Summer 2012

I am now back in school!  While it is good to have a schedule once again, I certainly enjoyed my time off this summer.  Here is a look back at all my adventures.

My parents have an awesome backyard and I spent many, many evenings sitting in front of the fire pit relaxing with my family.  Every once in a while we would stay outside talking until the wee hours of the morning and every once in a while we made s'mores!

I got to spend a lot of time with Sean and Tashena.  My sister needed someone to watch them every Friday so I planned some adventures.  We went swimming, had a picnic in the park, watched the movie Goonies outside at Snowbird, went bowling, went to a Salt Lake Bees baseball game, and spent our last Friday together at Lagoon.

I really love camping.  When I say camping I actually mean living in the lap of luxury in my parents' motor home!  My family went on an epic camping trip to Southern Utah and we were able to visit Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.

In my opinion it's not summer unless you go on a road trip and I went on a great one with my cousin John.  We went to see two baseball games between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres in Denver.  The Rockies even won really big for us one night and we got to see fireworks both nights!  So much fun!

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to attend a performance at an outdoor amphitheatre.  This summer I was very lucky to be able to see lots of great shows.  The summer started with the Scorpions concert at the Usana Amphitheatre.  Then I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Murray Amphitheatre with most of my family.  I took a little road trip with my Dad to St. George and was able to see Hairspray at Tuacahn.  I went to a Utah Symphony performance at Deer Valley with Marilyn (one of my very favorite things to do).  I saw Aida at the Sandy Amphitheater and then went with Marilyn to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Sundance in the same week!  I closed out the summer with the CSN concert at Red Butte Garden (which was awesome).  Whether the backdrop is red rocks in the desert or pine covered mountains, there is almost nothing better than watching a show under the stars!

Finally, I had the adventure of a lifetime when I went on safari in Kenya and Tanzania!

I was able to experience so many incredible things on this trip but my favorites would have to be seeing elephants in the wild (a dream of mine) and seeing a lion kill a wildebeest!

 

It was an amazing summer!  I didn't read as much as I had hoped to (but I now have a giant stack of books to read thanks to Eric who always gives me books) and I only completed a fraction of the projects that I wanted to but I had a lot of fun!  I am now really looking forward to the fall (my very favorite season).



Are You Ready For Some Football?

You know fall is on the way when college football starts and I, for one, am definitely ready for it!  Tonight I went with my friend Toni to the University of Utah season opener against the Northern Colorado Bears.  It was so much fun!  I was really interested to see how Jordan Wynn, who hasn't played since October of last year, would fare.  Even though Northern Colorado is not a great team, I thought Wynn looked respectable with two touchdown passes.  We also got a chance to see freshman quarterback Travis Wilson rush for two touchdowns.  Jake Murphy looked really good and John White had another 100 plus yard game.  By half-time the Utes were up 21-0 and the second half was a bit anti-climactic (not just for me but for the entire crowd) because the game was so one-sided.  It started raining a little bit at the end of the fourth quarter so we thought about leaving the game a little early since Utah was up 34-0.  Toni said that we should leave if Utah scored another touchdown.  Just at that moment Joe Kruger intercepted a pass and ran it 23 yards for a touchdown.  That got the crowd cheering!  The final score was 41-0 giving the defense a well deserved shut-out!  A great way to start the season!

 

Note:  Utah native Trevor Lewis brought the Stanley Cup to Rice-Eccles Stadium at half-time!  It was pretty awesome!

Light And Shadow

The August selection for my book club was Seven Years by Peter Stamm.  The novel is set in present-day Munich and is narrated by Alex through a series of flashbacks as told to a visiting family friend.  Alex reminisces about his days as an architecture student when he was captivated by the beautiful and talented Sonia yet in the throws of an obsession with the frumpy and timid Ivona.  He impulsively proposes to Sonia and sets about building the perfect life with her.  Yet he feels that this perfect life is merely a facade and is inexplicably drawn, once again, to Ivona.  He is repulsed by her and keeps this relationship hidden out of embarrassment rather than guilt.  However, it is only with Ivona that he truly feels alive.  Alex is alienated from everyone and everything as he tries to simultaneously figure out why is attracted to Ivona and what he lacks with Sonia.  Stamm brilliantly weaves concepts from architecture into the story, notably balancing light and shadow as well as form and function into a structure.  However, I found the story to be rather bleak.  In my opinion, Alex is an existential anti-hero who doesn't seem to care for either woman and that was a little bit off-putting to me.

Note: Stamm's sparse and unemotional prose is spot-on for for the character of Alex but I was very much distracted by the lack of quotation marks throughout the novel.

