"Just a Small Town Girl"

#25

2010-05-17T19:10:00.007-04:00

Remember this list? Well, let's just check number 25 off!

My cute mom, spunky grandma and bff Kalli finally made the trek to DC.

We had a fun girls weekend hanging out and catching up. I loved showing my favorite people some of my favorite places. We hopped around the monuments, went shopping, went swimming at the hotel, sported matching Washington DC sweatshirts, and walked Grandma Tammy to death :)

Snowed In...For a Week.

2010-02-11T21:32:00.002-05:00

Exactly one week ago I was out braving the crowds in preparation for "snowmageddon" or the "snowpocalypse." I thought this storm would keep me inside for the weekend...and maybe a Monday snow day. Oh boy, oh boy was I wrong. This little blizzard smashed the records and landed a spot right in the history books. I've spent the majority of the last week in my little home. Safe and warm. Stir-crazy, but safe and warm. Four days off work. What's a girl to do?

Nightly Slumber Parties with Hope...check
Taxes...check
Workin' from Home...check
Sugar Binges...check
Chick Flick Marathons...check
Personal Art Project...half-check (see 25x25)
On-line Shopping...check
Cleaning and Organizing...check
Coke with Lime...check, check, check.

Sadly, that list was a stretch. This last week has been one of utter laziness...personal hygiene went out the window, self-control and diets were unheard of, pajamas were the outfit of choice, and responsibilities seemed few and far between. I'll admit, I'm ready to get back to real life (sadly, we're still cleaning up and getting around is still a big pain in the butt...). Real world, see you in the morning.

Snowmageddon Part II...

2010-02-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

After spending last weekend stuck inside without a thing to do but twiddle my thumbs (it snows every weekend here...), I knew being cooped up during "snowmageddon" would drive me to drink (insane amounts of coca cola...nothing too risque). When the forecasters began calling for record levels of snow, I made a list of snow projects, and set out to stock up with the necessary items to complete said projects. Unfortunately for my waistline, most of my tasks involved F-O-O-D.

On Thursday night, I searched three grocery stores, Wal-Mart and Target for chicken....and four hours later walked away with the last package of frozen, fresh or pre-cooked chicken in northern Virginia....sadly, it was chicken leg quarters.

I know, they grossed me out too, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Seriously, imagine Christmas Eve shopping at the most popular mall times 500 and you've got the grocery stores the night before the storm. Parking lots were packed; sadly, shelves were not. It was serious pandemonium. Don't believe me? Here's proof.

Exhibit A

The Produce Department

Exhibit B

The Juice Aisle

Picture that through every grocery store in the DC area. I wish I would have taken out some stock in the local grocery chains....While the shelves were slightly bare, I was able to stock up enough to make lots of goodies...

Here's what was on the menu....

Omelette with tomato, cucumber, spinach, onions and peppers.

Homemade Tomato Basil Soup with homemade croutons and feta.

Chicken Pot Pies with Spinach Salad

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Roasted Pepper and Vegetable Beef Stew

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Feta Green Beans and Garlic Roasted Red Potatoes

We just received word of another storm headed our way this week. I think my roomie summed it up best when she said, "Seriously the snow has got to stop, I'm turning into Ruby. When all this ends I'll need my own TV show."

Snowmageddon 2010...

2010-02-07T01:55:00.001-05:00

I survived. I know y'all were worried (except my mother...she knew I was "responsible enough to hack it" in the record-breaking storm). Everyone else can rest assured that I'm still snow-capable (I haven't forgotten my Utah snow roots).

Following the brunt of "snowmageddon," this guy showed up at our place ready to roll. Doesn't he look hardcore? Wayne's from Alaska so he knows how to handle the white stuff. The power was off at his place (and most of my neighborhood) so he came down to hang out. Luckily, my side of the street survived the outages and we were able to comfortably ride out the brunt of the storm. After hours of cooking, eating, watching movies, internet surfing and being cooped up, we struck out to assess the damage. Whoa baby, it was quite a surreal sight...

That'd be a shopping cart...

Oh, and this is our street sign.

And here we are playing in the middle of our intersection...because no cars were in our way.

Wayne found a bike to ride...if only it wasn't stuck in three feet of snow.

Hope thought she could take me...let's just say she learned not to mess with a farm girl :)

Of course we hiked down to the Mickey-D's...only to find they were closed!!! You know its quite the storm if McDonald's can't even open.

There were insane amounts of snow, but we made it through Snowmageddon fairly unscathed. The trees, power lines and lots of cars weren't so lucky! It's hard to tell, but that's a car lot...lines of cars totally buried. Cuh-razy!

When the winds stopped howling, and the flakes were done flying, our neighborhood was quite magical. What a winter wonderland...

And I Quote...

2010-01-31T17:06:00.000-05:00

"There's no good reason we're not married...except we make horrible decisions."

Direct quote from one of my best friends. Yep, she's probably right.

25x25

2010-01-27T19:00:00.129-05:00

I realized something this week, I've been on hiatus. Not only from blogging, but from life, too. January has a way of making me way too introverted for my own good...I go to work, I come home and repeat the same every day, every week. Not the best way to be living. So I decided, its time to make myself accountable to all of you (hi mom and grandma...I'm sure you're the only ones reading this!!!) and post my 25x25. My half-birthday was a week ago, so I now have just under six months to complete the following 25 goals, activities, and self-imposed dares before I turn the big 2-5. Here they are (in no particular order)...

1. Go a whole month without buying any clothes. or shoes. or makeup.
2. Use my passport.
3. Use my new gym pass. Regularly. Like at least twice a week :)
4. Learn to love my church calling :) I have two. Love one, hate one.
5. Finally finish "1776."
6. Run 25 miles...heck, why not bump it up to 26.2 and run a marathon!
7. Go to the Maine Avenue Fish Market...so I can quit driving by and thinking "that looks cool."
8. Find my signature scent...preferably not at the fish market :)
9. Read the BoM. (again...I've read it before, don't worry!)
10. Visit the Hillwood Estate
11. Grow my own herbs. To pay homage to my farmer father.
12. Create a work of art...that's actually good enough to display.
13. Apply to grad school.
14. Go to the Congressional Cemetery.
15. Make 25 new friends.
16. Dance again. Country. Line. Ballroom. Whatever.
17. Take a cooking class.
18. Become a morning person.
19. Eat at the Shake Shack in NYC.
20. Find the best cupcake in DC.
21. Make a budget and stick to it.
22. Go bungee jumping and/or sky diving.
23. See a show at Ford's Theater.
24. Become a better parallel-parker.
25. Get my family to come visit me!!!

Lots of these adventures are going to require friends...any takers?!?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-12-19T02:26:00.019-05:00

The weather outside was truly frightful! DC was hit by the perfect storm the weekend before Christmas. Toilet paper was flying off the shelves at the local grocery stores in preparation for the big storm (seriously...I'm not kidding. No TP, no produce, no eggnog...the shelves were empty). Church was cancelled. Airports were closed (all 3 in the area...poor holiday travelers). 24 inches fell in 24 hours. It was quite the sight!

Storms like this separate friends from true friends. A true friend will help you scrape the 2 feet of snow off your car in leggings...thanks Hope!

Merry Christmas...it's looking like a merry one in DC :)

I Always Want What I Can't Have...

2009-11-09T19:26:00.003-05:00

This realization came at the Michael Jackson movie, This Is It. I didn't have tickets to his concert, I had absolutely no intention of ever getting tickets, and I probably never would have watched a video of the concert or footage from the real thing. However, now that he's gone, I would have given practically anything (within reason...) for Michael to have performed just one full concert! He marked his dances in This Is It...and they were still impressive. He only sang a few notes of each song...and I was still in awe. I remembered why I hung his poster in my bedroom when I was five. He's talented beyond belief...

NYC Finally...

2009-10-21T00:27:00.001-04:00

Love, Love, Love NYC...so beautiful!

I know everyone has been dying to see pics from Diana and I's final adventure together (as roommates...we're still friends so there will definitely be more Di-ami Adventures).

Here's the highlights (in no particular order) from the Big Apple...

We went big this time and stayed in a luxury "pod." You can see the toilet right next to our bed...NYC style!

We went with a classic and saw The Lion King on Broadway...amazing!

Graham joined the party at the Stardust Diner...after he took us on an awesome tour of the NBC Studios. He's our very own Kenneth the Page (if you don't know who that is...watch 30 Rock.)

We took a leisurely stroll through Central Park on Sunday...perfect weather!

This is the married (unknown til after the photo) cop I may or may not have made Diana stalk with me.

We had a lovely weekend in NYC. We did what we wanted, spent way too much money (its NYC...you lose money just breathing the air) , and laughed at each other. It was a nice little send off before Di up and abandoned me in DC :( I'll forgive her for leavin me if she promises we can have a repeat NYC trip next fall!

I'm a big deal...

2009-09-22T19:30:00.039-04:00

Image via utne.com

I've always thought so, but it's been verified by a professional.

Sylvia the Psychic read my palm in NYC and said...

"You're gonna be something special. You're kind of a big deal."

(or something like that...)

I don't know about you, but I think Sylvia's on to something!

Stay tuned for more details on Diana and I's adventure in NYC!!

Eight Years Ago...

2009-09-11T22:45:00.132-04:00

September 11, 2001

The Pentagon Memorial

I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the news. I'm sure all of you do too. Eight years ago, I remember being glued to the television, crying as I watched the names and faces of all the 9/11 victims flash across the screen. I remember hearing their somewhat everyday, yet amazing stories. Stories of moms and dads, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors...most of them just living quiet lives and trying to make our world a little better. Eight years ago I never imagined that I would live and work amongst the people and the places that terrorists targeted to spread their hate that day. I never imagined that those moms and dads, and brothers and sisters who witnessed 9/11 with their own eyes would become my friends and neighbors. Eight years later, I hope we all take time to remember that day and all the moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and friends and neighbors who have lost their lives as a result of the events eight years ago. I'm grateful for their sacrifices so that I can continue living my quiet life and keep trying to make our world a little better.

All the Single Ladies...

2009-09-09T00:06:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of giving...I'm sharing some words of wisdom with all you single ladies out there (sorry it's too late for all you marrieds). Pass this on...it could revolutionize dating.

Wayne and I were standing in line just like this...

Costco Pizza Line

And our conversation went like this...

Kami: "blah blah blah...I'm tired of dating, men are from mars, etc." {something like that...}

Rita the Random Line Lady: "Girl, you just make sure he's straight. You just never know these days. They all be pretending. You gotta be sure he straight..." {that's the PG version...Rita added a few more X-rated details about all the so-called "pretenders"}

Kami: "Oh yeah, you, uh, just never know these days..."

Wayne: ---silence----

You heard it here first! The recipe for dating success- make sure he's straight and that he ain't just pretending.

Summer Lovin' had me a BLAST...

2009-09-07T01:57:00.000-04:00

Now don't get the wrong idea...I didn't really have a "Grease" moment this summer. However, I had a blast enjoying every hot, sunny day! Here's my little tribute to the past 3 months...hold on tight, it was a wild ride!

Costa Rica for Memorial Day

Independence Day in Cape Cod

Carrie Underwood at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville...did I mention we were in the 4th row?!?

Summer Concert Series continued with Keith Urban...best concert ever!

And finally...pedicures with Kalli and co., lovin' on Chloe, Maddox with Grandpa Kenny and co., fair parade with all the Grandma's, and catching up with my girlies! Love, love, love UTAH (and the Box Elder County Fair and Rodeo).

Goodbye Summer...bring on fall!

Like it was just yesterday...

2009-08-03T18:12:00.011-04:00

This is my Kalli-girl. She's quite the little lady. She loves dancing, singing, playing with Grandma, teasing her brothers, finding kitties to save, and being cute. And she's really good at all of 'em. But, she's probably the best at being a sister...a girl couldn't ask for anyone better.

Did I mention she can touch her tongue to her nose? Now that's talent!

This little lady was the answer to many, many prayers...I prayed all my life for a sister. When I was a little girl (and a big one, too) I wanted a sis more than a pony or a Barbie convertible or even a trampoline. Almost every time I blew out my birthday candles, I wished for a sister. And just when I thought all hope was lost...along came Kalli. She was definitely worth the wait-I couldn't dream of a better sister. She's perfect in every way!

For the past NINE years, she's been one of my best friends. She knows just what to say to make me feel better-on my last birthday she reassured me that I wasn't that old! However, I must be a little bit old, because I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday! Best day of my life for sure! Thanks for being my sissy, Kalli Mae. I can't wait for our next sleep over and shopping trip and dance party. I love you forever and ever! Happy Birthday Kal-girl!

Oh, and you're birthday package is in the mail sweetheart...sorry its late!

Old Lady Club?!?

2009-07-24T00:44:00.006-04:00

My sweet little Tabbi thinks I'm getting so old that I've lost my memory! She issued me this challenge...

With Laura on the National Mall watching the Cherry Blossom Parade
April 2009

In the NYC after brunch at Sarabeth's
February 2009

Mr. Plumber & the Tidal Basin at the Cherry Blossom Festival
April 2008

Niagara Falls, Canada :)
October 2008

NYC elevator
June 2009

In the stocks at Williamsburg
April 2009

Eating gelato in Georgetown (?)
August 2008

On the National Mall, in the pouring rain, watching the 4th of July Fireworks
July 2008

Well Miss Tabbi, I guess I'm not that old now...I've still got the ole' memory :) Thanks for the birthday love...miss you like crazy!

