Blast from the Past ... and Scenes from my childhood

After reminiscing about all the good reads I enjoyed growing up, it got me me feeling all nostalgic!  So here are the shows that defined little Meg... enjoy :)

The first shows I enjoyed all stream together for me.   The Elephant Show: I'm pretty sure the closing song will forever be ingrained in my brain.  Man .... they're classic.  For Real :)

Yes, I know every single gesture.... and their sign offs.  Hard Core. 

Today's Special was AWESOME!  The old man's name was Sam which was special because my grandpa is named Sam.  And who doesn't love a mannequin that comes alive at night?!  

And of course, you can't talk about my childhood without contributing a big chunk to none other than Saved by the Bell... I tried to find the full workout video but it has been blocked on youtube.  dang.

And last but certainly not least: Kids Incorporated.. K! I! D! S!  ... Don't pretend that you didn't just do the little chant in your head.  You know you did.  I personally think 1989 had a stellar year... their cover of Locomotion was beyond excellent :)

And please tell me you loved this as much as I did... swoon ;)

I adored these shows!  After starting school, I didn't get much time to watch TV because I was always at gymnastics practice.  Most of my TV watching time was late at night.  Which means I only watched shows with my dad like: The Commish, LA Law and Law & Order.  Looking back, maybe these shows are why I originally wanted to be a Forensic Investigator when I went to college?  Funny stuff.

What shows define your childhood? 

Blast from the Past ... book style

The other day I was working an event at a local university.... and I SWEAR I saw Viola Swamp.  Seriously.  In the flesh.  She even gave me a smirk.  All these years, a character from one of my favorite books has been living in Utah.   I almost asked this Viola-look-a-like for a photo.  I am not kidding.

For those of you that have NO IDEA what I am talking about, let's take a trip down a little road called "Meg's Memory Lane" ... We'll start with what brought about this whole post...

Miss Nelson Is Missing! was a staple in my childhood reading list.  I loved this book with all my little heart!  Including eerie old Viola Swamp...

 The 5 year old Meg shudders at the sight .... 

So this whole encounter got me thinking... what other books had such a big impact on me?  Beyond the traditional Bernstein Bears, Where's Waldo, Dr. Seuss and Disney extravaganza, I loved those little books about silly Amelia Bedelia.   I swear if they made a version for adults, I would laugh my butt off.  A few of the others that I adored were:

• If you give a Mouse a Cookie
• Polar Express
• The King, The Mice and the Cheese
• Where the Sidewalk End and Falling Up
• The Little Prince

Anyways, the next book that I remember being completely captivated by was ...

Animalia... I loved this book!  It was rare that I was able to have it considering it wasn't a hard read but I loved it all the same.  There was something whimsical about the book and I would spend hours trying to find all the hidden things in each illustration.  

A Dog Called Kitty is a heartfelt book that made me cry my eyes out!  This was a book on a whole new level for me.  The story is set in Oklahoma which is why I think I was originally drawn to it.  This book was the first book that made me realize the power of a story.  It struck me in a way that I can't explain.  But I loved it all the same.  :)

Next is when I guess I could say my dark side set in?  I absolutely adored RL Stine's Fear Street Saga Trilogy: The Betrayal, The Secret, and the Burning.   They start in the 1600's and focus on a girl who falls in love with the son of their family's rival.  I think this might be where I developed my love for historical fiction ;)  maybe...  

Next I read a controversial book that was recommended to me by a friend: Go Ask Alice.  This book was a lot for me to read at 13 but I loved it.  It is a supposed diary by a 15 year old girl addicted to drugs and describes the terrible consequences of her decisions.  It is very dark but honest.  And I think I admired the honesty of the writing.  

After such dark reads for a little Meg, I chose something a little different... AKA The Left Behind Series.  My parents read these book and the idea of reading the same books as my parents made me feel grown up.  I only made it through the first 3 of the 16 in the series but I liked it nonetheless :)

By this time I was in High School and started reading the classics like:

• The Great Gatsby
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Watership Down
• 1984
• The Outsiders
• Lord of the Flies 
• In Cold Blood
• Catcher in the Rye  etc etc etc. 

