The Great Food Truck Race

Colette found out that The Great Food Truck Race from The Food Network was going to be filming in Salt Lake City for their next season. She talked us into going to check it out and we ended up waiting in a line for THREE HOURS. Yes, you read that right. We waiting in line for three hours. For a grilled cheese from Roxy's Grilled Cheese out of Boston. We had a lot of fun though and we can't wait to see the episode on TV in the fall.
















We ended up standing in line behind some real weird people. The guy kept talking about how Roxy's was here by the Rocky Mountains (Umm, hello, these are the Wasatch Mountains!). We also watched a homeless man eat food off of the parking lot and then listened to him tell us how he used to be an alien and he was stuck in limbo for 2,000 years as just an eyeball. At least they kept us entertained during our three hour wait.

When we finally got to the front of line, we ordered one of everything on the menu. I figured if we were going to wait that long, we would be tasting everything. The Rookie grilled cheese (with grainy mustard) was our favorite sandwich but the fried pickles and french fries were pretty good, too.

Mia McPia

Mia is such a dork. We were trying to play Phase 10 and she felt left out. She just kept crying and whining so finally Shawn told her she could get up on one of the chairs.























After awhile, that wasn't good enough for her and she hopped right up on the table and demanded to be the center of attention. We had to stop the game and disinfect the table. That is, after we stopped laughing at her antics. I like how Codey is just playing around her. He was dead set on winning.

Graduation!

Me and my friend Heide at our graduation. It only took me ten years, but I finally graduated!

Communication Department Awards

The plaque I received for being named the Outstanding Organizational Communication Graduate of the year.
























Accepting my award from Dr. Hafen, after her wonderful speech about me. She said such kind things.
























My certificate for presenting at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Flowers (part 2)

The flowers the Codes and Albretsens sent me this week had this card:

















We haven't been able to stop laughing about the use of the word "granulation." I guess I'm now a college granulate. And I granulated at commencement. With all my other co-granulates.

The fun never ends!

Flowers!

The Albretsen and Code families sent me this bouquet of flowers at work. What a nice surprise!

The Grove Park Inn (Asheville, NC)

The Grove Park Inn lobby has a very large fire place. I don't think you can really see the scale from this photo, but let's just say I could stand inside that fireplace.























But the best part about the inn is the elevator that is behind the fireplace. In the rock. It has an actual operator as well (look closely through the window and you'll see him). I got a kick out of riding it and especially loved overhearing someone else on the elevator with me say it reminded him of Harry Potter.

The Biltmore (Asheville, NC)

A self-portrait outside the Biltmore in Asheville, NC.





















This is one big house. It has 250 rooms and covers four acres. There are 33 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and three kitchens. I am so amazed that this was built in 1895 - they even had an indoor swimming pool and a bowling alley. The bowling alley obviously didn't have automatic ball returns or pin setters so butlers had to fill that role.

Unfortunately, they don't let you take photos inside. But they will sell you a $20 photo book. Go figure. And of course, I bought it. So if anyone wants to borrow it.....























I liked the gargoyle detail on the roofs.



























The view of the lawns from the front of the house. The grounds originally had 125,000 acres of forests, farms, and a dairy. It also had a 250 acre wooded park, five different pleasure gardens, and 30 miles of roadways.


















I loved the way they have trimmed these plants.

Covered Bridge in South Carolina

While in Asheville, North Carolina we decided to drive over to South Carolina for dinner. We didn't come across much just over the border,but we did find this really cool historic covered bridge.




















A view from the parking lot, a little further away.




















The story of the bridge.



















And for those that are engineering buffs, a diagram of how the bridge was made.

I ate at Sarasota's Restaurant in South Ogden last weekend (and it was yummy, by the way) and look what I received as part of my change:

















I can't remember the last time I saw a $2 bill in circulation! But now I don't want to spend it.........I guess that's why we don't see them circulating!

Dinner with the Liesik Cousins

So glad we got to have dinner with our Liesik cousins! We don't get to see them often enough, that's for sure.

Valentine's Day

I've been wanting one of this Keurig coffee makers for a long time but I couldn't ever bring myself to spend that much money on one when I already had a perfectly good coffee maker. So glad someone finally did it for me!

On a related note, does anyone want a gently used Senseo one-cup brewer?

High West Distillery

I'd heard about the High West Distillery in Park City quite a few months ago and had been wanting to visit for awhile. Colette and Shawn had a meeting in Salt Lake City on a Saturday morning so I suggested we all go to Park City afterward to check out the distillery. I rode the FrontRunner to SLC and met them there after their meeting. While I was on the FrontRunner, my parents called and asked if I wanted to go with them to Park City. I thought that was hilarious because I was already on my way; we told them to meet us there.

