Monday, October 4th was my birthday. For my birthday Rodney made plans to go to Boise and spend a long weekend, which I thought was the perfect present. I would much rather have birthday experiences than a present any day. So last Thursday I took an early day from work and we headed to Idaho.
We were pretty close to the Idaho border when my engine light started flashing. Feeling dejected we headed back to Brigham City to have Autozone read the computer code on the car computer. We had just had the head gaskets replaced and since then there has been a slow oil leak and it smells of burnt oil off and on but we havent had a chance to take it back to Steve to look at it. The codes read that cylinder 3 and 4 had misfired so we drove the car back home. Luckily, I have a super sweet sister who let me use her car for the umpteenth time so we could continue our birthday weekend.
We had a wonderful drive to Boise. I don't know what it is about the cynergy between Rodney and I but we just truely enjoy being together. He cracks me up. So we chatted and teased and he had me laughing almost all the way to Boise.
He had kept our accommodations a secret. So when we get into town he heads downtown. We pull up to the hotel and the first thing I think of is that it looks like Dexters apartment! Ha ha. We park in back which looks a tad sketchy and then we head through the back into a very cool and cosmoplitan courtyard. We check and head to our Suite. It was the coolest room! We stayed at the Modern Hotel and Bar and it was the perfect room for us.
We ended up getting into Idaho pretty late because of the fiasco with the car - I seem to have car fiascos a lot. So we headed downtown and picked up Indian take out. At that point Rodney told me that he had plans for Friday night and that we were going to see a Gaelic band at a downtown concert venue. We ate and fell asleep pretty quickly.
Friday morning we slept in a bit and then headed out for breakfast then spent the day shopping and seeing the city. We headed back to the room early so I could shower and get ready for our night out on the town. We ended up eating at an Irish pub just half a block from the "Knitting Factory" which is where Gaelic Storm was playing. If you remember the movie Titanic, Gaelic Storm is the group that plays when Leo takes Kate down into the belly of the ship and they dance.
Gaelic Storm was AWESOME. It may have been the best concert I have ever been to. The only reason the concert loses points is because the bar stools we sat on in the VIP section were a tad uncomfortable for a 2 1/2 hour concert. Otherwise the night was PERFECT!
We walked back to the hotel, hand in hand. It was a romantic, lovely, beautiful night and I didn't think there was anyway that the rest of the weekend could even come close to equaling that first night in Boise. Ha ha, was I wrong.
On Saturday we got up early-ish and had a continental breakfast at the hotel and then walked to the downtown farmers market. What a fun morning! We took our time wandering through all of the booths. We bought some cheese and some zebra tomatoes and some diving pine nut brittle.. mmmmm! We walked back to the hotel and decided we would check out a movie. The movie didnt pan out because without putting it anywhere they cancelled that time slot so we wasted half the day waiting for a movie to start that never started.
So we decided to head back to the hotel and relax and get ready for dinner later that night. Instead of getting off at our exit, Rodney kept heading into town. We ended up by the River at Julia Davis Park. Julia Davis Park is an 89.4-acre regional park located near downtown.
"The home of Zoo Boise, the Boise Art Museum, Idaho State Historical Museum and Idaho Black History Museum, Julia Davis Park is the cultural and historic heart of the city. The park also features a formal Rose Garden, two reservable picnic shelters, a six-court tennis complex, playground, duck pond, restrooms and a section of the Boise River Greenbelt. This beautiful park was created thanks to a donation of 43 acres of land in 1907 by Thomas Davis as a memorial to his beloved wife, Julia."
We ended up parking by the Rose Garden and decided to wander through. We got to a gazebo in the middle of the park and I wondered aloud if they permitted weddings in the gazebo. It was just perfectly located in this beautiful garden and beautiful park right by the river. I then noticed a paper hanging on the wall of the gazebo and went over to see if it was a reservation sheet. It was. I said, again aloud, "Ha ha, I am so good! They do permit weddings here!"
From behind me, I hear Rodney say, "Hey baby look at this beautiful rose." I turn around and Rodney is down on one knee holding my ring!! I started crying and at some point sat down on a bench in the gazebo. Rodney started looking concerned because I guess I hadn't answered him. Of course, YES. YES YES YES!!!