All of those books were good and I have reread a few but for some odd reason, I got SUPER into Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson in high school.  Maybe I was going through a weird phase?  Maybe it was because I was a nerd?  Or the fact that I was no longer a gymnast (my identity)... Either way, I became enthralled by their works.  My favorites were Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" (which I had to memorize for a class)... 

And Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for death" .... (which I had to do a report on in class)...

Looking back now, I am surprised how dark they are because I didn't feel that way.  I think Annabel Lee will always be one of my favorite pieces of poetry regardless.

My senior year, I took a class called Teacher Cadet where we would interact with local elementary school children.  It was such a treat to go into the classrooms and see the same books I fell in love with 12 years earlier.  It made me so happy to see that the little stories that captured my heart as a 5 year old were still being treasured by a whole new generation :)

What were some of your favorites growing up??

Almost there...

I can't believe it!  In just over a week, it'll be 4 years since the day we got hitched!  Wow, time flies when you're having fun ;)

Who would have thought that a sorority girl from Oklahoma and a musician from Utah would be where we are today?  A couple of hours hanging out, 7 months of calls/emails/texts, an awesome reunion right before Christmas and a leap of faith move to be closer together .... all brought us here: 4 years and counting.

4 is a big number for me.  It is the number of times we saw each other in person before I moved.  It is the number of wedding dresses I tried on.  It is J's lucky number.  And it is obviously the number of our month and day of our wedding (4.4.08).

I went back and read a post that had been on my myspace back in 2006 that I transferred to this blog in 2007....  It was a post about a talk I had with my boss at the time about whether I had the courage to take that leap of faith to go visit J in that far away place called Utah...

Opportunities are gifts from God and it's your choice whether or not you act on them. And if it ends in failure, at least you know you gave it your best shot and you won't spend your entire life wondering "what if?" I'd rather have a lifetime of failures then a lifetime of things i wish i had done. Failures build character and make success that much sweeter. 

Looking back on the way we came together makes me laugh.  My friends thought I was crazy.  My family was terrified.  J and I were a mix of elated and nervous.  But it all worked out.  :)

Here is a quick video from the end of our reception.  Everything was winding down and there was one song to go for the night... J and I decided to hang on the dance floor and enjoy the last few minutes of our whole shebang.  Unfortunately, the videographer has just barely peaced out... so this was taken by J's brother on his camera.  The floor was slick so if you watch close, you'll notice that I don't really move my feet but just shuffle around... Everyday I'm Shufflin'

It's pretty goofy but I like that it's pretty representative of us as a couple .... and our randomness.  J HATES to dance so this is also a rare moment :) What happens from 1:00-1:30 is my favorite part *sigh*

I think this year, I want to go back and watch our whole wedding video.  We have the whole thing on DVD but it freezes for some reason so we have never watched the whole thing.   Maybe this year we will :)

Who knew?!

Since moving to Utah, my asthma and allergies have seemed to continually get worse.  After Asthmageddon, I began debating with my husband about whether I should get allergy tested again.  I was tested several years ago at a homeopathic office in Oklahoma City.  By the end of the test I had PAGES of foods, ingredients, and crap that I was allergic to.... it named things like apples, oranges, wheat, etc, etc, etc.  I thought it was bunk and dumb so I didn't pay much attention to it because.... well, I was like 20 years old and cared more about the upcoming frat party than I did my health.  Truth.

Fast forward 8 years and I was getting annoyed of having to always make sure I had my Claritin/Inhaler in case there was a smoker within 100 yards of me, cat dander on some stranger's coat, or any other worldly residue on the seat at the movie theater.  It's annoying... and exhausting. 

