Freedom rang and I answered

For my last day of pre-clinical celebrations, I had a bunch of friends over for an "America, the Melting Pot" party. My lovely sister/brother-in-law gave me a fondue pot about 7 months ago, so it was well past time to use it!Playing hostess was also a great excuse to clean. Yes, I need excuses, motivation, and a time line to get the job done.After we stuffed our faces, we played some Taboo. I do love board games. With the help of my awesome friends, set up and clean up was actually pretty manageable.Poor Wentworth missed out on the fun on account of his dander/allergen situation. Don't worry, I made it up to him with ample belly rubs.

From Park City to the Lake City

My trip to visit the Alberts wrapped up on Monday with a trip to Park City. Chelsey and I got pedicures on the way and then walked up and down the main street. Though we were there during the off season for this ski resort/film festival town, its charm was still in full force. I enjoyed peeking in the windows of the cute shops, reading the menus at fine dining establishments, and perusing many of the art galleries.Unfortunately, my trip to see Chelsey and Joel came to a close that evening when I said goodbye at the Salt Lake City airport. Little did I know, Delta Airlines was not ready to let me leave Utah. My flight was delayed for about four hours! Thankfully, Mindy (from Dad's office and mother of high school friend Molly) was on the same plane. She graciously offered to drive me from the Spokane Airport into Coeur d'Alene and then let me crash at her place. My travel woes really weren't so woeful after all!For my week of relaxation on Hayden Lake, I enjoyed time with Mom, Dad, and Sam. Oh- and Arney and Kitty! Highlights included a bike ride to Camp Mivoden, kayaking with Dad, Scrabble/SYTYCD with Mom, driving by Sam's new house, and eating dinner at The Cedars floating restaurant (of college summer employment fame). I was also able to psych myself up for rotations, which began with Internal Medicine on July 6!

Out and About in Utah

Day two of my Utah adventure began with a trek up the steep mountainside that practically makes up Chelsey and Joel's backyard. We scrambled up to the ancient shoreline that runs along the Wasatch Range. I was on the lookout for shells and fossils but found cacti and a fantastic view instead. After making our way back down, we freshened up and headed into the tiny town of Brigham City.The three of us explored the town's century-old tabernacle. Much to our surprise and amusement, the docent with backwards sunglasses gave us the OK to try out the organ. The three of us took turns banging away at the bellowing pipes. It wasn't too long before we exhausted our impromptu musical repertoire of Heart & Soul, Chopsticks, Joy to the World, and Edelweiss. Afterward we indulged in ice cream, and Chelsey helped me straighten my hair for the first time.Our evening's social agenda included a trip to Ogden for a concert on the ski hill. I met several of Chelsey and Joel's friends. It was so nice to spread out the blanket, snack on fruit kabobs, sip wine, and listen to some music as the sun went down. Soon the moon was over our heads and the musicians were packing up their instruments. We ended the night with a few rousing games of ping pong at a friend's house.Sunday was a lovely, low key day for us. We went to Willard Bay State Park for a bit of canoeing and reading. I got in an afternoon nap and was well rested in time to help make sushi. The reality is, Chelsey did all the tricky prep work, then we all assembled our rolls. The other two highlights of the night were unique experiences: going to a drive-in movie and filling up the natural gas tank for Joel's truck. While I don't recommend rushing to the theaters to see Grown Ups, I do recommend paying just 95 cents for a gallon equivalent of natural gas!

A Cut Above

With the heat turning up in Houston, I decided it was time for a change. On Wednesday, June 23, I took the plunge. Using a Groupon, I went to Kharisma Hair Studio and had Loris, the Paris-trained Italian co-owner of the salon, chop off my lengthy locks. Though Loris ended up cutting off easily over a foot of hair, the blunt cut resulted in a 9-inch ponytail that I sent to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to make wigs for cancer patients. The bald feeling has been a bit of an adjustment, but I was happy to take a load off and nix the tangles!With a shorter 'do and an even shorter "to do" list, I packed my bags on Friday, June 25, and headed to Utah to visit Chelsey and Joel! While in Salt Lake City, we grabbed lunch then explored the Utah Arts Festival. I got an especially big kick out of recognizing the work of JD Hillberry at a stand. Many years ago- I believe, in Estes Park, CO- I purchased a print at an art festival called Measuring Up. Immediately, I made the connection between the first piece of art I ever bought and the booth in SLC despite the decade gap. According to his website, he'll be in Houston at the Bayou City Art Festival in October. Maybe I'll just have to make a trip downtown and keep an eye out for his booth!Later day became Latter Day in our capital walkabout. We checked out the impressive LDS complex and headquarters of the Mormon church. We walked the perimeter of the towering temple and read the signs on the street outside remarkable buildings from years ago. We reached a peak in our trek when we peeked inside the Tabernacle (home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). In an attempt to pique our interest in the building's acoustics, a female missionary performed a dazzling auditory demonstration. She tore a piece of newspaper, dropped three pins, and finally dropped a nail for all of our ears to enjoy.After all the big city action, Joel and Chelsey took me home to Brigham City. They have a lovely house on a corner lot. They've made some beautiful updates and skillful improvements to their abode over the last couple years. They have an immaculate garden, a place for their dog Hank to run around, and tons of space. I met their cats (both make Wentworth look like a sumo wrestler!) and got the grand tour. To top the evening off, Joel made some delicious Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. All that excitement in just one day!