And She's Off....

Well, it looks like the spawn has found domicile in Queens, NY. She'll be in Ridgewood to be precise. Ridgewood is near where my Grandmother used to live and where my Mom and Aunt lived when they were teenagers. Here's a map which shows her proximity to Manhattan where some of her classes will be held and to Brooklyn where she'll have classes at the Brooklyn Public Library.


View Larger Map

I'm still struggling with her being so far away and worry about her safety. Especially when I think about her traveling around town on public transit at night after classes. But these are my problems, not hers, and I'll figure out a way to cope with my anxiety.

She has orientation on Wednesday and starts classes on Monday. I'll be heading her direction on Wednesday and I'll let you know about the safety of the neighborhood. the condition of her apartment, and first impressions of the eastern European room mates....

Imogen Heap's New Album

Imogen Heap's new album Ellipse will be released on August 25th but you can listen to it on her website now. I've listened to it a few times already and quite like it. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Chris Isaak, Roller Derby and Gospel Music

I had an action-packed adventure weekend last weekend. On Friday night, Ban and I went to Red Butte Garden to see consummate showman Chris Isaak do his thing. Some rain dropped just as the gates opened but thankfully it did not last for long and the sun was shining again by the time he took the stage. Early in his set, he left the stage and meandered through the crowd of adoring fans. The first part of the set was pretty mellow with popular songs like Somebody's crying and Wicked Game but then he picked up the pace and brought the crowd to its feet. He really put on a terrific show and he's very personable with the audience. I would encourage you to check him out next time he is in town.

On Saturday night, the Leave it To Cleavers hit the track for the first time since June 6 with the hopes of ending the Death Dealers season and advancing ourselves to the championship bout to defend our title. The Cleavers played a great game but got into some penalty trouble in the second half. But the Dealers didn't have an answer to the Cleavers terrific jamming and strong blocking. Final Score: Cleavers 107 - Dealers 81. Check out this amazing photo by Mark Alston of the Cleaver bench. Championship game will be held on September 26 at the Salt Palace.


Finally, on Sunday we headed to Snowbird for the Tent Revival music festival. I'd won tickets to the festival earlier in the week from UtahFM. If you haven't checked out this online community radio station you should! I love the Wasatch Cocktail show on Wednesday afternoons, Women the Third Decade on Thursday mornings, and Funky Trunk on Thursday afternoons.

The Tent Revival was held under unseasonably cool, sunny skies. We brought a blanket up and stretched out on the grass for the afternoon listening to various artists. Some friends met us there and we enjoyed a very relaxing afternoon. I was a little bummed to have not won the Sunday Hat contest after showing up with this number on but the competition was stiff among the dozen or so women who'd sported their Sunday best.

Incredible!

This is a clip from a Ukrainian talent type show (think America's Got Talent). A women does mind-blowing demonstration of sand art above a light box. She's telling the story of the Nazi's in the Ukraine during WWII. Spell-binding!

View from Bowman's Fork Trail

Yesterday after work, I headed up Millcreek Canyon for a hike. I wanted to work out and since it was hot as blue blazes and red air quality in the valley, cruising up the canyon made perfect sense. There were very few people on the trail and the air was clean and cool. It was the perfect after work wind down.

Savory Palmiers

I'm a big fan of Ina Garten's cookbooks and while I was at the cabin last week I had the chance to peruse her most recent one Back to Basics. There were some delectable sounding recipes in there! I'll be adding the book to my collection.

I was co-hosting a bridal shower for a girlfriend on Sunday and was looking for some appetizers. I found one in Back to Basics that I knew I wanted to try. Savory Palmiers are puff pastry layered with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and pine nuts, all rolled up, sliced and baked into tasty deliciousness.

Here's what they look like before the folding process (which I sadly didn't take photos of the process).


Here's the final product! They turned out delicious if I do say so myself. Everyone at the party really liked them too.

Island Park, Idaho - July 2009

Last week, my son Ryan and I spent a few wonderful days at our friend's cabin in Island Park, Idaho. The cabin is absolutely the most relaxing place on earth for me. Ryan and I left right after work and made it to the cabin by sunset which we enjoyed from the dock. Ryan also discovered that he too loves This American Life and we blew through all the podcasts that I downloaded to my iPod on the way up there.

Another great thing about visiting the cabin while my girlfriend Liz is up there is the amazing food that she and her daughter Whitney always make. This trip was no exception. We dined on grilled pork tenderloin with blackberry sage sauce accompanied by grilled veggies one night followed by a rustic apple tart. The next night we had elk burgers stuffed with cheese, mushrooms and onions and homemade french fries (both regular and sweet potatoes). But the highlight of that meal had to be the fresh baked brownies and freshly made espresso ice cream. Yum! Don't worry, I will be procuring the recipes for my collection.

While we were at the cabin we also did a little of this.

Some of this.


and this:
And no trip to the cabin would be complete without some scratch off lottery tickets. I think we won $38 in total!
But the best part was getting to spend some time with great friends, enjoying good food, and having lots of laughs.