Burgers, Buds, and Birthdays...

2009-07-23T20:12:00.003-04:00

What's the best way to spend your birthday?!?

Eating a burger as big as your head...

With a bunch of your best buds...

And finishing the night with a Birthday Bundt :)

24 isn't so bad...especially with friends like these! I've got the most amazing friends and family...thanks for all the birthday love everyone!

Uses Time Wisely...

2009-07-16T00:55:00.004-04:00

I've always prided myself on making the most of my time. In elementary school, I never had anything but "E's" for excellent in the "Uses Time Wisely" column. In high school, I totally "lived it up" my entire senior year and have some great memories and zero regrets. In college, I scheduled a summer in France, a summer in DC, an internship at a news station, and anything and everything I made a goal to do.

Lately, however, this seems to have gotten a bit more complicated. Forget a grand scheme/master plan, I can't even manage the basics of life! I feel like I'm drowning at work, I have no time to exercise, I never cook a meal (unless hitting the start button on the microwave counts...), I don't spend quality or quantity time with any of my friends or family, I haven't even cracked my GRE book, and I had to pencil in time to clean my bathroom. Sad. That's not all, I'm turning 24 soon...24!!! When did I hit my (gasp) mid-20's. All these things have me thinking...What have I accomplished in my ever increasing years on earth? Are my pursuits worthwhile? Am I productive? Am I paving the way for my dreams to come true one day? "Like sand through the hourglass...so are the days of my life." The grains of sand are slipping through fast and I don't want to wake up one day with an expired timer and nothing to show and a dirty bathroom! Good, better, best...I just don't know how to decide what's what...let's just hope 24-year olds are better (or best) at "Using Time Wisely."

Where the Road Leads...

2009-07-01T18:46:00.008-04:00

Adventure 1

View Larger Map

Destination: Conshocken, PA
Time: 3.5 hours (w/45 minute detour in Delaware)
Distance: 150 miles each way
Reason: A little girl-chat with my elementary school BFF Karly-isn't she cute!?!

Adventure 2

View Larger Map

Destination: Manchester, CT
Time: 8 hours (mapquest lies...its not 6 hours!)
Distance: 355 miles each way
Reasons:

Shopping and dinner with my mom and her 30 Chinatown purses.

And watching this cute kid play some ball.

Lowlight of the trip? Cade's teammate asking him who the "lady" with his mom was...really?!? Lady?!? I'm not old enough to be a lady, am I? (Rhetorical question...please don't respond!)

So Long, Farewell...

2009-06-30T00:06:00.000-04:00

My sweet little Tabbi-kins is off on an Asian adventure and I miss her! However, before she skipped town, she finished her DC chapter with lots and lots of adventures-and let me tag along on quite a few of them. Here are some highlights...
NYC Museum Tour

We broke the cardinal rule of Chinatown buses. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT sit next to the potties...eek!

The Fray and Jack's Mannequin Concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion

Tabbi's Leavin on a Jet Plane Good-bye Party

I love this girl and her zest for life. I love that we know the same people (dating back 15 years...) and the same places. I love her heart of gold. I love all the adventures we've been on together (Duck, NYC 3X, Palmyra/Niagara Falls, Eastern Market, Williamsburg/Richmond, Cherry Blossom Festivals, Scottish Christmas Parades, Drag Queen Races, Rehoboth Beach, Police 5ks, musicals and ballets, Costco Pizza, Sunday dinners, Georgetown Gelato, touring with friends from home/USU, lil fender-benders :), and on and on). And I love that we've helped each other through our growing pains (sometimes its hard being a big girl!) over the last 2 years.

I love my Tabbi and I'm so glad it's not goodbye, just see you later...we're both from Tree town, she can't get rid of me that easily :)

Being better...

2009-06-28T22:25:00.004-04:00

I just got off the phone with an "old" friend. We've really only known each other for 3-ish years, but I'm pretty sure our souls have been friends forever! No matter how much time passes between conversations or emails, we're always on the same page...we just "get" each other. And as if having one friend like this isn't blessing enough, I met her along with 3 other girls that I equally adore. We all lived together as interns in DC...discovering a new city, embarking on our "careers" and getting our first taste of the real world. To this day, I count these girls as one of the greatest "tender mercies" that I've been blessed with. These girls are beautiful, smart, talented...way out of my league!

Over the years, I've tried to determine what makes my relationships with Melissa, Allison, Ashlee and Mindy so unique, and I've come to a few conclusions...
They see the best in me. There isn't a competitive, catty bone in any of their bodies. They are some of my best cheerleaders. They're the first to congratulate and cheer when good things happen and the first to comfort and console when life gets rough. No matter how far I might be from the person I should be, they know what I'm capable of and treat me like I'm already there (they epitomize the Goethe quote below). They make me want to be the best Kami I can be...and I hope that I do the same for them.

"Treat a man as he is, he will remain so. Treat a man the way he can be and ought to be, and he will become as he can be and should be." -Goethe

Oh how I love these girls...its been too long since we've all gotten together (and I missed the reunion tour this past weekend) so I just wanted to let them know how much I adore them! I'm one lucky girl to have friends like these...

Hot off the Press...

2009-06-17T19:19:00.005-04:00

I'd like to thank the "lady" that leaves her Express newspaper in the bathroom stall at work. I thought only dudes read the paper on the pot...you learn something new everyday!

If you want to get with me...

2009-04-24T17:34:00.002-04:00

I suggest you wear some of this...

These guys are on to something...

As my family can attest, bacon is my weakness :)

Just the 3 of Us...

2009-04-21T23:38:00.004-04:00

Diana and I had a private viewing of Hannah Montana! We went to the movie and were the only ones in the theater-just Diana, Hannah and me...pretty sweet!

Oh, and the movie was kind of cute-it was a nice break from work and stress and life. And it was a good thing we were the only ones in the theater...made it so much less embarassing when I tried to learn Hannah's line dance :)

U-T-A-H...

2009-04-20T23:36:00.006-04:00

There's no place like home...especially when you have a brand spanking new niece, an adorable baby sis, Easter egg hunts/throws, and amazing friends and family.

The highlights...

The Riverside Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter Bunny.

The Capener Family Easter Picnic and Egg Throw.

Cade kicking everyone's trash in the distance competition-what an arm!
Justin's Easter Egg rendition of Dad... aka Big Dangerous :)

Holding this sweet little babe.

Jazz Game with my Fav Freshman roomie and her soon to be Mr.

Catching up with Natalie.

Holding this sweet little babe more.

Cafe Rio. Shule. 2 Utah Originals :)

Sleeping in a King-Size Bed.

Cruising around the state in a cherry red Chevy HHR.

Route 44's from Sonic...at least twice a day!

Aggie Ice Cream with Natalie...in the SNOW!?!

A date to Van's with Dad.

Van's Round Dog, Onion Rings, and Hamburger...so glad it's back.

Lowlights...

Saying Goodbye to her...
And her...

Spring has Sprung...

2009-04-05T23:31:00.003-04:00

Our Richmond-ites came to visit for the Cherry Blossom Festival! Tim, Laura and Sammy are so chill and so much fun. We had a great time touring around the city, fighting the crowds, watchin' the parade and checking out the blossoms.

The boys were such good sports to take pictures with every bloomin' tree in the District :)

We had a city bonfire...aka a fireplace fire with Tim and Sammy serenading us on the guitar while we scarfed down s'mores. One of the best DC nights in a long time...

We watched General Conference, ate lots of food, and had a great time.

Thanks for visiting Richmond-ers :) (What do you call someone from Richmond?!?)

Let's go fly a kite...

2009-03-29T17:02:00.006-04:00

Kolton came to visit for the Cherry Blossom Party!

We had a little BRHS reunion (plus one Red Devil and one Thai waiter) at Thai Shirlington :) Our waiter was so funny...Paul's from Thailand and had the cutest little giggle. We talked him into letting us come visit his family in Thailand and ride his elephants! How cool would that be?!?

Saturday we braved the rain and headed into the district for the Kite Festival! Koltar was a good sport-he toted my purse, flew my Barbie kite, and helped Jenny entertain her little friends! I promised him I wouldn't black mail him with the Barbie pics :)

Barbie was a little top heavy and we had a hard time getting her up in the air...I'm such a graceful kite flier :)
After tweaking Barbie a bit...Kolton finally got her flying!

We walked the Tidal Basin...and the blossoms were so close to bloomin! One more week and they'll be perfect!I'm a sucker for dancing...so of course I volunteered when these cute little Irish dancers asked for members of the audience to come Irish step with them! So fun...

We had dinner at George Washington's house, Mount Vernon...that's a painting of it on the wall-so historical! The waiters were dressed in period clothing-so cute!

We ate GW's favorite foods-peanut soup (imagine eating soupy peanut butter), fried brie with raspberry sauce, a tasty lil fish and some good ole' pork roast! George really ate like a king...or a President I guess ;)

We didn't quite eat as classy on Sunday-Kolton and the roomies had to eat like commoners :) I made a little Sunday dinner-my first attempt at a roast! I must attempt, my mom would be proud (and it was almost like she was there...she was on the phone walking me through every step).

We did a little sight-seeing on Sunday... chillin' in front of Iwo Jima.

A great view of the District...Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Capitol-you can see it all from Rosslyn. Isn't the sky pretty?

And we ended the day at the Pentagon Memorial...it was quite pretty with the blue-gray sky and the setting sun.

Thanks for visiting Kolt...come again soon!

She's Here...

2009-03-25T20:01:00.003-04:00

She's perfect...and beautiful...and absolutely amazing! I couldn't sleep all night waiting for her to come, and when I finally got this picture...I may have shed some tears! Isn't she sweet, and just so fresh from Heaven-truly a little miracle!

I can't wait to meet you baby Chloe!

Cheer, Cheer for Bear River High...

2009-02-28T23:47:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the 3A Boys Basketball State Champions, the Bear River Bears...and especially #34, my little brother Cade! I wish I could have been there to cheer you on...but obviously you didn't need this old cheerleader :) Way to go Cader and co...

Click here to see my lil bro in action...

Love, Love, Love!

2009-02-19T19:00:00.001-05:00

I'm officially a big girl! I've grown up and actually committed to something (unfortunately still working on committing to someone..haha!). Meet my new love...Daisy (that's her tentative name...we'll see if it sticks. Oh and I've decided since my last post that my car is indeed a girl, so disregard all the he's in the previous blog.) It took me forever to decide what kind of car I wanted but, now that all is said and done, I couldn't be happier!

Daisy's a "crystal white" 2009 Mazda3, and she fits me perfectly. I love when I tell my friends what kind of car I bought and they say, 'ooh that is such a Kami car.' We're totally made for each other :) I had to search all over the DC area for a white one (I don't know why, but I love the white) and when I finally found Daisy (all the way out in Baltimore), she turned out to be a really good deal too-a match made in car heaven!

And to continue the introductions...meet Wayne (not his first nor his last appearance on my blog), my car guy. Everyone I talked to about buying a car was so nervous for me to do this on my own. "You'll get taken...girls always get ripped off...you can't haggle...blah, blah, blah." Oh, I heard it all...but thanks to Wayne, none of these things happened (except the haggling-we did do some of that and got ourselves a good deal). Wayne also made sure Daisy and I found our way home from middle of nowhere Baltimore safely (while fluctuating speeds to break in her engine). He's such a good guy and a great friend...Daisy and I will repay you somehow Wayne!

Our silly salesman should have known better than to leave Wayne and I alone in the showroom for so long! We played in all the cars, took lots of pictures, drank all the bottled water and just had a great time. As you can see, Miata's weren't made for Wayne...notice his head about a foot above the top of the car. The discrimination tall people face-incredible...and I thought shorties had it bad.

And to continue the intros...this is Bob, he sold me my car. He was a good salesman for me, not too pushy, gave me a good deal (I hope), and just seemed like a very nice guy. And believe me, Wayne and I met our fair share of car salesmen. I don't know if it was Valentine's Day that brought out the love in our salesmen, but we heard a lot of personal stories (not from Bob) during our car buying adventure. At a previous dealership, the salesman didn't give me any info about the car I was test driving, but I did walk away knowing that he was about to get married and that he and his future wife would probably start "popping out" kids pretty quickly, as she is "older" and her "clock" is ticking. I felt bad when I interrupted his story to ask about fuel efficiency and safety features-silly car buyer! That's just one example of the interesting tidbits about random salesman lives Wayne and I were privileged to hear during our shopping experience. Do you think trying to make some sort of personal connection is a new car sales tactic?

This is me...waiting to make Daisy mine! This was the largest purchase I've ever made and it was slightly terrifying writing out the check and signing all those papers! I was joking with the finance dude and asked "do I still get my first born?" He didn't think I was funny...it's a good thing Wayne was there to laugh at my jokes.

Well, there she is...my new love. I forgot how much I love driving and having my freedom-it's amazing. Hopefully I'm still in love after the car payments start :)

In other news, I was watching Jeopardy (which I love, and don't care that it makes me sound like a nerd) as I wrote this blog and I got the final Jeopardy question right- I love feeling smart! The category was Political Terms and the answer was "John Adams first used this term in 1793(?) as he wrote describing a meeting of friends." Do you know the question???

My new love...

2009-02-16T11:57:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited about the newest love in my life! I just have to take a few minutes to brag!

He's reliable....

He's just so so cute...

He makes me smile whenever we're together...

He's clean...

He's not cheap...

He takes me wherever I want to go...

