My Favorite Furniture

Table sold by the neighbors who lived above us. The ones that left in the night.  (Place mats included!): $50

Couch owned by my grandparents who now live in a rest home and therefore don't need their furniture: $0

Smoke-filled chair and ottoman purchased at DI in Tooele, Christmas 2010 (It no longer smells smoky!): $15

These are my favorite because of how they were acquired, of course.

Lactating Alien

A couple of posts ago I wrote: "I looked like a lactating alien." I would be lying if I didn't admit that I sort of thought that would merit a comment.

A post about driving, brought to you by Google Maps Street View

The intersection on 200 S and State Street in downtown Salt Lake is confusing.

Tim and I were driving there a couple of weeks ago. Imagine that we are that grey SUV in this Google Maps Street View photo; that's where we were. (P.S. Remember how we saw that sweet Street View car? New-found appreciation.) See how there's a divided lane there next to the SUV?

That divided lane merges with 200 South pretty close to the intersection with State Street. When it does, there is a "No Right Turn" sign.

But then you get to the intersection and see this sign. And you don't realize that you have two lanes now to the right of you, because they're separated by a divider.

So you turn right onto State Street.

And then you get a ticket.

(As you are being pulled over, you see someone else pulled over in the exact same spot, presumably for the same offense. When you drive around the block, you see at least three other people getting pulled over, too. Quota to fill, anyone?)

Just shy of two weeks later, you get online to pay the ticket (YOU MUST PAY OR APPEAR WITHIN 14 CALENDAR DAYS, the ticket says). The system says your citation number cannot be found. So you try looking it up by your license plate number. Nothing.

Then you call the phone number listed on the ticket and get connected to an automated "interactive voice response system" and struggle to talk to a computer. Your citation number still can't be found. They disconnect you. You call another number and talk to a real person who directs you to different department, where you talk to a different real person, who says the ticket number is not in the system.

"You just have to keep calling," she says. "Try again on Friday."

"But that's after 14 calendar days," you say.

"If there is a delinquent fine, tell them you talked to me," she adds.

Salt Lake City Justice Court, you suck.

Real Soccer Game

We had great fun at the Real game last night.

Here's crappy cell phone picture evidence:

They played FC Dallas and won 2-0. There were some pretty exciting plays. Soccer is an exciting sport to watch, even for me.

july forf

I'm not too big on patriotic displays or pyrotechnic ones (fireworks? boring) usually, but we still had a good Independence Day. And certainly we both appreciated the day off work.

We hiked Adams Canyon, which I'm sure I've done many, many times before, but didn't remember being so long and rocky toward the end. But to the end we went! We had our picture taken at the top by some friendly fellow hikers.

We are wearing matchy cut-off shorts, isn't that cute?

I had this red bandanna thing that I got wet and put around my neck for cooling purposes. The darn thing totally dripped and stained my shirt awkwardly. As a result, I looked like a lactating alien. But that didn't stop us from going straight from there to a barbecue attended by a bunch of people we didn't know. (We did know a few important folks, though, and they are nice folks.)

At the barbecue, I ate nearly three chocolate chip cookies. Month 2 of the sugar fast is apparently going real swimmingly, just like Month 1. This is the first time I've indulged like that though. GIVE ME A BREAK.

Shasta (not soda)

So about two weeks ago, Tim and I went to Sacramento so he could mountaineer on Shasta with his dear friend Darren (DFD).

Here is a video of Tim glissading down the mountain:

I like the end and Tim's sideways visage of unadulterated thrill:

While he was ascending Shasta (which is actually not too near Sacramento), I hung out with this cute little girl:

Usually babies are scary but Lilli just might be the most chilled out baby I have ever met. She was never really fussy, didn't cry, stayed up late, slept in, etc. And it was crazy. But the kind of crazy I can get behind.

Also, Tim acquired raccoon eyes!

All in all, it was a short but pleasant visit.