My 5 Truths

I can't help but think about the fact that I will be 29 in a month.  To say that this week has been a time of reflection would be an understatement.  Monday night, I slept for a whole 90 minutes.  Not consecutive.  That's all I could get.  My brain refused to turn off.  I sat the majority of the night in self-reflection and analyzed my life, my goals, my intentions and mostly myself.

I got on my blog to write about it and noticed my dear friend Ty had written a similar post.  I recommend you go and read it here. 

What is it about leaving your twenties that is so terrifying?  Do you feel the same with each decade?  Will 40 be just as weird?  I feel like one of the most important parts of life is growth.  Growing in love, in perspectives, in beliefs, in self-awareness.  Self-awareness is your best friend.  True Story.  So more for me than anyone else, I wanted to write the Truths that I hold onto and value.  They represent me who I am today.  They represent lessons learned and failures and triumphs.  They are my truths going into my 29th year in this world.... but more than anything they are mine.

• Grow. - Grow, Adapt, Change.  Your beliefs are supposed to grow with you.  Learn to educate yourself and strive to grow in those beliefs.  What truths you held as a child, a teenager, an early twenty-something should not be the exact same as the truths you hold today.  Strive to grow.  As an individual.  As a friend.  As a partner.  Growth takes self-assessing and questioning of your beliefs.  Welcome it.  It will either place you in a more solid position or give you a completely new direction.  Work to always be self-aware.  We often go through life responding to people with our own energy behind it.  Someone once told me that being completely annoyed with someone is often because it is a mirror to something you hate about yourself.  Be aware and acknowledge these times.  It will help you to grow beyond them and reduce their impact. 
• Respect. - Yourself and those around you.  Respect is important to me because it is all encompassing.  Respecting someone can be as little as understanding or as much as showing admiration.  Strive to understand people at their core.  Gaining an understanding of what makes them who they are is the ultimate form of respect.  It can grant patience and provide true insights into those around you.   Likewise, respecting yourself is a two way street.  If you lack self-respect, other people will treat you as you treat yourself. 
  
• Reflect. - Where were you in life last year?  The year before?  Reflection is important.  It reminds us of our journey and the tribulations we have faced.  It reminds us of our strength and our tenacity of what we have overcome or accomplished.  Reflection is an important part of humanity.  The decisions of the past have determined our present and our understanding of those decisions and consequences determines are future. 
  
• Forgive. - Mostly yourself.  You haven't been perfect.  But neither has anyone else.  The past is just that... the past.  Learn from it.  Move forward knowing you cannot change it.  Forgive others.  They are often coming from a place that you are not aware of.  Their actions or words often say more about them than it does about you.  Someone once told me that refusing to forgive is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.  Harboring ill feelings hurts no one but yourself.  Forgiveness leads to a softening of the heart and opens it so other positives can enter.  A hard heart can lead to anger, dissatisfaction and ultimately disease. You won't ever have it all figured out.  Learn as you go and forgive yourself when it doesn't go as planned.
  
• Live. -  Appreciate.  Be thankful.  Be authentic. Take time to notice the positives.  There are always some there, even if they are hiding.  Give thanks every day.  Whether you believe in God, or energy or the Universe.  Gratitude shows appreciation and respect.  Remember that this is the only life you have so make it a point to be connected to that gratitude at least once a day. 
  
  These are my truths.  I would love to hear yours :)

People are too amazing ...

I don't think any words are needed other than ... Watch and Enjoy :)

... i may have cried like a baby .... maybe.

Dino-mite!

Nerd Alert!  One thing you may not know about me is that I love Estate Sales!  Love them! I prefer them over garage sales because you know you will have a better selection.  Garage sales often just have clothes and kid items but estate sales usually have antiques, furniture, and vintage galore.  I am on email lists for various companies in Utah that provide the Estate Sales.  It's great!  I usually receive the email on Thursday talking about what they have to offer and where to find it. 

Well on Thursday, one came through that said: Estate Sale of the First Utah Paleontologist.  Are you kidding me?! 

