Post-Powell BBQ

No, I wasn't able to go to Lake Powell with my awesome friends when they went a few weeks ago.
I got the invite too late and couldn't make it work with my schedule.

But they did invite me to their post-Powell BBQ to use up the leftover food, and I was happy to see so many friends in one place while also eating delicious food.

Becca, the baked goods expert

Those aren't hamburgers; they're steakburgers.

At one point, I noticed a lot of friends were wearing striped clothing, so I snapped a pic.

That made some solid-color people a little jealous, so I got one of them, too.

Without meaning to, I guess I sort of created a Seussical Sneeches situation.
Thankfully no one took it to the lengths the Sneeches did, although Tabbi's guest Emily put on a striped jacket later in the evening (but I think that was a coincidence due to the cold).

Anyway, it was a fun evening, and the food and conversation were delightful.

Just hoping I can get the invite for Lake Powell earlier next time, so I can make the trip and spend a whole week with the fun friends!

A Buddy BBQ

When I'm home, I have to catch up with my buddies from high school. I just gotta.

This time, Casey hosted a BBQ for us all, and we brought drinks and side dishes.

The man on the grill

After pumping some iron, it's time for a competition

These guys are some of my best friends, and I can't wait to be back in SLC and see them often!

The Lonestar State

As much as I've traveled around this great country of ours, I had never really experienced Texas.

Yes, I've had layovers in the DFW airport, but we all know that doesn't count.

And yes, I did the Longhorn 1/2 Ironman in Austin, Texas (see my blogpost here), but I was on my own and most of what I did was focused on my race.

So this time I went to Houston and spent time with my friends Sarah and Clint and their family. True Texans, and just as kind and generous as Texans are rumored to be.

First fun experience was seeing downtown Houston, eating dinner, and going to a Rockets game.

We saw a barn-burner, and the Hornets eventually beat the local team in overtime, but we enjoyed the whole thing!

The we met up with more friends for some lounging and then clubbing. Apparently, the night scene is pretty localized to one street, so that was definitely the place to be.

Here's Clint (right) with friends at our first stop.

Sarah gettin' her cute smile on with some of the other gals.

If I were being as wacky and exuberant as Sarah and Clint in the pic above, then this picture would be a good representation of how much fun we all had during my time in Houston.

We hit up several places during the night, including a legit dance club (think minimal lighting, loud DJ music, and a disco ball) and a country dance (full-on barn-style, and they definitely played "Footloose"). The Houston night scene, though not massive, has some very good spots. Or maybe it was just the great people I was with. Either way, I'm good with it.

As we were heading over to chill with the whole family, we drove past Sarah's favorite ice cream shop: Tutti Frutti. It's one of those shops where you get to put on whatever toppings you want, and you pay by weight. So tasty!

We met up with the friends to go see "Black Swan" movie (featuring Natalie Portman--so hot), and that provided excellent fodder for stimulating conversation for all of us over dinner and in the hot tub back at the parentals' later.

After a really good church service on Sunday, the family took me to try some authentic Texas BBQ, and let me just say, it did not disappoint. I'm a believer now.

Thanks to Sarah and Clint and the whole family for taking care of me and showing me such a great time in the Houston area! You've done your state a great service by being wonderful ambassadors!

4th of July Weekend

Saturday

Birthday: Jackie's cousin Rich had his birthday party in DC, and we had a good time chilling on the rooftop and then dancing down in the basement. It's easy to see why so many friends came; Rich is a great guy and very friendly. Happy birthday, buddy!

Sunday

Flowers: I got Jackie some red and white flowers, just for fun. Isn't she just the cutest?

BBQ: Some of Rich's friends live in Eastern Market and hosted a shindig with pong and cornhole, and of course plenty of delicious food. Cool item of the night: cornhole set was equipped with lights, which was genius, especially considering how we were playing in a tiny and poorly-lit alleyway.

Fireworks: The BBQ was right down the street from the US Capitol, so we were able to run down and see the fireworks when it was time (though we left a little later than planned and ended up seeing most of the show while running). After the show was over, we took some time to get pictures with our famous backdrop.

Monday

Hiking: The Great Falls area is only 45 minutes outside of DC, and Jackie, Justin and I ventured up there and checked out the dividing line between Maryland and Virginia. After seeing things from the trail, we decided to do some bouldering along the river. We didn't get eaten by a bear or bitten by a snake, and we had one minor ankle sprain, so we can declare our outdoor adventure was a success.

Back to My Utah Roots

I apologize right now for the length of this post. It isn't that I enjoy verbosity. It's just that it was a very busy and full week and I don't want to forget anything.

Living in DC doesn't afford trips back to Utah very often, so I truly enjoy any opportunities I get. Since I knew the twin girls would be born in the summer, I scheduled some time off from work and bought a plane ticket. Turns out the girls were impatient to see us all, so they were born a bit early, and I consequently was extra-excited to get to Utah and see my family.