Enter J's friend Mike.  J has been recording Mike's band for years and years.  Mike swears by this doctor that helped him with insomnia, his dad with shellfish allergies, etc. etc.   Mike had been trying to convince J to send me to this doc for about 6 months.  But since the last time was dumb, I resisted. 

Well... that resistance hit it's wall last Saturday.  We had to take Cleo to the vet so of course my asthma started in immediately.   Followed by the roof of my mouth itching to high heaven.  And I started getting allergy bumps galore!  ... (Allergy bumps are these oh so pleasant bumps that randomly appear on my face when there is some sort of irritant within a 2 mile radius close by.  They are like mosquito bites and swell up all puffy and itch like hell.  Basically they are Awesome and every little girl's dream)

... We were supposed to go help clear the land for a farm that AFLA is starting here in Utah.  But I, of course, ended up not being able to go due to the dumb allergies.  That, piled on top of the fact that I have been having to carry around throat numbing spray to subdue my itchy mouth was about all I could take.  I decided right then that I was going to give this allergy doc a shot. 

Today was my first appointment.  The doctor follows various chinese medicine techniques and did a muscle test on me.  Low and behold, he was able to pin down my top allergens!  Here they are in order of severity:

• Shellfish
• Cats
• Eggs
• Calcium
• Wheat
• Brewers Yeast (dang it, I love Beer SO SO much!)
• Cheese
• Vitamin A
• Trees
• Dairy Mix
• Hormones

Wow!  This was an amazing process and it was crazy to see my body react to little vials of the substances.  He also said I have minor allergies to Pollen, Dogs and Dust.  But having Calcium and Wheat so high on the list really surprised me!

I knew the dairy and yeast sensitivities since they are something I have been irritated by my whole life. I was on antibiotics for a solid 2 years when I was a baby so I have had yeast problems since infancy.  TMI?  oh well.   

Today I was treated for the calcium allergy and had shown some great improvement by the end of the appointment.  Once he can get my allergy under control/fixed, then I can start incorporating more calcium into my diet.  SUPER EXCITED!  I am looking forward to my visit next week and am curious as to which one I will be treated for next!  

Who Knew Allergy Testing Could Be So Fun?! :)

Busy Bee ...

I have been surprisingly busy lately with complete randomness.   But I wanted to share a fun little video that I am currently obsessed with.... I seriously have watched this video like 40 times.... and considering I usually stay away from youtube, that is A LOT :)

.... Road Trip!

This past weekend, J and I had the opportunity to take a road trip with a few of our amazing friends.  To say that I love road trips is an understatement... I ADORE road trips with a passion!  I love piling in the car with my favorite people, going to a different place, and having a heck of a good time.

All of our friends happen to be HUGE fans (and season ticket holders) of our local MLS team: Real Salt Lake.  This past Saturday was the season opener against LA Galaxy.  J and I aren't huge soccer fans but we enjoy the good time that a game usually brings :)  So.. Friday afternoon, we loaded all 9 of us into the band van and started our drive to LA.

I had just purchased a new book and was super excited about using the trip to read it... yes, I am that nerdy.  We stopped halfway in Vegas at our favorite spot: the Double Down.  The Double Down has been a tradition for YEARS!

They have this shot called "Ass-Juice" that is divine and so it is a requirement that we all stop at this little dive bar anytime we are in town. Not to mention they sell toilet shot-glasses ... yes, we own one already.  Don't judge :)

By the time we rolled into our hotel, it was LATE or I guess technically early morning.  We stayed in Inglewood where we found a hotel/hostel to save money.  The moment we pulled up, all of the females in the car were ready to bolt!  It was a scary-movie, serial killer type of spot.  But alas, the boys thought we were ridiculous and said we were staying.  By the time morning came around, the hotel was MUCH less frightening and as J put it, "Everything looks scary at 4am!" .... truth.

