I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?

"You have a sunny disposition and are normally one of the first to show up for the party. You don't need too much attention from the host once you get there as you are more than capable of making yourself seen and heard."

My cousin Alicia (and all of her fans) have taken this quiz. I was curious and decided to follow suit. After all, I am another of Alicia's fans. I am amazed that the questions came up with that answer; it is surprisingly accurate. Especially that "first to show up" bit.

PS. Sorry about the length of time in between posts. I have been incredible busy and haven't been able to finish writing my recap of a recent trip. Hopefully this Saturday (while I am watching all the shows I DVRed this week) I will be able to put up some stories and pictures. Until then, what kind of flower are you?

I Took a Trip!

Yikes! About a month ago I took a trip to Utah for my best friend's wedding, and afterwards I swung down to Arizona to see my sister and her family. I have been wanting to write about this very fun trip for the past few weeks, but I have been a little busy. I even started writing it but it was taking too long. So now I am trying again.

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, I headed to Salt Lake for a wedding, but I took advantage of the trip to visit friends from BYU. In fact, I visited with two friends that I have known for ten years. For me, that seems a little mind-boggling. My family moved around quite a bit and I'll be honest I'm not super about staying in touch. (That's why blogging ROCKS!) So I was more than pleased to visit friends that I have known for an entire decade. It really is the mark of a great friend. So, if there is a theme for my trip it would have to be "The Tour of Super Fab Friends."

My first visit was with former roommate and creative superstar Michelle (author of the Where Flowers Bloom Blog). Since she manages a craft store at BYU, we met for a quick lunch at the Cougareat. We had salad wraps and a whole lot of fun. We reminsced about that crazy semester we lived together in 1997 (seriously crazy, complete with Honor Code violations and mental illness--umm not us, don't worry). I adore Michelle. She is amazingly creative and has a very uplifting personality. I just wish I had more time to visit.

I also wish I had a chance to shower before seeing her. My alarm clock didn't go off that morning, so if I had taken a shower I would have missed my flight.

Since the wedding took place in Salt Lake, I decided to stay with my friend Mary and her family. Mary is the other friend I've known since 1997. She, however, was a coworker from my days as a custodian at the Conference Center. She was also my most faithful non-familial corresponder on my mission. I was very glad that she let me stay with her. As I've mentioned before, I'm not so good with emails and calls, but we had so much fun at BYU (toilet papering, "scavenger hunts," X-Files, ballroom dance...), and I have really tried (could be better) to stay in touch. Mary has a sweet little boy that I bonded with rather quickly. I was so glad that he wasn't shy around me. We read, played basketball and gave eachother manicures. Funny story. He pulled out the nail clippers and asked me to clip his nails. When I was done, he decided to return the favor. So I had a few really short nails for the wedding, but that's ok because short nails are preferred when using black nail polish. Anyway, I had fun with Mary. In a lot of ways it felt like we were back at BYU, but with less X-Files.

The Friday night before the wedding, I hung out with my friend Carrie whom I've known since my last year at BYU when we both lived in the Foreign Language Housing Complex. She knows loads of languages and for that I am totally jealous. I just know two. We ate Thai food and saw Lars and the Real Girl. Very unexpectedly hilarious and not at all what you may think. So see it. Anyway, it was fun hanging out with Carrie. I always wanted to know her better at BYU, so I'm really glad I have managed to keep contact. (See self, it's not too hard.)

Saturday was finally wedding day, and I am so glad that I was able to attend. Erin and I were pretty inseparable in Seattle, and I must say there have been times that I wished I could have convinced her to move to New York. But obviously she had an excellent reason to stay in the city. I miss my shopping, tv, music, food, magazine, etc...friend. As you can see from the pictures I posted of the wedding, she looked lovely as usual, and I looked pretty stylish in that trendy boutique dress I bought for the occasion. I really wished I had a chance to spend more time with the bride. We had lunch and hung out for a bit on Friday, but what with wedding stuff and family, it was limited. But I enjoyed every minute of it.

The reception, held in a beautiful room at the Joseph Smith Memorial, was great. We ate good food and there was this terrific jazz combo that covered songs from Coldplay, A-ha, Alphaville and other cool bands. I also sat near a couple of other friends from Seattle: Sarah and Torrey. (Yeah friends!!)

The next day I was off to Arizona to see my sis, her spouse, my niece and nephew. Did you know that in the fall it is still warm in Arizona? It is. My sister thought I was silly because I was wearing my green fall/winter coat when she picked me up from the airport. It didn't fit in my suitcase.

Since it was Sunday, I attended church with the fam. I also got to help my sister out in the nursery--a little place that I like to call instant birth control. haha. Actually it wasn't that bad, surprisingly. The kids didn't scream, and one or two let me hold them. There was one little girl that had this icky snotty nose and she refused to let us wipe it. She used her hand and had a great snot stripe across the cheek.

