Happy Hallmark Day

Hey everybody. Happy Valentine's Day.

Valentine for Perfect Strangers from House of Bath on Vimeo.

What is and isn't

I remember how I felt the day I discovered my dad had a jumprope.

Mine was pink, with glitter stuck in the plastic rope. I think it had pompoms coming out of the handles; they made a swishing sound like waves when I turned them in my hands. I liked to jumprope a lot. We jumproped a lot at school, but we had to use actual pieces of rope, which weren't nearly as fun as my rope at home. They didn't make the same tap tap on the ground like mine did, like tap shoes. Plus the ropes were all in varying lengths, and I seemed to always get stuck with one that was too short. I was good at crossovers.

I liked double-dutch. I wanted to be like the girls I saw on "Sesame Street." They were really good at double-dutch, so good they went to competitions. They wore cool beads in their hair. My mom said girls like me didn't wear those kinds of beads in their hair. I didn't know why.

Jumproping was a game to me. It was for fun. Only little girls jumproped, like how only girls play hopscotch. That's just how it was.

So the day I discovered my dad had a jumprope, I realized everything I knew was wrong.

Now I want to jumprope like this guy.

A little off the top

My new love: shortbread cookies with a spot of jam. I grew up imagining they'd be disgusting, like Fig Newtons or those raisin bars that would induce irreversible car sickness on family road trips. Now I can't believe I've been missing out on those my entire life. Kind of like sweet potatoes and yams. I didn't try those until maybe three years ago. Who knew they tasted like candy, given enough butter and sugar. Well, anything does.

Friday marks a turning point for me: I am quitting two days of piano teaching per week and Friday is my last day. I am excited. I have been wanting this day to come for many weeks.

Jeff and I both have two weeks off for Christmas, so we will not be in Houston. Dallas, Austin, I wish New Orleans.

Houston is 76 degrees today.

Christmas is in ten days?! I am not done shopping.

Ten days 'til Christmas means 17 days 'til Paleo. January 1, 2011 Jeff and I will stop consuming certain foods, anything not included in this little ditty.

Meats and veggies,
Nuts and seeds,
Some fruit,
Little starch,
NO SUGAR!

It's part of our quest to attain the bodies and level of fitness we've always yearned for. Also an active fight against hyperinsulinism, and therefore obesity, cancer, diabetes, alzheimer's, and general sickness. We are excited and not-so-excited to give up chocolate milk, our Monday night IceDream cones at Chic Fil-A, bread, cheese, etc., but we will be glad we did once we conquer our addiction to sugar.

I love that man of mine.

It's true: wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas.

Well well, how have you been olde blog?

Mr. Ward and I have been having such a nice time lately. Vowing to take more photos of our newlywedded blissful selves, trying to develop good habits like reading important books and eating healthy food, and working really long hours. We leave at 7 am and we're back around 6 or 7 or 7:30 pm depending on the night. We watch Wheel of Fortune while I/he cook/s if we are lucky enough to be home, we surf the Internet, and we get ready for bed and talk for a long time across our pillows. That is my favorite time. I know when he says "Goodnight" he really means "I am going to sleep now," but I just can't help myself. I want to keep talking. He is so snuggly like a bear cub.

We went home to California for Thanksgiving. I wish I had taken pictures (hence the vow). I gave Kimba, my dad's beloved Australian cattle dog and my third sister, a hot dog costume I found on 90% off clearance at Target for $1.29. She looked so cute! No, she didn't like wearing it. Maybe it made her feel too much like my mom's mini dachshund.

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. Jeff's friend Jordan and his wife Christina came over to my parents. Christina made a lovely chocolate cream pie that Kimba couldn't keep her tongue out of no matter where we put the pie. Mom's turkey came out moist and golden. My stuffing with mushrooms and chestnuts and fennel and La Brea foccacia bread and SAUSAGE and whatever else was excellent (Mom knows how to pick 'em recipes). Our dear friend Ernestine's sweet potato casserole was nothing short of divine, three cubes of butter later. After a summer in Cairo, my jet-setting brother Robert apparently now only drinks Perrier water, which he sipped languidly across the table from me all night, while I tried to keep from laughing. After we watched "The Muppet Christmas Carol" as we always used to do. My favorite Muppet movie, tied with "Muppet Treasure Island."

Yes, it was a delicious feast and I was thankful for it. And mostly thankful for my family who could be there.