Saturday morning, the boys dropped J off at our friend Matt's house.  Our main reason for even joining the trip was so he could do some co-writes with Matt.  Matt has been on tour in Europe for a while so it happened to be perfect timing for J's visit to see him in LA.  They wrote 4 songs in the few hours they were together... and they had a blast! :)

While J was getting his groove on, the rest of us went to our FAVORITE restaurant in Marina del Rey: C & O Trattoria!  It has been a long standing tradition that we can't go to California without eating here.  They have garlic knots that are famous!  Seriously. 

This place is extra special to me because it is also where we ate in 2007 right before J proposed on the pier.  I might have teared up at the table because I am a huge sap... and seeing me all teary could have possibly made Jessie teary too...  maybe. ;)

We walked around Venice Beach for a while and then grabbed J on the way to the stadium.  The game was AWESOME!  We beat LA Galaxy 3-1 !  We sat in the supporters section so it was awesome to be surrounded by some many fans that had made the drive to CA.  Not to mention, our goalie's entire fam was hanging out.  He had rows of family both in front of us and behind us.  It was a neat experience sitting right behind his wife and son, and getting to see their reactions to the game. 

Overall, it was a quick but AMAZING trip!  So blessed to have such wonderful friends and to have been able to make the road trip :)

Pesca-Vegan-tarian... One Year Later

Well friends... March is upon us which is officially one year since my diet changes.  That's right, a FULL YEAR!  Crazy.  When I started this change, it was just an experiment.  An experiment by a girl who was at her wits end with how to feel better.   Warning: this is a long post.  Let's recap with a quick history:

I've had severe digestive issues my entire life.  As an infant, I regularly had projectile vomiting and lived off special formula that came from a prescription to the drugstore.  I was sick and continually lost weight to the point my mom thought I was going to die.  My parents tried everything and I seemed to slowly get better.   As I got older, I tried everything too.

We tried cutting out certain foods, digestive enzymes, allergy testing, gallbladder and blood tests, IV supplements etc. etc. etc.  Nothing helped but I thought I had it under control.  I would have short spells of feeling better and then I would be back to puking 4 times a week. 

Growing up, I hid my puking and I hid it well.  Only, my senior year I was accused of being bulimic by my crazy cheer coach.  My mom quickly went to the principal and straightened them out.  It was hard being a young female and constantly getting sick because of the prevalence of eating disorders (stereotypical and real problems for both young females and for gymnasts).  I remember the thrill of turning 16 and having a car .... which meant an escape route when I sensed I would get sick. 

When I moved to Utah, it seemed to progressively get worse.  I would find myself crying on the bathroom floor because I couldn't keep any of my food down.  One night in November 2010, J and I ate dinner and by the time I got home, my entire meal came up.  As in, undigested PeiWei in the toilet.  TMI?  This was my life. 

J was worried that he couldn't help and urged me to go to the doctor.  After several tests, my gastroenterologist said the only next option was a colonoscopy... and then I was conveniently laid off.  No insurance meant no more tests and thus I was back where I started.

I had heard buzz about a book called "Crazy Sexy Diet" by Kris Carr that discussed the importance of eating alkaline foods to reduce inflammation and disease in the body.  I ordered it off amazon and read it the moment I received it.  The book was me.  It described the way certain foods react in the body and it hit me like a rock.  I knew right then that things had to change.  I went over it all with J and told him I was giving up all Dairy and Meat cold-turkey (pun intended).  No half-assing it.  But then decided that I would keep fish for protein/omega-3/awesomeness reasons. 

It was my own little experiment and if I still got sick, it ended.... I could go back to being a cheese-a-holic.  But...

I didn't get sick.  Well, actually I threw up twice within the first month of the food changes.  Twice for an ENTIRE month was a record!  I was thrilled!  (And one of those times was a direct result of me feeling like I could sneak some cheetos... boy, was that a bad idea). 

J and I purchased a juicer and started eating a lot more fruits and veggies.  I LOVE juicing them because it doesn't cook out the nutrients.  After seeing how it had changed my digestive issues, J jumped on board with the diet a few months after I did.  It was rough at first but now he's now lost about 20 lbs and loves the way he feels!  He decided he eventually wants to add some local grass-fed beef into his diet but hasn't done it yet. 

