Squash Dinner Fail

That title is an ode to a wonderful website called The Fail Blog. It shows pictures of various failures in clever ways. Like this pretty funny "Mascot Fail" "Unlimited Fail" or "Motel Fail" or "Camper Fail" or "Tasty Fail". Of course Scott introduced me to such genius. (Warning: you may want to click the "G-rated posts only" page, sometimes they're a bit edgy.)

While at Sarah's house last Friday, I was flipping through her Better Homes & Garden magazine when I came upon this recipe for Chicken and Squash Gnocchi. It looked so tasty and I had a recent success with roasted squash in a vegetable pasta dinner so I thought it would be great. I had to go to Harmon's to find fresh gnocchi (which on second thought, I should've just made myself but whatever).



Last night I finally got around to making the recipe and boy did it fail. The squash smelled and tasted terrible by the time it was time to actually combine it with the chicken and pasta. Look at this photo, that just looks terrible right? I wish I could recommend that recipe but I don't really. Luckily the rest of dinner was salvageable.


The fact that I'm able to experiment with a recipe means this week is amazingly less busy than last week! Monday was so great. I went to class in the morning and then went with Sarah's kids to see High School Musical 3 at Riverwoods.

I had never seen HSM1 or 2 and found HSM3 to be mildly interesting and not too overly dramatic (except for that kid who plays the male lead, he clearly loves his biceps too much...). I had to resist napping during the movie until I realized wait, I don't have to feel bad for taking a tiny rest in this movie because it is a kids movie afterall.

I loved the time I got to spend with Sarah Brenden Oliver and June and I'm glad I got to go. But overall, the movie really REALLY bothered me. It's just not good for kids to see all this madness about falling in love in high school, or that the only way you can be happy in high school is if you have a best friend of the opposite sex. It sets unrealistic expectations. It creates false hope. It causes kids to have the WRONG focus. I remember being affected by these kinds of movies as a kid. Dawson's Creek was also popular at the time which glorified these super close, you-mean-everything-to-me friendships between boys and girls. I remember what it made me think about high school, I remember the longing it created in my mind and immature heart. It doesn't lead good places.

Where are the movies glorifying what high school should be about? Practicing building friendships with all kinds of people, learning about what you believe and how to stand up for it, spending time bonding with your family, participating in extracurricular activities that expand your horizons. I was lucky enough to have older siblings as examples for how to have a great time in high school. And I did!! But there was a lot of wasted heartache too. That's all about that for now...


Monday night I finished all my homework, finished the gym, finished laundry and found myself watching a documentary on KBYU called Brides on the Homefront. It was the story of 3 separate women falling in love during World War I. It was touching to hear their stories, one got to marry her sweetheart, one's husband was killed while at war, one women "Dear Johned" her soldier. During that time BYU was about 80% female! And we think our current 2-1 ratio is bad. It's an interesting time in US history when the country was so bonded and strong. People were proud and worked hard. It's hard to completely grasp the range of emotions they experienced during that time.




That was followed by the always fascinating surf documentary Riding Giants. Then the documentary Mall Mania about the expansion of the American shopping idea into China.



Then I finally went to bed.




Yes, I just admitted to watching one full-length movie and three documentaries in one day. Should I be embarrassed? Maybe. Do people generally admit to watching TV? No way. If I had said I read books for 4 hours would people think differently about how I spend my free time? Yes, they probably would.

I love this funny post from Lisa on Light Refreshments Served about this subject (you should really click that link). Here's an excerpt:

Have you ever been in the situation when someone says something like “Oh, I never watch TV.” or “I don’t even OWN a TV. . .” or “I don’t have TIME to watch TV. . .” like it’s an automatic virtue, (or like my friend Eric says, “It’s not like they’re out there curing cancer while you’re watching TV. . .”) and you’re left standing there feeling kind of dumb, like you can’t really defend TV watching, like it’s just an assumed vice like force- feeding baby seals hard liquor, so you say nothing or you say something like “Oh, well, we love PBS! And the Discovery Channel is really worth it. . .” or “It’s nice to watch Conference. . .and the Olympics!” Or worst, you jump in and tell them which book you just finished reading like you have to justify yourself, your life, or your use of leisure time. But what you’re really thinking is “I love to watch TV–it’s relaxing! It’s entertaining! There’s so much good stuff on there. . .and, what with my DVR, I’m responsible with it–I save time in fact. . .” Well, maybe you don’t go on and on like that, but the sentiment is the same.

So there you go. I watched some TV yesterday. I don't have to defend what I choose to do with my leisure time. And neither do you! :-)

RIP

I mentioned it briefly on Tuesday, but I wanted to give an official farewell to my favorite red watch.