As is Ruefenacht tradition, we spent our Friday at the International Auto Show, hosted annually by the Moscone Center smack in downtown San Francisco. The funnest part was the Range Rover 4-wheeling course, set up right within view of the MOMA and other essential SF landmarks. It was so neat! I rode while Katie drove. Mom and Dad were in the Rover in front of us; Jeff closed in the rear. We had a great time! If I hadn't watched all the other people driving on that course, I seriously would not have known how bumpy the course really was--Range Rovers are THAT amazing!

I had a stark realization while I was home--my birthplace--and I championed a yearlong lack of self-discovery. It started as I cleaned out my desk, looking for my expired passport as Jeff and I are going to Costa Rica in March and I need to renew it. My desk is a time capsule of my life. I sifted through old choir mementos, gifts from long gone friends, photos of past loves and friends, poems, unlabeled cassette tape mixes, thrift store finds, all sorts of objects and memories. I'll spare you the drama that happened next when my sister found me sorting through things she thought to be hers (they weren't), and conclude with the results of a psychologically telling conversation she and I had after she had calmed down. I have been home from St. Louis for a year. In that space I've felt disinterested with aspects of myself and my life from before I left. I didn't care as much about thrifting, vinyl, good literature, even music. I realized that I was somewhat depressed, or even repressed, by myself and what I thought I should be.

I'm so glad that surfaced. I feel passion again, for those things that really made me happy before.

I finally bought my dream vintage receiver last week, a Sansui 8080. Pictures and video/sound forthcoming, as soon as we get our new speakers (for Christmas I hope!)

Check out Jeff's blog for photos of where we honeymooned. Mar Vista Cottages--we hope to return to you soon.

I will leave you with Christmas pictures of the grandest "old money" neighborhood in Houston: River Oaks. (Thank you Hipstamatic).

What a nice life I have

I've been a wife for two months. Congrats to me! When I was younger I used to think being married would be so difficult. Being with someone all the time, the same person, seeing them every day, kissing them all the time...

I gotta tell ya, I WAS SO WRONG!

I mean LOOK AT THIS GUY!!!



Being married has been the best decision I ever made. Jeff is my best friend. We laugh so hard at the stupidest things, like this diabetes commercial we keep seeing on TV. Why is it so funny?! I really couldn't tell you why. We have the best time all the time.

Marriage has great mutual benefits, like the power of nagging. I don't mean bad nagging, I mean the nagging your spouse directs at those unsightly habits you have, things that didn't matter when you were single but they do now that you have to live with someone. Nothing gross though. For me, my unsightly habit was drinking too much Diet Coke. I mean probably three or four cans a day. Really, that is gross. It's how I was raised, but still no excuse. Jeff kept nagging me about it: It's bad for you, you need to stop, too much caffeine, blah blah blah. I didn't want to listen.

Long story short, his nagging paid off. In the past (I think) three weeks, I've had only one can of Diet Coke. I am so happy for myself! If you have spent any amount of time with me, you know that I used to have to drink Diet Coke every day, at least once, or I'd go bonkers. And even sometimes when I had one Coke, I'd be crazy until I had another. Jeff was right in saying I had a problem. I really did.

We have this mobile mechanic we use called Big John. He is pretty awesome, and he fixes up the Rat pretty well for a decent price. I was ripped off by a mechanic early on in Houston, so Big John is basically part of the family now. We almost had him over for dinner one night after he had finished installing a new starter on the Rat. Anyway Jeff has this thing he does where we'll be kissing in the kitchen as couples do right when they get home from work, and mid-kiss he'll look up and say, "Oh hey, Big John." It is the strangest thing. Now Big John is always around. One night Jeff was telling me some story, and I wasn't listening and he knew it. So he started rambling on and on and on about this that and the other, for probably three minutes, and the next thing I knew he was saying, "And that's how Big John ended up in our closet."

What?!

I about died laughing. I still am now.

I am having the time of my life.

Suddenly I'm acquiring a bunch of new hobbies, like reading Martha Stewart's magazines and picking out a bunch of crafty projects to try out when I finally wake up from my dream world in which I like crafts. Someday I will be a good housewife and homemaker.

My favorite thing lately is cooking. Dinner last night was an epic fail, but we've had some great successes too. The pot roast I made Sunday melted in our mouths; the ratatouille I made last week has left me wanting more every day since; I've made cookies and a cupcake cake and a chicken/spinach/pasta thingy and, well, that's about it. But I'm working on this whole wife thing.