And he lets me be in the driver's seat...

If you can't tell, I'm totally falling for this one!

Stay tuned for pics...

Love ya Linc...

2009-02-16T11:10:00.004-05:00

It was Honest Abe's birthday...definitely cause for celebration! What better way to celebrate than with the man himself!?! And no dead president's birthday party is complete without Hostess cupcakes and red, white and blue candles. We were patriotic...and bored on a Thursday night :)

I love when tourists take pictures...so close to getting Abe's whole head in the pic.

Happy Birthday Honest Abe!

Picture Tag...

2009-02-09T20:08:00.003-05:00

My sweet cousin Katie tagged me to play in this picture post game. I am supposed to post the 4th picture in my 4th folder and provide a little explanation of the pic. So here it is...

Talk about a flashback! This picture is from 2005. I was working at Dillard's in Logan, and my mom had just bought a brand new camera, so she and Kalli stopped by my work (miss the days when family and friends dropped by to say hi-anyone want to take a trip to DC?!?) to show me the new camera. I look like a baby...and Kalli is a baby! Love that girl...but so glad I don't work there anymore :)

Now I tag...Morgan, Natalie (post a new blog!), Mandy, and anyone else that reads and wants to participate.

NYC Perspective...

2009-02-02T23:42:00.006-05:00

It's funny the perspective a few years will give ya...

This is my roomies and I in front of the hostel we stayed at in NYC in the summer of '06...

Flashback to 2006...we started the weekend in a different hostel a few blocks down the street (and the blocks may or may not have been in the projects). We came back to our first hostel at 2am one morning, to learn that due to a water main break, we no longer had a room there. Luckily they'd called another hostel (this one) and reserved us a room. So 5 girls plus all our newly purchased purses, I HEART NYC garb, and luggage trek through the projects at 2am in search of our new hostel. I might have been a little nervous at my surroundings (I was a sheltered, little 20 year old from small town UT), and at one point, yelled "EVERYONE WILL STAY TOGETHER! WE ARE IN THE PROJECTS!!!" And by yell, I mean I was as mad as I get and pretty nervous that we were going to get shot or kidnapped or robbed-I had/have a wild imagination, and hours and hours of Law and Order reruns don't help my cause! Luckily, everything worked out that night and we lived to tell the tale of our stay in the "projects."

Fast forward to 2009...Tabbi and I take a little trip to NYC. She has a friend living in Manhattan, and our mutual friends, the Riley's, were moving into their NYC apartment this weekend, so we thought we'd come up, help out, and see a show. We roll in late Friday night, hop on the subway and head up to Nate's apartment. Nate's showing us around his neighborhood on our search for Pinkberry and bamm, we run into hostel number 1 then a few blocks later bamm, there's hostel number 2! What a coincidence! Nate's neighborhood was the "projects" I had been so terrified to be in just a few years earlier. This time, I wasn't nervous at all, I saw the fun little street shops, the interesting sidewalk paintings and the cute park with the elephant sculptures...it's funny the perspective a few years in the city will give you.

Anyways, the weekend was a lot of fun...

We went on the moving van tour of Manhattan...

Froze to death in Times Square...but notice the cute purses! Gotta love Canal Street!

We saw Chicago, with Jan from the Office playing the role of Roxie. It was a little risque, but the music was fun...not my fav but still, it's Broadway, you can't go wrong!
I love this pic...Nate was such a good sport! He helped us carry our new purchase around town (Did I mention we started the day with just 1 bag...by the end we each had our own and I may or may not have been carrying a bag in a bag...impressive, I know!)
We did lots and lots of this...eating is one of our favorite pastimes! But don't worry, Tabbi and I share everything we eat, so it's not like we really eat that much!
This little spot is so great...Sarabeth's is perfect for brunch with good friends!

All in all it was a great weekend, it was good to go back and relive my NYC hostel experience, see one of the gals that I shared it with (so glad you and Noah are on our side of the nation again!), be with good friends, and realize how much all the experiences I get to have on the east coast stretch me, make me bolder, more confident and better able to laugh at my naivety. A little NYC perspective is great...

Preserve, Protect and Defend...

2009-01-20T23:24:00.018-05:00

Oh my INAUGURATION! The crowds, the cold, the celebrities...it was quite the experience. The energy in the District has been catching, Obama fan or not. A peaceful transfer of power really is something to celebrate. What a country...I'm proud to be an American!

My first view of the National Mall was absolutely breathtaking! The masses and masses of people were astounding...from the Capitol all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial, climbing on top of statues and monuments, standing on the frozen reflecting pool...any inch of space was consumed by a body. And I had an awesome view, I basically saw what Prez Obama saw as he was sworn in! AMAZING...

Inauguration '09 baby...brrrr!

Yo Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman playing for the President-Elect.

Taking the Oath of Office...

President Dad?!? Now that has to be weird!

Look closely and you can see the Bush's, Cheney's, Biden's, Supreme Court Justices, all the Senators, basically all my kind of celebrities :)

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned."~President Obama

I'm hopeful that our nation and our new president will continue to earn the right to be called great....

On a side note and for posterity's sake, let me name a few of the people I talked to, was within hands reach of, rode elevators with, or spotted today...Colin Powell, the Supreme Court Justices, Aretha Franklin, Yo Yo, John Cusack, Andrea Mitchell, all the Senators (and their spouses...very interesting interactions), Gov. Huntsman, Art Douglas :) and on and on and on...it was a political junky's heaven! As President Bush put it..."it's a good day for America."

Bush Memories...

2009-01-18T20:27:00.006-05:00

Living in DC, I've been lucky to see President Bush up close and personal a few times. And, by up close and personal, I mean in the same room, breathing the same air, usually with at least 1000 other people :) Since the countdown is on to his final day as President, I thought this was the perfect time to recount my Bush memories...and pay a little tribute to a man that I respect and thank for serving our country. He wasn't perfect...but I do believe he did what he thought was best for the American people.

Up Close 2006...The President's Dinner.

I was a young DC intern and this was one of my first "holy crap, I'm not in Kansas anymore" moments....and probably the only well rounded meal I ate the entire summer.

Up Close 2007...Memorial Day Address
Remembering the brave men that fight for freedom!

Up Close 2008...Marine One Takeoff
I may or may not have screamed like a school girl when the President walked out...and he may or may not have looked at me and waved.

Goodbye President Bush...and thank you for your 8 years of service.

New Year's Resolution...

2009-01-14T22:34:00.003-05:00

One of my New Year's resolutions is to read more...more scriptures, more classics, more blogs :), more everything! I finished my first book of 2009...and it was inpsiring. I suggest you read it too.

For those of you that haven't read it, The Last Lecture talks about childhood dreams, so in no particular order, here are some of my childhood dreams:

~To be a TV news reporter
~To be a mom (and name all my children with K's just like the Veibells!)
~To be a mailman :)
~To be blonde (haha, not happening!!)
~To travel Europe
~To have a sister!

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted..."

I can safely say, I've had a lot of my childhood dreams come true and a lot of experience...and I wouldn't change any of it!

Disclaimer: I stole your book mom...I'll bring it back with me the next time I come home! Love you :)

Happy New Year....

2009-01-04T01:57:00.009-05:00

My family sure knows how to ring in a new year! For as long as I can remember, my Great Grandma Rhoda, Grandma Tam, and my mom have cooked traditional Japanese cuisine, along with some more American dishes (prime rib, mashed potatoes and gravy, etc.) and invited our big family to come eat, eat, eat!

Rolling some sushi...my great grandma is an expert!

These are "brown cups." We're definitely Japanese-Americans-I have no idea what the Japanese name is. They're a tofu cup (boiled in soy sauce-hence the color) filled with rice.

Mochi is a traditional Japanese New Year food...and its basically just pounded rice. Growing up, we made our own mochi on New Year's with this nifty rice grinder. It's a lot of work for my 95 year old great grandma, so now we just pick some up at the Asian Market. Normally we put a little sugar and soy sauce on these babies but this year we added an extra topping...and they were still pretty tasty!

And these little gems are the delicacy we make all the new comers to Grandma Rhoda's house eat before they can have any other food...yummy, fragrant, Skimino (sp?). It's a pickled radish, that's an "acquired taste."

Grandma Rhoda cooked this huge prime rib...it weighs more than she does!

Everyone feeding their faces!

This is my dad...we (or my brothers) like to call him "Big Dangerous." I think he's kind of cute.

Happy New Year! 2009 is off to a tasty start for my fam!

I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams....

2009-01-02T02:11:00.010-05:00

I love that Christmas song, especially now that I come home for Christmas from so far away. Being home for Christmas is a dream, but getting here was kind of a nightmare.

Normally, I'm such a good packer...I put all my liquids in a ziploc in my carry on, I have my clothes neatly folded in my suitcase, and I follow all of the TSA guidelines. Well, this trip definitely wasn't normal. I procrastinated a little on my packing and didn't get organized before my departure. I rushed home from work with 30 mins. to pack and get to the airport. Plenty of time, right? Only if you consider throwing a bunch of clothes (including some damp ones out of my broken dryer)and the family's Christmas presents into a couple suitcases. I didn't have time to bag my liquids so I threw all my makeup, hair stuff, contact solution, brushes, flat iron, etc into my checked bag and took off for the airport. I made it to the airport just in time to rush through security and wait 2.5 hours for my delayed flight :)

My flight to Cincinnati was late taking off from DC, and as soon as we landed I turned on my cell phone and was relieved to hear that my connecting flight to SLC was delayed! I ran through the terminal (New Years Resolution...go to the gym!) and headed to my gate (on the other side of the airport). After all that running, I found out I was too late and they wouldn't let me on my plane, which was just sitting there (and that wouldn't take off for another 30mins) :(

Bright side, Delta put me up in a hotel for the night and put me on a flight to SLC for the next day (with a very long layover in Atlanta). Not too bad right? That's what I thought, until I discovered I couldn't get my checked bag, with EVERYTHING I needed to get ready! Of course, the one time I'm not super packer I have problems! Have no fear, Delta is here. Check out the sweet goods in their little overnight bag!

Notice the XXL SkyTeam shirt, the fold out brush (the only thing I had to do my hair the next morning...scary), the handy dandy toothbrush (only useful item), some detergent, deodorant (it smelt worse than me), and other little goodies.

I slept in wet pajamas, used my $14 meal vouchers to buy contact solution, and arrived at the hotel at 11pm only to leave for the airport a mere 5 hours later. I had a lovely time in Kentucky! I realize it could have been a lot worse! But when you have to call your lil sis (the one you took the red-eye flight to SLC to see) and tell her you're stuck in KY and won't make it home for another WHOLE day, and she cries herself to sleep...it kind of makes you want to cry yourself to sleep too :)

I spent the next morning Christmas shopping in the Atlanta airport, looking like a homeless person! I eventually made it to Salt Lake...just a day later than originally planned. And then it was on to Tremonton...and with my luck, we got stuck in a traffic jam from Ogden to Brigham City of all places-haha! 4 hours later I arrived HOME for CHRISTMAS...and it was all worth it!

A Christmas Carol...

2008-12-09T17:15:00.003-05:00

I've spent my whole life thinking "A Muppet's Christmas Carol" was the ultimate rendition of Dicken's classic...but I turned over a new leaf and saw it on stage this year! And oh boy, while Kermit does a fine job, there's nothing like seeing real people (not a frog) act out this beautiful story. If you haven't seen it on stage, I highly, highly recommend you do!

A Christmas Carol testifies of redemption, forgiveness and the opportunity/ability to change. I came out with renewed hope that I, like Ebenezer, can become a better person, help those around me and look outside myself! Nothing better than A Christmas Carol to get me in the holiday spirit!

Gotta love a man in a skirt...

2008-12-08T11:18:00.006-05:00

Here's some highlights from the Scottish Parade in Old Town Alexandria. It was freezing...but worth it to see those men in skirts :)

Bless their hearts...they came all the way from Scotland!

You Call THIS Mexican???

2008-12-03T23:04:00.005-05:00

I'm really not a Mexican food fan...it's mostly just beans and rice to me. Bleh...but, I'm told the Mexican out here is sub par in comparison to Utah's Mexican. We've tried a few different spots...and have come to the conclusion that we're giving up.

Although, more than anything, isn't eating out about the experience? Forget the food, we're all about the fiesta :)

Up, Up and Away...

2008-11-28T17:52:00.005-05:00

I screamed like a little school girl for the first time in my life! And who, you might ask, warranted such a reaction? Keith Urban? Nah. Justin Timberlake? Nope. George Clooney? You're getting closer...a different George! How about President George W? Ding ding!

My good friend Mike works at the White House and always hooks me up with awesome experiences...this time it was a Marine One (the President's helicopter) take off ceremony. The President, Mrs. Bush and daughter Barbara were headed to Camp David for Thanksgiving, and we got to see them walk out, wave and take off in the copter. It was awesome! They roll big red landing dots out onto the White House's front lawn and the helicopter comes and lands right on them. It is pretty wild how much wind there is from the helicopter. I'm not sure if I can blame the helicopter or the President and Co...but I was blown away!

Oh, and to make it that much better. My girl Dana Perino, along with Charles Gibson were also taking off with the President. Love it!

Stockton to Malone...

2008-11-13T01:03:00.005-05:00

They're not quite as fan-friendly as in the Stockton to Malone days. But the Jazz still hold a special place in my heart, so I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see them play in DC. Wayne, Tabbi, Di and I sat on the second row from the top, paid $5 for a coke, cheered our little hearts out and had a great time...til the last 2 minutes. Not even wearing the good ole' purple and gold (old school Jazz colors) could spur them to victory! The Jazz blew it in the last 2 minutes and lost 95-87.

