Update on Life - July Recap

July.

The month I moved to Utah.

And what conversation was I having with my Dad last night? Just explaining reasons why even though I do not have a job yet and it makes things difficult and boring, I can't leave. I am here, and there is no changing that.

Yup. I may or may not (or may) have fallen in love with Utah.

Zoinks.



Okay, so here is the haps:

Life: is good. I've gotten to go to a temple every week (3 times in Provo, 2 times in Timpanogos, and 1 time in Denver). Sam has been a little MIA with family in town so she spends most of her time up in Jordan/Draper area. Felicia and I miss her presence but have been getting along fine. We went to Denver last weekend to try and avoid Pioneer Day craziness and still managed to walk out of church on Sunday in Castle Rock, CO with a Pioneer Day cupcake. Serious. I've been filling my days with cleaning, organizing, trying new recipes, going on walks, and hanging out with some really great people that made the decision of whether or not to stay in this ward, pretty easy. Let's hope they decide to not move our boundaries, oh that would stink.

Unemployed Life: is boring. I'm a busy person by nature, I just like to keep busy so a job is one great way to do that and bring in some money. Problem? If I can't walk to the job and it doesn't pay enough to finance a car then... I can't take it. See the dilemma? I'm trying here.

Funny story about my hometeachers: I don't know if either of them will ever find this blog but if they do, I think they would find this funny anyway. J might just find it typical of something he would say. So, our hometeachers are J and S. Yes, that is all you get. They came over yesterday (last day of the month) with cookies as a peace treaty (good job) and we had a good visit. I don't know who enjoyed the recap of our Denver trip more - Felicia and I could not stop laughing and J and S probably thought we were the most ridiculous travelers ever. They would be right. Well, we were talking about this duck pond on BYU's campus. The thing stinks. J says it is because everyone uses it for a date and there are full loaves of bread just chillin in the pond stinking it up.

Without any segway J says "I don't want to come off presumptuous at all but..."

*Insert panic button here.... thought: presumptuous about what?*

J continues - "and I haven't talked to S about this yet...."

*Insert double panic button here.... Felicia and I are thinking, what are they conspiring about?!

and J for the finish "Gina, we could fast for you this next weekend that you'll be able to find a job."


Won't lie, but that is not where Felicia and I saw that going originally. It took me at least a minute to catch back up to him, say thank you and go on. Is that weird or did anyone else see that ending differently?




Other than that.... well, not much is going on. Life is good though. Oh, and eventually I'll post about Denver and pick Music Monday back up. Promise.

Music Monday - Old Alabama

For my first big Provo event I went to something called Stadium of Fire - heard of it?

It's a big deal in Provo... scratch that, Utah County... might be a big deal in the whole state but hey, I'm new here so I'm not sure.

David Archuleta and Brad Paisley performed this year, it was a fun show! We were lucky enough to have seats in the very top of the stadium (lucky? yes, I said it) so that as the sun was setting it was not shining on us and we could dance during the show and not block anyones view.

I had one request - "Oh, Mr. Brad Paisley, the hunk that you truly are. Please play Old Alabama?"

Yes. That was it. I've always had a thing for Brad but when Old Alabama was released, it rekindled that love. Guess what? He played it.

And that wasn't even the best part. When he sang American Saturday Night instead of saying "Live from New York..." he said "Live from Provo". That might have been my favorite part.

ANYWAY - In honor of my first Stadium of Fire, I have finally gotten around to blogging about Brad so here you go, Old Alabama!






She’d rather wear a pair of cut-off jeans than a fancy evening dress...

On the Soap Box - Free Slurpee Day, 7/11 and The Town Crazies

Today Sam and I went on a quest to obtain one free slurpee from 7/11 on 7/11, a.k.a. Free Slurpee Day. We tried store #1 and they had a sign that said "Sorry, we are out of Free Slurpee sized cups". No big. We decided we would just purchase a 99cent one each and call it a day. As we stood in line a woman came in behind us, not knowing that they had run out of cups.

Never mind the sign on each of the two doors leading in to the store, written on white paper with a thick black marker.

She heard someone in line say they were out of the free sized cups and said to us "So, no free cups?"

Us: "Nope. Guess not."

Crazy Lady #1: "So... are you just going to buy one?"