The rest of the weekend was beautiful and we had lots of fun planning the wedding but nothing came close to that moment in the Julia Davis Rose Garden!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Bad Decisions
I honestly believe that if I had a decision to make and the result would be good either way... so in essence, two good decisions... I would still manage to make a bad decision... Here is my recent flub up..
I have been looking for a car for a couple of weeks now. I couldn't really spend more than $4,000 but I really wanted a Subaru Forester. On consumer reports, the Forester is the most popular car listed and I have wanted one for years. Last Sunday I missed out on a 2001 Forester with low miles. If you are shopping on KSL you have to be quick on any listing and by the time I got around to calling, it was already snatched up. So needless to say, I have spent all of my free time the past few weeks camped in front of the computer, refreshing the KSL classified car page over and over and over and.... well you get the idea.
This whole car shopping thing has made me super down for the past couple weeks. I hate it. So yesterday, I just wanted to find something and put an end to it. There was a Subaru Outback in Logan that was a great deal but had some body damage and a few minor mechanical issues and a Forester in Hyde Park that my mom had already taken for a test drive. So we decided to go to Cache County and find a car.
We test drove the Outback and despite the issues I described, it was a pretty good car. It drove really smoothly. I liked it a lot and in retrospect should have made him an offer right then. Mike - the owner - said that the reason he was selling was that he was going through a "marital transition" :( . Having gone through one recently myself - in which I lost my first Subaru, I could definitely relate and I felt badly for him. The Outback was dirty and dusty and not overly pretty inside. But as I said, I liked it and we could have fixed it up to be a great car.
Instead, we drove to Hyde Park. The Forester also drove well, except it did have a weird shimmy when you brake. Also, the previous owners obviously locked 2 very naughty dogs up in the car for an extended period of time and they proceeded to dig out the front seats, chew on the seat belts and I suspect tear up the middle console - as part of it is missing. Other than those things it seemed to be a great car. They were asking $4,999 - we told them that we had to have it out the door for $4,000. They made the deal and despite my moms and Rodneys hesitation we took the Forester. We could have bought a warranty for $200 that would have covered major repairs on the car for the first 3,000 miles or 3 months, but I felt like that was a lot of money to spend on a 3 month warranty. Second bad decision of the day. On the way out of Logan, Rodney called the guy with the Outback and told him that we had gone with another option.
About a mile up Sardine Canyon the car overheated. We called the dealership and got into a big fight with them. All indication points to a blown headgasket which is a MAJOR repair and will probably cost close to $2,000 to repair. Since we didn't buy the warranty and Utah has no protection from this kind of thing - we are stuck with the car. I am pretty sure they had to know that the car had a blown head gasket since they drove the car from Salt Lake to Hyde Park and there is no way that car made it without overheating. Why would we think that a car dealer had integrity is beyond me. Mike? The Outback owner? Now he seemed like he had integrity... Like I said - leave it to me to ALWAYS make the bad decision!
P.S. Steer clear of Express Motors in Hyde Park, UT.
I have been looking for a car for a couple of weeks now. I couldn't really spend more than $4,000 but I really wanted a Subaru Forester. On consumer reports, the Forester is the most popular car listed and I have wanted one for years. Last Sunday I missed out on a 2001 Forester with low miles. If you are shopping on KSL you have to be quick on any listing and by the time I got around to calling, it was already snatched up. So needless to say, I have spent all of my free time the past few weeks camped in front of the computer, refreshing the KSL classified car page over and over and over and.... well you get the idea.
This whole car shopping thing has made me super down for the past couple weeks. I hate it. So yesterday, I just wanted to find something and put an end to it. There was a Subaru Outback in Logan that was a great deal but had some body damage and a few minor mechanical issues and a Forester in Hyde Park that my mom had already taken for a test drive. So we decided to go to Cache County and find a car.
We test drove the Outback and despite the issues I described, it was a pretty good car. It drove really smoothly. I liked it a lot and in retrospect should have made him an offer right then. Mike - the owner - said that the reason he was selling was that he was going through a "marital transition" :( . Having gone through one recently myself - in which I lost my first Subaru, I could definitely relate and I felt badly for him. The Outback was dirty and dusty and not overly pretty inside. But as I said, I liked it and we could have fixed it up to be a great car.