First, we had lunch in the restaurant that is in an old livery stable. They told us that when they first purchased the property, the floors in there were still dirt. I love it when someone takes an old building and turns it into something useful and beautiful. The food was amazing and delicious.

Colette, Shawn, and I all had the High West Burger and it was delicious. I particularly loved the presentation with the crooked bun and the two pickles on top. It came with house-made bread and butter pickles and heirloom tomato slices. All of their products are sourced locally, which I also love!

















My dad had the salmon, which was on the "small plates" menu and came with a super tasty sauce. We had a couple of appetizers, so even though it was a small plate, it was plenty of food.

















My mom had the ribs off of the small plate menu.

















After we finished eating, we took a tour of the buildings and the distillery. This formula was written on the wall in the work area, but the tour guide told us it's more for looks than for actual use. The tour is free (if you want, you can sample their whiskey for $22; but that is optional and is done after the tour).

















We were told that the people who make the whiskey there are actual chemists, and here is one of them working on some sort of sample. This is real science at work, peeps!

















And a bunch of other samples were lined up on the shelf.

















The tour ended in the second building. It used to be someone's home (and quite a spectacular mansion for it's time, it had three floors!) They have done a beautiful job of restoring the house. The main floor has the bar we are sitting at (left to right that's my mom, Shar; me; my dad, Dale; my sister, Colette; and my brother-in-law, Shawn).

















And this parlor:


















The upstairs originally had four bedrooms but they had turned those into small dining rooms where people can have dinner (reservations are a must, though). I didn't go to the basement so I'm not sure what was there.

And because it's winter in Park City, they have created a bar outside made of ice. I'm not sure if they actually serve from it or if it was just for looks. I do know; however, we weren't the only people posing for photos behind it!

















Even though this is a distillery and I'm not a fan of whiskey, it was still a fun experience. The restorations to the buildings were top notch, the food was ridiculously good, and the tour of the distillery was educational. I love finding unique things so close to home. Plus, I had fun spending a Saturday with family. Check it out, I highly recommend it!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando (1/15/11)

Now I've never seen any of the Harry Potter movies, nor have read any of the books; but I figured I should check out the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando because so many people have been talking and raving about it.



















This is some sort of castle that must be central to the Harry Potter story. Inside was a ride that made it seem like you were flying around on a broomstick with Harry. It made both me and Chris motion sick and the wait was 75 minutes long. They asked if we wanted to skip the line and ride it again and we politely declined.

























Close up of the castle.
























Apparently there is some sort of train that goes to the castle.



















This must be the train.

















I think 99% of the people visiting Universal Studios were in the Harry Potter section. It was so crowded, you could hardly move. Elsewhere in the park, there was hardly anyone around.


















I learned about butterbeer about a week before I went to Florida. Someone at work asked me if I was going to try some while I was there. I wasn't sure if it was going to be alcoholic like beer or non-alchoholic like root beer. Turns out it's non-alchoholic. It's a secret recipe that's made right there at Universal Studios and you can't buy it anywhere else. I think the main ingredients are cream soda and butterscotch flavoring.

















Butterbeer is served on tap from a cart that looks like a giant keg. Those little bottles on ice with the orange lids are pumpkin juice, which must be part of the movie, too. I did not try the pumpkin juice. For one thing, it sounds gross and another thing was that it was $6.75.























You can purchase your butterbeer in a disposable plastic cup for about $3 or you can get it in a souvenir mug for $12.

















This is a close-up of the souvenir mugs. I purchased mine in a souvenir cup so I could take it home to my sister, who is a big Harry Potter fan.



















I took this picture with my phone and e-mailed it to my sister who was at home in Utah. You know, just to rub it in that I knew nothing about Harry Potter and I was there enjoying a butterbeer and she wasn't. I did give her the cup though.

Oh, and that butterbeer is so good that later in the day I got another one.

Cocoa Beach (1/9/11)

During a recent trip to Orlando we decided we needed to make a side trip to the beach. It was January, but that did not deter us. Winter in Florida is nothing like winter in Utah. The hotel concierge said the best beach for finding shells was Cocoa Beach, so off we went.

















We thought it was really weird that we were the only cars in the parking lot and the only people on the beach! It felt like a deserted island.

















Despite the fact that it was only around 60 degrees, I couldn't resist putting my feet in the water!

















And the concierge was right; look at these beautiful shells we found!


















And while looking for shells, we came across this find:

















I think it's a horseshoe crab.


















At first we weren't sure if it was alive or dead but finally one of my co-workers dared to gently poke it with a stick. It was dead so he also picked it up and turned it over. I did not touch it though; it kind of creeped me out.























While walking along the shoreline, I saw this sign in someone's front yard. I'm sure it was meant to be a joke......right?