Salt Lake City

Well, after returning from all the holidays and spending time with family, I am once again on the educational choo-choo train on my way to graduation. I must admit, I can't wait to have it all over with, although Larissa says not to wish it gone too soon because "one day I'll miss it." You know what, that's probably true, but I think I'd rather have the fond memories than the work load right about now. This semester actually seems like it will be pretty good. Most of my classes are, once again, history classes which I happen to do well in. I'm taking the other half of History of Architecture and Interior Design, History of Apparel and Family History---and that's most of my credits. That's a lot of facts to fit into my little brain. Other than that, I'm taking Residental Landscaping where I hope to transform Larissa's yard into a getaway (if she'll let me) and Polynesian dance and clogging. Who knew those two would be such a workout? Seriously, I squat most of the time in the Polynesian and the clogging is bend-straight-bend-straight all the time!! But I really do enjoy it all. So everyone wish me luck this semester!! (I'm gonna need it.)

But to relax before the school work really gets hard and too time consuming, Em and I went to Salt Lake to just "look." We took a city guide that Anna had email me about and went to all the really cool little shops around town. We first went to a place called Slowtrain---a little record shop with all this stuff we had never heard of. But at the back were all these boxes of $1 CDs so we decided to randomly pick two and see if they were any good. Mine was by Ryan Bingham called Roadhouse Sun. I will probably never listen to it again. It is some kind of old style country but his voice is kind of scratchy, in a bad way. Em got one by The Classic Crime called Albatross. It is suprisingly good! Anyway, it was pretty fun in a Breakfast At Tiffany's-dime-store-scene type of way.

Then we went by all these antique stores and retro stores and just looked and laughed. I found these really old Valentine's cards and now I want some. They are WAY cooler than the stupid ones they make now. We went into some old bookstores too with postcards from 1900 and book that were too old to touch. I always look for Pride and Prejudice, but I have to admit, right now, I'm not willing to pay $300. Maybe one day. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and since we were up there we decided to have dinner. On this guide there was this little restaurant called Em's. I said we had to go because it was the same as Emily's name. It was very cutesy-chic. Apparently you need to make reservations, but we were early enough that they sat us anyway. It was so funny, Em felt uncomfortable because it was a little higher end and she didn't know how to act. Me---I just thought, "this is the way I was meant to live." It was a little pricey, but the food was AMAZING and I felt like I actually received a complete meal. Like, it was healthy and had vegetables and stuff. I had this salad with spinach leaves, pecans, bleu cheese and pears. It was really good. The pears were the best part and they were soft and juicy and just delectable!!! Then I had Ribeye steak with carmelized onions and more bleu cheese I think (it could have been goat cheese) with roasted potatoes and veggies, which were just the right favor. Totally worth it. And Em got some Free range chicken with mashed potatoes and veggies. She said it was the best chicken she ever had. So yeah, we felt really cool. And grown-up.

After that we had some cupcakes that I got from The SweetTooth Fairy. It's this little shop in Provo and they are delicious!!! Yum. Yum.

So yep. I do somewhat have a life.

For older news, this is the Bollywood cake Em made me for my birthday. Isn't it fun!!