Birthday #33

There is a lot of pressure on Mr. S to make my birthday special. I start counting down to the darn thing 3 months in advance because I love having a birthday so much. I don’t care that I am getting older, I just focus on the good part. Cake, ice cream, an excuse to not work out all week (because I need at least a week to celebrate) and fun surprises. All things I love!
I had just purchased this fun cake pan from Williams-Sonoma and my birthday was the perfect occasion to try it out. Or in this case, Mr. S was the first to try it out since the honored guest should never have to make their own cake. I think he did a wonderful job.

And what do you get the girl who has had 14 speeding tickets throughout her young driving career? A chance to go really, really fast. By pulling a few strings I was able to do some “hot laps” at Miller Motorsports. Mr. S was so excited about his gift to me he has been trying to give it to be for over a month. Unfortunately I didn’t get to drive the car, but going 115 mph in a mustang even as a passenger was pretty sweet.Though I don’t care about getting older each year, and sure don’t feel it, I did get a small reminder that I am not as young as I once was. After speeding around the racetrack a few times I did start to feel sick. Thankfully nothing came up, but maybe next year I will just have a party.

I’ve Come So Far, I Can’t Remember Where I’ve Been

When Mr. S first suggested I get my own motorcycle I had some reservations. I love thrills but this was a thrill of a different nature. I would be putting myself in the line of distracted drivers, talking on their cell phones, eating, screaming at children, and hoping they were paying enough attention to notice me. The results could be deadly. Worse, what if I didn’t like it? I have always enjoyed riding on the back of his bike, but would I enjoy being on my own bike? What if I got so nervous riding that I became a danger to myself? I started to doubt myself. Which is so unlike me.

I will admit the first time Mr. S took me on the freeway all the doubts and all the fears got the better of me. Going 65 mph in busy traffic terrified me and I kept pulling over thinking I would just stay there and wait for traffic to die down. Luckily I have a husband who knows me better. And sometimes I just need a little push. I made it home that day in time for dinner, without having to wait for traffic to disappear.

My friend, Sarah, filmed this clip a few weeks back when I was riding home from work by myself for the first time. That day I was nervous riding home on State Street. After our trip to Idaho over the 4th of July I am officially a motorcycle loving fool. I never want to ride over Teton Pass again in the freezing rain, but if I have to I know I can do it. I’m also pushing more than 65 mph now. But in case my parents and anyone having anything to do with writing speeding tickets is reading this, I am keeping quiet.

Small and Super Things #4

I am off on my first long distance motorcycle ride over the 4th of July weekend. Work has been crazy and I need a couple days off. I also need a dose of Small and Super Things. And when I need it, you all benefit. Enjoy and have a great holiday weekend.

1- The 4th of July. Besides my birthday and Christmas, this is my favorite holiday. Fireworks, Neil Diamond and Patriotism. Any questions?

2-Only one week until my birthday. Gifts are still being accepted. Cash is okay too.

3-Discovering two new flavors of Extra Fruit Sensations gum.

4-Cuddling with Kingston. And Mr. S.

5-Neighbors apologizing for past transgressions. Does this mean I need to tone down the “passionate lovemaking?”

Surviving the River Wild

Two weekends ago, the same weekend we brought Kingston home, Mr. S and I went for a little adventure. As if getting a new puppy wasn’t enough for us we decided to go river rafting. The owner of Sawtooth Adventure Company, Jared Hopkinson, spoke in one of Mr. S’ classes last year and ever since that Mr. S has been talking about going. I’ve always wanted to experience some good whitewater rapids so it didn’t take much convincing. But since we spent the majority of last year planning a wedding, the trip didn’t happen until this year.

We packed our bags for the weekend and headed to the thriving city of Stanley, ID, population 100. Don’t be fooled by the small number of residents. There happens to be an Upper and Lower Stanley and I am convinced that late at night the locals meet in the middle and have regular rumbles to decide who the dominant half of the city is, West Side Story style. And what Stanley lacks in residents it more than makes up for in beauty.

When we booked the trip a couple of months ago I was certain the weather would cooperate. Little did I know that Utah/Idaho was going to be hit with the wettest June in the last 10 years with record low temperatures. Luckily when we checked in I was reassured I would keep warm with whatever gear I needed. I was offered a wet suit, fleece, rain suit, and neoprene water shoes. I chose all of the above. Once we were suited up we met our guide, Jenna, and a group of 4 friends that would be joining us in our raft. Jenna was a delight. The others, not so much. They were all intoxicated from a night of drinking that had apparently ended just a few minutes before they arrived. And I was certain at least one of them was going to throw up once the rapids unsettled their stomachs. My only request was that they aim for outside the boat.

Sawtooth Adventure Company boast the motto: Idaho’s One Stop Adventure Stop. And had we had more time we might have participated in a longer rafting trip, some mountain climbing or maybe a scenic flight over the Sawtooth Mountains. But our adventure that day was the High Adventure Trip, a 10 mile float down the Salmon River experiencing class II, III, and IV rapids. Thanks to the high water levels, we had some moments of excitement but managed to all stay in the boat. Including my intoxicated friends. The really exciting rapids didn’t last as long as I had hoped but we had a good time. And for those long stretches where we did nothing but float, Jenna made sure to share her knowledge of the Stanley area while we enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings.We finished in about 3 hours and by that time my hands were pretty cold. When we got back to Sawtooth Adventure Company headquarters a steaming cup of hot chocolate found its way into my hands and slowly my body started to warm up. I was also able to view pictures that were taken by another employee at various points throughout our float. And unlike most places that rape your wallet for just one good picture, I was able to purchase a cd with ALL of our pictures for $15. That’s what I call service.

Mr. S and I are already talking about going back and doing a multi-day float trip next year. Want to join us?

I’m blogging, I’m a blogger…I blogged!!

It has been a long time coming but I am happy to announce that I have officially started a blog!! I kept telling myself that I would start once I got married to keep everyone up to date on life as an “us” and 2 months later I am finally achieving that goal. I have actually been working on this for a week or so now, finding a background I was happy with, tweaking all to my specifications. The perfectionist in me wanted it to look just right, though I expect my efforts will not matter seeing how at the end of the day, a blog is a blog is a blog. But on to more important things…

Our new life officially began on August 9, 2008. We had a beautiful ceremony in the Bountiful LDS Temple followed by an evening reception at the Gallivan Center. For those of you who were able to make it..thank you. Official thank you’s are coming soon, but according to wedding etiquette I believe I have up to a year to send them all out. I don’t plan on waiting that long since it might get confusing soon as to whether you are receiving a Christmas card or a thank you note! For those of you who weren’t able to come…boy, did you miss out!! There was dancing, ice cream and fun for all. I wouldn’t have changed a thing and I think that is exactly how it should be. Mr. S and I spent a week in Jamaica (with our own butler!) at a Sandals Resort in Ocho Rios. All inclusive is the way to go…we went scuba diving multiple times, ate more than we should have, visited Dunns River Falls, and lived it up on the beach. I even got Mr. S to ride a horse. We came home with great memories and a great tan. The memories are still alive in our minds and in pictures but sadly the tan has faded. Our last night Mr. S arranged a special candlelight dinner on the beach…how romantic! It was a great way to say goodbye to a wonderful week and a great way to say hello to our new life together.

Since the honeymoon we are settling into life. Mr. S is in his final year of school at the University of Utah, and just started an internship at BlackBottoms cycling wear. I am still working at Keystone Media as a media buyer but looking to spread my wings. Anyone know of any good jobs in the media/public relations/marketing world? We are loving life together and I look forward to keeping you all up date on our “Happily Ever After.”

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