Pickin Crabs...

2008-11-11T20:32:00.009-05:00

Our little trip to Annapolis was quite educational!

We discovered the best little crab shack, Jimmy Cantler's. It's a little bit outside of Annapolis and off the beaten path, but totally worth it. Cantler's has a little dock, so you can come by land or sea-how fun is that?!? Oh, and what would a restaurant be without ducks?!?

We learned that "pickin" your crabs does not mean choosing them out of an aquarium :) "Pickin" means you have to crack the shell and decipher between meat and guts to find the edible stuff...eek. I think I'll stick to crabcakes...much, much more appetizing!

After our photo shoot on the dock, and the boys hanging with the ducks, we headed back to the heart of Annapolis and the Naval Academy!

Mace (my long lost cousin. I'm finding lots of them out here, and I love it!) took us on a tour of the Naval Academy. He's finishing up his last year at the academy, and got us into all the cool places. (We even saw John McCain's son...looks just like his dad!)
We heart Annapolis!

4 girls, 48 hours, 1000 miles and a Mini Cooper!

2008-11-11T20:26:00.010-05:00

How's that for an amazing weekend?!? Tabbi, Nicole and Carlie let me tag along on their road trip up north to Palmyra and Niagara Falls! It was a quick trip, but it was pretty fun to see Canada, eh!

Some of the highlights...

Our first stop was Palmyra, NY. It's a teeny town, with a very peaceful feeling.

The Sacred Grove in my mind...

The Sacred Grove in late October...good ole' Daylight Savings strikes again-it was only 5pm but seemed like 10pm. But even at dusk, the grove is so serene.

I sat in the Sacred Grove alone for a bit and through the dark and the trees, the Palmyra Temple just shone so bright-I love to see the temple!

Outside the Grandin Print Shop-where the first copies of The Book of Mormon were printed.

Inside the print shop with Nicole, Tabbi, and Carlie .

A copy of a period Bible along with a first edition Book of Mormon...the two most important books in the world side by side.

Our touring of the church history sites was quick, but worth it. I'm definitely going back in the summer...its just an amazing area.

OH, Canada here we come...we hopped back in the mini and left Palmyra for Niagara Falls, Canada! We got there after dark, so we grabbed some dinner and took a quick peek at the falls before crashing at our hotel.

The next morning we got up early and headed out to explore the falls...so beautiful!

Look at that mist...so cold!

We took a "Journey Behind the Falls" and went into some little tunnels behind the falls...so cool. The water is moving sooo fast...pretty amazing!

Aren't our yellow ponchos so fashionable?!?

The falls were beautiful...the rest of Canada was a eh. It reminded me of Las Vegas or Atlantic City-way too commercialized. That being said, it was still totally worth it...all 48 hours and 1000 miles.

Off to the races!

2008-11-11T20:16:00.011-05:00

I love living in the city! Things happen here that you'd never find in little, old Tremonton-both good and bad! Not sure which category this fits but on the Tuesday before Halloween everyone gathers near Dupont Circle in DC for the annual Drag Queen race! These "ladies" dress up, throw on some high heels and strut up and down 17th street before racing down the street in their high, high, heels! It's definitely a sight!

Todd Palin supportin his girl Sarah

And here's Sarah now

Princess Diana and her bodyguards

The FLDS Polygamist wives running around with all their kids

Mayor Adrian Fenty-DC's Mayor (the real guy-he is not a drag queen!)

Miss Coco Chanel

Oh, the sites and sounds of DC...gotta love this place (and these girls-Tabs, Jenny, and Carlie bravin' the cold with me!)

Home Sweet Home...on a budget

2008-11-04T20:27:00.009-05:00

President Uchtdorf's talk at the General Relief Society Meeting renewed Diana and I's confidence in our ability to create a real home. After last fall's remodeling project (black paint+ fake wood dressers=headache), we'd taken a lil break from the decorating and home projects. But after some encouraging words, we figured it was about time to get back in the home decorating saddle. Di and I spent a whole day searching every possible cheap home store in northern Virginia and we found some pretty good deals.

We got shelves and a big star to put up on our bare walls, decorations for our mantle, and new pillows to add a little flare to our couch. The front room is really looking up-in fact the neighbor boys even commented on how welcoming our house is (SCORE!!). We'd whipped the room into shape, but we still had one BIG problem...

Hello ugly, denim ottoman in the middle of the room! It was simply not acceptable, so we took matters into our own hands and turned the eyesore into this...

That's right, we reupholstered our ottoman...not too shabby if I do say so myself!

The Leaves are fallin...

2008-11-04T20:26:00.009-05:00

There's nothing quite like autumn on the east coast (it's right up there with autumn in Sardine Canyon-if you can believe that)! There's definitely no shortage of trees here so when they start turnin' colors its pretty spectacular. Diana, Jenny and I headed to Shenandoah National Park and took a little ride down Skyline Drive, this great road that winds up the mountain overlooking the Shenandoah Valley with little pullovers all along the way to stop and view the vista. The leaves weren't completely changed (we were about a week too early) but it was still so pretty and peaceful! Virginia is lovely!!!

This is the old barn we hiked back to see...so quaint and peaceful.

Cheesesteaks, Rocky, LOVE, and Walgreens!

2008-10-31T11:47:00.009-04:00

Who knew King of Prussia/Philadelphia had so much to offer?!? Diana, Hope, Wayne and I took off for a weekend in Pennsylvania and we couldn't have dreamed up more amazing adventures! We knew we'd hit the jackpot when we rolled up and found a Super Wal-Mart (having its Grand Opening!) just down the street from our Motel 6! Heaven...we walked around that goodness for awhile then headed to the M6 to check-in. What can I say about the M6...uhh, it was really cheap ($13/a person!).
(doesn't my ugly face say it all!?!)

The next morning we took off down I-76 (gotta love the tribute to 1776-USA's b-day!) to the City of Brotherly Love-Philadelphia! We hit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Important stuff happened here folks...this is where the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Constitution of the United States was drafted and the foundations of this great nation were established. Beautiful and historic-who could ask for anything more?

All that history worked up our appetites, so of course we had to try a Philly Cheesesteak! We put Pat's and Geno's steaks to the test to determine which is really the best! These two are across the street from one another and battle over the title of the original and best Philly Cheesesteak. Geno's is flashy, painted bright orange with an orange convertible parked out front, and Pat's is a little more dive-ish. We ordered 2 sandwiches from each, cut them in half, and held our own taste test. Pat's was the hands-down winner...super good bread, nice and juicy filling, and all around tastier! YUMMERS!

We took in more Philly sites...

The LOVE statue

Running the Rocky Steps

The man himself

and now for the highlight of our trip-Walgreens! We didn't know the excitement that would come from this little drugstore! We walked in and poor Wayne was just targeted by everyone around us.

Here's the story in Wayne's own words (with a lil Kami commentary in parenthesis)... "As I am waiting an 80ish year old lady steps right in front of me. She looks at me a little surprised to see me and the other people waiting. I tell her it is ok if she cuts, I really wasn't in a hurry and didn't mind. Dorthy (WE NEVER REALLY CAUGHT HER NAME) looks at what I am buying and tells me to take it and leave. Dorthy says she buys enough stuff from the store that I can take it and leave she has me covered. She then turns to Kami, who has joined me in line, and tells her drink is no good for her (COKE IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE, ALWAYS) and to take it and leave.

At this point I am mildly amused with this sassy old lady and so I strike up a conversation with her. She tells me she moved to Philly when she was ten and has lived there for 40 years. Thinking she is hilarious at telling me this joke she basically falls into my arms laughing.(TOTALLY FLIRTING WITH WAYNE) The conversation moves on and we talk about politics, her living two blocks down but still taking the bus because it is free, and how she is being a good neighbor for buying adult diapers for Mary (wink/wink).

During the conversation, Diana joined us in line as well as a cross-eyed fella. Dorthy begins to establish that Kami, Diana, and I are all together. She then proceeds to see which one of them is dating me. Dorthy discovers we are "just friends." She then says something about me not being their type but being her type and that she is more than happy to take me home. We all get a good laugh...but it is ruined by the cross-eyed fella. He had joined in some points of the conversation but when Dorthy said I was her type....he pipes up and says "Well he is my type."

Dorthy's eyes just go big and the store kind of goes silent. Not another word is said and we all buy our stuff and leave. Kami, Hope, Diana and I walk out of the store and bust up laughing."

Oh Philadelphia...good food, good friends, and good memories!

West Winging it...

2008-10-16T16:45:00.009-04:00

My good friend Jared works for President George W. and gets access to the WEST WING of the WHITE HOUSE, you know, oval office, situation room, rose garden, press gallery-where it all happens! He hooked me and some coworkers up with an awesome tour of it all! If you know Jared, you know this tour was far from ordinary. This guy is a blast, so full of energy and just so entertaining!

The White House was actually the Pink House in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month! So cute!

I love the press room...even when its empty you can tell magic happens in here!

Sometimes I forget how awesome it is to live in the nation's capital...and associate with such high rollers! Really cool places and really cool people! Thanks again Jared!

I've grown a bit since moving to DC...we all thought this pic from inside the Executive Office Building was pretty funny :)

They call me Fukudome....

2008-09-02T21:32:00.008-04:00

but not because I'm good, only because I'm Asian.

This summer, thanks to my friend Shule, I took up an old hobby I let die many, many years ago. The last time I played softball (not including the one intramural game I played in college-when my newsie friends laughed me off the field) my mom was my coach, we wore hot pink jerseys and chanted things like 'mayonnaise, mustard, lett-uce, ketch-up.' Oh to be 10 again!

Anyways, it's been a lot of fun playing with the Raucus Caucus. We play our games on the National Mall-anywhere from the Washington Monument (bad idea-hitting uphill with left field sloping off into oblivion) to the foot of the US Capitol. It's the most beautiful setting to play America's favorite pastime!

I've shown some promise this season.
Exhibit A: My awesome head over feet, shoulder roll slide into first. Okay, so I really tripped over my own feet and stumbled my way to first. Nothing like sacrificing your body for the team (I'm still counting it as a sacrifice even though I was out.)
Exhibit B: My ability to "bunt" (disguised with my homerun swing) and then outrun the throw to first 50% of the time.
Exhibit C: I made a few catches, tagged one person out at second, fielded at least 2 or 3 grounders and proudly filled the third girl spot on many occasions-preventing forfeiture for lack of females.

The season is winding down and I must admit, I'm really going to miss the Raucus Caucus! I met some really great people-ones that laugh with you when you strike out. Wish us luck as we continue our quest to become champions of the congressional league!

FYI: for those of you who don't know who Fukudome is...

The Beehive State...

2008-08-26T00:20:00.015-04:00

Time seems to buzz on by whenever I'm in Utah! Considering this trip was a quick one (not even a week) it seems like I was unpacking and packing my suitcase at the same time! Trying to cram friends, family, school shopping, birthday partyin', and fair fun into 4 short days was a challenge-but one that I was more than happy to take on!

Isn't my bro Justin sweet? I walked in and found some "Welcome Home" balloons! He made sure to get credit-he scribbled "from Justin" on one of the balloons. According to Justin, "It's like a card." (Sidenote: Any Aggies out there? Give Justin a hard time if you see him on campus-he started at USU this week! And yes, that makes me feel old! Good luck bud!)

I went from the airport to the Box Elder County Fair Parade to watch this little one (not so lil anymore-she's growing like a weed!) cheering in the parade! She's quite the cheerleader-look at those toes!

Thursday some of the girls (and babes-Kalli is mine) went to Maddox for a little lunch date! I can't believe how much Sawyer and Nick have grown! It's been over a year since I've seen Mandy and Sawyer, but thankfully when we get together it's like nothing has changed! Love good friends! I'm going to miss Sawyer kisses and playing with Nick and his trains.:(

Here's a glimpse at what Capener's do for fun!! Thursday night we "put up" corn! Here's step by step directions for all of you city slickers that don't know how it's done! And just for clarification-we don't do it because we're too poor to buy canned. (My DC friend asked that when he heard what I was doin') It's all about the taste!

Step 1: Make the boys pick and husk dozens and dozens of ears of corn.

Step 2: Put your sister in-law to work washing all the corn!

Step 3: Drop the corn in boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Then cool it down in cold water! (I know this pic has nothing to do with that, but look at all that corn and my cute sisters and grandma!)

Step 4: Cut all the kernels off the cob-and remember to scrape out all the cream (or else mom and grandma will get mad).

Step 5: Make your little sister and Ashley, your brother's friend, put all the cut corn into freezer bags.

Step 6: Drag your little brother out of the basement to haul the cobs out to the garbage.

Step 7: Freeze the corn...and enjoy it all winter long!

I can't wait until I get to be the supervisor like my mom ;)

Friday I spent the day with the coolest 8-year olds in the neighborhood!

Kalli waited to have her birthday party so I could come-she's such a sweetheart! We played on the inflatable toys, climbed coconut trees and rock walls, and ate pizza! Good times!

This is my mom-she's quite the party animal!

Oh, and I met my first neice! Meet Lucy...isn't she adorable!

I love the Beehive State!

As Promised...

2008-07-31T11:19:00.007-04:00

I made it back to the Delaware State Fair!