Monday Motivator

"Education is the kindling of a fire, not the filling of a vessel."

- Socrates

Just A Song Before I Go...Back To School

Tonight I went to Red Butte Garden for the Crosby, Stills, & Nash concert.  Now these tickets were pretty hard to come by but I have some mad ticket procurement skills and I was able to score some!  The concert was absolutely wonderful!  At first I was worried that they wouldn't sound as good as they did in their heyday.  After all they are in their sixties and seventies.  However, they sounded great with the amazing three-part harmonizing that they are known for.  I really enjoyed "Southern Cross,"  "Long Time Gone," "Just A Song Before I Go," "Cathedral," and an incredible rendition of my favorite CSN song "Our House."  Whenever I go to a concert I always have some obscure song that I really want the band to play and I am invariably a bit disappointed when they don't.  But sometimes the band actually plays the song!  CSN played "Helplessly Hoping" and I was beyond thrilled.  They included "Love The One You're With" by Stephen Stills, a few Buffalo Springfield songs, and a great song by Bob Dylan.  I was a bit sorry that they didn't play "Teach Your Children" or "Ohio" but they did play a great variety, including some new songs, and they did play for over two hours.  For the encore they performed an acoustic version of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes."  Red Butte Garden is a fabulous venue and it was a beautiful night!  I had such a great time and this concert was the perfect way to end the summer (since school starts for me on Monday).

 

Note:  As you might be able to tell from the picture, I was one of the youngest people there!

There Was Never Just One

I have been in non-stop meetings at school for the past two days.  By this afternoon I was literally ready to climb the walls!  Luckily I was able to see the movie The Bourne Legacy with my family tonight.  I am a huge fan of the Bourne franchise (I have even read all of the Robert Ludlum books in the series) and I have to admit that I was pretty unenthusiastic about this installment when I learned that Matt Damon would not be starring.  However, I think that the new storyline dovetails perfectly with the three previous ones and I like that several scenes from The Bourne Ultimatum are incorporated for continuity.  When Jason Bourne exposes Treadstone and Operation Blackbriar, the CIA fears that other black ops will come to light as well.  Agents (most notably Edward Norton) begin shutting down Operation Outcome, which alters the DNA to enhance the strength and intelligence of soldiers in order to infiltrate them into hostile territory, by killing the operatives.  Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) survives and seeks out one of the program doctors (Rachel Weisz) to help him make the enhancement permanent (and elude the CIA).  It is rather slow at the beginning but it is worth sitting through the backstory to get to the unbelievable action scenes at the end of the movie.  The chase sequence in the streets of Manila exceeds the Paris chase in The Bourne Identity, the Moscow chase in The Bourne Supremacy, and the Tangier foot chase in The Bourne Ultimatum in my opinion.  I definitely needed an injection of adrenaline after sitting in meetings all day and this movie provided a perfect dose!  I highly recommend it.

Note:  I have never been a big fan of Jeremy Renner but I was quite impressed with him in this movie.

Monday Motivator

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Lagoon

This is my last weekend of freedom!  Even though I won't have students for another week, I have to be at school starting tomorrow for meetings and to prepare for the coming year.  I wanted one last summer adventure with Sean and Tashena so on Friday we went to Lagoon (a local amusement park).  We got there right when the gates opened and went from one ride to another almost nonstop for several hours.  The park wasn't really that crowded (probably because it was so blasted hot) so the kids could get right on the rides without having to wait very long.  An operator even let Sean stay on one of the rides several times.  One of their favorites was the Sky Ride which is like a chair lift at a ski resort that goes from one end of the park to the other.  We rode it in one direction and then got right back on to ride in the other direction!  In the end the hot sun did us in (along with an unfortunate throwing up incident) so we left a little sooner than planned but it was a lot of fun.  I have really enjoyed being able to spend so much time with Sean and Tashena this summer!