I was first introduced to the "Cuff Watch" by my mother. She gifted me a Silver Ox Chico Cuff Watch that was featured on Oprah's Favorite Things 2002. I wore it til it broke in two.

A couple years ago on a date to dinner and a movie at the Riverwoods, Ken bought me a random present at that random home decor store (you know which one I'm talking about right?): my beloved red watch. It was a GREAT replacement for the old chico version. I've worn it in on 4 continents and a dozen countries. It was starting to wear out and I was considering replacing it this birthday, but I was never going to let it go.

I've searched the testing center and the BYU Lost & Found (IeLi - any tips?) but they don't have it. I am positive I left it in the darkness of the testing center. Which means someone found it and just kept it? or threw it away?

Ah... what a shame. It's so rare to find something that you love like that. And supremely annoying when you lose it..

**Photos courtesy of Dave Kader's crazy cool camera color feature. And the Mount Scopus Brittish War Cemetery in Israel. **

This would be GREAT for Jay-walking

Check out this 2 minute video of people who claim to be Obama supporters. Pure gold.

Born: October 21, 1985.

It's true. Today is the day of my birth. Which is cause for celebration and contemplation and such. And the official declaration that I am happy.







































First, I'll give you a run down of today so far. Birthdays are great because you receive tangible expressions of love from the people in your life. This is a great thing. There's no excuse for feeling badly on a day when so many are thinking of you. I'm staying focused on that today. It's been delightful to talk to old friends, have passing greetings from classmates and, of course, receive love from family. Thank you to you all.

As for celebration, this probably won't so much be the day. It's a Tuesday, which is my busiest day in school. I have class 9-11, 2-4, and 5-7. Being an adult, I can choose to skip all my classes if I so desire. But it seems a little counter-intuitive to celebrate entering adulthood by shirking on my responsibilities as a student. See what I mean?

So today I am going to all my classes. The fact that I'm blogging in class doesn't matter because hey, I'm here, AND I did my homework.

Second, many of you (read: maybe two people...) have asked about my treat situation most specifically, will I choose to have one today and what will I choose? I've thought about it all week long and I've settled on Homemade Pizookies (like BJ's). Cookie, LaVell's vanilla, can't really get better than that! Unfortunately, it won't work to do it today... Going out to dinner with Ken after my evening class means we won't be able to do treats until 10pm. It will be more enjoyable to include more people which can be done by celebrating on the weekend.


Third, I made one really bad choice this morning. I woke up with enough time to fully shower and get ready for the day, which I intended to do. But upon analyzing my hair situation and the fact that I had washed it Monday, I opted to try to stretch the hair til today, instead of re-washing it. You know how sometimes this works and sometimes by the time you are ready to leave the house you really regret your decision? Today the outcome is regret. Darn.

I also seem to have misplaced my favorite red watch. I'm 98% sure I left it in the testing center last night after taking my 5-hour tax test. When it's closing time, they shut off all the lights to try to get people to stop working and leave. Instead they caused me to forget my watch on the chair. I'm actually quite bitter about the whole situation.

I did get one really weird greeting today... At exactly noon I received a text message from dr@urdoc.us that read:

"Rachel, Happy Birthday from everyone at our office! We love having you as our patient. Kimball M. Crofts, MD."

Huh? I've never heard of a Dr. Crofts and I certainly don't have a relationship with a "Dr. Crofts" that would warrant a birthday text. I looked up the doctor's name online and it turns out he belongs to Aesthetica, Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa. What?? Who submitted my name to a plastic surgery clinic and what exactly are they suggesting? ;-)

It reminds me of a letter my mom got back when I was in middle school. It was an envelope that was (or looked) hand addressed to Dorothy. Inside was a folded up full-page newspaper ad for some weight-loss product. Hand written in the corner was "Dorothy, I saw this and thought you might be interested."

Crazy! After further investigation she confirmed it was, in fact, just a very clever advertisement. But I'm sure she spent the whole afternoon trying to figure out which friend was trying to send her a message.





In my next post, I'll tell you about my new birthday celebration idea which will involve 23 Spectacular Somethings and a whole month to get them all done.

Slurpee Update

I'm sorry for the long delay. I just didn't know how to follow up on that last post!

***Thank you to everyone for your kind and generous response to my Slurpee Situation (now a proper noun). I should've known that with a team effort, we could find a resolution.

Saturday afternoon I got a frantic call from Christine. "Rachel, you'll never guess! I found a Sprite Icee at Lagoon!!"