I flew out of DCA on Saturday and my parents picked me up at the SLC airport in the late evening. It was late, so we talked during the drive and went to bed pretty soon after getting home. Church was in the morning and then we celebrated my dad's birthday in the afternoon, followed by a little family picture time. Happy birthday, Dad!Stanley and I have a way of fortuitously being in Utah at the same time, and this trip was no exception. We met up on Monday for some lunch and then did some shopping since Stanley had store credit that he wanted to use while he was around. I'm always happy to see Stanley, because we're basically brothers at this point. We've been friends so long and know each other so well, and I wouldn't have it any other way.The Gallivan Center does outdoor movies on Monday nights, so I joined Pete, Jordyn, Dave, and Megan in watching "Dial M for Murder". I was quite impressed with the writing and suspense in this film, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone.On Tuesday, I picked up Megan and her friend from work and we all went to see the newest Harry Potter movie. Though I haven't read the books, I've liked the movies and I think they're getting better as they go. Maybe it's because the actors are growing up, or the writing is growing up. Either way, I like it.Later that evening, I met up with my friend Carly (who I've known since freshman year of college) and we went to MacCool's Pub for some conversation and tasty Irish food. Normally I reserve my Irish food for St. Patrick's Day, but I'm glad we went for it. Those lads and lasses really know their stuff.Gunner and I had playtime for a good chunk of Thursday, and it was lots of fun as usual.I met up with Amber (another friend since freshman year of college) for lunch, and we enjoyed our PF Chang's.After a little relaxing at home, I headed down to Orem and went to dinner with Shonni's family. This was an interesting meeting, since Shonni wasn't there to introduce us all. They were great and we all got along really well, so it was no problem. We actually had lots of fun talking and getting to know each other.Friday is fun day, right? Well, this whole trip has been fun days. I picked up Megan from work and we did lunch at Five Guys, which was quite tasty, if also quite greasy.Then I went golfing with the boys at Stonebridge. We only had time for 9 holes, but I think that was about the right amount for me, since I haven't played in a while and my short game was very messy. Guess I need to hit the practice greens and driving range more...Lots of people take advantage of Saturdays by sleeping in. We did not do that. We packed up our guns and headed out at about 6:30 AM to drive down to some mountain-side shooting ranges on the west side of Utah Lake. We had Oksana's husband and son along, and they loved shooting the guns. Did you know that very few Russians shoot guns? Knife wounds are much more common, because their gun laws are extremely strict.We cleaned the guns (and ourselves) when we got home, and I drove down to have frozen yogurt with Carly at Red Mango.Following that, I went to Scott's for a friend BBQ. It's great to get together with everyone, and I can't believe how big their kids are getting already! To top off the BBQ, we went for sno-cones after. Gotta get the cream on top. Soooo goooood.

Duck Beach Day 3: A Little Bit Crispy

I wish I could spend every Monday on a sunny beach in North Carolina. It's the perfect way to start the week.

I messaged Shonni about going for a run but received no response. So I sent one more saying that I'd keep an eye out for her on the beach later, and I went for my run. Blazing hot on the roads, but much easier on legs than beach running, so I picked my poison and enjoyed it :) Back at the beachhouse, checked my phone and Shonni had replied. She apparently barely missed my text since she was walking Baxter (her Chihuahua). Good to know that I wasn't stood up haha. So we agreed to meet up and play a little on the beach later.Once again, games ruled the beach. Bocce, volleyball, skimboarding, soccer, football, whiffleball, etc, dominated. And some of my friends decided that it was an opportunity to demonstrate their dancing, jumping, and dancing/jumping skills. For example:

Some of our friends decided to bury Dustin in the sand. Here is a picture before they shaped him into a mermaid. Or was it merman? Merman! MERMAN!Plus additional reunions with friends from the past, such as this trio from Condo Row at BYU.Now I'm not an accomplished, graceful or, umm, talented dancer. I took the introductory social dance class in college and I paid attention. Obscene amounts of practice with patient dance partners helped me feel good about my abilities by the end of the semester and pass the class, to boot. But every so often, I get the urge to try something new and stretch those dance skills, and Ade helped me by allowing me to practice a little ballet (beach-style). Maybe I'll have to look into some grown-up ballet classes. I wonder how much a cod-piece costs... hahahaAfter a full day on the beach with a little too much sun, we gathered at our beachhouse and had all the New York houses come over for a farewell BBQ. Seeing how many people I'd met in the last couple days was an interesting revelation and made me feel good about reaching out and meeting new people. Pretty much I feel like I'll never have to pay for hotel stay in New York.The post-party evening included more socializing, some swimming and hot-tubbing (I'd be happy to join you for a little whirl-pool technique anytime), and a couple batches of pizookie. Good times for all.

One Birthday is Good, Two is Better

Lots of people in the wards here, which means lots of friends, which means lots of birthdays. Today we had two, one for Melissa and one for Jamie. It was fun to see the contrast in the two birthday styles, and how each kind of fit the person well. Melissa's was a BBQ and there were a whole bunch of people there. Jamie's was smaller and more intimate. Both were great and I had a wonderful time at each.

First at Melissa's party...

Adam, Melissa, and Aaron muffin-eating mayhem

Jay and Rich cooking some steaksJason and Patricia demonstrate a perfect "lean"And then at Jamie's party...Time for a Newsies leap!