The second thing you may not know about me is: I LOVE DINOSAURS!  Love them in an obsessive manner actually.  I always think that if I could go back, I would have pursued the paleontology/archaeology route.  I know I have written about my love for all things Dino before.  But Man!  You better believe I jumped at the chance to go to this estate sale.  It was only open to the email members on Friday so of course I went the second I had a chance! 

The house is a small house in SLC but behind it, the owner created a giant 3 story tree-house/workshop.  The bottom floor was off limits but seemed to be a storage area.  The main floor was a few rooms and his Dino Lab. 

The upstairs was the gold mine!  He had fossils galore!  As in REAL ones!  Oh, sweet heaven!

And you better believe that I would purchased this to my heart's content and mounted it somewhere in our living room if I had the $800 to spare.  (I'm sure J would have loved for me to come home with a giant skull but whatever). 

Some people mount deers or elks, but oh no.... this man mounted a giant dino replica! Swoon!

The more and more I wondered around his old workshop, I couldn't help but think he and I could have been BFF's.  For Real.  An old 8-track recorder, records galore, a common affinity for all things dino, and a fridge converted into a giant beer keg!  Oh yes.  BFF's I tell you. 

He also had covered an entire wall with these old whiskey cases.  Amazing. 

Wish I could have just been a fly on his wall.  Since I knew this would be a rough place to walk away from.  I only brought $5 with me and ended up spending $3.  But I got the "Tron" original soundtrack on vinyl and the 1st Edition/4th Printing of "In Cold Blood" from 1965 by good old Truman Capote. 

I apologize for the grainy pictures but I was trying to be inconspicuous so I wouldn't look like a freak ;)  I have a feeling that this was the best estate sale of the year! For me anyways :)

St. George Recap!

This past weekend we had the honor of being invited down to St. George for a 3 day adventure with some of our favorite people.  Some friends of ours rented a house down there with 5 bedrooms... AND a pool! How could we resist such an excellent offer?!

After a quick and early work session, J and I loaded the car to head down to the House O' Fun!    J and I, being the prepared folks we are, did all the shopping the day before.  Which means we had a HUGE box of food and a large ice chest crammed into J's car.  Add our bags, our pup, and some musical gear... we were PACKED.  It's honestly a miracle we made it down there with everything. 

We picked up Syd and Nixon on the way and then hauled booty to hot St. George.  (For my Oklahoma friends, St. George is southern Utah and just a few hours from Vegas.  Imagine it as the "Family-Oriented Retirement-Home Side of Vegas")

We ended up with 9 adults, 2 kids and our pup in this house.  And man oh man, it was perfect!  Each "fam" took one meal to purchase and be in charge of.  The Pricketts took Friday dinner and made an incredible salmon dish paired with potatoes and asparagus.  I might had stood at the counter and tried to polish off the remaining potatoes... maybe.   

We spent a few hours in the pool having handstand contests and just enjoying the heat.  And my little pup was introduced to swimming for the FIRST TIME!  We were a little nervous because she has never been in more water than our kitchen sink.... but She did excellent :)

Saturday, Syd and Rob took care of breakfast... complete with eggs, bacon, and pancakes.  Blueberry Pancakes! My fave :)  Saturday lunch was our meal... so the girls went shopping while the boys watched soccer and we started on our meal: Cheeseburgers, Salmon burgers and chips/dips.  

As soon as the girls returned, we all went running for the pool!  We played on rafts and swam around like crazy fools!  It was such a good time!  I haven't been swimming in a pool in about 2 years.  And that was just a quick dip with my niece... the last time I splashed around like mermaid was a good 4 years ago!  Yes, I still prefer to do some mermaid swimming. 

Saturday Night, the Sanders were in charge of dinner.  They had the genius idea of "Make your own Shish-Kabobs"  .... YUM! ...  They had so many options: potatoes, squash, mushrooms, broccoli, chicken, steak, etc.  I may have eaten 4 veggie ones.  Yes, FOUR!