My first thought was, people go to Lagoon? My second thought was, how long does it take for an icee to melt and how fast can you get from Farmington to Provo? Or should I meet halfway? And then the thought, is this getting out of hand?

Not yet, but it could...




















Can you believe it! It's so within reach. I WASN'T able to drop everything and drive the 80 minutes up to Lagoon on Saturday, but it's pretty high on the TO-DO list, so we'll see.

Annee's awesome friend Kim also informed me that Colorado Springs has a well stocked Circle K that I would really appreciate. You better believe that will be the first thing the next time I visit The Springs (which will be in about 20 months? where are we on the countdown Annee?)

I feel closer to you all now that you know about my deep longing for the slurpees of my youth and secret tendencies to research excessively. Is this longing really an indication of some deeper, psychological longing? Perhaps. But that's for consideration on some other day...

Wanted within 100 miles: Slurpee

I've been a movie lover as long as I can remember (I think this is a family trait?). When I was in elementary school, our small town made a big step in accepting a movie theater development project. (To keep decent appearances, they stashed the theater under the freeway over pass down on the border of Montrose, close enough to be convenient but far enough to keep trouble out). My friends and I frequented this new and exciting La Canada United Artists theater as often as we could. It was a bold step of independence to get dropped off without parents for bagel dogs and a movie.

It was in this time of life that I discovered and fell in love with Slurpees. Most specifically,
Sprite flavored Slurpees. Little. Sip. Of. Heaven.

It was perfect, sweet but not overwhelmingly fake like its Cherry flavored counterpart. Furthermore, the beloved Sprite Slurpee was white! No need to worry about staining lips or clothing while sipping in the dark.

I never realized how rare and special those Sprite Slurpees were. But over the last five years, I haven't been able to locate this slurpee anywhere. And I've been searching. (By the way, Sprite flavored SnoCone is not a suitable substitute...)

I've stopped by every slurpee and icee location in Utah and the Greater Salt Lake Valley. Nothing. On road trips through the Mountain West, I glance through the frozen drink counter of every gas station encountered. Still, nothing. I've scoured Boston, New York, Georgia and Florida. Coast to coast you'll find plenty of cherry, pina colada galore, even Mountain Dew nastiness. Don't these people know about the ONLY slurpee worth the calories and brain freeze?

I've had some accuse me that the Sprite Slurpee of yesteryear is just a figment of my imagination. Not so. A little web-searching has corroborated its existence.

Evidence:

• Nutritin facts - why list the facts if it doesn't exist?
• Official slurpee flavor list - scroll down, Sprite is there.
• Even the ever reliable Wiki lists it. In this case, Wiki counts
  

Apparently, back in 2004 a Sierra Mist slurpee was released in honor of Shrek. (I may or may not have just searched through 7-11's Quarterly SEC filing to find that piece of information...) Oh if only I had known!!

My web searching has produced only one tiny shred of hope. There is a website that tracks locations of various slurpee falvors. You can enter your address and the flavor you want to find and they'll show you where you've got to go to get the goods. The Sprite Slurpee closest to Provo:

4004 JEFFERSON AVE
MIDLAND, MI 48640


Just wait Michigan.. I will find my way there eventually.
Oh how sweet it'll be!

Running on the weekends.

7:00 am. Alarm goes off. Shoes ready by the bed.

Cold weather running gear unpacked and ready.

Four safety pins. One race number. Nerves.

Light snow falling. 38 degrees. Handful of antsy participants.

Race begins. No turning back.

Mental strength. Mental tears.

Finish line in sight. Last push. Done.

Good feelings lasting the whole day.


After a long (read: way too long) summer break without any running during my spring and summer in Europe or Jerusalem, I finally feel like I'm back in the zone. I'm more excited than ever for the Rose Bowl 1/2 coming up in December.

Side note: I was shocked when I walked into the gym in Jerusalem to find not a single treadmill. Can you say false advertising? I was really counting on being able to run those couple months. And running outside, with 2 other people, in long pants and 100 degree weather just wasn't a realistic option.

The last couple weeks I have had some of the best runs of my life. The kind of runs that made me fall in love with running in the first place. The ones that leave you feeling so strong and capable, like you could just go on forever.

It may or may not be connected to my lack of treats. It hasn't been easy to break the habit, but clearing my blood of the constant stream of sugar has certainly led to a tangible change in how I feel. So I'll stick with it for now.

There has been a small race of some sort in Provo every single weekend since I got back in August. And still going strong! Next Saturday I'll participate in the 5K for Nie, and you should too! Spring in Provo brings 1/2 marathons on several consecutive weekends, I plan to participate again to the fullest extent.

It's so good to be back.