Instead, we drove to Hyde Park. The Forester also drove well, except it did have a weird shimmy when you brake. Also, the previous owners obviously locked 2 very naughty dogs up in the car for an extended period of time and they proceeded to dig out the front seats, chew on the seat belts and I suspect tear up the middle console - as part of it is missing. Other than those things it seemed to be a great car. They were asking $4,999 - we told them that we had to have it out the door for $4,000. They made the deal and despite my moms and Rodneys hesitation we took the Forester. We could have bought a warranty for $200 that would have covered major repairs on the car for the first 3,000 miles or 3 months, but I felt like that was a lot of money to spend on a 3 month warranty. Second bad decision of the day. On the way out of Logan, Rodney called the guy with the Outback and told him that we had gone with another option.
About a mile up Sardine Canyon the car overheated. We called the dealership and got into a big fight with them. All indication points to a blown headgasket which is a MAJOR repair and will probably cost close to $2,000 to repair. Since we didn't buy the warranty and Utah has no protection from this kind of thing - we are stuck with the car. I am pretty sure they had to know that the car had a blown head gasket since they drove the car from Salt Lake to Hyde Park and there is no way that car made it without overheating. Why would we think that a car dealer had integrity is beyond me. Mike? The Outback owner? Now he seemed like he had integrity... Like I said - leave it to me to ALWAYS make the bad decision!
P.S. Steer clear of Express Motors in Hyde Park, UT.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Snake Valley Weekend
I really like the idea of giving "experiences" as opposed to presents for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc. So for Rodney's 36th birthday we went to Idaho to do a Snake Valley Region wine tour. I didn't have high hopes for the weekend based on some other "less than perfect" weekends away..... which was probably good in retrospect. We had a GREAT weekend. We left early Friday and leisurely made our way to Boise. We stayed at the Best Western Northwest Lodge in South Boise. The best thing about the hotel is it was cheap-ish but there were other good things about it.. .such as a 24 hour indoor pool, continental breakfast, wine and beer social from 5 to 7 every night and cookies and milk from 5:30 to 10pm. :D The beds were pretty comfy too!
So Friday night we decided we wanted to splurge and go to the Melting Pot in downtown Boise. Money was not an object! Or so we thought! The very CHEAPEST meal for both of us would have been around $80 not including drinks, tax, etc. So instead of splurging on a meal of dunking various meats and vegetables in melted cheese... we made our way around the corner to the Spaghetti Factory. It was a wonderful choice! All appetizers were half off and they had beer and house wine for $2 a glass if you sat in the bar area of the restaurant... which we were HAPPY to do! :D We had a delicious olive tapenade with bruschetta, yummy wine and delicious spaghetti. We made our way back to the hotel where we fell asleep fairly early.
First thing Saturday we woke up and after having a mediocre continental breakfast at the hotel, headed out to the first winery in Kuna, Idaho. We were a little early so we sat next to the river and enjoyed some beautiful Idaho scenery, shared a diet pepsi and discussed life. ha ha. Finally, it was time to head out to Indian Creek Winery.
It was pouring rain and very cold out so we were pleasantly surprised that Indian Creek had a big pot-bellied stove radiating heat. We got to meet Dahlia, Indian Creek's wine dog. She was happy to see us too, jumping up on me and leaving a muddy mess on my shirt :). Indian Creek is a small, family-owned vineyard and winery so it was great fun talking to the owner as we sampled some delicious wine. Before leaving we purchased a white pinot noir and a muscat. Both are mild, sweet white wines. We also decided to buy a wine glass at each winery as a souvenir.
Next was Sawtooth. It was a much larger winery and a tad more commercial. By the time we got there it was really coming down so we took our time in the tasting room and tried everything on their tasting list. While there, Sawtooth's winemaker, Bill Murray came into the tasting room and chatted with us for a few minutes. Their wine dog, Earl, was happy to have us scratch his ears and love on him as well. I just love dogs.
Our third stop was Davis Creek Cellars. This was only a winery, not a vineyard and so was in downtown Marsing, ID. They buy all of their grapes from other vineyards such as Sawtooth. This was probably my least favorite stop. The staff wasn't as personable and their wines were much more expensive and I didn't think the wine was any better than Indian Creek. Neverthless, we bought a Tempranillo and a glass.