Monday evening I had dinner with another friend (I know, that's a lot of friends. I must be kind of cool) from Seattle. LeeAnn moved to Arizona about the same time I moved to NYC. She really is having a good time in that brown state. We ate at Mimi's Cafe and they gave us free muffins. Afterwards LeeAnn showed me her fancy condo that is, yes, bigger than my apartment. One of my favorite things about LeeAnn is her giggle. It is very infectuous. So, to entice the giggle, I showed her my favorite Flight of the Conchords song on YouTube. If you have never seen "Business Time" I demand that you stop reading this and check it out. Then please come back. Come to think...you should also see "Can I Have Your Number." As desired, LeeAnn giggled.

I was really fortunate to be with my niece and nephew at Halloween. I got to carve pumpkins with them, see them in their costumes and teach them how to greet Trick or Treaters. I pretty much said it was o.k. for them to talk to the kids who came requesting candy. Outside of the holiday, it was fun hanging with Sam and Liz. They played their musical instruments for me and I got to find out a little about their friends and such. I even impressed Sam with my Converse sneakers. Oh yes, I am that cool. Liz and I shared a room and we even got to tidy up together.

I really liked spending time with my sister. We didn't always get along when we were adolescents, but over the years our relationship has gotten better. However, I do blame her for my new-found Nutrageous love. That is a mighty good candy bar. I am glad that she let me chat her ear off, and she indulged my desire to try In-N-Out burger.

I have a great-uncle who lives in AZ as well. He took me and my sister out to lunch at his favorite restaurant. He knows all the waitresses there, and he flirts with each and every one of them. It's kind of fun to watch. I ordered the meatloaf sandwich. I know, rare choice, but when you crave meatloaf you just have to indulge.

I think that is all I can remember from my trip. Oh! One more thing. Congrats to my brother-in-law for taking 8th place in that shooting competition. And, that was some tasty acorn squash.

So now I am back home from that much needed trip. Please allow me a quick moment to wax a little personal. Here in the big city I feel have struggled to find good friends, and I have felt lonely a lot more than I admit. This trip reminded me that I do have good friends and I need to do better at staying in touch. An added bonus to the trip, upon my return Heavenly Father has helped me see that I do have good friends here as well. And yes, I have to do my part to stay connected to them as well. Lesson learned.

Big Girl, Small Spaces

As you can probably imagine, I have a pretty small bathroom. If, while primping over the sink, I should happen to drop something, it usually lands in the bathtub or toilet.

You don't know how many things I've had to replace.

I currently do not have a photo of said small space. I'm typing this from work. And by "work" I mean that place where I go to do freelance work until someone takes pity on me and hires me.

New Blog Alert!!!

I have a very important announcement to make. And, no, this has nothing to do with a boy. My very good friend Michelle has started an all-food blog and has asked me to contribute. I am very honored. Michelle is a creative genius, and I am very humbled that she would ask me to lend my skills to her new blog. I am even happier to note that my cousins will contributing as well. (I do come from a foodie family.) You will be able to check out all entries at the "Food For Thought" link located near all the other blogs I love.

Of course, I am now wondering what my first entry will be.

Poor Ichabod Crane. At least I survived with my head.

My newest celebrity sighting.

Ghosts in the graveyard.

Eerily-lit working mill.

I don't like graveyards in the dark.

Happy Halloween Everyone! In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I thought I would recount a recent trip I took to Sleepy Hollow for some scary festivities.

It is always a treat to leave the island, but without a car I don't get that opportunity very often. So, when the when some girls from church decided to take a trip to Tarrytown, I was in. I really don't know much about Tarrytown, but I learned that right next to the village of Tarrytown is the legendary village of Sleepy Hollow. I was really excited; I had no idea that Sleepy Hollow was 1) a real town and 2) so close to New York City.



Sad to say, I must complain about my high school education. We studied American literature in 11th grade, but I do not recall ever reading any of Washington Irving's stories. Humiliatingly, I must admit, my only familiarity with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was thanks to the Disney animated featurette. (Which, by the way, do they not show it so regularly during Halloween?) Nonetheless, despite my lack of knowledge of the tale, I was more than excited to make myself familiar with the legend.



The village of Sleepy Hollow threw themselves into celebrating Halloween and their most popular legend. The town reminded me of Stars Hollow--the fictional town in the TV show Gilmore Girls--where the whole town contributes to the fun. Of course Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow was all decked out in Halloween finery, but the main attraction was a haunted village in a park called Phillipsburg Manor. I believe this manor is part of a Carnegie or Rockefeller estate, but I do know that it is a historical attraction/interactive museum complete with a working mill and gift shop.

After arriving to the manor we walked down a path lit by old-timey lanterns and haunted by teenagers trying to scare their friends. I was a little concerned that this would be a scary-horror-filled haunted mansion. I don't like haunted houses except for the one at Disneyland because, really, that one is far from scary. Luckily, this was a family activity, so it couldn't be too scary for five-year-olds or chicken adults. (There is no shame in that.)