Wayne was kind enough to invite me to see Miss CARRIE UNDERWOOD with him! If you know me at all, you know I love the country and I love Carrie, combine the two and that's as good as it gets in my book!

We started the evening right...you can never go wrong with fair food! (Unless you're trying to prevent a heartattack!)

We walked around the exhibits...who knew Elvis was alive, and in DE!?!

Then we headed to the stage to get ready for Carrie! Soldiers passed out American flags at the gate...patriotism at its best!

The stage had the most beautiful backdrop...silos and fields! AMAZING-it made my heart sing!

Full disclosure...I cried when Carrie sang "Don't Forget to Remember Me." I swear she was singing about me...mom putting $50 in her glovebox, lil sis at home, and with the silos behind the stage-who am I kidding of course I cried! Good thing Wayne has sisters...he just smiled and gave me a lil hug! We sat next to a darling little girl, dressed to the nines with a light up crown on her cowboy hat-adorable! Oh how I love the country!

The concert was awesome-I laughed, I cried, I sang my heart out, and completely enjoyed myself! I love Carrie, I love the country, and I love awesome friends that love the same things!

Oh, and on our way home we might have stalked a certain someone's tour bus...hey Carrie!!!

LEGENDARY!!!

2008-07-23T00:10:00.009-04:00

Let me start by saying, my friends are amazing and Wayne gets all the credit for this weekend-he never gave up on Delaware or the rodeo or the beach. Thank you DeWayne and Delaware, you made my birthday weekend... LEGENDARY!

Wayne, Jenny, Di and I bolted out of DC and into the Delaware countryside (who knew there were cornfields in DE!) to get back to our roots.

It was the Delaware State Fair, and there's no way we'd miss that. The fairgrounds came out of nowhere...right in the middle of a teeny town, down the street from the local John Deere dealer-perfectly placed in the countryside!

It's been too long since I've been to a good fair-I literally ran to the gate! My heart was so happy! Wayne and I even sported or "country" gear to celebrate-gotta love a good boots/cow tipping shirt!

Of course, we began our fair adventure at the rodeo. Mercy me, I've never enjoyed a rodeo more. I'd like to personally thank the one cowboy that managed to ride for 8 seconds! Come west, young men, and we'll show you some real bullriders. They did their best, and I enjoyed myself, even if they weren't as talented as the cowboys I know!

Next stop, the pre-fab home! Wayne and I thought it only proper that we enter our new trailer in style...

And what's the best part of the fair? FAIR FOOD!!! We had homemade rootbeer, corndogs, gyros, kettle corn, fried twinkies, and a heartattack-but it was all worth it!

All the rodeoing and eating left us pretty bushed, so sadly we had to say goodbye-but don't worry, I'll be back Delaware State Fair! (seriously, for the Carrie Underwood concert on Monday!)

We said goodbye to the sights and sounds of the state fair...and headed to our luxury suite at the Super 8.

What are true friends for? Brushing your teeth at the Super 8. Don't ask me why...we're just that weird sometimes.

We woke up early-ish Saturday and headed to the Super Wal-Mart (I love America) to load up on beach food! Then headed off to Rehobeth Beach to meet up with more of our friends. It was a magical day in the sand...

We lounged, strolled the boardwalk, and played volleyball (Aggies v Cougars, and girls v guys-do you even need to ask who won?!?)

We paid tribute to America, then hit the road back to DC...

Delaware did not disappoint...

All-American Traditions

2008-07-08T16:02:00.009-04:00

I celebrated Independence Day the All-American way-reveling in the things that make the good ole' USA great!

Here's the timeline:

7.4.08
9am-Pancake breakfast with the locals...

Notice how festive everyone looks!

5pm-Walking the National Mall, eatin hot dogs, and chattin' with friends!

9pm-Here's comes the rain...

10pm-Fireworks, Fireworks and more Fireworks!

11pm-Tabs and I running out of the metro to escape lil white guy v. large black dude fight.

11:01pm-Tabs and I running back into the metro to escape crazed roman candle girl shooting fireworks at people walking down the street.

7.5.08
1:30AM Tabbi, Wayne, Shule(bravely, sans bullet proof vest) and I board the Chinatown bus bound for NYC, baby!

Tabbi was really really excited to ride the bus!

5:30 AM! Dumped on a corner in NYC. We sat in a bus stop and waited for Starbucks to open.

6am-Good Morning Starbucks! I ordered a Cinnamon Dolce Steamer. In my early morning fog and halfway through the "steamer", I thought...this doesn't taste very good. Tabs tried it and started laughing. I guess I looked like I needed a boost so instead of skippin the espresso like I ordered, the lady went with a double shot instead. Tabbi's still laughing about this one...

We also took some time at Starbucks to get ready for the day. We didn't dare dip our toothbrushes in the bathroom sink (NYC-dirty!), so we used some good ole' American ingenuity to get the job done right at our table!

7am-Checked in at our -4 star hotel! We were upgraded to a "suite"-I'd hate to see the regular rooms.

8:07am Brunch at Sarabeth's. (Posted Hours of Operation:8am-11pm-but don't try to get in at 8-they're not open yet)-It was a delicious start to the day.

10am-A stroll through Central Park, including Strawberry Fields!!

11am-Hello Deli, Times Square, Rockefeller Center and a quick pic with the Naked Cowboy (he's dirty). It was Shule's first time in NYC, so we tried to show him all the sights!

And "fate" (as Wayne would put it) rewarded us with Jamba Juice, not once, but twice in NYC. Love, love, love JAMBA!

12pm-Escaping the rain at Rockefeller Center!

3pm-YANKEE STADIUM for the Yankees v Red Sox!!! It doesn't get much more American than a baseball rivalry! AWESOME-I love America!

We couldn't have asked for better weather-we were a little nervous the big game would be rained out or delayed. Luckily at game time, the skies cleared and we had absolutely beautiful baseball weather! Sitting with rabid Yankee and Sox fans was great...especially during the top of the 9th when the Sox (down by one) loaded the bases with no outs! There were some tense moments for Yankee fans...but Rivera pulled it out, and the Yankees won 2-1! The game set a record for most hit batters in a game-7!! Gotta love this rivalry at this stadium!

7pm-Dinner at the Carnegie Deli-our waitress was a gem (definitely an antique). She yelled at us, told us we wouldn't have enough food, etc. Perfect little slice of NYC hospitality! It's a good thing we knew going in that good food was on the menu not quality customer service!

11:30pm-Wayne, Tabbi and I finished our very long day with some Pinkberry! Yum...

7.6.08
We made it through our night in the Bate's Motel and set out to explore NYC!!!

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge...

Ate some cupcakes from Magnolia's Bakery (food was definitely our friend in NYC)

And just took in the sights, and sounds of NYC before heading back on the bus!

Happy Birthday America!

Hello Cici...

2008-06-30T21:42:00.003-04:00

I took the plunge and participated in the Q2 trip to Cici's pizza buffet.

Cici's was magical...okay that might be a bit strong. The company was magical, the macaroni and cheese pizza was interesting, and the overwhelming stomach ache I had after eating pizza, pizza, and more pizza then some cinnamon rolls and some more cinnamon rolls (thanks Dan for waiting patiently for a fresh hot pan-then waiting again after that guy took the ENTIRE new pan) only lasted for a week! Cici's was wonderful...see you all next quarter!

Cultured...

2008-06-30T16:04:00.008-04:00

I spent last weekend getting myself a bit more cultured.

I started with this...

in a box seat here...

Continued my cultural ed Saturday afternoon watching this...

with scenes like this...

And finished the day with this adorable little couple...

Wall*E was different than any movie I've ever seen. It's amazing that a movie with very little dialogue can keep anyone's attention for more than five minutes-but Wall*E had mine til about the last 15-20 mins (oddly enough when the dialogue starts in the movie). I don't know if I could watch it again, but it was a fresh take on the usual pixar movies. It had a great little love story (and I'm a sucker for love).

Right at Home...

2008-06-13T15:07:00.008-04:00

I don't think Tremonton is quite as "country" as Budds Creek, Maryland, but I couldn't help but feel at home at the local demolition derby! Hope, Wayne, Clint and I headed out to the east coast country for a smashing good time (pun intended-hah!) I don't know what it is about cars and trucks ramming into each other, but you can't help but have a good time.

We started our adventure off right, with a stop at Chick-Fil-A.

Notice the shirt...this is my official country adventure shirt. I wear it to the rodeo, demolition derbies and other certified country events (aka white trash bashes to you city folk).

It was hot and humid (we had a lil heatwave) but totally worth it! The five rounds (including small car, mid-size car, and trucks) were definitely not enough smashin' for me!

The four of us chose a different car each round, and I think we all won at least once...way to go us! In all honesty, Hope had quite a knack for picking winners, including the "lil engine that could"-a teeny car that totally trashed all the larger cars. Good choices people!

The sights (hairy backs, beer bellies, wife beaters, and happy happy people), sounds (engines and y'alls) and smells (cigarette smoke and sweat) of the country are just magical! Thanks Wayne for the music, Hope for your awesome eye at spotting good cars and good people, and Clint for singin Keith and Carrie with me the whole way there and back!

ConGRADulations!

2008-05-30T09:24:00.008-04:00

My little brother Justin graduated! I'm so proud of him...he's so smart and talented! He had fun in high school (maybe a little too much fun), but he worked hard too. He played football, basketball, and baseball-and has kept our family entertained for the last 18 years. He's always been the good looking one (tall-ish, dark and handsome), the funny kid, and he's one of those people that everyone just likes. I'm glad he's my brother, and so excited to see him move to the next stage of life!

(sorry the camera lens was foggy-I know that doesn't explain his face-but I swear it doesn't always look like that, he's pleasant sometimes)

For Papa Jay...

2008-05-30T09:23:00.005-04:00

I finally graduated from institute (church college for LDS folks). Almost 5 years ago, I attended my first institute class at the good, ole' Logan Institute as a sweet, little, starry-eyed college freshman. I loved Brother Rees and all the fun teachers I had there, and going to class with my high school friends (including Mrs. Crook & co.-my middle school P.E. teacher) and new college friends.

I didn't quite get all the reqs to graduate then, but that inspired me to keep going when I moved to DC. It's been great for me...I've been able to attend Capitol Hill Institute (class is actually taught in a room on the Hill) and the Northern Virginia (NoVA) Institute. Five years down and voila, I'm part of the first graduating class of the NoVA Institute!

28:30

2008-05-12T17:15:00.003-04:00

I ran the National Police Week 5K...I know, I know, it's only 3-ish miles, but it was quite the accomplishment for a non-runner like myself. And I ran about a 9 min mile...pretty good considering I've been running maybe 6 times in the last 3 years of my life. The best part, I basically ran the whole way (there were a few minutes there that were touch and go-I slowed down dramatically, but then the finish line came in sight and I kicked it in gear again)

It was a great race, for a great cause. The money raised supports the families of police officers killed in the line of duty, and the race had officers from precincts(?) around the DC-area. There was a bagpiper playing along the route. The race started at the Police Officer's Memorial then cut across the National Mall-between the Washington and Capitol. The good part came next-we headed up Capitol Hill (and let me tell you...it really is a HILL), around the Library of Congress, then retraced the route back to the memorial. If you have to run 3 miles, I don't think you could find a more beautiful route!

Things I learned from my first 5K (and Brooke and Marques and Tabbi)

~Don't wear the race shirt...unless you want to be associated with "that guy" (aka the only other person wearing the race gear)

~The minute you decide to slow down or walk the finish line will magically appear.

~I've never really known how FAR a mile really is...let alone 3!

~Wearing your number around after the race is perfectly acceptable (if your name is Marques)...but don't put on your number too soon before the race or you'll look overeager like me.

~I like running...let me classify that with "in races." I just might take up running, who knows maybe there's a marathon in my future!

the burg...gettysburg

2008-05-07T23:09:00.011-04:00

My good friend Jared "Voice like buttah" Sagers came to town last weekend...and I was lucky enough to tag along with him on some east coast touring with the Chavez fam. It was good to get some of the USU newsies back together for a bit...reminiscent of the good old jcom days!

Marques, Brooke, and Jared (and let's not forget Spuddy Buddy-Marques' little friend) picked me up on my corner, bright and early Saturday morning and we headed out to Gettysburg, PA. It's such a pretty little town, with an amazing and somber history. We followed our audio car tour from point to point (as best we could, stops 10-13 weren't that important) through the stages of the most famous Civil War battle. It was humbling to imagine the men lined up marching toward the frontlines...

We finished our Gettysburg tour at the spot where Lincoln gave his famous speech, The Gettysburg Address. It's interesting that from the crowds silent reaction to his speech Lincoln believed he'd failed at properly honoring those killed at Gettysburg, but really the crowd was just so humbled by his words.

Lots of the soldiers graves are marked only by a number on a white granite marker. They gave their lives in battle and they don't even have their names on their graves!

We continued our tour of Pennsylvania in Heaven...aka Hershey, PA. We followed the singing cows through the Hershey plant, and for some reason it dropped us off right in the Hershey store-talk about marketing!

I'm really excited about the singing cows...please ignore my excited but hideous expression.

Our Hershey tabs...
Marques and Brooke-$14 (come on people, only $7 each!)
Jared-$12 (now that's more like it!)
Kami-$20 (Stockin' up for the ride home)

We continued the adventure at the Catoctin Farmer's Market-if Marques weren't already happily married, I think he'd marry the sweet little owner. He's pretty much obsessed with her apple cider!

And to top of our day, we visited the DC Temple-always a beautiful place.