Goin' Courtin'

Tonight Marilyn and I drove up to the Sundance Resort to see their production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  It has been unbearably hot the past few weeks so I absolutely loved the chance to go up in the mountains where it is much cooler.  I also loved all of the fresh air with the scent of the pine trees all around us.  The mountains provided a spectacular backdrop for the theatre but the show was also a lot of fun.  I grew up watching all of the old musicals at my Grandma Anderson's house and my cousins and I would sing all of the songs and dance around her living room.  Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was always a favorite and I think I secretly longed to have a strong and handsome young man kidnap me and take me to his cabin in the woods!  All of the song and dance numbers were fabulous, especially when the brothers were trying to impress the girls at the social!  The choreography in that scene was really amazing!  I was impressed with Jenny Latimer, who played Milly, and Kevin Goertzen, who played Adam.  I was especially impressed with Latimer when her microphone malfunctioned and she had to sing and dance in a big number with a hand-held mic.  The supporting cast of brides and brothers also did a nice job.  The actors playing Gideon (Andrew Robertson) and Alice (Sarah Wilson) were especially endearing in their roles but Dorcas (Alicia Pann) is always my favorite.  It was a lovely evening but, once again, I am telling all of the locals a little bit too late because tonight was closing night.  I would, however, recommend checking out the Sundance Summer Theatre production next year.  You can read all about last year's production here.

Note:  If you are keeping score at home, this was my third musical this week!  My name is Phaedra and I am a theatre junkie...

Written In The Stars

Oh how I love the rock opera Aida by Elton John and Tim Rice.  The first time I saw it was during the national tour in 2003.   At the time, I didn't know anything about the show but it soon became one of my favorites because I absolutely love the story of star-crossed lovers set in Egypt!  When I found out that the Sandy Arts Guild would be performing it at the Sandy Amphitheater (a fabulous venue) this summer, I immediately got very excited.  Even though this was community theatre, I thought it was an incredible production.  The three leads, Britani Cavaness (Amneris), Trent English (Radames), and Robin Auva'a (Aida), are amazing.  English and Auva'a have wonderful chemistry and they sing "Elaborate Lives," which I think is one of the greatest love songs of all time, with so much passion.  I also really loved their rendition of "Written in the Stars," another poignant love song.  Cavaness has a fabulous voice and, although she is different from the actresses I have seen play Amneris, she has a lot of fun with "My Strongest Suit" and convincingly portrays her anguish in the song "I Know the Truth."  The supporting cast is quite good as well.  I always get goose bumps when the Nubians start chanting "Aida! Aida! Aida!" at the end of "Dance of the Robe" and this production was no exception!  The dancers, especially the male ensemble in "Another Pyramid," are outstanding.  I really enjoyed myself tonight and so did the entire audience!  I heard a little girl behind me singing along with "The Gods Love Nubia."  I would recommend that everyone in the Salt Lake area get a ticket but, unfortunately, the show closes tomorrow night.

I'm Jammin'

I have wanted to make jam all summer but I have been so busy (with things like sleeping in until noon and reading all day) that I haven't had a chance.  Today it became a priority because I used the last of the strawberry freezer jam that I made last summer on my PB&J.  This time I decided to try raspberry.

Thoroughly mash 6 pints of raspberries one pint at a time.  Place exactly 3 cups of the prepared raspberries in a large bowl.  Add 5 1/4 cups granulated sugar to the raspberries and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water and one box of pectin to boil, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling and stirring for one minute.  Add to the fruit mixture and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved.  Fill jars immediately leaving 1/2 inch at the top.  Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours and then you can freeze it for up to a year.  I was able to fill 9 half-pint jars. 

I really enjoyed having homemade jam throughout the year and this recipe was so easy.  Give it a try!

What A Way To Make A Living

 

I may have said this before but I am not a fan of the current trend of turning popular movies into musicals so I was pretty ambivalent about Hale Theatre's latest offering, 9 to 5 The Musical.  Since I have season tickets I went to see it any way and I actually thought it was pretty good.  The storyline is incredibly faithful to the 1980 film of the same name so if you are a fan of the movie you will probably like this show.  There are some truly comedic moments that will get you laughing out loud, such as when the lecherous Mr. Hart comes on to his secretary Doralee in "Here For You," when Roz declares her love for Mr. Hart in "Heart to Hart," and when the women fantasize about killing Mr. Hart in "Dance 'O Death," "Cowgirl's Revenge," and "Potion Notion."  I don't know where they found the actress playing Roz (Brooklynn Pulver) but she is absolutely hysterical.  I thought I was going die laughing when she licked, yes licked, Mr. Hart's nameplate!  The actress playing Doralee (Angie Winegar) has a beautiful voice that is especially well suited to the country-flavored songs she sings (the Dolly Parton role).  The actor playing Mr. Hart (Ryan Poole) is such a sleazeball you can help but laugh at his antics.  I absolutely loved the giant picture of himself on his desk.  This is a big production with lots of sets, scene changes, over-the-top costumes, props (where did they get all of those typewriters?), and multiple lighting cues.  Even though it was opening night, which is notorious for mishaps at Hale Theatre, I thought it flowed seamlessly for such a complicated show.  I did think the second act was very anticlimactic and I didn't really buy the romance between Joe and Violet.  However, it is certainly worth the price of admission for a fun night out.