The wooded path eventually led us to a quaint farm yard with a barn, farmhouse, garden and the aforementioned mill that was "haunted" by villagers dressed up as ghosts from the colonial era and a troll. The first attraction was a storyteller who, while decked out in colonial costume, recounted the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other ghostly folklore from the area.

Nearby I saw a vendor selling spiced donuts and hot cider. I'll be honest, I made a beeline for that stuff. It really isn't fall without a spiced donut and cider. Since fall hasn't really arrived in New York yet, I thought the donut and cider combo would at least help me feel like it has. (Seriously folks, I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt under my lightweight jacket...and it was nighttime!) Treats in hand my entourage and I walked around the rest of the village. We passed by the haunted barn where colonial-era ghosts were dancing traditional dances, a juggler, a pirate band, and a graveyard with punny headstones.

The highlight of the evening was a visit by the Headless Hessian Horseman himself...or someone dressed up as the ghoul. Sadly by this time the camera batteries died, so I don't have a picture of a headless personage riding by on a black horse and carrying a lit jack-o-lantern. But it was rather neat. Apparently he made a couple of appearances throughtout the festival, so we actually waited by a split-rail fence to see him. I imagine it was a lot like waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear, except the Headless guy didn't give out toys.

After we made our way through the village, my friends and I went up to the Old Dutch Church to look at the incredibly old headstones. In fact, Washington Irving was buried there as well as the Revolutionary War soldier who, as the legend goes, got his head shot off during the war and now rides up and down Sleepy Hollow looking for a new head. So, folks, it appears that Mr. Irving did not just make that up--it exists. So maybe I really did see that actual ghost afterall.
Gladly, we did not stay in the graveyard too long. It is a little disconcerting hanging out there around midnight...especially in a town filled with spooky legends.

We made it back to New York with our heads fortunately, and I even bought a children's book with the actual legend. Now I don't have to rely on Disney for the details.

Not that I needed a reason to love them more...

As many of you may already know, I kinda like the band Keane. Ok, that's an understatement. I have actually entitled them Favorite Band For Life. I am sure I've mentioned this a few times, and perhaps have detailed the anguish and joy of recent concert drama. (If you are new to the blog, check out the archives and you will find the whole story.

Anyway, today while browsing news articles at my current freelance gig, I came across a story in the Chicago Sun-Times that makes me love this British trio just a little bit more:

NOT KEANE ON BRITNEY

Britney Spears asked the British pop trio Keane to write something for her; they've written songs for Gwen Stefani and the Pussycat Dolls, but the lads refused, says the Mirror in England.

"There are some things we definitely won't do," keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley told the paper. And he poured salt into the wound: "Gwen, and Nicole from Pussycat Dolls, are phenomenally talented, and we wouldn't want to start diluting that level of musical quality."

I'm not sure how much I agree with them helping the Pussycat Doll girl because I am morally opposed to the girl-group, but you should all check out the Gwen/Tim Rice-Oxley song "Early Winter." It's a stellar song and is in the top 25 most played songs in my iTunes. It may have even broken top ten.

A jolly good meal

Fried Cod with a load of chips

It isn't fish and chips without some malt vinegar

So good I fell over while trying to take the picture

The Verdict: A good, solid thumbs up. But is that good enough?

Sorry for the delay Uncle Bruce!!

About a month ago my uncle Bruce sent me on a mission to try out a New York fish and chip restaurant featured on the Food Network. I happen to like fish and chips (see the post about the Chip Shop) and was more than happy to accept the mission. The fish and chip place in question is called A Salt & Battery, and is located in a part of Greenwich Village that some people are attempting to call Little Britain.

To be completely honest, Uncle Bruce, I had already eaten at A Salt & Battery. I liked it, but to give a more accurate review I did go back two weeks ago to try it again and take the above pictures. Here is my review:

Authenticity:

I grew up on Skippers and Ivar's fish and chips, and let me tell you, I have no complaints. But it certainly is nice to step inside a fish and chip place manned by our English-speaking friends from across the pond. I think that any fish and chip establish with Brits behind the counter speaks for its authenticity. After all it is traditional English fare.

Food:

I ordered the cod and also asked for a small side of chips and a ginger beer. I was a little concerned abou the batter because I recalled that the last time I was there it didn't stick to my fish. That is very important. This time I was not disappointed--the batter stuck! The crispy piece of cod was placed on top of a nice bed of chips. Real chips, real chunks of potato instead long thin fries.

Before digging in I splashed on the malt vinegar. The first bites were really hot so it was hard to ascertain the flavor at that moment. I did toss a few flecks into the tartar sauce. I am not a fan of tartar sauce, but this was good and tangy. My roommate Angie said it was the best she had ever tried. Once cooled, I ate wholeheartedly. It was good and greasy. I do wish they had seasoned the fish a little bit, however.

The chips were very good. I must say I do like potatoes, especially when fried (and mashed, but that's another story). They weren't as crisp as I was hoping, but fortunately not greasy.