P.S. I swear Coldplay creates some of the best, pick-me-up running songs in existence. Maybe they're extra effective because I never listen to the radio so they haven't been all played out for me. First Speed of Sound, now Viva la Vida. Whenever those pop up on the shuffle I definitely pick up the pace.

What other songs help distract you through your cardio?

Love via Skype

So fun to get to glimpse across the world with Skype Video chat. I called Saturday night when it was Sunday afternoon in Korea. Jane was playing Strawberry online when she "answered". Here's a glimpse...

Flurry of activity.

Kids to be tended to...
Ruby's treasures shared.
"Rachel do you have one of these fun balls? No? Well you'd better go buy one at the BX!"

Jane's hair is getting longer.

George needed ideas of what to do...

Grabbed one good group shot while mom answered the door.

For Annee...

I'm sorry for the length... I know these things get old. But!

Today is my fabulous sister Annee's birthday! I got to talk to her briefly via Skype Video Chat when it was Oct 8th in Korea which was nice. She sent around this email survey thing, which I generally avoid, but I'm going to fill out just for her.

I love you sister!

1. What time did you get up this morning?

I was awaken first by a phone call at 730am. It is not uncommon for this person to call me at this hour and rub in how perky he is in the morning compared to how sleepy I am.

2. Diamonds or pearls?

Pearls please!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

An American Carol. The movie was awesome! The company was great! (Thanks Jowy) You guys should all see it, very clever. And maybe don't get lost on your way to a theater you've never been to thus missing the first 15 minutes of the film.. Just an idea.

4.. What is your favorite TV show?

Biggest Loser, Grey's Anatomy

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?

Cinnamon Flavored Oatmeal.

6. What is your middle name?

Lenore

7. What food do you dislike?

Berries, all of them, and fish. I know I know, I wish I loved them. But I just don't.

8. What is your favorite CD at moment?

Beatles Red/Blue Album. It was just time to get back to the basics ya know.

9. What kind of car do you drive?

Gold Infiniti QX4

10. Favorite sandwich?

The Italian Place, Turkey & Everything. It's a new love.

11. What characteristic do you despise?

A "Can-Not Do" attitude, people who say no without thinking about it, people who refuse to find a way. (Think airline employees, etc...)

12. Favorite item of clothing?

My JCrew Basic Black Dress. I've had it for years and still love it. I've never found anything as good.

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?

This is tough... I would say there must be a beach at my vacation location. And yet I love Paris. So I would say Nice/Marseille, France. But frankly, after extensive worldwide research, you can't beat CA for beaches. So maybe I'd choose a super fancy, nice CA beach resort? (I'm saving Hawaii for something more special) Or a Trans-US road trip. I need to see more of America. Especially South Dakota (Mt Rushmore anyone?).

14. Favorite brand of clothing?

Anthropologie.

15.Where would you retire to?

Around family. And seasons.

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday?

Maybe my 19th birthday when I ALMOST missed my flight from Paris to Rome.

17. Favorite sport to watch?

BYU football is pretty much the only sport I enjoy watching. And only now that we win.

20. When is your birthday?

October 21!

21. Are you a morning person or a night person?

NIGHT! But boy do I love sleep. Why do I torture myself by staying up late for no reason??

22. What is your shoe size?

10. Donations accepted. :-)

23. Pets?

Not a one. Ever. People who think pets are members of the family are not my kind of people. (I'm sorry...)

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?

PWC wants to give me an extra $10,000 for getting a masters degree!

25. What did you want to be when you were little?

Supreme court justice.

26. How are you today?

Tired. And really wishing I weren't on a treat fast!

27. What is your favorite candy?

Take Five or Peanut M&Ms

28. What is your favorite flower?

Peonies and ranunculus

29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?

The day after Thanksgiving when I can have a Root Beer Shake.

30. What is your favorite pastime?

Talking to people who let me ask them probing questions. Or blog stalking. (I admitted it, now you can too.)

31. What are you listening to right now?

Dr. Laura

32. What was the last thing you ate?

4 oz chicken, 4 oz baked potato, 1 cup broccoli.

33. Do you wish on stars?

I used to..

34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Green.

35. How is the weather right now?

Perfect fall weather - cool and sunny

36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today?

Ken Michael. Or Annee, Henry, George, Jane, Ruby (technically that was after midnight).

37. Favorite soft drink?

I really don’t like soda at all.

38. Favorite restaurant?

That is such an impossible question...

39. Real hair color?

Blonde.

40. What was your favorite toy as a child?

Craft projects?

41. Summer or winter?

Summer for the sunshine. Winter is fun but gets old really fast..

