Old-style carny sideshow attraction offends some State Fair attendees - Salt Lake Tribune

Old-style carny sideshow attraction offends some State Fair attendees - Salt Lake Tribune

Did you see this article in the Salt Lake Tribune today? I love the fair, although, I've never been a fan of the sideshows. In fact, they kind of freak me out. So, it was with a sense of trepidation that I read the article after the headline caught my eye.

I guess I didn't realize that some of the sideshows contained human beings. What must it be like to sit in a dark trailer or tent 12 hours a day? Has Lina really consented to this lifestyle or is it yet another case of someone being exploited? Read the article and let me know what you think.
Have any of you seen this particular sideshow? I'd love to hear what you thought of it.

Harvest and Bounty

For the last few months I've been on a kick to improve the way I eat. I typically eat pretty healthy food but I've been making a conscious effort to really reduce the amount of processed food that I eat. So, last weekend, my girlfriend Liz helped me can 28 jars of marinara sauce and 18 jars of chili sauce. Seriously awesome, right?

Ban and I already tried the marinara on calzones and I can tell you that it is garden-fresh garlicky goodness in a jar. Additionally, my step-dad loves chili sauce on scrambled eggs as much as I do, so it was very convenient that he had a birthday on Monday and I could give him a jar.

It took Liz and I about eight hours to make the sauces and then process the jars but in the end it was worth every second. I'm so inspired that I'm considering making a double batch of chili verde and canning that too!

So Proud!

Look at the big brain on Lauren! Her diploma arrived this week and although we did not know it during the commencement ceremony in June, she was graduated Cum Laude! (see arrow above)

Garden Fresh

Last night we raided Ban's Mom's garden. She grows tomatoes, squash, tomatillos, peppers, parsley, basil, eggplant, and swiss chard. We cut some small, tender swiss chard leaves to have with dinner. As Ban was washing the leaves this afternoon, he found this little guy. I've never seen such a tiny snail!

More Random Pictures from New York

Lady Liberty, up close & personal from a boat

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral

Rockefeller Center

Times Square (social anxiety nightmare)

My favorite sign in Greenwich Village (wish they were all over the city)

Lauren in Queens

I went to see Lauren's new apartment in Queens on Sunday. I was so nervous about it beforehand. What if it was roach-infested rat's nest? What if the neighborhood seemed filled with shady characters? How could I be expected to leave my baby girl in New York under these conditions?

Happily, the place she found is newly remodeled. She shares the place with two roommates and her room is quite spacious (so rare in NYC!) But my favorite thing about her place is the street that she lives on. It is a dead end street so there is very little traffic. While we were there on Sunday several kids were riding their bikes and scooters on the block and many neighbors sitting outside on their stoop enjoying the gorgeous weather.

I was so relieved and am now really able to be excited for her! Good job, Lauren!

Central Park

Last Thursday Ban and I spent the day in New York City. I am pretty sure that we must have logged over five miles on foot. We also spent a few hours exploring Central Park on bikes. In case you don't know, Central Park is over 800 acres smack in the middle of Manhattan. I would recommend exploring the park on bikes. We covered quite a bit of ground and it gave our tired feet a break from walking. The weather was magnificent too!

Here are some photographs that I took from our explorations within the park.


This photo is of the Dakota building. Beatles fans will recognize it as the home of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sadly, John Lennon was shot down outside of this building.

The picture below and the one of Ban and I were taken at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Quite spectacular, right? I just wish that I'd remembered to take my bike helmet off before I snapped the picture.