A few hours into the night, we suddenly realized that one of the upstairs rooms was locked.  From the inside.  With no key to open it.  So, the boys quickly developed a plan that included some outdoor stunting ....

it was hilarious!  But they got the room unlocked :)

Sunday, we all headed home and J continued to LA for some music stuff.  It was such an incredible mini-vacation.  I can't tell you how much fun it was to have a private pool with some of your best friends!  J commented that it was definitely one of his favorite weekends and I would have to agree!  If you get the chance to rent one, I highly recommend it :)

A Guide to SLC... or the places that mattered in 2007: Part Two

Had a truly amazing weekend which I will recap later... for now, here is Part 2:  

Dave's Casa.
I kind of mentioned this during my last post, but Dave was one of the few friends I had when I first moved to Utah.  He played bass in J's band so I met them on the same night back in 2006.  In Oklahoma I had a lot of guy friends.  I considered many of them to be like big brothers.  Dave quickly enveloped this role here in Utah.  

Dave - (huka)

When J moved out of that building on 7th South, he moved in with Dave and his brother, Derek.  I moved into the house when my apartment rent was up, just before the wedding.  We were quite the roommates.  

At the time, we all hung out at a bar down the street called Huka.  Which means, there were many... MANY ... parties at this house.  It had an indoor game room that housed a hot tub, a pool table, and a foosball table along with a room full of mirrors that Dave used as his closet.  I personally preferred the mirror room to be an excellent space for dancing and handstands.  I taught them how to beer bong and shot gun, they taught me how to make the poor man's white russian and about the genius that is Sailor Jerry's.  
 

the House - only a snippet so its not showing the whole address :)

J had his studio in the basement at the time which also had the practice spot for the various bands D & D were in.  Which means there was a lot of this....

 
Right after our wedding, Dave announced he would be leaving the band.  He had a work opportunity that couldn't be passed up, thus no more touring.  Right after J and I's honeymoon, the band left on a 3 week tour.  Which means, it was just me and the brothers.  They stepped up their big brother roles once again and really looked after me.  We'd go to dinner, out to the bars, and watch movies.  It was great feeling like I had a Utah family while J was gone.  Not to mention, that my car broke down on the highway!  Dave left work early and spent a good 4 hours pushing my car back to their house.  Incredible. 

Dave and Derek - (Burts)

Roomies

We don't see Dave and Derek very often these days.  Sure, we still frequent his work spot which is where we usually get to catch up a bit but it just seems hard to actually work our schedules out for some hang time.  Dave is married and lives farther south but they still play in a band around town. I couldn't have asked for better roommates and friends than them!  

Hooters.

Now I know you are thinking "what the heck?!" .... well, being Sooner born and Sooner bred means that I am an avid football watcher.  And moving so far away from everything meant that I needed something to hold on to from good old Oklahoma.... 


Enter Sooner football.  J and I tried to find places that would play the games but to no avail.  Finally we realized that out of all the bars in Utah, Hooters would indeed play the game!  However, they wouldn't put the sound on.... we spent many times sitting at the bar trying our best to see the game on their small TV and eating cheese fries.  But it was my team, so it was perfect :)

in the venue.

Broke City (my photo)

One of the first shows I went to when I moved here was at In the Venue.  J's friends were playing in a band that was opening for some big touring band at the time.  I remember being shocked at how big it was.  I would liken it to the Coca Cola Center in OKC.  Over the next year (and since), this place has had a special place in my heart.  I've seen J's band play here several times and every time has been so incredible.  It's kind of the Mecca of venues for me.  :)

Broke City - (my photo)

There is also a smaller room called "Club Sound" ... I got to see J open for one of his favorite bands there.  It is one of my favorite venues in Utah and I highly suggest you see a show there if you haven't already :)

Broke City  - (my photo)

Gallivan. 
This was one of the first places I saw J play after I moved.  I remember being beyond thrilled because it had 3 of my favorite things: outdoors, music, & J.  They played a radio show that had Flyleaf (one of my fave bands at the time).   It was also the first time I saw all the background hoopla of a larger show.  It was impressive and interesting to see how everything is put together. 

Avenues Spot.
In Salt Lake, there are a bunch of homes above the capital in an area called The Avenues.  When I visited J for the second time, he took me here to show me the city.  We were only able to stay for a few minutes because he was playing a show across town.  But the fact he went out of the way to show it to me was incredible.  We snapped a few pics of course and then headed on to his show (which happened to be at Huka of course).  