It was a hard transition and I still fight the urge to eat bacon and eggs EVERY morning!  I actually get angry when people tell me they couldn't do it "because they love cheese too much" ... Yeah, I'm from Oklahoma for goodness sake and lived off chips and queso, cheese enchiladas, grilled cheese, etc.... I LOVE CHEESE TOO A-HOLE.  ;)  But it's about self-control and feeling awesome :)

I do have the occasional splurge such as a cup of potato salad on my bday (which made me sick, go figure) or a cookie on a holiday but that's it.  I haven't gone back.  It's not worth going back to the way I used to feel.  Maybe one day I will be able to add in some foods like the occasional scrambled egg but for right now, I'm sticking to it!  :)  And I am thrilled!

I have had a lot of friends ask my advice about changes in their diets so I will just post a few things I wish someone would have told me a year ago:

• Research!  Anything and everything!  I am constantly reading articles and studies about food, vitamins, nutrition, agriculture, etc.  Educate yourself and never stop learning.
• Start with the positives!  Instead of worrying about what you shouldn't eat, add things you should... namely, Fruits and Veggies!  I recommend adding lots of them to your diet and eating them everyday.  
• Pick your Poison!  If you have the urge to cut something out, try dairy before meat. I get so concerned when I hear that people have gone vegetarian and their meals consist primarily of dairy.  I won't go into the details since this post is already LONG, so I will just repeat: educate yourself. 
• Soy is not your friend!  do your research.  This topic has lots of proponents and opponents so go with what feels right to you.  I stay away from it except when it's the only option at a restaurant.  Visualizing it as a nutritionless lump of estrogen is my stance but you do whatever works for you.  ;)
• Listen to your Body!  Only you know what works for your body, listen to it.  If you feel like crap every time you eat a certain food, try cutting it out and see if it helps.  Through the past year, I have become so much more aware of what food does to me.  Even now, eating certain things makes me feel sluggish and weighed down.   Only you know what makes you feel the best :)  

So if you got this far in the post, I commend you for reading my recap!  I am thrilled about this past year and just hope that I can continue to feel this awesome for the year to come. 

With that being said... our friend had a mustache party... it was awesome! :)

The End.

The Puppy Monologues

My sis is flying in tonight.  She'll be in Utah for the FIRST TIME EVER... but for less than 24 hours.  Super excited for her to be here though and to see her.  And she's never seen our house so that's pretty fun too :)  So here is my short and sweet little post:

Sometimes I wish that dog collar from "Up" was a real thing.  I mean ... how can you not wonder what the heck is going on in your dog's head...

Yes... this post is one of THOSE posts ... deal with it :)

 Her "leave me alone" face ...

Her "I look like a freakin Ewok" face

 Her "Don't I get to come?" face

 Her "Leave me alone, I was snoozin'" face

 Her "scratch my belly" face...

Her "throw the ball" face ...

Her "this is mine now, sucker!" face...

Her "Wake up MOM!" face...

Her "this haircut makes me look like Falcor and I'm pissed" face ...

The End ;)

Good Luck with that ...

*Warning: I try not to cuss in my posts, but this one deserves every piece of it.  

Dear readers,

I usually don't comment on TV items because I don't watch tv.  Recently we watched The Voice for our friend Neal and Idol for our friend Haley and yes, we even watched the Grammys AND the SuperBowl.  Who are we?!   Usually I stay far away from tv due to all the pointless, shallow crap that's flung across the screen in the form of advertisements. 

Don't get me wrong, I watch the crap out of Dexter, Bones, Warehouse 13 and the Walking Dead.  BUT completely COMMERCIAL FREE.  I can't stand advertisements (ironic for a girl with a bachelors in Advertising, but whatever). 