I sure am blessed to have these friends...gotta love em!

The Letter...

2008-05-07T23:09:00.004-04:00

Naive 17-year old Kami wrote a letter to 22-year old Kami in a psychology class senior year of high school. Mrs. Gephart followed through five years later on mailing it...and I've been anxiously waiting to read it since my mom mentioned its arrival in UT. Bless the USPS for getting it to VA in just 2 days!

I think I might have known more about this crazy life 5 years ago...or at least I thought I did :) Either way, it's interesting to think what I thought life would be...

Dear 2008 Kami, April 29, 2003

Well, can you believe its been five years since graduation! Time really does fly-I hope you're making the most of the time and opportunities you've been blessed with! You better have graduated from college-hopefully with pretty good grades! You better have a job and some savings.

Maybe you're even on a mission-that would be so awesome! Or maybe you're married-aagh!* Hopefully whoever you are you're happy and healthy. You better have married a good boy in the temple and hopefully he's really cute and nice and smart and hot-like Cade Buck**! Whoever he is you better be nice to him and love him lots!

Hopefully you have learned how to work! But remember how much you want to stay at home when you have kids! Jobs and worldly stuff aren't that important. Church and family are the most important-ALWAYS! I hope you've moved on from high school -that transition really sucked!

College is probably almost over-wow another turning point! I hope you are happy with where you went and who you've become. College was fun I hope and you better have worked hard. I hope you've been busy with church, school, family and work. Maybe you're in Provo or Hawaii or Logan***! Hopefully, you've accomplished and set many goals. Maybe some of these:
~Graduate from college
~Married in the temple
~BYU-Hawaii
~Good Job
~Strong Testimony
~Good relationships
~Serving others
~HAPPY

Well, hopefully you're shooting for the stars and helping others too!

Love, 2003 Kami

*It seems I was terrified of marriage even in high school.
**Happily married, but still one of the boys I admire most in this world!
***Nope, nope, and nope, how 'bout Arlington, Virginia-woot woo!

Even if I didn't accomplish all of the things on my 5 year to do list, I'm happy, healthy and more blessed than I was 5 years ago. My life is different than I envisioned, sometimes more challenging than I thought, but better than I could have imagined as a high school senior.

My name is Kami...

2008-04-24T17:48:00.005-04:00

and I have white trash(WT) tendencies... There, I said it, I'm slightly WT! I became acutely aware of my wt ways during our trip into the Virginia "country." The day started with a great little hike through Sky Meadows State Park. It was beautiful and the weather was absolutely perfect!

Notice the wt bra straps that seemed to find their way into every pic from the hike..

And if that weren't enough, the real hard-core evidence came on our drive home through Manassas. After searching high and low for a Super Wal-Mart (nothing says wt like wally-world), guess what we found in the parking lot of the K-Mart across the street?!? THE RING OF FIRE! Seriously, who wouldn't be excited to see that! Had it been the Zipper (only the coolest ride at the Box Elder County Fair, I probably would have wet my pants!) Hope and Di said they've never seen me that excited...and I don't remember the last time I was that excited :) The $20 we spent to get into the carnival, ride 2 rides and walk out was totally worth it.

Gladys Knight sans the Pips

2008-04-24T15:39:00.007-04:00

Wow! Words don't really do justice to Sister Knight, her awesome voice and her amazing choir. Our LDS stake had the opportunity to hear Gladys Knight and the Saints United Voices choir perform at a fireside. The music was inspiring, the testimonies of Gladys and her husband were empowering, but what struck me the most, was the diversity of the audience! It was a spiritual feast for African Americans, Caucasians, Polynesians, Asians, as well as people of diverse faiths including Latter-Day Saints, Baptists, Buddhists, etc.

Thanks to the VIP tickets from our boss, Hope, Diana and I were perfectly placed front and center! It was so different than a normal LDS meeting...we were standing and clapping and dancing to the music. The somewhat reserved Mormons had a hard time getting used to the whole concept of clapping in the chapel. But, by the end of the performance, everyone was standing, holding hands, and dancing together!

It's amazing to see the good that comes when someone uses their talents and gifts from God to their full potential. Gladys and the SUV brought together a group of people that otherwise probably wouldn't have celebrated their faith or love for Christ together! I'm inspired to dig up some of those talents I've buried...

Gilmore Girls, Chick-fil-a, and shopping...

2008-04-06T12:53:00.004-04:00

Hope and I spent Saturday doing what we do best...shopping! We're the perfect pair...both our childhoods were spent getting up early (10-11 or so:)) and heading to the mall with our female family members to shop 'til we dropped or 'til the stores kicked us out! It's great...everyone needs a shopping partner like Hope!

This particular Saturday we thought we'd kick it up a notch and invite another friend along for our shopping extravaganza...

You might recognize her from Gilmore Girls, Evan Almighty, or as the speed dial girlfriend from Seinfeld. Well, she's delightful and as soon as she spotted Hope and I* in Anthropologie she wanted to hang with us...we were feeling generous so of course we let her tag along! She wants us to be in her next movie, but with our hectic schedules we had to decline...next time Lauren :)

Lauren took this pic, but cut herself out...she's just so modest!

*Okay, so maybe when we spotted Lauren in Anthropologie, we might have freaked out a bit! Hope offered to pay me to talk to her, but I didn't dare for fear of being intrusive! We kept staring (from behind the racks-we do have some manners). Looking back, I'd totally go say hi...it's gotta be better than looking like stalkers/nerds behind clothing racks! How creepy are we?!? It was the highlight of our day...with lunch at Chick-Fil-A coming in a close second! :)

Popcorn Popping...

2008-04-04T15:52:00.006-04:00

Welcome to the National Cherry Blossom Festival! Words can't describe how beautiful the District looks right now...all I can say is "Thank you Japan for the cherry blossoms!"

Imagine hundreds of people on the National Mall flying kites...it's magical! Pirate ships, turtles, human legs, and just about anything that could fly was floating through the DC skies! Watching little kids, big kids, families and friends all enjoy the windy weather was impressive! Kites filled the sky, from the Capitol all the way down to the Washington Monument and on towards the Lincoln Memorial...doesn't get much more American than this!! They have show kites, and huge kite flying contests too. Let's go fly a kite...up to the highest height!

There are some duties a girlfriend should take seriously...making sure your boyfriends crack isn't hanging out is definitely one of them! Seriously, there were children in the vicinity!

The Tidal Basin was crowded...but the blossoms were worth it!

Sometimes being height challenged is a good thing...

Wayne's motto: Stop and smell the rose..err cherry blossoms!

Spring Break...

2008-04-04T14:41:00.012-04:00

When I graduated, nobody mentioned the "real world" doesn't include spring break...which totally stinks! So I decided to take myself on my own little "spring break" trip back to UT. I flew in just in time for the wedding of my last single girlfriend from high school (thanks for the late night/early morn pick-up dad)! Karly and Greg's wedding was beautiful...they're the cutest couple! The sealing was spectacular (so I hear), the breakfast was delish, and the reception was crowded with lots of familiar faces and good friends! I love when love works...congrats Karly and Greg!
The rest of my "spring break" was spent with the family...

School lunch with my favorite second grader! I don't think I've had a meal that balanced since...elementary school! Grandma and I got to meet all of Kalli's friends, see her cute classroom, and play on the big toy! (Oh, the memories on those monkey bars-they've been there since I was in elementary school! Can you say OLD!?!)

And who wouldn't want to re-live the high school days a bit...good ole' BRHS Junior Prom!

The rest of the week was spent visiting old friends, meeting and getting reacquainted with all of their new babes, visiting family, watching baseball games, eating and shopping! Ahh...the good life!

Eggs, eggs and more eggs! We dyed them...

We hunted them....

And the grand finale...we chucked 'em down the hill!

Welcome to the 25th Annual Capener Family Picnic and Egg Toss! Intense...I know, Capener's don't mess around when it comes to their egg toss! We hike up our mountain armed with dozens of easter eggs (and I mean DOZENS, at least 20) and then, it's bombs away! The boys have contests to see who can throw the farthest (which I'm pretty sure Cade won...woot woot for the youngest bro!), target practice (Uncle Ken seems to be a fav) and then gather all the uncracked eggs and throw 'em again! Don't ask us why we do it...we really don't know! But, its tradition, it makes us happy and its an excuse to get together!

The addition of new Capener's brings new traditions! Meet my sis-in-law Morgan. She likes to mix things up! Boiled eggs? Nah! Dyed eggs? No way! She and Jas (big fans of multi-tasking) dyed their raw eggs right as we tossed! She keeps us crackin' up!

And these are the blessed folks that keep us going! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Capener for all the traditions that make us unique! We love you!

Small and Simple Things...

2008-02-26T08:41:00.004-05:00

If I hadn't been laughing so hard at myself this morning, I'd probably be crying. It was just one of those mornings! I ran out to catch the bus and as I was navigating the little incline out of my complex to the street corner, I lost my footing in the mud and slid...and by slid, I mean feet over head fallin'! My headband flew off-the force was that great! Of course, I chose to wear a skirt today, and not just any skirt, but a flowy skirt that flew over my head as I landed on my butt/back. Think Marilyn Monroe...minus the sex appeal. It was definitely one of my more graceful moments (I'd like to thank my mother now, for inheriting her gracefulness). Even with such a lovely morning, I found some small and simple things to be grateful for...

~My tights are sturdy...my ankle may have a large run up it, but my tights don't.
~Only half the neighborhood and 2 school buses were waiting at the light this morning.
~None of my usual bus friends/ward members (that I know of) witnessed the show.
~Just one of my creepy neighbors was quick enough to snap a pic of my skirt above my head...I'm sensing some internet fame coming my way!
~Only half my skirt, the arm of my coat, and the bottom of my purse have any mud/dirt remnants.
~I noticed my cute red headband in the dirt before crossing the road.
~I remembered to pack my lunch (leftover stir fry) and a coke.
~I was able to get the rice kernels and broccoli out of my purse before my fav bag took on too much of a teriyaki scent (my cheap container cracked during the fall-they don't make tupperware like they used to!).
~I found my contact before it had completely dried out. (After picking myself up and getting on the bus, of course my contact popped out of my eye!)

So all in all, this morning wasn't too bad. It really could have been worse...

View from the Top...

2008-02-21T19:23:00.010-05:00

Maybe it was the 300-stair climb, or the bone chilling wind and rain, but I'm pretty sure it was the amazing views from the top that took my breathe away!

I felt pretty lucky to get on top of the Capitol Dome-it requires a personal tour from someone who really is "on top" (a Senator or Representative). I tagged along with Congressman Bishop (thanks to Wayne and Shule) on a jaunt up the Capitol Dome (~180 feet). Mother Nature wasn't really cooperating. It was icy and rainy and cold, but so worth it!

Seeing the "Apotheosis of George Washington" up close and personal made me realize how impressive our Capitol really is! I can't believe HOW HIGH Brumidi was as he painted and HOW LARGE that painting really is...just crazy!

On a side note, Congressman Bishop showed us the prayer room just off from the Rotunda. The room was peaceful and had the most beautiful stained-glass window with George Washington kneeling in prayer and the words to a prayer on it. Separation of church and state? No matter what some may say, this nation is what it is because of the grace of God!

Five Girls plus...

2008-02-14T21:18:00.005-05:00

equals the perfect Valentine's Day! On this day of love, the roomies and I decided to splurge a bit (on calories not price) and take ourselves out for a good ole' fashioned burger and fresh cut fries from Rigby, Idaho potatoes! Happy Valentine's Day!

Tag...

2008-02-14T16:41:00.006-05:00

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What were you doing 10 years ago...
I was 12 years old and a 7th grader at Alice C. Harris Intermediate School (say that 5x fast). I'm pretty sure we were having our first school dance around this time...and I was stoked! I remember I asked my crush Blake to dance and thought it was the most romantic moment of my life! The song, of course, was way too short, my hair was big and curly (I'd gotten up early to put it in hot rollers), and I was wearing my fav outfit (ugly black jeans, with a gray sweater vest-eww!) I thought I was looking F-I-N-E (pics from that era of my life tell a different story). Sad to admit, but I went home that night and wrote every little detail about the dance in my journal and probably prank called Blake at least once or twice...so he'd fall in love with me of course :)

5 things on my "to-do" list today..
1)Meet up with my friend for dinner.
2)Send Kalli her Valentine's package (better late than never I say!)
3)Call my grandparents to thank them for their sweet V-day Card!
4)Watch a movie???
5)Make the trek out to institute!

6 Snacks that I enjoy…
1)Nothing beats a Coca-Cola Classic
2)Crackers and Salsa (Toppers and Wheat Thins are the best!)
3)Avocado
4)Nuts (a new fav)
5)Anything chocolate (chips, bars,
6)Fruit Snacks ( I really like the Scooby

Bad habits...
~Blogging and g-chatting WAY too much!
~Eating out...but never eating a real dinner (usually a coke, crackers and salsa)
~Waiting to go Visit Teaching until the last day of the month :)

If I were suddenly a billionaire I would...
Buy all the land in Riverside and give it to my dad to farm. Buy a personal jet...fly home whenever I wanted, and around the world, too. Of course I'd loan it out to all my friends and family. Open a bakery and shoot my very own cooking show on location at the bakery!