I washed it all down with good ginger beer. The good kind that burns the nose. No, it was not real beer.

Summary

A Salt & Battery is a very small restaurant that maybe sits about six people. Angie and I were very lucky to get a place to sit. The menu offered an assortment of fried fish and seafood, meat pies and British soft drinks and ales. They even had fried candy bars. Next door to A Salt is a British market called Tea & Sympathy where one can stock up on Cadbury, tea and tinned food.

It was really good food, much better than Ivar's. I think you will like it, Uncle Bruce. If you geta chance to come to New York, you will have to eat there.

But how does it compare to Chip Shop? I think I like the Chip Shop a little better. The batter was better and thicker, and not as greasy. The chips were a little crisper. Plus the food was served on actual dishes instead of a disposable basket. However newspaper would be the authentic serving ware, but I guess us American might be a bit squeamish about using newspaper for a plate and napkin. I haven't been back to Chip Shop since early September so I may need to have a refresher meal.

However A Salt & Battery is one 30-minute train ride away, whereas the the Chip Shop is around a 45-minute, 3 train journey. Sometimes convenience wins over for the best fish and chips meal.

**Disclaimer!! I'm not a great photographer



This one's better

I swear this had no alcohol

Nostalgia

Many of you may know that I am not a soda drinker. I really don't love carbonation. I also don't drink a lot of juice. I like to drink water and soymilk (not together), and the occasional diet coke (usually only medicinally when I have a headache). So in a very rare moment at Whole Foods I decided to grab a bottle of Fizzy Lizzy carbonated juice. It wasn't just that I was hankering for grape soda--it was Yakima Valley Grape Juice. Like Proust's famed madeleine cookies, I was brought back to memories of my childhood.

All growing up my mom canned her own grape juice from fruit picked in the Yakima Valley. When my siblings and I were old enough mom and her friend Elaine dragged all the kids to the vinyards to go grape picking. I will be totally honest, this really wasn't a fun activity. After all it was work. Hard work with sticky grape clusters that were hard to pull off the vine, dust and dirt, and worst of all--bugs. Somehow the bees and yellow jackets loved to chase little girls covered in grape goo. At least how that seemed to me.

I am sure us kids complained a lot, and I am even more sure that we were told more than once that if we wanted grape juice we had to help out. Of course Warren, Byron and I got a bit of revenge and played with some cattails. While we played the cattails exploded and their cottony innards flew around and eventually got stuck on our grape covered bodies. I wish I had a photo of that.

How was the Fizzy Lizzy carbonated fruit juice? It was good, but not as good as mom's (or Elaine's) grape juice that we worked so hard to make.

Josh Lucas is just as cute in person.

I saw him while I was working at the Tropfest Short Film Festival where he was a judge. But you know, I would not have recognized him if I didn't know he was present. But I think that is a good thing.

Andrea and me standing outside a little place we like to call candy heaven


Andrea really liked her Sassy Red Velvet Cupcake

Angie, like me chose pumpkin. Or Pummmmmmpkin

Pacing myself

God save the Queen...and fish and chips

Still ready for more foods dieticians warn us about

I will never make fun of anyone who orders this stuff at a state fair ever again.

For the Love of Refined Carbohydrates

Remember when you were a kid and your mom wouldn't let you have any cookies because she said it would spoil your dinner? Remember how you thought dinner was already spoiled because of a certain fungi that would be present in the casserole? Then, do you recall that you told yourself that when you were a grown-up you would eat all the cookies and candy you wanted and that would be your dinner? OK maybe that's just my memories I am projecting on the masses, but I must say as a grown-up I haven't really lived up to that little promise I made to myself when I was six. Somehow Heavenly Father saw fit to bless me with a few body image issues that keep me headed for the produce section instead of the bakery when I make my weekly grocery purchases. I guess I should be grateful, but a few weeks ago I had to break free--flabby arms be damned--and I joined some friends on a little junk food excursion.

My roommate Angie claims to be a junk food junkie. That's probably true because she knows all the really good bakeries in the city, eats chips and always seems to have a good stash of candy in her room. A few months ago she bonded with a girl named Andrea at church that has an even larger junk food addiction than my roommate. Andrea stated that in high school, her brown bag lunch of choice was three Snickers bars and an RC Cola. Wow. I was impressed. However, Andrea was not familiar with all the cupcake places in town. I informed her of a little place that is number one in my heart--Sugar Sweet Sunshine--and she, Angie and I decided that we would have to take a trip down there to try it out. I then said that we could stop by Economy Candy and get some other goodies as well. Thus Junk Food Saturday was born.