I was actually thrilled with the Grammys for the most part.  Adele and Foo Fighters walking away as the biggest winners felt like justice.  Justice against the piece of shit Lady Gaga's of the world.   And the negative press about the joke that is Nicki Minaj made me smile to the depths of my soul. 

I wish our society would quit honoring the spectacle shit-show that is untalented, overproduced, scripted creations of the music industry.  Please don't get wrapped up into thinking any of that is authentic.  The music industry scripts every piece of an artist's life.  It's like thinking an advertisement is genuine.  That the ad exec didn't go through countless hours and focus groups finding what colors, fonts, race of their actor and music would appeal to their target audience.    

For instance, an up and coming band gets signed by a major label.  In order to make this band ride the indie, under-dog wave... the label signs them to one of their "small, independent labels" even though the major label still oversees every decision.  Then the band works their way up to national appeal so that all those fans who liked them as underdogs feel justice was served.  Little do they know, it's all planned out.  Sad fact.

I think I get so frustrated because I'm a musician's wife.  I watch the talented souls get bypassed for the gimmick.   Last night we went to watch a friend play at a local bar.  His music is honest and genuine.  His talent is heads and shoulders above the those on the radio.  He makes his living playing local venues and he deserved better than post Jazz game drunks on a Friday night. 

So to my little readership out there, go support raw talent and true musicians.  And support your local music scene too.

I'll leave you with this little gem....    

V-V-V... Valentines!

Well ladies, it's that time of year again ... where everything in the store is a shade of pink and the entrance to every grocery store is a rose garden.

J and I always have a pact to NOT celebrate Valentines in a traditional way.   This year, we semi-failed though.  We made dinner and got drunk at home ;)

I made a vegan lasagna with salad and an artichoke appetizer.  It was delicious!  And only about 300 calories with 16 grams of protein per serving!  Noodles, spinach, garlic, eggplant and tomato sauce were the only ingredients, and yet somehow- it was divine!   While I cooked the food, J made Espressotini's!  I also had champagne while he drank merlot.  It was tasty and perfect.

Not to mention we had Avett Brothers on vinyl the ENTIRE night... except for two hours where I had a dance party with these 2 to the "Back to the Future" soundtrack .... man I love vinyl more than I can express :)

 Not to mention it has "The Wallflower (Dance with me Henry)" by Etta James that I jammed out to NON-STOP when I was a kiddo!  Then we continued the dance party to the Annie Soundtrack that was the FIRST vinyl I ever owned ;)

We also spent the night making this little gem ;)

Truth ;)

So Happy Valentines to all my friends and fam!  May you celebrate today surrounded by those that you love!  Be it a friend, family member or significant other.  Today is about love and that is truly all that matters :)

and I had a random bubble heart in my champagne.... weird ;)

Twice the fun, Twice the joy... it's a Girl AND Boy!

This past Saturday I had the honor of co-hosting a baby shower for a wonderful friend (Whitney) who is having twins.  Our husbands have been friends for years and he was even the best man at our wedding.   They have two little boys but when she found out she's having twins, I jumped at the chance to throw her a shower. Showers are a HUGE deal in Oklahoma so I am used to seeing people go all out for them.  Lesley and I (co-hostess) had never thrown one before so we were meticulous about making it perfect :)

We chose our theme: The Very Hungry Caterpillar!  And sent out our invites....

For decor, we decided to stick with green and yellow to tie into the book.  We had a drink stand of Ice Tea and Water.

As well as, lots of healthy eats like hummus and fruits ... and some not so healthy eats like a red velvet cake and donut holes :)

I used the actual children's book as the "guest book" so everyone signed a page and made little additions to the story which was fantastic! 

And of course, I made a diaper cake :) ... took 93 premie diapers... crazyness.