Places I've lived...
1)Riverside, UT
2)Logan, UT
3)St. Jorioz, France
4)Arlington, VA

Jobs I've had...
1)Kalli's Nanny/Servant
2)Research fellow at USU
3)Western Watts...phone crap
4)Dillard's
5)KSL intern
6)US Senate

5 - Things people don't know about me…
*refer to the tag below...they're described in detail.

And now I'm tagging...Mandy, Jessica, Jenny, Morgan, and Alexis!

George Stephanopoulos...

2008-02-13T16:54:00.004-05:00

was just feet from me, and I swear we made eye contact at least twice. :) I was as close to him, as he's been to the last three presidents, almost every "household name" politician, and more importantly, the ladies of The View. Di and I went to "An Evening with George Stephanopoulos: The Media and the 2008 Political Season" (again, much thanks to Mike and his twin Tom) last night at GW, and it was awesome. I love hearing about the life and times of such a successful professional! Telling the stories of so many important movers and shakers really has given him a pretty incredible story himself! I was inspired, he makes me WANT/NEED to get back into the communications field SO badly!

Some tidbits from George:
~3 is a good rule of thumb. Ask the tough question three times, then move on if your interviewee skirts around and won't answer...unless your instinct tells you otherwise.
~Anytime you get a real response, as opposed to a talking point, you've succeeded!
~If journalism is your passion and it makes sense in your heart and in your mind...DO IT!

Why I loved him...

2008-02-07T15:18:00.001-05:00

"What is it about American culture that has led us to become the most powerful nation in the history of the world? We believe in hard work and education. We love opportunity: almost all of us are immigrants or descendants of immigrants who came here for opportunity-opportunity is in our DNA. Americans love God, and those who don't have faith, typically believe in something greater than themselves-a "Purpose Driven Life." And we sacrifice everything we have, even our lives, for our families, our freedoms and our country. The values and beliefs of the free American people are the source of our nation's strength and they always will be!" -Mitt Romney.

Doesn't he just inspire greatness? I'm sad that he's out, but so glad he ran!

Meltdown at The Melting Pot?

2008-02-03T18:35:00.000-05:00

My roommates and I went to The Melting Pot (our reservation was at 11:15 pm...it was the only time we could get during Restaurant Week). We ate our food...which was mediocre, but worth the experience. If you've never been, you cook your food at the table. They bring out raw meat to dip into boiling pots of oil or broth to cook. It's lots of fun, but takes a L-O-N-G time. We ate as quickly as we could, but still didn't finish until about 1:30 (we had to endulge a bit/too much on the chocolate fondue and 1200 pounds of brownies, banana, cheesecake, marshmallow, strawberries and sponge cake).

And now the real adventure begins...the manager validated our parking and we headed down to the parking garage. At this point, we're all completely engorged on food and drink and wanting to get home. We drive to one exit find the door down...drive to the next exit same...next exit, closed. We're getting slightly worried at this point that we might be locked in, but think "why would the manager validate our parking if the garage had closed?" We continue driving around trying every call box, reading every sign, pulling up to every exit in hopes it will magically open, but no...we're locked in and all in desperate need of a restroom! Horrible feeling! We have nightmares of spending the night locked in a concrete box--scary!

Finally, a waitress from the restaurant comes out and she has a pass to get out of the garage. She tells us to follow her and she'll get us out. She pulls up to the garage door, it opens and we all gun it out. Freedom, right?!? Oh no, not yet...there's an in and out arm gate-thingy next. Her pass gets her out of the prison, but we are now stuck between the garage door and the arm/gate. The girl tries and tries to get her pass to open the gate for us with no luck. In our attempts to get out we may have reved backwards at full speed at one point-with all of us screaming (a funny moment, imagine 4 girls screaming and zooming backwards straight for a large metal door) Finally, after a brief spout of profanity from the kind waitress, the manager comes out. He gives us a little wave, walks up to the gate, RIPS the arm off, tosses it to the side and then waves us through. Quite the night...fortunately the only meltdown was the chocolate!

Gracias, Merci, Danka...

2008-01-11T00:57:00.000-05:00

And thank you, thank you, thank you to all my wonderful friends and family in UT! I just want all of you to know how grateful I am that I got to spend time with you over Christmas vacation. Utah was so wonderful...so much so, that I really didn't want to leave! Special thanks to...

~My sweet girlfriends from high school. Thanks Jaci, Natalie, Jessica and Chloe for our fun lunch date, it was so nice to see you all and catch up! (We really missed all you gals that couldn't make it.)

~Alexis, Natalie and the USU basketball team. Gotta love a good ole' Aggie basketball game! I know you gals sacrificed time with your families and some seriously needed R&R after your Christmas travels, but I am so grateful! I loved catching up and seeing you!

~Preston and the Mack's Lunch crew! Gotta love a nice, greasy meal at the ole' family drive-in--thanks Preston for getting us all together!

~TA, Braden, Liz, Cortney and our New Years bunch...the best way to ring in 2008!

~Bill, thanks for making the trek to SLC for the Capitol opening...good times!

~Dave, Doug and Di! You guys are as hilarious as I remember:)

~Karly & Greg (the newly engaged lovebirds!) I'm so happy for you both...can't wait til March so you can seal the deal! Wahoo!

~And especially all my family...I love you so much and miss you like crazy! I'm so blessed to have such a great family! Thanks for all you do!

This is old...but I forgot to post it before Christmas!

2007-12-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

So here's the story...

"Fire out at building next to White House"

And here's where I was on Sunday night...

Notice anything? Yep, the same building! The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is right next to the White House and is home to most of the White House staff. It's an absolutely beautiful old gem! I'm just glad I got to look around inside before the fire (luckily it wasn't totally destroyed!) For everyone who hasn't been inside, here's a peek at the building (and at Mike in his office, hard at work...or at least pretending to be)!

The Eisenhower Executive Building was just one stop on the West Wing tour of the White House! Here's the highlights (at least the ones I could take pics of) from the rest of the tour...

Outside the Rose Garden...those windows look into the Oval Office! "Hey, W! How's it going in there...."

The Oval Office was beautiful, unfortunately no pics inside. :( The President's desk was absolutely gorgeous, and its history is even more beautiful. It's the desk JFK used...and the famous pic of John-John peeking under it was taken with it!

Inside the press room...right by the podium where Dana Perino gives the daily press briefings! Maybe one day I'll be behind the podium...

Or possibly in front of it...I'll ask the tough questions! Each news organization/reporter has an assigned seat...this one is just down from my Helen Thomas' chair!

Profound Realization...

2007-12-12T23:47:00.000-05:00

My whole life I thought the chorus to "Have I Done Any Good?" said, "Then wake up and do something more. THEN dream of your mansions above...." So I've been waking up, doing a bit more and totally daydreaming about my awesome digs in Heaven... Little did I know the correct lyrics are "Then wake up and do something more THAN dream of your mansions above." I guess I better get my head out of the clouds and get to work!

Finally...

2007-12-05T00:10:00.000-05:00

My friend Maren tagged me weeks ago to reveal "7 things you may or may not know about me." So in classic Kami form, here it is forever and a day later....

#1...Weezer wrote a song about me...I'm a half Japanese girl! Sadly, I don't speak any Japanese, and neither does my mom, nor my grandparents for that matter. It's surprising how many people don't know this, and have a hard time believing it when I tell them. So when I say I like sushi...its not because I'm being trendy, it's who I am :)

#2...I still wear my cheerleading socks from high school. Kind of gross (I do wash them regularly though) and I know its been five years, but they are THE most comfortable socks I've ever worn! I don't wear them because I'm stuck in the "glory days," it's totally for comfort and they still look like new, and I have nine pairs of them, and I paid for them, so why not? Right?

#3...When I was a little girl, I prayed and prayed for a sister! And let me tell you what, Heavenly Father answer prayers...not always as we expect, or when we expect it, but He always comes through! I have the sweetest, most beautiful little sister, and I absolutely adore everything about her! I'm sure I had to wait so long for her (15 years) because my poor parents couldn't handle 2 princesses any closer together!

#4...My favorite place to think or relax is in some form of shopping center. Wal-Mart, the mall, grocery stores, or drug stores, it doesn't matter, I meditate the best in the hustle and bustle of retail! It's oddly relaxing, reminds me of home (and shopping with my mom and grandma), and is just conducive to thinking.

#5...I can recite the bios of almost every Utah news reporter and anchor! I check KSL continually, and feel like I am best friends with all of the broadcasters. The news business is just so exciting to me...you might call it an obsession. Weird, I know!

#6...In my next life, I want to own a bakery/pastry shop. I love little tarts, fresh bread, pretty creme puffs, and all those delicious sweet treats! But, my mom always says I don't like mornings enough to be a baker...my goods wouldn't be ready til at least 8pm. Hopefully I'm more of a morning person in my next life!

#7...If I could combine my obsession with broadcasting and my desire to be a pastry chef, I would love, love, love to have my own cooking show or be on a show like "The View" or "Good Things Utah." Dream job!

Now I tag Di (this is a tag team from Maren, you better do it now Di), Melissa, Tabbi, Jessica and Mandy...let's hear it girls!

This is why I moved here...

2007-11-26T23:20:00.000-05:00

I don't have any pictures to prove it, but tonight I was in the same room with 4 people I consider to be celebrities! All my newsie friends (who are also nerdy enough to become star struck at the sound of these names)...you're going to be jealous! I heard Dan Rather, David Gregory, Helen Thomas, and David Sanger reporting live from the National Press Club (well, kind of)! It was actually a taping of the Kalb Report, a forum on Journalism and Public Policy. It was exhilarating to hear a lively debate about the effectiveness of press coverage of the White House. I just love hearing how professional journalists feel about their craft! These reporters have covered presidencies dating back to JFK, and definitely know their stuff! I will say, I was most impressed by David Gregory, the current White House Correspondent for NBC. He has some great insight into the role the press plays in a post 9/11 atmosphere. He's quite articulate (as all journalists should be) but also very down to earth (which all journalists should also be). Gregory and Helen Thomas duked it out a bit when debating whether the press asked enough hard questions of the president before we entered the War in Iraq. To see the institution that is Helen Thomas sticking it to Gregory, check your local listings for the date and time that the Kalb Report "Thank You, Mr. President" airs in your area. It's definitely a good discussion. And many thanks to my friend Mike for hooking me up with a ticket...its events like this that just don't happen in Utah!

I'm In LOVE...

2007-11-23T00:08:00.000-05:00

with the movie ENCHANTED! I sat in the movie theater for an hour and a half with a perma-grin on my face! I laughed, I cried, I sang along, I cheered out loud AND I was totally willing to pay another $10.25 to see it all over again! Enchanted made me believe in LOVE again! Two thumbs up...way up!

TLC...and the magic of TV!

2007-10-08T17:51:00.000-04:00

Don't believe everything you see on TV! I love TLC, HG-TV and all those home improvement channels, but I think they may have given me an overambitious take on decorating. This, along with my thrifty budget (call me cheap if you want), made Di and I think refinishing some dressers would be a great project. So, Di and I found some "solid pine" dressers on craigslist for $25 each...what a bargain! We hunted down a friend with a truck to help us move them to our new house (after attempting it ourselves in Di's Civic...and failing miserably!)

To our surprise, the dressers were laminate particle board, definitely not solid pine. We had driven a half hour to get them, and we were going to pay $40 for a tupperware dresser, so we decided they were still our best option, real wood or not. Here's the before, notice the unaligned knobs...NICE!!!

We got the dressers back to our house, which we thought would be the hardest part...WRONG! We bought all the paint supplies the good ole' Home Depot man told us we would need...a can of primer, some sand paper, a couple cans of black spray paint some new hardware, and some putty to fill the old unaligned knob holes, all for $60 bucks...perfect, or so we thought! We removed the knobs, filled in the old holes, drilled new holes for our cute new knobs, and sprayed on some primer.

Di and I decided to test the spray paint on some night stands we had purchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond before attempting the larger dressers...good idea! Our little nightstands each took a full can of spray paint (and yes, the Home Depot expert had assured us one can would cover a WHOLE dresser without a problem) and the paint didn't go on very evenly, although our night stands did look okay. Unfortunately, we used all our paint and our dressers were now primer gray...

We took our sweaty, painted selves back to Home Depot (our third trip) to get more paint and of course, we ran into some boys from our ward...which never happens in Virginia (unless your looking your worse). These expert boys told us to forget the spray paint and use the real stuff, so we dropped another $40-buying a can of paint, paint brushes and paint supplies, along with more spray paint to finish off our nightstands. Talk about a mess...

We finally got our dressers painted...three days of hard work, $150 later, and we have BLACK DRESSERS!

Ta-Da! Here's the finished product...they look better right?!? (that's what Di and I keep telling ourselves to make our Labor Day weekend project worth it!)

So, the next time you're watching "Design on a Dime" and you think..."hey that looks easy!" remember the "magic of TV" makes everything look easy!

Good Read...

2007-10-07T23:18:00.000-04:00

If you have a few extra minutes (and you haven't been sucked into the "Twilight" series yet) check out "A Thousand Splendid Suns." This book is amazing! A coworker recommended it to me, and I read it in about 2 days (and considering I am on month 7 of trying to finish "1776"-2 days is quite an accomplishment.) Be prepared though, because as soon as you finish reading it, you'll probably cry...and wish that there was something you could do to help the women of the world more! Just a little background information, to peak your curiosity...it's about 2 women in Afghanistan, one born in the 1950's and the other born in the early 80's, and how their lives are changed following the political and social changes in Afghanistan and the subsequent civil wars that follow. It doesn't focus on the war or the politics of Afghanistan, but mostly the everyday lives of these two Afghani women, and their struggles and hardships. Read it...you'll end up crying in your closet, but it will be a good cry and if nothing else, it will make you realize how blessed you are to be a woman in America.