We decided to get our junk food fix during Labor Day weekend. That Saturday Angie and I met Andrea on the A train, and after switching to a D, and then an F, we arrived in the Lower East Side. We decided to start our fun at Economy Candy, where my other roommate Lacey joined us. Economy Candy is a fun store. Although they don't carry everything there is a fabulous selection of European, novelty, M&Ms, Jelly Bellys and nostalgic treats. I normally don't buy a lot of candy. When I want sugar I usually reach for a cookie, cupcake or pie. But that day I felt like a 13-year- old girl with babysitting money and decided to indulge. I bought a Picnic bar (British-and delish), Haribo Gummi Bears, Jelly Bellys, a Charleston Chew, a little box of Baci and sour cherry balls. I remember that I liked sour cherry balls as a kid, but I had forgotten about them. Let me tell you, I renewed my love for that confection. I kind of can't wait to get some more.

The next stop was Sugar Sweet Sunshine (SSS), which is just a half a short block away from the candy store. SSS is the best cupcake place in NYC. A friend referred me to this place, and once while wandering around the Lower East Side I found it and decided to see if the cupcakes were indeed as good as I was told. At that time I was pretty much pro-Magnolia, despite the tourist-filled line. Things changed when I sunk my teeth into a moist pistachio-flavored cupcake. And since that wonderful day in August, I haven't had a better cupcake. On Junk Food Saturday I finally decided to try the pumpkin flavored cupcake. It was divine, but not as good as their other flavors. Still, I licked the wrapper and debated eating another one. Andrea dived right into her second cupcake. I thought long and hard, and since I knew our day was not done, I just took a good, long whiff of my remaining cupcakes and had a few sour cherry balls instead.

Our next stop on our junk food adventure was for something salty to balance all the sweet. One would think that our next stop would be for a pickle considering that particular neighborhood is home to all the big pickle vendors. However, all the big pickle vendors are Jewish, and their establishments are closed on Saturdays. (Good for them for observing their Sabbath.) Instead we decided to mix our salt with a little trans fat and headed to Brooklyn for the Atlantic Chip Shop, a little restaurant that serves traditional British fare like crispy, greasy, salty fish and chips. In a word, YUM. I really like fish and chips, and this was the best fish and chips I have ever eaten. The only way they could be better was if I was actually eating them in London. I ate every last bit, and it was a large piece of fish. But we didn't just stop there.

You are probably amazed that we weren't wanting to hurl at this moment. Let me warn you, Junk Food Days are not for the weak of stomach. And you have to pace yourself. Andrea did regret her second cupcake. But we still ordered dessert.

Not only does the Chip Shop have great fish and chips, they also serve up some fried treats for dessert. It was hard to decide which treat to get so we decided to split a fried Twinkie, Mars bar, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I have always been a Twinkie fan, but they are so good deep fried; I enjoyed it over the other two candies, but they did not disappoint either. The Mars bar was perfectly gooey, and the Reese's cups tasted even richer. The Twinkie with its tart raspberry sauce just surpassed the warm, melted chocolate of the candy bars. Plus I liked the combination of the crisp outer shell with the soft, creamy filling. Double YUM.

And then we were done. Well, we still had candy to munch on later, but as far as the adventure goes, we were done. I patted my happy tummy and said good-bye to five years of my life. But those were the Depends years anyway. Since we had so much fun, we decided that we were going to make it a recurring activity to try out all the great bakeries, candy stores, and sundry junk food places this great city has to offer. Six-year-old me is very excited about that.

Can I Keep Him?

While wandering around Philadelphia, I saw this very adorable Neopolitan Mastiff. You can't see it, but he has the prettiest blue eyes. (The lady holding him is a breeder. I also caught a glimpse of his sisters.) I really wanted to take him home with me. I refrained because 1) he is going to grow up to be bigger than my living room (Fang in the Harry Potter movies is the same breed) and 2) I do not want to have to pick up those poohs.

But he's sweet, huh?

I went to Philadelphia. I was just there for a couple of hours when I visited a roommate's home in south Jersey. We saw several historical things like Betsey Ross' house. Sadly, tickets to Independence Hall were sold out. Maybe next time.


The Liberty Bell. You know what: it's just a bell.


I love streets with old buildings.

A kitty door knocker

A lion door knocker

The first post office

George Washington is my neighbor; maybe I should have Ben Franklin be my next landlord.

You would think that with a sign like that, the Brooklyn Bridge wouldn't be any big deal.



I finally decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. It is probably the most fun tourist activity in the city.


The view of Manhattan coming from the bridge.

When someone comes to visit me we will walk the bridge--provided that it is not 90+ degrees or 45 minus degrees. What we will not do is eat at that one pizza place that everyone seems to like. No one should have to wait 45 minutes to get into a pizza restaurant when there are thousands of places in the city. Plus, my tummy doesn't like dairy anymore, so no pizza for me anyway.

Dealbreakers

Some people have said that since I am getting older (though I don't look it...) that I shouldn't be so picky about boys. No way! All it means is that I have less time to work through the quirks. So there are things that I take issue with. Therefore, in case you feel some strange, idiotic desire to set me up, please keep these in mind:

1. I don't do weird, rambling emails with bad punctuation.
2. I don't do twisted emails in foreign tongues.
3. I want to be asked on a date, not axed on a date.
4. emo-skinny jeans on boys leave nothing to the imagination. I would rather not know his legs are skinnier than my arms until after the wedding.
5. video game fanatics
6. self-righteous
7. the obvious, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs issues...
8. listening to music that I abhor.