Now, EVERYONE knows that Baby Shower games are generally terrible! (There's a celebrity matching game that is really fun but I was afraid with the large mix of ages, the game would not be fun for everyone)... And I am sorry, but I will NEVER make my friends look at melted chocolate in a diaper ... gross! worst game ever!  ... Which is why we decided NO GAME.    We bought several onesies and set up a onesie decorating station instead!

It was fun and really well received.  People enjoyed drawing and gluing cute fabric pieces to the onesies ... and it was great for Whitney because she will need LOTS of them :) And I guess people had a good time because the last person didn't leave until 5pm.  (That's 7 hours people!  7 hours!)

The shower went off without a hitch which made Lesley and I very proud of all the hard work, time and money we had put into it!  17 of the 22 ladies invited attended which was awesome for Whitney! She got so many cute and thoughtful gifts!

 

  We gave away little tins filled with runts as parting gifts to keep with the book's theme.  People thought they were hilarious  :)

We had several people tell us that it was the most beautiful shower they had ever attended and they were shocked at how nicely coordinated everything was.  :)  Of course that made Lesley and I beam with joy that we gave Whitney the shower she deserved.   .... and Whitney was beyond thrilled! 

Congratulations to Ty and Whitney!  Can't wait to meet sweet Roman and Reid!

HBD to my #1 Squeeze

This past Monday was my husband's 32nd bday.   Those of you that know me know that birthdays and holidays are a HUGE deal to me. Which means my husband had a birthday month.  Usually we do little things to celebrate for the ENTIRE month but unfortunately, J and I both got super sick.  I ran a fever for 12 days and we both felt pretty awful for most of January.... that means the birthday month was not up to my usual plans and expectations.  But, we made the most of it over his birthday weekend :)

I bought him an electric piano for an early present in November.....

...but I refused to let it be his birthday with no presents ... so I was able to find the 2 brand new reissues of Jellyfish's "Spilt Milk" and "Bellybutton" on limited edition vinyl.  Only the first 1500 were on colored vinyl so he was thrilled :)

Friday:

We went to Z'Tejas at the Gateway.  I love that place!  They have vegan, vegetarian and gluten free sections on their menu which is SO nice!  We then met some friends and went to see the new Underworld in 3D. We both loved it!  I LOVE Kate Beckinsale and all the Underworld movies :)  

Saturday:

We did our annual birthday tradition of dinner at Benihana and drinks at the Red Door.  Benihana is the best hibachi place in Utah! We've tried several other places but no where compares to their deliciousness :)  

The Red Door is our favorite little bar in Salt Lake.  It's super small and they usually have some sort of fun jazz band playing.  This particular night they had a band that played instrumental versions of popular songs... and they were terrific! 

J and I both ordered an Espresso martini for our first drink.  Then I had two Saketini's.  I am usually not a big martini girl, but holy cow - this was the tastiest drink I have ever had!  

Two of our friends ended up driving up from Lehi and meeting us at the bar.  After a few drinks we went back to our house to play some games.  Low and behold, we finally wrapped up our intense card game and realized that it was 4am!  Who knew we were still such party animals?! ;)

Sunday:

J's parents just built a house and I had yet to see the finished product.  So Sunday morning we went over to take a tour of their new abode.  They took us to a wonderful lunch at Iggy's and we spent the rest of the day recovering from Saturday night :)

Monday:
The ACTUAL birthday was started with a surprise eggs benedict breakfast from The Blue Plate Diner.  When I asked him what he wanted to do for his actual birthday, he only had one answer:  work on his new solo cd at his studio and have a few drinks.... so after breakfast he opened his last present: a bottle of High West Rendevous Rye Whiskey.  High West is made in Park City so not only is it tasty, it's local! 

That evening a small group of friends got together and J made off with some more fun High West... (I stole this photo from his instagram)...

We all headed to FatCats which is a bowling/arcade/mini-golf place about 10 minutes from our house... and they serve beer ;)

 We bowled and ate some cupcakes which was the perfect end to an AMAZING birthday weekend.

Happy Birthday J!  I am so honored to be able to celebrate each year with you! :)