My First Couch Surfer

Friday night I got my first couch surfer! Remember when I blogged about couch surfing? I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it, but then I signed up. I had a lot of people request to stay on my couch since I have signed up (not sure why people want to come to Provo) but it never worked out. I was always gone or too busy when they wanted to stay with me. Until this weekend.

Janelle from Ohio contacted me personally and told me that she picked me because I looked more normal than most. ha ha. Thank you! She was SUPER friendly in her emails and I just got a great feeling about her, and I was actually going to be around this weekend, so I accepted her request to sleep on my couch.

Friday night I set up the couch down in the basement into a bed. People always tell me it's comfy, so I go with it. (If you ever want to stay at my house, I will set it up for you). She arrived Friday night. Saturday she went and explored Provo, we met back up later that afternoon and I took her to Bridal Veil Falls and then to Deer Creek. It was a beautiful day and we got to Deer Creek at sunset. We both loved it. I live here and I still don't get tired of the beautiful scenery.

I went to a BYU dance performance with my good friend Sarah. When we got back, we met back up with Janelle and took her to J-Dawgs. She loved it. Had to give her the true Provo experience.

Janelle left this morning and cleaned up her bed and left me a sweet note and card with some cookies from Ohio. It was so sweet! What I kind person. We had some great discussions and I really enjoyed getting to know her. What a great person. I now have an open invitation to visit Ohio. So glad she was my first couch surfer, because it was such a great experience... I am now even more of a believer of the greatness that is couch surfing. Thanks Janelle for visiting and for your kindness. You are welcome to stay with me ANYTIME.

What once was 4...

So fun to have Nate and Steve back living in Utah! Nate is so good at initiating getting us all together. Last time we were together (ALL together) was in August. We met up in Park City right before Brad and Lauren moved back to Newport Beach.

Nate wanted to get together next week, but when I said that I was going to be out of the country, the guys were great and made the effort to get together last minute. We all got together Friday night and met up in Lehi and ate at this burger place called "Emmett & Ethel's" since Steve and Stephanie are in Salt Lake and I'm in Provo and Nate and Emilee are in Lehi. John came with me, so it was nice to not feel quite so single this get together. They all told me after how much they liked John.

I just love those boys... and now their wives. In the last 9 years, it has been fun to stay such good friends and add to our gang. What once was 4... is now 10 (counting spouses and kids). Can't wait until I get to add a spouse to our gang. Until then, I sure do love our get togethers. Pretty much played with Max the whole time. Love that kid. He sat next to me all during dinner.

PS the baby Stephanie is holding is not theirs! ha ha... kind of looks that way, but it's Nate and Emilee's new baby Oliver.

Until next time... 

Flashback Friday 142

Flashing back to November of 2002. We had a senior couple as missionaries of the singles ward, The Rowley's. They were so great, but we swore they counted engagements rather than baptism. Always trying to play match maker.

Sometimes boys ask you out that you don't want to go out with. Sister Rowley was a strong believer that you should go out with guys that you don't want to... "because you never know what will happen" we were firm believer's that you shouldn't because it was a huge waste of everyone's time. We argued about it for weeks.

Finally, Michele, Steph and I thought we would be funny and put together a presentation of why you shouldn't go out with guys you don't want to. It included an opening statement, and pie charts and flow charts and bar graphs. We all dressed up in business wear and had a pointer for our charts and set it up in the conference rooms with water and snacks for Sister Rowley while she sat and listened to our presentation.

She laughed and laughed and thought it was all so funny and clever. In the end... she still didn't agree with us. We didn't convince her. Oh well.

*Sad that Steph is cut out of the picture*

Confessions of a Brunette on the Internet 195

I can't believe it is November. Time is going by so fast. It went from pleasant weather to freezing very quickly. Monday night in Salt Lake, we came out from dinner and it was snowing. I hate it. I really need to change my attitude about Winter if I am going to survive it. At least I am pretty much going to skip one cold month. I keep telling people that I will see them in December... which sounds weird, but I leave... come back and it's Thanksgiving... so I really won't see anyone. So excited for my trip though.

For work this week we went to see a movie. Usually we do it right after quarter end, but everyone took turns being gone pretty much all month, so we waited until now. We went to go see "Saratov Approach". It is the movie about the missionaries in Russia that got kidnapped and held for ransom a few years back. It was REALLY good. My co-workers and I all really liked it. I felt like it was the first Mormon movie that non Mormon's could enjoy as much as the Mormons. It wasn't cheesy. The acting was good. I cried... so that shows you how good it was. I felt it. Way good.

This week I also went and saw Ender's Game with John. I probably liked it more than he did, but I wondered if I would have liked it more had I read the book. I thought it was fun, but during the movie I wondered why it was such a classic. Did I already tell you that I saw Gravity in the IMAX in 3D? That was awesome... visually was cool. Made me feel like I was in space. Also saw Captain Phillip's. ALSO a very good movie that I cried in. I have been seeing a lot of movies lately, but there are so many good ones out to see. It helps that John get's us into the movie's for free too.