Us, Thought: No, we'll just grab it and hope they think it's a free one, see if we can get away with it.

Us, Real Response: "..Yup"

Crazy Lady #1: "Do you think they'd just let me use my water bottle?"

Us, Thought: Hm. No. Probably not. Don't you think we'd all be doing that if it would fly with the 7/11 crew?

Us, Real Response: "Probably not"

Us, Thought: How desperate is this woman for a free slurpee?!

Two more women walk in behind us, who apparently knew the store owner. They chatted for a few minutes and said "Really? No free cups?" and he handed them two small styrofoam cups. They got in line behind Crazy Lady #1, Sam and I.

Crazy Lady #1: "He has free cups?!"

Normal Chicks dealing with Crazy Lady #1: "Well, not really. We just come in here all the time, we work across the street so we know him."


Crazy Lady #1: Walks over to the counter, strikes up small talk with the guy back there and comes back to the line, styrofoam cup in hand.

Really? Was 99cents plus tax too much?


Sam and I got closer to the slurpee machines to see that they were out of most flavors. I think they had Mountain Dew and ...something else left, but it was slim pickins'. We decided to head over to the other 7/11 in Provo thinking A- maybe they still had free cups? and B - if not, maybe they have more flavors so we could actually get something we wanted.

Little did we know that this store would have its own crazy.

We park and walk in and of course, they are out of free cups too. In fact, before we walk in some guy was on the sidewalk yelling "Well then, you should probably just close the store for the day!". Really? Just for the slurpee cups that they were out of. Hm. The workers looked tired, probably from dealing with crazed slurpee lovers all day wanting to know why they ran out of cups, like sidewalk dude. We get in line, and a few people come in after us.

The manager says "Sorry folks, just want you to know that we are out of the free slurpee cups."

I say "It's okay. The other 7/11 in Provo is too, we just hoped you guys would have more flavors, we're okay with paying for one".

I'm wondering if that was the most sane or kind response she had heard because she smiled. Poor thing. I don't want to know what her store looked like that morning.


Enter, Crazy Lady #2

Now, Crazy Lady #2 did not talk to us, but it was her actions that make it okay for us to deem her Crazy Lady #2.

We get closer to the slurpee machines and notice Crazy Lady #2 holding a 32oz slurpee cup (reusable) and an even larger, clear, reusable thermos type container.

Is she...? Was she thinking of...? No.... Wait, Yes.

She was planning on filling up these containers full of slurpee and then paying only for a refill. Really!? How desperate are we for reduced priced, carbonated, flavored, iced sugar beverage?

Crazy Lady #2 begins to fill up her first container with slurpee and because of its carbonation, and probably her enthusiasm about sticking it to the man by using a reusable container, it over flows the top all over her hand that is holding it. Blue slurpee all over. She shook it off on the floor. Cool. Then she proceeds to hand off the first container and take the larger thermos to fill it with slurpee. By this time Sam and I are at the machines and have our little 99cent cups ready to go. Mind you, she's already sticking it to the man and now she starts sticking it to us but shoving her large thermos in front of our teeny cups so she can fill it with SLURPEE!

BTDubs - Wish I had a better word for slurpee, but I'm pretty sure that's what they are called by 7/11 standards so I have to keep it up. I'm just tired of typing it.


We've got to "fight" a little to get in there so we can get our slurpees and go and then Crazy Lady #2 talks -

Crazy Lady #2: "This one is more liquid than the others, you might not want it" pointing to a certain variation of slurpee

Us, Thought: Hey Crazy Lady #2 - We've already dealt with one of you today, and now you're scamming on 7/11 on it's birthday. Real classy. Now let me pick my own dang slurpee. Thanks.


A part of me really hoped that when she got up to the counter they would call her on it, that maybe there would be a clause of some sort in the free slurpee day laws and they would say "sorry, full price" or something like that. I mean how desperate are we for carbonated, flavored, iced sugar beverage - right? If you really can't pay full price for a slurpee of that size, which for both of her might of cost her like $5, then shouldnt you be spending your money on real food for the fam? Hm.

They didn't stop her and we paid and got out of there with our triple flavored, 99cent slurpees. Thankful to have made it out of there alive and sane.