We are going to Costa Rica in March! It will be my first time abroad since 1999 when I went to England and France.

I am singing more these days, since I'm teaching voice lessons, and I am finally realizing how much I miss singing regularly with a group or as a soloist. I need to get on that.

I also feel like I have nothing to write about. I mean read this post! It is full of junk. Sorry. The end.

Love is Our Answer

Church Responds to HRC Petition

[Insert generic motivational lingo here].

I apologize for my lack of posts. Marriage has made me very busy! But not as busy as work.

As you know I teach music lessons every weekday afternoon/evening. It is going well. I also work full time starting this past Monday at this place with this guy Monday to Friday. My days start very early and end very late and I'm ready to go to bed at a time most old people are eating dinner. Too bad I never get to because I'M STILL WORKING!

Last week my most adoringly lively piano student, who I call Chimmy because her name is long and African and flaunts combinations of consonants this Westerner has never seen, could not play this one dynamic marking. It was an arched line over a phrase of six notes, commonly referred to as a "slur." "What is this line called, Chimmy," I asked. "Do you remember from last week?" She thought, and thought, then she whipped her braids around and thought some more, and finally she said, "It's called a SLUT!!!"

Thank heaven the walls of the piano studio are PAPER THIN and I'm sure everyone else in that place heard her yell that word at the top of her lungs.

Children also notice the strangest things in people. Like Monday, my student said, "Mrs. Ward, your teeth...are...very...(I could tell she couldn't quite find the right words)...very...SHINY."

Wow. They have been called fangs before, but never has anyone commented on my pearlies' gleam. Thank you, young lady.

Also, today was my first day participating in Crossfit, a kick-yo-trash workout regime that has my legs feeling like they went through a meat grinder. BooBoo has been going for two months, and DAAAANG he's lookin' fiiiiine. As the most out-of-shape person there, I'd say I did all right. I just hope I can keep up next time if my shredded-beef legs are repaired.

You know, this is one of the many reasons I LOVE being married so much. For my whole life, I have struggled with overeating, being overweight, and poor body image. I've been surrounded by people with eating disorders and barraged (as we all are) with images of waifer-thin models and movie stars wearing clothes you can't wear if you're a 6.

But being married gives me new motivation. Jeff and I are doing this together, for each other. For good health. I want easy pregnancies and healthy babies. He wants to wear slim jeans and skinny ties (don't you Boo?). We don't want heart disease. We want to say, "Yes kids, let's play WiiTennis for Family Home Evening tonight" and not feel sore the next day. I want to beat my genetically predisposed thunder thighs into a pulp and tell those weird, misshapen body parts, "So long, farewell! See you NEVER!"

So let me hear three cheers to feeling fabulous and having no more muffin top!

It takes two to make a pair.

The big news is that:

JEFF AND I GOT MARRIED!~!~!~!~!~!

So far marriage is really great. Really fun. Really happy. Jeff makes me happy and better and peaceful.

Our apartment looks a lot like this right now,



so tonight for our Family Home Evening we are cleaning the house! Putting away the tons of cool stuff we got. Thank you everyone you are FABULOUS!! Yay Crate and Barrel! I love you. And you too Target!

I would like to praise Heavenly Father for a moment for creating a man like Jeff. He is so good to me and to everyone around him. He works hard and loves other people. He is a true man of God and I am so blessed to have him!

Here's to marriage!



Also, thanks to the incredible MegRuth Photography for all our awesome photos. We couldn't be happier and we've received so many compliments on your photos! Mwah to Megan!

All you single ladies!

This is what I feel like 99 percent of the time.



Yes, dangit! Like a sweaty vampire!

No really, it is so hot here. No deodorant works. Your best anti-perspirant is a/c, if it's working. I spend fifteen to twenty minutes blow-drying my hair into a beautiful, sleek, straight softness, free of frizz, my layers swinging bashfully as I shake my luscious mane...

...Then I step outside the door, walk thirty feet to my car, and by the time I'm there my hair is limp, it's frizzing worse than Miss Frizzle, funky curls I never knew I had have eaten my blow-dry skillz alive, my bangs look like they haven't been washed all summer, my cowlick is rejoicing in its similarity to a quail feather, and even though I've just showered I smell like I haven't.

Houston, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!

And to think, I saw a magazine at Macy's the other day that quoted native Beyonce as loving Houston summers! HA!