So I got a phone call this week. This lady telling me that I was picked from a drawing and won two free plane ticket's to either Vegas or San Diego and the hotel was also paid for. I just have to go to this presentation tomorrow (no obligation) and then I get my free vacation. I'm trying to decide if I should go or not. I have a hard time believing that they would give me a vacation for free... no obligations. Especially since I never entered in a drawing and I don't know how they got my info. Do I go in case I really can get a free vacation? Or do I not go because it will be a huge waste of my time? I don't know...

My bishop asked to meet with me this week... he told me he was worried about me, which made me worry of why he was worried about me. I went in and he asked me how I was doing and called me in because a couple of weeks ago he said he looked into my eyes and thought I looked sad. I don't remember how I was feeling a couple of weeks ago, maybe I was sad and maybe I wasn't... but the fact that my bishop cares enough to check in just in case I think is really awesome. He is a good and sweet man. The entire bishopric is just quality and I am glad to have them in my life.

This last fast and testimony meeting was a disaster. Well... just a couple of the people that got up, but unfortunately the worst one was the last one. Telling everyone all the terrible things that happened to him over the past year and how much he loves his fiance that he had proposed to the night before after getting back together when dating twice before (it was so much drama) over a year ago and then getting back together a week ago after he was dumped by another girl a few weeks before that. Seriously... this is the kind of crap that makes people think that Mormons are crazy/weird. I had to get on my phone at church because I was so uncomfortable listening to what was being said. Icing on the cake is when he told everyone he would have become and alcoholic if it weren't for his girl. Don't worry... she got up and bore her lovamony for him as well. I feel like I'm surrounded by crazy people. Anyone who needs to be so public and defensive about their relationship... I take that as a red flag.

I went to another one of John's soccer games. This time at a more decent hour. His team did not do well though. It was almost painful to watch. The other team was pretty good too though. I have never been that big into soccer, but I'm not going to lie... I have been enjoying going and watching these games.

There is a boutique in Springville that I didn't know about that is super cute. I went with my friend Emily... that I hadn't seen in YEARS!! Anyway... we went and checked it out and the prices were pretty good. I will have to go back sometime. I love cute boutiques!

Tonight I got together with my old neighbors (Nate and Jason) to watch the last half of the last movie in the Lord of the Rings. We started watching the extended version of all 3 movies because I had never seen them. Each movie is split into 2 movies, so we just watched one half at a time. We started in January. I realized today that we started a month after "The Hobbit" came out and we ended a month before the second Hobbit movie came out. It only took us 11 months! Ha ha... sad. That being said, it was hard to arrange 3 different people's schedules especially after Jason moved to Pleasant Grove. We are not done though and it was great. I can now say I have watched the extended versions. Good times.

Besides being excited for my trip... I think that was all for my week. So I will end with this. This is what my pumpkin looked like... the day after I carved it. It happened very quickly. Maybe I should have kept it inside. I don't know if that would have helped. All I know is that my minion look Asian.

Photo of the Week 193

There is still a little bit of fall left. I wish it could stay longer.

The Pie

John knows that I love music and going to concerts and such. He had been wanting to take me to this pizza place to listen to this guy perform. We couldn't go last month because I happened to be going to another concert the same night, but last night we went.

Turns out the pizza place was "The Pie Pizzeria" in Salt Lake. I had been there before... but it was YEARS ago. It's a pretty fun place. It's in the basement. A total college hang out (which it is located right next to the University of Utah) and you can even write on the wall if you bring a sharpie. The pizza is pretty good too. :)

Mike Masse' is the guy that John wanted to take me to see perform. Turns out he just takes requests... which is really fun. Kind of like the Garage Boys, except different type of music. Music that I love. The old stuff that I grew up listening to because of my parents. He did some new stuff too... but a lot of old stuff. He was great. I of course requested Simon and Garfunkle.

It was a lot of fun! We doubled with one of John's friends and his girlfriend. We had a good time eating while chatting and listening to good music. Nothing quite like live music. I think it is the perfect ambiance while you are eating. We all decided.... there is just nothing quite like it.

Keys on Main

My neighbor, Jed, is awesome. He is also a talented musician and works at a piano bar in Salt Lake City. I had actually heard of this place before and had been wanting to go. 

A couple of weeks ago, a group of people in my ward went to check the place out and see Jed play and sing. We went on a Wednesday night. What is special about Wednesday night at Keys on Main is that it is karaoke night! You know how I love me some karaoke. Although... I didn't sing this time. Something different about having a live backup band rather than a karaoke track. Next time... 

Although I didn't get up and sing, Daniel and I sang out little hearts out in the audience. We had a lot of fun and will go back for sure. Jed was amazing and a dueling piano bar is nothing but awesome. 

I'm so glad that although I have lived in Utah for a long time, I still continue to find new places and new fun things to do. So fun. If you are in the area, you should check it out. :) They can play anything... you make requests and if you don't they just sing whatever. One girl their even plays the piano to rap songs! ha ha