So here are my thoughts - If 7/11 runs out of cups on 7/11, calm down. They didn't do it on purpose, and if they did, they're genius because the majority of people who walked in still bought a slurpee in both stores. Even if it was in a reduced priced manner by filling up a reusable thermos and cup. So either way, thumbs up 7/11 and Happy Birthday.


And people of the world, knock off the crazy.





Really?! You want to fill your water bottle with slurpee?!

Stepping off the Soap Box

Life in Provo

*Warning - This post contains a good bit of jumbled thoughts, rambling and may be confusing to someone reading it at a normal hour. It's 1am and I can't sleep yet... this is what you get.


I am coming up on the two-week mark since my arrival in Utah. What have I been doing with my time? (You might ask.)

Well - I have been applying to jobs, like crazy. Most of my days are spent searching ksl, LDSjobs.org, and google-ing "jobs in Provo" and then weeding out all the sales jobs (no thanks, security companies) and call center positions. I love working with people and thrive on the energy of others so if it's possible I would love a job that has me working with the public, hopefully students. I'd love to get really involved in the education field because one of my goals is to teach business to high school students. I'll elaborate on that in another post... maybe. For now though, I just need a job. I like structure, and I like to keep busy.

I think I've been doing a lot of that since I have been here though. When I am not looking up jobs, I'm talking about jobs, or working on cover letters for jobs. If I am not doing that I am most likely talking about a car, or watching youtube reviews on that car, or looking up the kbb review on the car or US News reviews on the car, or pricing of the car or (here is a sweet one) dealership specials for recent college grads.

Once again that degree is coming in handy! First, and foremost, I'm the first college grad in the family so that's a pretty cool thing and second, being a student got me a nice tax refund this year that is going towards the car (after I get a job), and third, I get better interest rates on my financing. Cool stuff, kids, cool stuff.

Moral of the story: Go to college.


I'm pretty certain (read: totally sure) Sam is over me talking about a car, worrying about a car, and a job, and summer housing all at the same time. In fact, just the other day she said "Gina, I think you stressed yourself into being sick. Would you please just enjoy one week of your vacation. You've only been here for a week and you think you need to have this all figured out. Housing will still be available in a month, and you can't get a car until you get a job. Pick one thing to worry about, and don't think about the rest until that is finished"

Yup. Sometimes I need people in my life to tell me to slow down, and relax. So, that's what I've been doing. I'm still working on unpacking since I just received the last two boxes of "summer things" that Dad sent after I left. The room is slowly coming together, and it feels like home to be in Provo.

I really do love it here. I can't put my finger on why just yet, but it's been a great two weeks.

I mean, we've done some pretty fun stuff like....

*Eating - Cafe Zupas, In N Out, Burgers Supreme, Jamba Juice, "Free" 7/11 Slurpees, A LOT of Frozen Yogurt, JDawgs (2x now), Chick Fil A, SLAB, and more...
*Free Fun Stuff - Nik Day outdoor concert, Watched The Sandlot on the Capital Building grounds, Attempted to get free slurpees for 7/11,
*Weekly Temple Trips - This may be my favorite part of Utah. You can go to the Temple, and in most Utah Temples, you can just walk in and do baptisms. What the what? You heard me. East Coast Mormons - We can't just do that. Oh, I love Utah and it's many Mormons.
*Watched Monte Carlo
*Prepping for Harry Potter 7 - Pt 2
*Stadium of Fire and Freedom Festival
*Many afternoons spent at the pool
*Institute
and more.


**Also, I know Sam told me I could only worry about one thing at a time and I picked work but I happened to find that the apartment across the hall from us has an open private room for the next year so I snagged it. Now, I just need a job...

If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere

I'm in Provo.

Why?

Oh, well, I live here now. I'm in my room, and this morning I at my food, and the other night I walked my city of Provo with Sam so we could get my favorite - coconut and mango frozen yogurt with fruit and cheesecake bites (dude, so good).

I haven't fully unpacked or uploaded all of the photos I took on my cross country trip with the Dransfields but I'll get there. I did however discover the beauty of GAP sales and bought a pair of jeans for $30 that fit me well and I don't need a belt with them - so that's pretty cool

Being in Provo as a resident is weird. I think my mind expects me to be leaving in a week but I live here now. Crazy. It's also weird not having a car. I don't mind walking places but I will tell you my first order of business is getting a car.