When you taste wine they give you a very small amount in a glass. You sniff and swirl, taste and then you either spit or swallow. When I see shows about Sonoma County wine tasting, there is always the option of spitting the wine out after you taste it but I didn't see anything to spit into so all the wine we tasted was swallowed. So by the time we left the third winery, it was time to take a break.. lol. Rodney asked at Davis Creek Cellars where a good place to eat was and they immediately said, the Orchard House. After getting directions we headed out to get some lunch.
The Orchard House was a perfect, little, quaint diner in the middle of Idaho farm land. The first thing we noticed as we were waiting to be seated were some news clippings about Guy Fieri of Food Network's, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visiting the Idaho Restaurant. That's really all the recommendation we needed. Rodney had their famous steak fingers and I had hand dipped halibut fish-n-chips. NO WINE!
Then it was off to Ste. Chapelle which was the catalyst for the trip in the first place. My friend Amy turned me on to Ste. Chapelle Riesling years ago and I have loved it ever since. We decided to take this trip since it was so close and we loved the wine. I have to say Ste. Chapelle was one of my least favorite winery's that day. It was much more commercial than the smaller, more intimate settings we had visited. We did buy a delicious Late Harvest Cabernet Franc. The wine is still great - the atmosphere just doesn't quite match that of the smaller, family owned vineyards.
The next winery was Koenig Distillery and Winery. This was a fun winery and they had spirits as well. We bought a bottle of Late Harvest Riesling and a bottle of Grappa. We had a sip of that when we got home - it's strong!
Our final destination was Bitner Vineyard. It sat high on a hill overlooking the Snake River. As soon as we walked in, the owner made her way over to us to give us our first taste - a delicious Chardonnay. The place was packed! A tour bus had arrived sometime before us and it was difficult to make it even to the counter. This was probably the most intriguing for Rodney as well since we had learned that Ron Bitner was an entomologist who specialized in bees and the study of bees. After things cleared out a bit, Rodney was able to talk to him a bit about the bees. They were the sweetest couple. We bought two bottles of wine from them and as we were leaving Mary Bitner told us to come back soon and bring a picnic basket and enjoy the day.
It was one of the most fun and relaxing weekends I have had in a long time and I wish I could have stayed longer. You can bet I will be planning an autumn trip!
So Friday night we decided we wanted to splurge and go to the Melting Pot in downtown Boise. Money was not an object! Or so we thought! The very CHEAPEST meal for both of us would have been around $80 not including drinks, tax, etc. So instead of splurging on a meal of dunking various meats and vegetables in melted cheese... we made our way around the corner to the Spaghetti Factory. It was a wonderful choice! All appetizers were half off and they had beer and house wine for $2 a glass if you sat in the bar area of the restaurant... which we were HAPPY to do! :D We had a delicious olive tapenade with bruschetta, yummy wine and delicious spaghetti. We made our way back to the hotel where we fell asleep fairly early.
First thing Saturday we woke up and after having a mediocre continental breakfast at the hotel, headed out to the first winery in Kuna, Idaho. We were a little early so we sat next to the river and enjoyed some beautiful Idaho scenery, shared a diet pepsi and discussed life. ha ha. Finally, it was time to head out to Indian Creek Winery.
It was pouring rain and very cold out so we were pleasantly surprised that Indian Creek had a big pot-bellied stove radiating heat. We got to meet Dahlia, Indian Creek's wine dog. She was happy to see us too, jumping up on me and leaving a muddy mess on my shirt :). Indian Creek is a small, family-owned vineyard and winery so it was great fun talking to the owner as we sampled some delicious wine. Before leaving we purchased a white pinot noir and a muscat. Both are mild, sweet white wines. We also decided to buy a wine glass at each winery as a souvenir.
Next was Sawtooth. It was a much larger winery and a tad more commercial. By the time we got there it was really coming down so we took our time in the tasting room and tried everything on their tasting list. While there, Sawtooth's winemaker, Bill Murray came into the tasting room and chatted with us for a few minutes. Their wine dog, Earl, was happy to have us scratch his ears and love on him as well. I just love dogs.
Our third stop was Davis Creek Cellars. This was only a winery, not a vineyard and so was in downtown Marsing, ID. They buy all of their grapes from other vineyards such as Sawtooth. This was probably my least favorite stop. The staff wasn't as personable and their wines were much more expensive and I didn't think the wine was any better than Indian Creek. Neverthless, we bought a Tempranillo and a glass.