I'm sure I could add to the list, but I don't want to look like a total snot. So tell me, what are your dealbreakers?

Who else gets to take the Amtrak to Girl's Camp?


The first night we had foil dinners. I was one of the lucky ones who ate dinner after letting it cook for 20 minutes. Some dinners took over two hours.



I felt that Juhly and I needed to document our time lost in the woods. We look happy despite the fact we had no clue where we were.

Backpacks are better!!!

A rare smile during an otherwise frustrating teaching moment.

This particular certification lesson was about nutrition. No Tita, Big Macs are not nutritious.

L-R: Dariana, Me, Aimee, and Jennifer. No clue who the girl in front was.

Hermana Soriano--a camp veteran. She goes every year.

My Girls L-R: Tita, Natasha, Caroline (in the sweatshirt)

L-R: Caroline (again), Lizzie (blond), Juhly, Vanessa, Aimee

L-R: Aimee, Jennifer, Dariana. In the background: Andrea, the Stake Camp Director

Very tired girls at the train station

Waiting for the train home.

Try to picture this:

There was one moment when I wished I had my camera ready. The girls found a bat hanging on the window frame of the lodge. One girl thought it would be fun to poke at it with a stick. The bat didn't enjoy it too much and took off. The girls screamed, but Tita, with a look of absolute horror on her face, took off running as fast as she could. I laughed. I couldn't help it. Was that mean?

Look Ma! No Ticks!

I have been back for camp for almost three weeks, and I thought I should write the highlights down before I suppress the horrors. No, it wasn't that bad, but I don't think I will up for sainthood any time soon. During the ups and downs of my four days at camp, I thought about the stake leaders I had when I was a girl. How did they do it? I had eight girls to chase around. I can't even begin to think how my stake leaders managed to look after 30 plus. I was exhausted after the first hour.

The narrative will probably take too long so here's a list of highlights and insights. Not in any particular order, really. Maybe chronologically.

1. When I was twelve I headed to camp in a van. I'm pretty sure it was a brown van--those were pretty popular in my ward. Girls in Manhattan went to camp on a train (two trains in fact). It is actually a great way to travel. All the girls got to sit in one car and get to know one another. During the trip I met a first-year named Christina. We got off to a great start because A) she liked my name (thanks to Grey's Anatomy) and B) she thought I was sixteen years old. Sadly, she was not in my group. The trip to camp was quieter than the trip home, as many were shy at first. On the way home, however, the girls sang all the camp songs they could think of. Leaders throughout the traincar suggested to oncoming passengers that they should probably sit elsewhere if they wanted a peaceful ride. I know I was glad when I stopped hearing yet another rousing rendition of "Rise and Shine" or "Big Bootie."

2. Including my co-leader and myself, my group consisted of ten girls: 1 Spanish only, 3 prefered Spanish (including my co-leader), 3 bilingual, and three english only. It's a good thing I speak Spanish, but I must say that translating back in forth was harder than I imagined. When one word escaped me, my brain threw out the corresponding French word (with a saucy Spanish accent, of course). Needless to say, I was a linguistic nightmare, and there were many times when I spoke the wrong language to the wrong people. Mental note: do not apply to the UN to be a translater.

3. New York campers were incredibly unprepared. Although the standard packing list was issued to every girl, not everyone came as prepared as they should have been. I recall the amount of things I took as a girl, and I remember adhering to the list religiously. I'm pretty sure I brought a mess kit to camp along with other necessary things like backpacks. Sure, living in the city does make it hard to obtain all camping gear, but the stake did a great job of filling the gaps. That being said, I was shocked when girls lined up for the hike without a backpack or good hiking shoes. (Converse sneakers are a good many things, but hiking shoes they are not!!) I had girls who were just going to carry their water bottles, lunch, and camp manual in their hands. I knew that would never work, so there was a lot of doubling up. I carried a lunch or two in my backpack, which didn't work out too well for those girls when I got lost on the hike.

4. I got lost on the hike. I had a couple of girls that were not quite ready for it. One girl, Tita, who lives at a "special school" and was not physically, mentally or emotionally ready for the hike. Thus she didn't make it very far. I expected it, and I was a little upset when some leaders thought she should continue even though she was visibly ill. So I left her with them to catch up with my group (who were being lead by another leader, don't worry I didn't let them wander aimlessly in the forest--although by that time I was ready to shove a couple of girls into the woods without a map). The next girl to struggle was Vanessa. I hope she doesn't read this blog (she doesn't even know it exists, actually) but she struggled because she was just plain lazy. It sounds mean, but it's the truth. She said she couldn't continue with the hike because her heart was beating faster and it was harder for her to breathe. I was a little annoyed by this time and I replied rather sarcastically that those symptoms usually occurred while exercising. After more of her whining I agreed to take her back down. It was amazing how her energy was then restored. On the way down I met up with another leader and left Vanessa with her so I could find the rest of my group. Funny thing, though, I never met up with them. I did, however, catch up to one of the youth leaders, Juhly, who also got separated. Together we headed up the mountainside.