Sam and I went to a free concert the other day. We ate free popsicles, did a lot of people watching and listened to Nik Day.


I think I'll update more on my fun... after I unpack and make some progress with other things.

Utah Fun

I have just begun my trip out to Utah and I already have fun summer plans out there.


"Well, what are your fun plans in Utah?" - you might ask.

We are going to Stadium of Fire, for one. Sam says I need to go to the Freedom Festival events too - so that's a weekend of events.

I am hoping to have a car by then and maybe I'll get to travel down to Vegas for the 4th of July.

Tickets were purchased this morning for the midnight showing of Harry Potter - Part 2 on July 14th, and plans are being made to buy our season passes for BYU Football and Basketball.

It sounds like I'll have quite the social life - lets cross our fingers for a job too!

Music Monday - COVER The Edge of Glory

I'm getting geared up for a summer of fun (wait until tomorrow's post to find out more) and in preparation for the epic music scene that is the Utah Valley I youtube'd some Provo acts.

Now here is where I say that I don't particularly love Lady Gaga. I like Glee's cover of Poker Face and I love this cover of Edge of Glory by The Whits. This girl has some lungs. Whoa.

So, enjoy, look up more of their stuff on youtube, or take a cross country trip to Utah.

Oh, wait, that's what I'm doing. Scratch that.
:)

Spinach Carbonara & Being home

for those of you who are my facebook friend and just saw me post a status about this, skip down to the recipe...

I forgot how many good things I have at home. Family, of course. Friends like Mike (except he's in Caz working and I probably won't get to see him before I move to Utah) and Laura (who I do get to see, ha ha Mike). And friends like Sam, Tommy, Brandon and Mal(hulio) are home too - that's fun because I just left VA where Mal and I have been for four years and I am about to move to Provo where I'll get to have my Sam, Tommy and Brandon time... well, my Sam time at least. (Tommy y Brandon tienen novias.. eh)

Besides friends and family, you may be wondering what else is good about being home. I'll make a list for you:
- Driving back roads to get everywhere

- Why? Because I remember them, and I think that's pretty cool

- My brother is graduating (it's been a long, hard road so I'm pretty proud)

- Holy Cow. It's a staple in Red Hook living, and the best ice cream place ever. I like ice cream, and I've eaten ice cream in a lot of places and I still crave a good Strawberry Shake every time I come home. I've already had one. I think I'll get another, maybe a chocolate shake too, or a twist with rainbow sprinkles. yum.

- My bed. It is hands down the most comfortable thing, ever. I knew it too, every time I laid my head down at night in my bed down there I remembered my beautifully firm yet comfortable Sealy mattress awaiting my arrival back in NY. 

- Cable, because I can now watch CNBC. Yes, this morning I woke up and watched them talk about stock analysis on different companies and how the NASDAQ was doing. **Business Nerd, much?**

- Food Network

Oh, how I have missed the Food Network. Other than watching CNBC and some crappy TV show called Teen Wolf that MTV has come out with (promise, I watched one episode and then called it quits), I have been watching Food Network. Sometimes I'm not even watching it, it's more like background noise which I occasionally pay attention to and sometimes I'll jot down the recipe name so I can try it later.

While watching 5 Ingredient Fix yesterday the host, Claire, made Spinach Carbonara. It seemed so easy and with it being a 5 ingredient recipe (Spinach, Bacon, Pasta, Eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese) it was something I could remember while shopping with Sam.


(Oh, we went to Wal-Mart. Her dad thought it was funny because when I get out there we get to have Wal-Mart trips whenever we want but it was so fun to have one in NY)


So I bought the goods to make it, came home all excited because I wanted to make it for Father's Day and I heard, from Dad, - "Why don't you make Cacciatore for Sunday?"

this is common because almost two years ago i made up

my own recipe for cacciatore basing it off of others i had seen

online and now everytime i come home, dad requests that i make

that famous cacciatore.  

"Well, sure, I can but I have stuff for Carbonara"


"I don't like bacon" said Dad


"I don't like spinach" said Joey


"I don't like anything other than butter on my pasta" George would have said if he were around


Oi! But it sounds so good!! 