Speaking of Beyonce, there is this little four-year-old whippersnapper I've taught piano to a few times. She started talking about boyfriends. I said I have a fiance. She said, "Oh I LOVE Beyonce. 'All you single ladies! All you single ladies!'" WHAT THE WHAT?! I can't wait until my kids are four. Then she got the wiggles really bad, so we danced to Jackson 5 for literally ten seconds so she could "get the wiggles out." Every time I've taught her since, she begs me to let her "get the wiggles out." Geez louise, it's like training a puppy.

Before everything goes right it goes really really wrong.

Yes, it's been almost three weeks since I wrote anything, and yes, I know my wedding is 2.42 weeks away. Phew it's a lot to take in! Lemme tell you why.

I found out last week that my beautiful ivory taffeta wedding gown with a ruffled Queen Anne collar, which was supposed to be here July 31st, is apparently being made in China (who knew we outsourced wedding dresses?) and it won't be shipped until August 20!! To make matters worse, the employees at the shop I bought it from have seemingly absolved themselves and the shop from any responsibility for its lateness. Granted, they can't make those dexterous Chinese hands sew any faster, but I'm pretty sure I bought my dress from them, not Pei Li in Shanghai. I'm just praying my cold black heart out that it will actually get here before the wedding.

Sunday night I was crawling into bed when I get an urgent message from my friend Kristen saying that the girl I was subletting from neglected to inform ANYONE other than herself that she was arriving in Houston that night and "sure hoped I was out of her apartment." Which led to Kristen arriving at said apartment at 11 pm, helping me scoop all my junk into my suitcases, which I still haven't sorted through, and getting me out in time for the most irresponsible and inconsiderate 25-year-old in the world to arrive home for her beauty sleep. I promise I'm not as bitter as I sound.

Today Jeff and I got the set of Wusthof knives we were pining for off our Crate and Barrel registry. Mmmm. Thank you thank you thank you present senders We LoVe YoU aNd So WiLl OuR StOmAcHs WhEn We StArT cOoKiN!!!!

I have been temping at an oil and gas consulting firm. It is pretty sweet. The office manager is way rad; we are basically the same person born seven years apart but I am Mormon and she is not so there are some obvious differences right there but we work it out somehow. RUN ONS!!! "The firm" takes us out to lunch every once in awhile at this great sandwich shop. My favorite is the "Green Gobbler," which consists of a seeded wheat bread, provolone cheese, turkey, apple butter, sprouts, and apple slices. MMM MMM GOOD!!! It is so delicious.

Lately I have had lots of stomachaches. Every day it seems I feel a grumbly down in the tumbly and it just won't quit. It is not nerves. No, I am sure it's not. I just cannot put my finger on why this is. Except that I am on a strict plant-based diet these days, and there's even less tolerance than normal for anything like dairy or grains but ESPECIALLY NO JUNK FOOD!!! Drives me nuts. Anyone have a good natural remedy for an upset stomach?

Even though lots has been going on, and going wrong if you want to look at it that way, I am still very excited to marry my sweet Boo Boo Jeff Ward. That is what I care about most, fancy dress or not.

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

34 days is not a long time to wait

I am still so unhappy with this layout but I don't have time to fix it tonight. I'm going to bed.

We got back from Dallas this morning. I am happy to report my father-in-law would have me on his handcart team if we were ever pioneers. Not that we will be, but I think that's a flattering thing.

Texas is still very hot.

I begin temping at some oil and gas company tomorrow. Office work. Nothing major. But I'm grateful for the extra bucks.

Wedding invites came and they look amazing. As does our picture.



I realize it's not for everyone, this style, but I have always loved shooting into the sun and the consequential dreamy effect.

Howdy doody

I just messed around with the layout and I don't like it at all. I will fix it soon, I promise.

Jeffy Boo and I just returned from a great trip to Austin! We checked out UT, where Jeff is considering applying to for grad school. They have a great Masters of Education program. Here's rooting for Jeff!

We went to the State Capitol, drove around a bunch, ate some great food, and overall loved it. I especially loved the ribs at The Salt Lick, apparently, as this photo was one of only two I took the entire trip.



I also took this picture of Jeff as we scaled the rotunda of the State Capitol.



Today we left Austin early and went to Schlitterbahn, the LARGEST WATERPARK IN THE WORLD!!!! We were having a good time until someone stole our sunscreen, and we had to wait in line for two hours for a broken ride that lasted only 45 seconds. Theme parks were not made for adults. What sane person would pay $45 to stand in line over and over again only for a 60-second-or-less thrill? It's worse than the DMV!! Well, this sane person did today, but I doubt I will again anytime soon.