The leader who was guiding our hike did mark the trail, but we obviously didn't see the markers and we headed strait onto the Appalachian trail. After about an hour we realized we were lost. We should have caught up with everyone else by that time. (City girls on hikes take lots of breaks.) Luckily, I taught the certification on what to do when lost in the woods the day before.

Juhly and I stayed calm, prayed, and shouted in sets of threes. Then we retraced our steps, and ran into another group of campers who pointed us in the right direction...or so they thought. We got lost again. Not wanting to hang out forever in the woods, we decided to find that one group of girls and join them on their hike. How awkward. Here I was, supposed to be a leader, and I lost my group. I hope that is no reflection of my leadership skills.

5. As mentioned in the title, I came home without ticks, or any bug bite for that matter. I thank my lucky stars for the super-strength bug repellent I procured for camp. I specifically chose the can with the most warning labels--always a smart move when buying bug spray. I was really concerned about ticks. Apparently girls in the past came home with ticks that gave them lyme disease. Being one of the many uninsured Americans, I prayed and sprayed so it wouldn't happen to me. The ticks were the scariest bugs at camp, in my opinion, but I saw way too many girls freak out over dragonflies and bumblebees. These girls live in a city infested with cockroaches and they freaked out over dragonflies and bumblebees.

6. I don't think the girls really cared about certification too much. So the fire skills I taught may never be put to use in an abandoned lot or dumpster in Harlem. I think the girls really just came to swim in the lake. Sure that's fun, if you like swimming (I've never been a fan). This year, though, the draw to the lake was enhanced by the addition of a teenaged boy life guard. He was the talk of camp. He wasn't an overly attractive boy; he was just a boy, and he got more attention than any teenage boy could want from a gaggle of giggling girls. Andrea (the Stake Camp Director) ingeniously confiscated any notes to the lifeguard in order to make sure her charges were not planning a late night rendez-vous. After reading them, she did give them to the lifeguard. One of the girls in my group, Caroline, developed a huge crush on the boy, and she wrote him a note. She didn't suggest to meet up with him, but she did use her Dr.Pepper Lip Smackers to decorate the letter with kisses. Poor girl. In a few years she is going to be really embarrased about that.

7. All the camp leaders were fabulous, an we had a stunning representation of singles and hispanic sisters. The hispanic sisters were so much fun; they reminded me of my mission in so many ways. A couple were actually from Ecuador too, so that added to the fun. My co-leader, Sonia Soriano was great. She kept a good watch on the girls and probably rolled her eyes at them more than me. I love her! I was also really glad that my friend Jessica Allred came to camp. I was amazed by her enthusiasm and wide knowledge of camp songs. She taught some new ones (I may never get "Princess Pat" out of my head) and she encouraged the Spanish sisters to teach some of their songs. Oh yes, I now know all the words to "La Cucaracha."

8. I love roasted marshmellows. I really love dutch oven peach cobbler. I now love roasted Starbursts. Try it; you'll love it. I ate a lot of junk food that week, and my intestines are still punishing me for the abuse.

9. I saw the most beautiful shooting star on the last night of camp. I was hoping to see at least one shooting star since A) there was no light pollution and I could actually see stars and B) I knew that we were at camp during the tail end of a meteor shower. At bedtime I was heading back to my tent, when this large star shot across the lower eastern portion of the horizon. I had never seen one so large, and close to the planet before. It continued to stun me as the tail turned green as it finished its descent and burned up in the atmosphere. A few of us were fortunate to catch a glimpse of that marvel. Vanessa, who I mentioned earlier, saw it, and it was probably the first shooting star she had ever seen. She was so happy about it.

10. The last night in the tent I decided to pop out my earplugs and bond with the girls one last time before heading home. The girls were really hyper, but that is pretty common on the last night of camp. Dariana and Aimee (pronounced I-may) were particularly giddy and wanted to stay up telling ghost stories. IF I were to have favorites, they were probably my favorite. The two girls were from Ecuador and they were very responsible, happily participated in everything, and did what I asked them to do. Plus did I mention they were from Ecuador? Aimee and her family actually only left Duran, Ecuador in February and she did not know a lot of English. In fact, she was my Spanish-only girl. She has the best Ecuadorian accent. I actually forgot about that Ecuadorian whine until she started branching out and talking more. Then I heard it: the way she said "hermana" with a whiney stress over the first two syllables screamed Ecuador. Then I started hearing it in my own brain as I formulated sentences in my head. The kicker was when I actually voiced it while asking one of the Ecuadorian sisters in the kitchen while asking for a new can opener. It was heavenly.