So when it came time for our engagement pics, I of course had to have a few taken at this spot.  Now, we live about 15 minutes from this spot.  I used to go up there frequently when I had free time... (I actually still do).  Just to look at the city and take some time to be appreciative of the blessings in our lives.  I haven't been up there in about 2 months... which needs to be quickly remedied :) 

Huka.
oh Huka.  A staple of my first year in Utah. 

This is where I developed a friendship with a few amazing ladies.  Funny, we would never step foot in there now.... but back then, it was our favorite hang out.  J played there often... as did Dave and Derek.  Which means we were there a couple nights a week.  

 

And I even had my Utah bachelorette party there ;)

Most amazing part of Huka is that the night I referenced above in the Avenues was a very special night indeed.  J had taken me to that spot to tell me he loved me for the first time.  He chickened out though so I had no clue this was even going through his head.  When we got to Huka that night for his show, we were sitting at the table and he realized it was time to start playing.  He got up, gave me a quick kiss and said "I love you" ... it just flew out of his mouth and he stood there awkwardly. It had been on his mind but saying it at that moment was a complete accident.  Now being the huge sap I am, that moment of course sealed in Huka as one of my very favorite spots.  :)

That is my recap of the first year of Utah and the places where the memories are sealed. Up Next: St. George Recap! :)

A Guide to SLC... or the places that mattered in 2007: Part One

I would like to preface this post with a PSA:  if you read my blog, please comment!  I will not think you are being a creepster.  I do not post my blog address anywhere but I somehow receive around 300 views each month.  Unless my three lovely commenters are viewing my blog a million times a day (doubtful), there are people out there who just refuse to comment.  Please do.  I enjoy them, I promise :)

Moving on...

I have officially lived in Utah for 4 years.  4 years!  Crazy!  (One year in Vegas from 2008-2009 for all you people pointing out that it should be 5 years) .... It's funny to think that I moved to Utah on a whim without having a clue how long I would actually be here.  I got to thinking about how far things have come since that big move exactly 5 years ago.    So, I decided to do a recap of the important places in my life in 2007....  Since I am a photo-fanatic, I am splitting it into 2 posts.  :)

7th South. 

When I moved to Utah, J lived in an industrial building off of 7th South in downtown.  And since I moved to this state for him, this is where I spent the majority of my time.  I was jobless so most of my days consisted of sitting on his couch while emailing endless amounts of resumes.  The building where he lived was originally the office area for a garage where they fixed up classic cars.  He had two rooms, a kitchenette area and a bathroom.  The main room was the living space/bedroom with a couch and two lamps that had been left by the previous tenant and a blow-up mattress.  The other room was where he recorded bands.  The kitchenette had a bathroom style sink, a fridge and a bar counter.  It was separated from the garage by only a half door... AKA, a door that didn't go all the way to the ceiling so a large ugly painting was hung so that it closed off the top part of the door.  It smelled most of the time like oil and gas.  BUT... it was where my handsome boyfriend lived so it was heaven :)

Building

Entrance

The neighborhood was sketchy.  Homeless people constantly rattled the door trying to seek shelter.  A bum even died on the curb outside. Sad. And to make matters even sketchier, another homeless person broke a window and set the curtains on fire in the room next to his studio area.  Luckily they burnt out on the carpet without spreading the fire.

the "neighborhood"

classy joint

But the kicker was that the water pipe broke, so J had no water.  FOR WEEKS.  The landlord turned off the water due to the broken pipe... and then said it was too expensive to get fixed and dragged his feet about it.  AKA.... no running water for shower, toilet, etc.... FOR OVER A MONTH.  J said it was like being on tour and resorted to the musician shower: baby wipes and bottled water.  Being a boy, he could pee in the empty bottles and dispose of them properly.  However, being the female on the couch meant I had to run over to the closest joint to pee, Wendys.  Unfortunately since it is so close to the homeless park, this particular Wendys required you to purchase something to get the bathroom key.  In other words, I bought A LOT of kiddie frosties.  A LOT.  

Finally, J started going over and turning the water on in order to shower and letting it flood the other part of the building.  You can't deny your tenants water for over a month... so the landlord could piss off. ;)  He eventually gave J the last month's rent back when J moved out. 