Note:  Speaking of fun nights out, they have been very few and far between since I came home from Africa.  Aside from a few days spent with Sean and Tashena and a couple of weekend activities, I have been very content to stay at home and read all of the time!  I have to admit that it has been so nice...but it felt good to get out again.

Bowling

Tashena and I are extremely competetive when it comes to bowling.  We have an intense, and often acrimonious, rivalry that goes back many years.  Bowling was always our go-to activity when she would spend the day with me.  About a week ago I had Sean for the day and he decided that he wanted to go bowling.  Ah...a new adversary!

As we were walking in to the bowling alley I began bragging about how I was going to destroy him (actually I am an inconsistent bowler more noted for power than accuracy).  He said that if I won he would be a good sport.  What?!?  It is kill or be killed, pal!

He was really only mildly interested in bowling.  He spent most of his time breakdancing or pretending to fly.  Observe.

In the end he did beat me (the punk).  I blame all of the 80s music playing in the background for distracting me!  Seriously...why can I remember the lyrics to songs I haven't heard for twenty years but can't remember the item I went to the store for?

Here are some pictures of bowling with my nemesis Tashena.

March 2010

This is Tashena throwing a major fit because I WON!!  Don't you love her "I love Troy" shirt?  I bought her that when we went to the Broadway show High School Musical.  I'm pretty sure she would never speak to me again if she knew I was putting this picture on the internet!

August 2009

Isn't her hair adorable?

June 2009

Monday Motivator

"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will."

- Epictetus

Kool-Aid Lip Gloss

My niece is a huge fan of lip gloss.  Strangely, so is my nephew.  The very first Christmas present he ever bought me was a pack of lip gloss from Bath and Body Works and he wanted me to open it up immediately so I he could try them out!

I've seen lots of different ways to make homemade lip gloss but I decided to try making it with Kool-Aid using the tutorial found here.

I found these 2 oz. plastic containers at Michaels.  They came in packages of four and were pretty inexpensive.

To make the lip gloss all you need is Vaseline and a package of Kool-Aid in any flavor you would like.  I made a double batch using two 13 oz. tubs of generic petroleum jelly and cherry, grape, fruit punch, and lemonade flavored Kool-Aid (the grape smells really good but I don't think it looks very appealing).

Divide each tub of petroleum jelly into two glass bowls (four bowls total).  Working with one bowl at a time microwave the jelly for 30 second increments until it becomes a liquid (it took about 7 minutes total) stirring in between.  It will be extremely hot so be sure to use pot holders when removing the bowl from the microwave.  Let the liquid cool down slightly and then add the entire package of Kool-Aid.  Stir until the crystals dissolve.  Pour the liquid into the containers and set aside for several hours until the mixture solidifies.  I filled two containers with each flavor.

This lip gloss was so easy to make and my niece and nephew were thrilled when I gave it to them (especially my nephew).  Give it a try!

African Safari: Ngorongoro Crater

Our last game drive was to the Ngorongoro Crater which is a large volcanic caldera.  On our way there we made a stop at the Olduvai Gorge made famous by the Leakeys.

The Olduvai Gorge is sometimes called "The Cradle of Mankind" because the fossil record shows the existence of hominids as early as 1.9 million years ago.  We were able to visit a museum on the site which showcased much of Louis and Mary Leakey's excavation work.  I found it to be absolutely fascinating.

Then we drove to Ngorongoro.  This is a view looking down into the caldera.

In the middle of the crater there is a seasonal salt lake called Lake Magadi.  It reminded me a lot of the Great Salt Lake.

There were lots of birds around the perimeter of the lake.

We saw large herds of wildebeest roaming the savanna.

We also saw lots of zebras.

I was really excited because, on our very last game drive, I finally saw a jackal!  It could run really fast.

I was finally able to see some hyenas as well.  I did not, however, get to hear them laughing.

We found this lion sleeping right on the road...

then we saw another...

and another!

Further up the road we found this group of lions asleep!  I thought they looked just like domesticated cats!

When you are the top of the food chain you can sleep anywhere you want!

We stayed at a lodge in Ngorongoro and this was my little hut!

We had to get up at the crack of dawn to drive back to Nairobi, including another fun border crossing, but we stopped at a coffee plantation for a group photo along the way.  My driver is George, the second from the left on the top row.  He was awesome!  This was the adventure of a lifetime and I'm not sure where I can go to top this trip!