Oh yeah, back to the ghost stories. Dariana knew just about every Ecuadorian scary story imaginable. The scariest stories were about "duendes" - little ferries/trolls that haunted disobedient children. According to the stories, one of the "duendes" favorite tricks is to cut the hair off of little girls and then wear it as their own. Yeah, that's pretty creepy. Dariana was an excellent story teller. She lowered her voice appropriately and paused dramatically during tense moments. Aimee and Vanessa (also Ecuadorian, but it has been a long time since her family immigrated) were scared to death. This fear was further exacerbated by the 5th/6th years who shook the tent and yelled at the climax of one of her stories. Sonia didn't appreciate that, and we all got scolded. I really wish I knew about the "duendes" before camp started. It may have helped during chore time.

11. On the way home, I shared a taxi cab with Aimee and her sister Emily who do not live too far from me. For a while I totally forgot that I was in New York. I had two girls chattering away in Spanish while driving by hispanic businesses. The only thing that wasn't Spanish was the middle-eastern cab driver who had to get directions from me in Spanish because I couldn't quite remember English.

So that was camp. It was tough, and I hated being there more often than I care to admit, but for some reason I would totally go back next year.

Into the Woods

I just thought I would drop a quick note to let you all know that I will be going camping this week. Believe it or not, there are a few people out there that think that I have never been camping. I know I look all urban and posh, but oh yes, I know all about that tent stuff. See the above picture. I believe I am the girl with the blue and white shirt standing next to my dad. (Thanks to Brenda Sparrow for the photo!!)

Since I do not have a car, you may ask how I will get to the woods. Well, it may surprise you to know that there is a camp ground in Central Park. Kidding! There isn't one (for people with homes). I will actually take a train to a shuttle that will lead to church-owned campgrounds.

During this particular camping excursion I will be a Certification Leader for the young women from my church. Every year the church sends girls into the woods to teach them valuable skills like making bedrolls, cooking over a fire, and hunting snipes. Growing up in Washington State all those skills seemed very important because everyone camps and hikes there. In New York City, however, I will really strive to show girls how necessary it is to learn camping skills; I doubt they have many opportunities to head up to the woods. This year I will be teaching Harlem and Washington Heights girls how to sharpen knives and build a fire--skills that will be more than useful in starting a life of crime. To the people of New York: I am so sorry.

I'll post pictures when I get back! If I get back...

I think I have a new friend

About a week and a half ago, a friend from Spokane gave me a free ticket to see "The Fantasticks" an off-Broadway show playing at the very illustrious Snapple Theater. The show was...interesting. I was kind of expecting some big song and dance numbers and fun costumes, but it was a smaller production with eight cast members, no costume changes, and no fancy set. The story was kind of a love story with some cheesy songs, and it was really hard for me to concentrate because I had Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in my lap. I really wanted to read! I must say that I didn't love any of the characters, but there was one that fascinated me a little. This guy was the first one on stage. He pranced around a bit at first, but for the most part he was a background character, almost like an extra prop. He didn't even sing or speak--his character's title was actually "The Mute". But he moved well, with cat-like precision. And despite the fact that he didn't have to wait for any speaking cues he watched the play unfold very intently. I will not lie...he was also kind of pretty.

By the end of the play the boy got his girl, and I was ready for the train ride to get back into my book. As I boarded the train, I noticed a very familiar face across from me--it was the kid from the play! I was somehow less interested in Harry Potter and more in seeing if I could make eye contact with the fellow. (Since I was sitting on the front row, he was bound to have noticed me.) Yeah, that didn't happen; he was sitting next to a friend, so back to the Deathly Hallows I went. Now that I am all brave from my Ted Allen meeting, I decided that I needed to mention the play before I leave the train. I was hoping for an opportune moment, but he kept chatting away to the kid next to him. I breathed a small sigh of relief that he didn't depart from the train before I had a chance to say something.

Fortunately for me, we got off on the same stop. Cool, huh? I had my chance. He was behind me just a bit, so I turned my head and said, "Great show tonight." Then he said, "I thought I recognized you from the audience!" I was so flattered. We chatted a bit; he wanted to know why I went to the play, etc. It was so cool, like a future celebrity sighting. I was excited to share this news with my roommates.

The story goes on. Sunday night I came home from some friends' house, and who was on my train? The kid from the play!! Sadly I didn't see him until we got off at our stop, but guess what, he still recognized me. This time we exchanged names (Nick). It is just too bad we don't use the same staircase at the subway station. That would be cooler. Oh, I am not finished. Tonight I came home from downtown and took the express train, meaning that I had to get off at another stop. As I rounded the corner to exit, I ran into Nick, and we talked a bit again before he headed downtown. I really look forward to taking the train now because I think I have a new friend. We chat. We exchange pleasantries. He told me that he went to the beach today. Who knows, maybe after a few more run-ins we will exchange phone numbers or mixed CDs or something. Either way, I think this is really cool.

Now before anyone gets excited about possible future "dates," let us all remember that he is a boy that sings and dances. On stage. But according to his myspace page he is straight. He is just a little young and wee (small).