Honesty IS the best policy!

2007-09-30T01:39:00.000-04:00

So tonight Di and I headed out to the Stake Center for the General Relief Society Meeting, which was amazing. For the first time I was the person they always mention watching the broadcast over satellite in distant lands (although still in the US-Virginia is about as far from Utah as one can get!) It was nice to think that although I am thousands of miles from all the sweet women in my family, we were still watching the meeting together! It was a great time...and my stake really goes all out-they passed out cute little bags of Lindt truffles to all of us, along with feeding us a yummy dinner. Pretty much a great time!

Anyways, we left the broadcast and decided to hit Wal-Mart (which is a rare treat out here-we hardly ever get to go) on the way home. We shopped around, got shave gel all over ourselves and the store, spent way too much money and then headed home. As we pulled up to our house, Di asks "you got my purse out of the cart, right?" I, thinking Di was playing a little joke on me, reply "uhhh no...I thought you had it." Oh no, this was no joke...Di's purse was in the front of the cart when I pushed it into the cart return. She of course thought I was smart enough to have noticed it...and I of course, was not. So with both of us holding our breath, feeling extremely sick to our stomachs, and praying with all our hearts for an honest person (I mean really, we DID go to the broadcast- that had to count for something!), we rushed back to Wal-Mart (normally about a 20 minute drive...I think we made it in 10). Di was extremely calm considering her entire life was left in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. I was frantically trying to get someone at Wal-Mart to answer the phone, while feeling like a total idiot for being in LaLa land and leaving her purse for any one of the crazy late night Wal-Mart shoppers to walk away with! Definitely some very tense moments-the ride was pretty quiet-which for Di and I is a rare occurrence.

Luckily about halfway to Wal-Mart someone in customer service finally answered the phone, and believe it or not, someone turned in a big, red purse! RELIEF! What a great feeling to know that people are still honest! We recovered the lost purse, with all its goods inside, and felt extremely blessed to have it back! Our prayers were answered and our hope that people are, for the most part, honest and good was renewed! So, to whoever found our big, red bag and did the right thing...thank you! And to everyone out there...remember honesty IS the best policy!

I'm it!

2007-09-02T19:14:00.000-04:00

Jobs I've Had
~Kalli's Babysitter (my favorite ever!)
~Research Fellow at USU
~Lancome Cosmetics at Dillards (Pretending like I knew how to put on make-up!)
~US Senate...intern
~KSL Channel 5...intern again :)
~Staff Assistant for Senator Bennett

Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
~Two Weeks Notice
~Breakfast at Tiffany's
~Ever After
~Pride and Prejudice

Places I've lived
~Riverside, Utah
~Logan, Utah
~Saint-Joriox, France
~Arlington, Virginia

Favorite TV Shows
~Law and Order
~The Food Network...pretty much anything on there!
~America's Next Top Model
~So You Think You Can Dance
~The Office
~and of course, the News

Places I've Been on Vacation
~California
~Mexico
~Italy
~Switzerland
~France
~New York City
~Virginia

Favorite Dishes
~Chicken and Rice
~Lasagna
~Steak and Potatoes!
~Five Guys Burgers...greeeeeeasy!
~French Fries...with fry sauce of course :)

Websites I Visit Daily
~KSL.com
~Facebook
~Drudge Report
~Tremonton Leader (every Wednesday!)

Places I would Rather Be
~In Utah with the fam
~On vacation in Europe
~Shopping with my grandma, mom, and Kalli

I'm Tagging...
Anyone who actually reads my blog :) (mom this probably means you should start one!)

Metro Etiquette

2007-08-01T15:42:00.003-04:00

Well, here goes my first ranting post...and the topic is PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION! What a blessing and a curse! The DC Metro does get me to work everyday...so thank you metro, but it also makes me late for work quite often...so no thank you! But that's all beside the point...I prefer to focus on the etiquette I feel everyone who ever uses a metro/subway/public transportation system can control! So here it is, my Top Four Rude Metro Riders (in no specific order of annoyance)...

#4-The Pole Dancer
Okay, so pole dancing on the metro is rare, but people that lean against the pole and use the entire thing to rest their sweaty behind, back and head on might as well be! Nobody else can steady themselves with the pole when someones entire body is resting on it...rude!

#3-Seat Hogs
I'm not a large person by any means, so I tend to keep my body within my allotted half of a metro bench fairly easily. I understand there are others out there who have trouble keeping within their bounds (I mean we are talking about Americans here!) and I totally don't mind if someone honestly needs a little extra space, but people that can keep their butt within one seat should make that effort! For example, the other day as I sat on the metro making my way home after a long day in the office, this woman decides to sit next to me. I'm all about sharing so that's great, but she decides to back into the seat butt first...okay not a big deal until she backs in and sits on my lap. This woman was a fairly fit looking woman...and yet she felt it necessary to sit sideways in the seat with her derriere on me! That's just gross-keep your booty and your body to yourself!

#2-Escalator Jumpers
Everybody (except tourists-gotta love 'em) knows to stand right and walk left on the escalator. Hence, the line to get on the left side of the escalator is normally a bit longer than the line on the right-but in the end you make the time up walking on the escalator, UNLESS people cut into the walking line. Don't sneek up in the standing line only to cut over onto the right at the last moment...we're on to your little tricks, and we don't like!

#1-Where's my Card?
To get ONTO the metro, you need to slide your fare card, and in order to get OFF the metro, you guessed it, you need to slide your fare card! Every metro rider knows this-so why is it so hard to have your fare card ready to go when your gettin' on or off? I've been there...digging through my bag to find that elusive smart card, but not standing right in front of the ticket gates! Move to the side!

The sights, sounds, and wonders of the metro are less than appealing, but if we all work together to change the little everyday annoyances the metro can be bearable-maybe even a pleasure (ok, that might be taking it a little too far)!

Chinese Food with the Congressman

2007-08-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

Who could turn down Chinese food and the chance to chat with Congressman Chris Cannon? So after years of forming my opinion of Cannon from the media and the stories of others, I finally met the man for myself, and he made a good impression. He really likes shale oil (if he had to quit Congress right now-he'd get into the Shale oil business). He's very personable and he's quite intelligent. Overall, I'd say he's a pretty good guy...and that's not just the Chinese food talking :)

Oh my 22!

2007-08-01T14:39:00.001-04:00

So I don't know when I started getting so old...but here I am, 22-years old! WOW-time really does fly! If my birthday is any indication of how the year is going to go-22 will be great! Some great co-workers/friends took me out to lunch at Capitol Brewery-yummy pulled pork sandwich, and the BIGGEST ice cream covered brownie ever! The celebrating continued at work, with a little office party-more brownies, homemade oreos, and Lofthouse sugar cookies...YUM!

My sweet roomies (including Shannon) threw a little pizza party that night, complete with more sweets-cupcakes this time. Then we got ready and hit the town...Club Ultra! Here's where Liz shines...she got us all in, without waiting in line, and for free-way to go Liz! So I love dancing, hence the clubbing, but I often forget how much I hate sweaty crowds of people...the club was fun for the night, but definitely not my scene! Anyways, 22 is going to be great-even if it is pretty OLD :)

I Heart NY!

2007-07-23T17:45:00.000-04:00

"Popular...you're gonna be POP-U-LAR!" Di and I felt super popular after scoring front row seats to Wicked and meeting Glinda after the show! The most popular musical in the nation...and we got front row tix for $25 (okay $26.75 to be exact)! Diana "won" the lottery! What, you ask is the lottery? Well, you put your name in 2 hours before the show starts and 12 lucky people (out of the hundreds that line up) are drawn out to sit on the front row at a hugely discounted price (like $275 off)! All I have to say is AMAZING! It was well worth the wait...and we sure did wait to see it(I've literally been waiting YEARS to see this play)! We made friends with one of the ushers at the Gershwin Theater, and he showed us where to meet the actors after the show too...Glinda was beautiful in street clothes too!

Okay, so Di and I decided our weekend in NY should include Broadway...lots and lots of Broadway, so along with our Wicked good night, we got tickets to the matinee of Hairspray! It was awesome...if the new movie is anything like the musical, you can sign me up! Talk about a chick flick musical...it was so cute! It was heart-warming, funny, sweet, just an all-around good time (this coming from someone with a standing ticket-yes, I stood through the entire 3 hour production and still came out absolutely loving it)! Our NY Broadway fest was great! FYI-after asking a variety of NY tourists to take our pic outside the theater (to show us in front of the Hairspray sign), Di and I finally took this pic ourselves...its the only way we could get the Hairspray billboard in the background! Tourists may be nice, but they are horrible photographers!

We wouldn't be NY tourists without eating a dog off a street vendor! It was a pretty tasty meal...but if you're going to eat on the street, go for the gyros, much more filling and they are pretty darn tasty too!

Here's the beautiful Manhattan NY Temple! It's such a unique experience to go to church basically inside the temple! Bill and I ran into our good high school friend, Sister Anderson, who is serving her mission here! Its always fun to see friendly faces from home in the big city!

I "heart" NY! What a great tourist spot...Broadway, Rockefeller Center, Time Square, Fifth Avenue, street vendors, Chinatown, you name it, NY has it!

Atlantic City or Bust!

2007-07-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Las Vegas of the east! Okay, so Atlantic City is definitely NOT Las Vegas, but it's still really fun! Strolling the boardwalks under the bright lights, posing at Caesar's Palace and eating Denny's breakfast at two in the morning-what's not to love! We spent Friday night strolling the casinos of Atlantic City (dad-you'd be proud...no gambling!) and enjoying the new scenery!

Sleeping quarters were a little tight...but I couldn't think of three girls I'd rather share a king size bed with than my roomies!

We spent Saturday in Ocean City at the BEACH! Salty air, sand in our toes, and cool ocean waves...BEAUTIFUL! Fireworks provided the perfect finish to the perfect weekend!

Sunday Dinner

2007-07-18T16:45:00.000-04:00

After three hours of church, nothing beats sitting down to a good, home-cooked meal! My family has always been really big on having Sunday dinner together. Growing up we would ALL (as in cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great grandma, great aunts and uncles, etc) meet at my Great Grandma Alice's house and have dinner together-one of my favorite memories from my childhood! Even after my
grandma passed away,we would meet at my grandparents house with all my cousins and my dad's siblings for dinner. Today, I miss out on Sunday dinners in Utah, but still get to have dinner with my DC family! I have great friends here and we find a way to stand-in for the families we left back in the West!

Half-Price Burgers...a Monday Night Tradition!

2007-07-16T22:18:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Crystal City Sports Pub...home of the half-price burger! Talk about tasty! This little restaurant offers half-price burgers (four dollars plus tip) every Monday and Tuesday night! Try the Smokehouse- a burger with bacon is always good in my book!

My Country 'Tis of Thee...

2007-07-16T21:51:00.000-04:00

The Fourth of July is probably the best holiday... parades, bbqs, fireworks, etc! And who could ask for a better place to spend the day than the nation's capital! I heart DC! The opportunity to spend the Fourth of July in Washington is pretty amazing! Watching the fireworks by the Washington Monument is pretty much the greatest! What a show! Although I still miss the fireworks at Riverside Park... you can really ooh and aah at each and every firework there :) The fireworks on the mall are quite the spectacle...it's like the grand finale fireworks for a full thirty minutes! I met some really great new friends and ate at a great little restaurant...the Matchbox is YUMMY! What a great day!

Republicans v Democrats

2007-07-16T11:57:00.000-04:00

How much more American can you get than Congress playing America's favorite pasttime?!? The Republicans and Democrats went head to head at the annual Congressional Baseball Game. The Congressmen and women (a lady Rep had the best hit of the entire night) played a real-life game at RFK Stadium... talk about competitve! Slides, line-drives, out-field collisions, stolen bases...and in the end, as usual, the GOP came out on top!

We made "Go GOP" signs and made quite a scene with all of our cheering! We (mostly Bill and Jaron and some of the other boys) made such a racket that reporters, fans, and even the House Historian asked for pictures with our signs, and archived one of the signs for future generations-you can check it out at the House Museum! Although, many thought we were completely sloshed...it was a night of good, clean fun-DC style!

Baltimore

2007-07-12T23:34:00.001-04:00

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is so beautiful! Old ships, cute restaurants, shops galore, and the National Aquarium! Fish, fish and more fish...

Historic Georgetown!

2007-07-12T23:07:00.000-04:00

Now that I've joined the "real" world, I live for the weekends! Hitting the town after a hard week in the office is the best way to spend a Friday night...add good friends, and French food and life doesn't get much better!

Minglin' with Mitt

2007-07-12T22:59:00.000-04:00

While my job isn't extremely glamourous...it does have some perks! Our chief of staff hooked us up with some tickets to a reception with MITT ROMNEY! Mitt is very charasimatic and personable...PRESIDENTIAL you might say :)

Memorial Day 2007

2007-07-12T22:22:00.000-04:00

With my family 3,000 miles away, the next best option for Memorial Day was spending some time with the Commander in Chief! Even though President Bush doesn't have high approval ratings, the opportunity to see "W" is a once in a lifetime deal. Even with long lines, sweltering heat, and hundreds of tourist...there's no better place than Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day!

Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue
Concert on the Capitol steps

Spending Memorial Day in the nation's capital with great friends...PRICELESS!