Jeff and I have been all over Texas lately. Tomorrow we're driving up to Dallas for his friend's wedding. As we traverse this great state's terrain, my appreciation and understanding deepens as to why Texans are so notoriously devoted to their state. It is beautiful. Definitively humid, but beautiful. Come down for a visit anytime y'all.

A day of mourning

RIP Little Boy Bowl

45 days

We drove from Texas to Utah. The Suburban had some complications. We put a new battery in it and it was fine. We love Colorado Springs. (I have never fallen in love with a place at the sight. New York took two weeks. Utah took four years. St. Louis my love was for people. Colorado Springs instantly felt like home).

Everything is the same in Utah. It was comforting, but it wasn't home.

We returned to Houston last night. Bittersweet. In Utah you're thirsty all the time because it's so dry. In Houston you're thirsty all the time because you sweat so much. Takes 20 minutes and a thousand stoplights to drive the 5.8 miles to Jeff's. This city is the anomaly of Texas. The rest of this state is pretty great, from what I've seen. But this city is draining. There is no respite from the heat, not outdoors anyway. Not even in the late hours of the night when most places have cooled to a reasonable temperature. The a/c never gets a break.

Weddings cost too much money. Or should I say, classy weddings cost too much money.

Please, if I have not yet asked for your address, e-mail it to me.

Hopes and dreams

Sometimes I think Heavenly Father must really love me for one reason:

When I move to a notoriously, sweltering hot place, He makes it less hot.

My two summers in St. Louis were some of the coolest on record. No major heat waves. Less humidity. I found them overall mild, aside from a few nasty days.

Houston started out so hot I thought I was going to die. Jeff was on the verge of sending me back to Utah, I was such a pain. But the past week has been rainy and cooler. Today it is 75 degrees and raining. It's my favorite weather. I think I would do okay in Seattle or Portland.

Houston has been a blast so far. Tomorrow marks three weeks and I can't believe it. I am teaching piano lessons (subbing and picking up my own schedule at the end of the month). I am looking for jobs, though not as hard as I should. I would really like to start my own business, but I haven't gotten too far. I am planning the wedding and almost done finally.

Jeff is studying for the GRE. I think I would really like a day job, but being able to watch The Price is Right if I want to is very nice. Even though I rarely watch it.

Jeff and I watch Wheel of Fortune, or just "Wheel" as we call it, as often as we remember. We are getting really good. I would like to go on that show and win a trip to Peru for Jeff and also $35,000 cash. It really is anyone's game. I am learning to be a smart letter guesser. When I do go on Wheel I "whanna wheen," as Nacho says.

It rains a lot here. And it floods a lot too. It rains so hard you can't see when you're driving. My wipers don't wipe fast enough.

A bright golden haze on the meadow.

I keep telling myself to go to bed, but I won't.

I haven't even washed my face yet.

It is a very great feeling when the person you are marrying makes you better than you are. The tag-team is a nice asset. Suddenly we are funnier, friendlier, happier, more fun to be with, cuter, smilier, and more contagiously irresistible. Maybe just to each other, but that's good enough for me.

Houston is a nice city. There are lots of neat shops and antique shops, though I haven't been to any yet. I live right down the street from Rushmore Academy, AKA St. John's School. I have a 52" TV which has been great for watching HD "Frasier" re-runs. Wedding plans are coming along nicely.

Also, Jeff and I will be in Utah in mid-July, and because I didn't see you (Ashley, Regan, Carl, etc.) right before I left, I insist we rendezvous.

I was informed a few days ago that a man I taught in Waterloo Branch was baptized today. This is a very blessed thing because his wife and family wanted him baptized very badly. I am so very happy for them. He and his wife have the greatest kids in the whole world!!

Michael goes to the MTC on Wednesday. This is a joyous thing for me. I was somewhere the other day, actually I think I was just sitting by the pool, and the thought of Michael wearing his glasses and his slim fit white shirts and his double-vented suits all around rural Japan hit me like a vision of the Tree of Life. And I saw his big, glowing, sincere smile and I felt the love those sweet Japanese brothers and sisters will feel emanating from him. They will love him so much for being the nicest, most polite and considerate American boy they have ever met. They will love him because he carries the Spirit of God with him. They will know he is so very special.