Never fear, I will make Spinach Carbonara while I am home if I 

have to do it at a friends house, I will make it.

Well, for your enjoyment here is the Carbonara recipe. If you make it first, tell me how it works out. Or, do you have another recipe for Carbonara or other yummy Italian dishes?

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound fresh or dried spinach fettuccine
• 1 whole large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat and salt generously. 

Put the bacon in a large high-sided skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and reserve bacon in the pan.


When the bacon is about halfway cooked, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook about 4 minutes for fresh or according to the package instructions if using dried.


Meanwhile, whisk the egg and yolks, 1 cup cheese and pepper together in a small bowl.


When the pasta is ready, return the skillet with the bacon to medium heat. Using a ladle, slowly whisk about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water into the egg and cheese mixture until loosened. Reserve some additional cooking water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.


While tossing continually, slowly drizzle the egg mixture over the pasta until it is completely coated. Add more cooking water if pasta seems dry. Add the spinach leaves to the pan and toss until combined. Transfer the carbonara to a serving bowl and serve immediately with more cheese sprinkled over the top.


Cook's Note: The key to perfect carbonara

Dear U.S.P.S.,

I'll probably pay at least $100 in shipping costs tomorrow as I send off 6 boxes en route to Provo BUT I feel so much better when I put stuff in those silly (read: amazing, wonderful, what did we do before them!?) flat rate boxes. I have things all over my apartment. Everywhere. Occasionally I stop and look around making mental checklists (yes, I can make more than one in my head... Type A much?) about what is going home and staying there, what is going to go with Mother and I out to Utah, and what is left and where I want it to go. I get frustrated because I have more things I want to have in Utah but I don't know how it will fit in her car.

Walk to the front door. Pick up another large flat rate box (which isn't very large). Tape it. Fill it. Tape the top. Address it. Add it to the pile. Take another bite of a cinnamon roll.

Yeah, I made cinnamon rolls at 10:30pm for motivation. It's working.

I promise I am leaving Buena Vista tomorrow. Promise.


P.S. Did I mention that when I get home Sam will be in NY? With Brandon, and Tommy soon to follow. Mallory too at one point, maybe. I get to be with my best friends in NY and then we all go back to UT around the same time. Perfect.

Let me tell you about my friend....

This is my super cute, other half, voice of reason, best friend, Sam. 

Come this September I will have known her for 17 years. Seventeen. We've been through K-12 together, four years of Seminary, two proms, one Mormon prom, "shared" two boyfriends (dated same guys, different times), dealt with large piles of less-than-ideal situations and circumstances, and so much more. For the past four years we have lived on opposite sides of the country - her in Provo, Utah and I in Buena Vista, Virginia. We have pursued different degrees - hers in Education (correct me if thats wrong dear ha) and mine in Business Management. We have dated different guys (ha) and helped each other through more of life's trials at a distance. We've been able to see each other over Christmas vacations and sometimes during the summer breaks too, but it's always a short visit. I have been telling my favorite half Hawaiian that I was going to visit her at BYU since freshman year. If it wasn't finances holding me back it was bad timing, until this spring break when I finally made it happen. It was the best timing because the boys were finally all home from their missions and I was about to graduate with no idea of what I was doing after. I visited and found a love for Utah, and now I am moving. It is still pretty surreal to both of us but not only will I be living in Provo but Sam and I will be housemates for two months this summer. 

Samantita (Squishface, Tomato-Squash, Tha, Sammi K, etc) and I had a skype date today and it just reminded me of why our friendship is so good. It is not a friendship that either one of us has to baby, we just kind of pick up wherever we left off the previous time we saw/spoke/hung out with each other and it works. 

She even teases me a little when during our Skype Date I paint my nails, twice. (I just hate when the nail polish doesn't dry fast enough and you mess it up. Bad, ain't it?)

I definitely put this on my graduation announcement. I felt the picture was appropriate - a celebratory jump in the air, getting ready to land who knows where.... yup, sounds like graduation from college to me.

I don't remember what this face was in reference too but I still think it is a funny photo.

Boomer doing homework and Sam and I planning my trip to Utah.

I wish I could say what they were making faces about but I don't know if those involved read this blog. I will say that the phrase " are they siblings? he looks like her father " were uttered.

....did I forget to mention, She's single? 

:)