42. Hugs or kisses? Chocolate or Vanilla?

Kisses. Vanilla.

46. When was the last time you cried?

I'm pretty sure it was two weeks ago, reading this post.

47. What is under your bed?

Nothing! First place I've lived in college where my bed is not up on cinder blocks. So awesome.

48. What did you do last night?

D&C class in the evening, studying at the testing center, took religion test, home, made dinner (too late to be eating but whatever..), watched the presidential debate, watched Biggest Loser, sympathized with a sick Ken (sick from his flu shot..), received father's blessing before my parents depart the country again, emails, chatting, blogging til 2am! Oops!

49. What are you afraid of?

Change and loneliness

50. Salty or sweet?

I gravitate toward salty for snacks, but want to end each meal with a sweet touch. Dr. OZ says this is because I am an under-taster, great...

51. How many keys on your key ring?

Five. Car, my house, K's house, UPS store front door, UPS store mail box

52. How many years at your current job?

Currently unemployed... Or, student for the last 5 years.

53. Favorite day of the week?

Friday

54. How many towns have you lived in?

Probably around 5..

55. Do you make friends easily?

Boys yes, girls no.

56. How many people will you send this to?

All of the world wide web.

57. How many will respond/comment?

anyone who loves me. (I'll keep Annee's line. It guilted me into responding!!)

Birthday cake? No thanks...

This past week has meant the celebration of two important birthdays.

First, my roommate Kirstin turned 24! (As did Courtney off in Portland!) It was fun to try a new restaurant Cafe Madrid up in Holladay on Tuesday night. Afterward, a few of her friends came over to enjoy birthday treats. I baked Homemade Oreos (finally using up the cream cheese frosting I've had frozen for such an occassion!).



But last Friday I started a 10-week no treat commitment as I prepare for the Rose Bowl 1/2 marathon and work to accomplish various other goals. And I really mean business. It was pretty much torture baking those treats without so much as licking extra frosting off my fingers or taking a taste off the beaters. (Who knew how often I "check" to see that the recipe is good!) But the sacrifice is worth it in the end. How cute is the bundt cake Kirst's mom got at Nothing Bundt Cakes!




I went to the wholesaler to pick up some flowers for Kirst. It's been far too long since I've done any kind of arranging. But getting flowers from that mart and attempting an arrangement brings me so much happiness. I need to make it a more regular occurrence.




Lastly, here's a glimpse of our family room/kitchen. I got to use the birthday banner I won in a Nie Nie Auction! It was perfect.










On Thursday we celebrated Mom's 39th* Birthday! (*Actually, this year she declared her actual age at every opportunity. But I'll let her do the declaring and instead tow the party line) It was fun to meet up with sisters CZ and Sarah for pedicures and chatting. Dinner with Dad and Scott followed. I opted out on the birthday treats back at Sarah's house because there's only so much will power... I love you mom!

P.S. Ok my pinky is seriously aching from all of this blogging. Too much Ctrl+X Ctrl+V formatting!

Trust me, you want to eat this...

Seriously, go check out the mouth watering Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine I posted over here. It's oh so delicious. I will not let you down!

Oh and check out the recipe for those sinfully great BYU Mint Brownies posted here. If only we could find the recipe for the darn Tanner Building Cookies. Those who do not know about these cookies, your waistline surely thanks you. I have no greater weakness!

exhaustion from class
+
"fake money" on my signature card
+
the convenient(ish) Marketplace Cafe
=
my current 10 week sugar fast.

Loving Fall *Foilage*

This week two of my lunch breaks were spent in the mountains. It really is nice to take the time to observe the fortunate place I live. During the drive up on Thursday...

K: Sev asked why I was late to class after lunch on Tuesday.
R: Really? What did you tell him?
K: Oh I told him we went up to look at the fall FOILAGE.
R: (instant laughter) Did you really say that?
K: Yes, what's wrong with telling him?
R: I just don't think we've seen very much foil up here. FOLIAGE maybe, but no FOILAGE.
K: Whatever, same word, different pronunciation.
R: No, I'm sorry... but it's just not the same.

The thing is we've had this exact same conversation the last two years. Some things just don't stick. :-)










This year I really wanted to take the ski lift up the mountain. When you drive the Alpine Loop you mostly see the yellows. To get a good shot of the reds you need to explore a different part of the mountain. Riding the lift also gives you a look into Robert Redford's estate that even Google Earth can't offer.










I was the genius who wore weak flip flops up the mountain. When I got dressed in the morning I was planning for an afternoon pedicure with mom and seemed to forget that between class and the pedicure there would be a quick climb up a mountain. Oh well!