. I was in heaven. 
I had to be rolled out of the restaurant, but it was worth it.
Sunday, I got up and painted my sister’s wall. That was my slave duty for my weekend of luxury. Erika came out and said, “I love that you get up early.” It wasn’t my best work ever. I’ve decided t
hat I don’t like taping things off. I’m much better free hand. Anyway, after that we headed into The City. This is how we have always referred to San Francisco…The City. We started out looking for this little creperie I 
wanted to try. Unfortunately, it was in the financial district and closed on Sunday…so our next stop was Citizen Cupcake, on the third floor of the Virgin Records Mega Store. This is a branch of Citizen Cake, a patisserie in SF. We went for cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes for breakfast. They were supposed to be for lunch, but our breakfast plans fell through, so cupcakes it was. They were delicious. And I had a bowl of hot chocolate. Yes, a bowl, as you can see in the picture.
We then shopped our hearts out. I love The City. And, fun new discovery, they have H&M. I love H&M. I fell in love on my mission and have not since lived close enough to one to go. I had a great time.
Shopping was followed by sushi in Chinatown. That’s right, Japanese food in Chinatown. We went to Rock ‘n’ Roll sushi. Now, when you click on the link, realize that I’m not an idiot (if you know SF). They have two locations, but only one is listed on the website.
And then, we did some late night eating at Chevy’s. They have the best, best, best chips and salsa ever. I know people here like Los Hermanos, but it doesn’t even compare to 
Chevy’s. And their fajitas are the best.
You’ll be happy to know, after all of that eating, that Monday I didn’t eat anything until we headed to the airport. I got up and painted another wall that Erika wanted painted and then I was going to head to the pool when I discovered that Erika had not left me keys (she had a meeting and work and an 11:00 tee time) and she was not answering her phone. I had no way to get into the pool, and even if I could get in, I couldn’t get back into her building or the apartment. I searched everywhere (much to her dismay when she got back that evening to take me to the airport). Finally, I called the appartment office and explained the situation and they said they’d let me back in. Down to the pool I went. It was a perfect 65 degress, with a slight breeze. When I got cold, I just hopped in the hottub and warmed up. It was fabulous.
Around 3:00, I headed upstairs to get ready to head back to Utah. And off we went, to the airport via Casper’s Hot Dogs. The best hot dogs ever! I challenge anyone who would claim otherwise.
So, as you can see, I enjoyed my little tour of the Bay Area. The good news is, surprisingly, I didn’t gain any weight. I think all the running I’ve been doing has sped up my metabolism a little. I’ve been much healthier since I’ve been home, though. I really don’t eat like that all the time.
existential dilemmas 