When you taste wine they give you a very small amount in a glass. You sniff and swirl, taste and then you either spit or swallow. When I see shows about Sonoma County wine tasting, there is always the option of spitting the wine out after you taste it but I didn't see anything to spit into so all the wine we tasted was swallowed. So by the time we left the third winery, it was time to take a break.. lol. Rodney asked at Davis Creek Cellars where a good place to eat was and they immediately said, the Orchard House. After getting directions we headed out to get some lunch.
The Orchard House was a perfect, little, quaint diner in the middle of Idaho farm land. The first thing we noticed as we were waiting to be seated were some news clippings about Guy Fieri of Food Network's, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visiting the Idaho Restaurant. That's really all the recommendation we needed. Rodney had their famous steak fingers and I had hand dipped halibut fish-n-chips. NO WINE!
Then it was off to Ste. Chapelle which was the catalyst for the trip in the first place. My friend Amy turned me on to Ste. Chapelle Riesling years ago and I have loved it ever since. We decided to take this trip since it was so close and we loved the wine. I have to say Ste. Chapelle was one of my least favorite winery's that day. It was much more commercial than the smaller, more intimate settings we had visited. We did buy a delicious Late Harvest Cabernet Franc. The wine is still great - the atmosphere just doesn't quite match that of the smaller, family owned vineyards.
The next winery was Koenig Distillery and Winery. This was a fun winery and they had spirits as well. We bought a bottle of Late Harvest Riesling and a bottle of Grappa. We had a sip of that when we got home - it's strong!
Our final destination was Bitner Vineyard. It sat high on a hill overlooking the Snake River. As soon as we walked in, the owner made her way over to us to give us our first taste - a delicious Chardonnay. The place was packed! A tour bus had arrived sometime before us and it was difficult to make it even to the counter. This was probably the most intriguing for Rodney as well since we had learned that Ron Bitner was an entomologist who specialized in bees and the study of bees. After things cleared out a bit, Rodney was able to talk to him a bit about the bees. They were the sweetest couple. We bought two bottles of wine from them and as we were leaving Mary Bitner told us to come back soon and bring a picnic basket and enjoy the day.
It was one of the most fun and relaxing weekends I have had in a long time and I wish I could have stayed longer. You can bet I will be planning an autumn trip!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Growing up
So my baby is 18 and will be graduating in a couple weeks. It makes me very sad and I realize that I am chomping at the bit to be a grandma. It seems the natural next step for me - sadly though, that particular choice isn't about me. I used to laugh at the whole concept of the "empty nest" syndrome but I realize it's going to be a reality for me soon. Hannah is leaving and going to school in the fall - plus she just wants out of the house and anxious to grow up and be on her own. Zachary has his own whole life and career going on and Kylie is working two jobs and rarely has time for family. It's all very depressing. I should really take up a hobby - knitting, quilting, or something. Then at least I will have something to offer a grandbaby - if and when he/she comes. :(
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Bifocals
Ugh...... I have been putting off going back to the eye doctor since I lost my last pair of glasses 3 years ago. I decided I should go back when I kept getting headaches besides I had flex money that needed to be spent anyway. So I made the appointment and after 45 minutes of pictures and flashing lights and read this line and look at this dot, I walked out with my prescription for bifocals. :(
How did I get to 42 without even realizing it? What happened to 32 and 38 and all those other years in-between. It seems like, at the very least, someone could have thrown my youth a farewell party or something to commemorate the event.
Evidently, having a younger boyfriend hasn't slowed the progression any either.
It's all very sad. I guess I will just have to resign myself to accepting what is, undoubtedly, still to come.... hearing aids, prune juice, orthopedic shoes, and medicare. *sigh
How did I get to 42 without even realizing it? What happened to 32 and 38 and all those other years in-between. It seems like, at the very least, someone could have thrown my youth a farewell party or something to commemorate the event.
Evidently, having a younger boyfriend hasn't slowed the progression any either.
It's all very sad. I guess I will just have to resign myself to accepting what is, undoubtedly, still to come.... hearing aids, prune juice, orthopedic shoes, and medicare. *sigh
In the beginning.....
I decided to give in to the peer pressure to be like all the other kids in the sandbox and start this blog. I actually set it up several months ago but have been unmotivated to do anything with it. So anyway.. sometimes interesting things happen that I might as well share... Lord knows my memory isn't what it used to be and if I don't write this stuff down somewhere, it will be lost forever! :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)