Anyway, I think I'm ready for bed now.

Everyday I waited for you.

These guys won't win any prizes for originality, but I sure like this song.



I am tired of updating resumes and things. I feel like I just did this yesterday. Oh wait I did. I mean, I feel like I've been doing this for awhile now. Probably because I did it a few months ago only to be hired at Wells Fargo, and now I am doing it again. Oh well.

I really like cooking dinner for Jeff. I only did it last night for the first time, and even then he did half (or did his Fasta Pasta?), but I like cooking for him nonetheless.

Also, Chick Fil-A has really amazing soft serve. Yum-may.

This is it!

As of Friday, June 18, about 9 pm, I officially started living in Houston.

Thursday morning I woke up ready to rumble, only to have a dead battery in the Rat. Panicked that my ten-year-old was going to throw a tantrum that day, I took him to the shop to have him looked over. Blessedly, the shop I go to is just a few blocks from Kneaders, so I enjoyed me a plate of french toast before heading back. Nothing was wrong with the Rat (of course) so I took off about 11 am. GOODBYE PROVO!!!!!, I yelled somewhat maniacally at the top of my lungs until the Y was no longer visible.

Utah is a beautiful state. All the way to Moab, to Monticello, I regretted not having spent more Saturdays traveling to all the amazing natural wonders and historical sites in Utah. It is a great place.

I drove and drove all day, lamenting the safety corridor in Farmington and hitting Albuquerque about 8 and getting to my over night destination of Tucumcari about 9:45. This sleepy little town boasts one element of notoriety--it's perched on Historic Route 66--so it features lots of kitschy motels and diners. I LOVED it. Perfect for a one-night stop. I stayed at the Motel Safari. Cheap, clean, extremely comfortable.

Friday I drove and drove through Texas. All day it was Texas. I'll spare you details, as the only one I care about was reaching Houston. We ate Chinese takeout and celebrated that "Whoa, we actually did it!" and then realized what "Whoa. We actually did it" means. So far it has meant lots of laughing, permanent smiles, sweet hugs and soft kisses, and joy. Always joy.

So anyway, I live in Houston now. I don't have a job. It's really hot. But all I really need is that man of mine, so I couldn't be happier.

John's window while you work

I am a useless packer. One of those types that can't/won't pack unless someone else is there. I just find too many distractions. Like the nice weather outside. Like the chickens my landlords have. Like blogging and the Internet. Maybe that's why the dwarfs whistled while they worked. Maybe it helped them maintain focus. When I was little I thought they sang: "John's window while you work...oowee oo oo oo oo ooooooo." I was wrong.

Anyway, Mo came down this weekend to help me with my yard sale and pack up my stuff. We almost finished everything! Now I just have what's left in my room, which by comparison, isn't much. The yard sale was a nominal success. I fell short of my sales goal by $85; my big things like my bed, TV and kitchen table set just wouldn't go. Prices are negotiable!

Thursday is my last day of work. I can't wait. I can't wait to be with Jeff.

I guess I should go pack now.

NO TURNING BACK

Official announcement! Two weeks until Houston! I'm leaving Utah June 17 and driving like a madwoman to reach the man I love by the night of the 18th. Then, FLOAT TRIP ON THE 19TH!!!!

YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will miss Utah. I will miss many things. Unfortunately many of these things center around food, which means I am going to be doing lots of eating in the next two weeks.
I will miss:
JCW
Cafe Rio (pork tostada)
Stan's (grilled cheese and fries)
El Mexiquense (tacos al pastor--thanks Tim, for telling me about the BEST TACO EVER!)
Grandma Sycamore's white bread
WinCo
Jack Sprat sprouted wheat bread
Blue Bunny
Taylor Maid Beauty Supply
Hobble Creek Canyon
The Mountains
everyone I love
The Olsons
Trevor
temples everywhere
Hires Big H
The Pie (especially the cheese pull-a-part)

I gave notice to WF today.
I am packing up my vinyl after I pen this and shipping it off tomorrow.

If you're in Utah, I would probably really like to see you before I move. Please call me if you'd like to see me too. Keep in mind that I'll be in California from the 11th to the 16th, so let's try to see each other before then. If not, we'll still be friends.

Also, my crazy pregnant roommate cooked pig's feet tonight and she kept offering me some. It smelled so disgusting and it looked even worse. Pigs feet with hominy and beans. Some things just weren't meant to be consumed.