Where the water pipe and fire incidents took place.  Please notice the fire location is still a wood slab on the window.

SLC Library.

When J's was busy with bands recording, I spent most of my time at the SLC library.  Once again, submitting endless amounts of resumes.  And this happens to be the site of my very favorite Utah event: Utah Arts Festival!  You better believe it is already on my calendar and is a MUST each summer.    Oh how I love it!  I would probably cry if I missed it.  True story. 

House of Guitars.

The bass player in J's band (and one of my only 3 friends in Utah) worked at a place around the corner from J's "apartment" ... We would go visit him regularly.  J and Dave would talk about all the new gear that had come in that day and geek out over various things I didn't understand.  But I loved it.  I relished in getting to spend time with someone I knew (I met Dave the same night I met J).

Brewvies.

This is still a constant staple in our life.  What is better than a restaurant that is also a bar AND a movie theater?!  You can't beat that.  And it was in walking distance from J's.  Plus their pizza is divine.

from a few weeks ago :)

1st Ave.

Eventually, I was able to get my own place in Salt Lake after I had secured a new job.  I searched and searched and finally found a really nice studio apartment in the much coveted "avenues" in downtown.  The space was perfect!  Tall ceilings, full kitchen, several closets.  I loved it.  Sadly, my car got broken into on my birthday right after I moved in.  They stole my iPod.  On my birthday.  To make matters worse, J's bday gift to me was a new car radio that would play my iPod.  Dang.  Moving on...

Burt's Tiki Lounge.

Burt's was a constant destination back in 2007.   Since then, most of the bands we see have migrated over to Urban Lounge.  But in 2007, we were at Burt's A LOT!  It's an awesome little dive bar and a must see in Salt Lake.

Don't know why the creepy eye thing is happening?

We were actually at Burt's on Tuesday.  Random.

So those were some of the places that meant the world to me during my first year in this old state called Utah.  I wish I had more photos but I lost most of the photos from this year when my old computer crashed.  Dang.  Next up: Part two! :)

Lagoon!

This past Sunday, J and I finally decided to get a Lagoon Season Pass.  What is Lagoon?  Well, it's an amusement park about 20 minutes from our house.  If you are from my hometown, then I will say it's like Frontier City + White Water.

Since my mom lives in another state and his family doesn't get together for Mother's Day, we had the first free day we've had in a while.   We started off by dropping in to see his parents before they went to church.  We brought his mom some flowers and a little figurine we picked up for them in Honduras.  His parents were in Europe while we were on our cruise so we went through their new photo albums and his mom gave us a play-by-play of their adventures.  Man, it made me want to go to Europe so bad!  That is for another post :)

We then continued our Sunday adventure by meeting some friends at Lagoon.  Now one cool thing about Lagoon is that they allow beer!  So we picked up an 18 pack, some OJ and decided we were going to indulge on some Lagoon Lunchboxes!

We were the first to arrive which meant we sat in the pavilion, drinking for almost 2 hours...  Sun + Beer = very tipsy Meg.  It was fun though and gave J and I a chance to just chat and enjoy the weather.  Once our friends arrived we took off to enjoy some rides.  We started with Rattlesnake Rapids and then moseyed on over to one of the coasters.  Now something you may not know about me is that I love roller coasters!  Like ADORE them! 

When I was just a youngster, my mom and dad would stuff my shoes so that I would be tall enough to ride.  I always insisted that I had to ride with my dad.  My theory was that if the harness malfunctioned for any reason ... my strong, macho daddy would be able to hold me in.  Thus, I fell in love with every coaster known to man.  (Except the Mr. Freeze in Texas... evil coaster, that one.)   And I have enjoyed them ever since!

However, due to my recent neck issues, I decided that one coaster ride was enough for me for the day.  No use making my neck worse right before summer.   So we filled the rest of the afternoon with more lunchboxes and I watched them do various other rides.  Then we finished it off with some fresh roasted corn which was beyond delightful! 

I can't wait to go back when the rest of our friends are able to join.  I love knowing that we have a free pass to just use whenever we get a hankering for some rides.  Makes me even more excited for summer!  :)  And, if you live near SLC... please come meet these fun fellows at Lagoon on Sundays!