Our Grand Anniversary

This week Jason and I will celebrate our seventh anniversary. I know you are all wondering how I have put up with him for that long. Just kidding, Jason is actually a rather fabulous husband and it is my privilege to be married to him.

This year it was Jason’s turn to plan our anniversary merriment. Those of you who know Jason know planning really isn’t one of his fortes, quite the opposite. But this year he put a lot of effort into planning and these efforts paid off. He arranged a surprise weekend getaway to Salt Lake City for us. Perhaps you are thinking that Salt Lake City doesn’t sound like a terribly thrilling location for a getaway, but I’m afraid you are mistaken.

We stayed at the Grand America Hotel in downtown. This is of course the only five-diamond hotel in Salt Lake City and is definitely the most luxurious hotel I have been to in these parts. Jason had reserved an executive suite for us. This suite was 880 sq feet and included a sitting room and a balcony. We were on the 18th floor so the view from our balcony was quite impressive. Jas and I laughed a little when we realized that each night we stayed in this opulent suite it cost us roughly the same as our second mortgage payment. It definitely was a little pricey, but for a special occasion, such as this, it was worth it.

View from our Balcony
View from our Balcony

We spent the whole weekend in approximately a 10 block radius. We went shopping at the Gateway and dined there at Z’Tejas. We also sampled the Sunday Brunch at the Grand America, rated the #1 brunch buffet in Utah. It was yummy.

In the Grand America
In the Grand America

For our big night out, on Saturday night, we went to Bambara for dinner and to Ballet West’s performance of Nine Sinatra Songs. Yes, Jason loves me enough to go, without complaint, to the ballet. And yes, he does make the rest of you boys look bad.

I had never heard of Bambara before but apparently it is rated as one of the top ten restaurants in Salt Lake City. The food was delicious and unique so I can see why it is highly regarded. If you ever find yourself dining at Bambara I would recommend trying the fresh fried potato chips with blue cheese as an appetizer and the goat cheesecake as dessert. Yum! Bambara is located across the street from Capital Theater so it’s a perfect place to dine before you go get some culture. It was a fantastic evening. Excellent food, good company, and throngs of men prancing around in tights-what more could a girl ask for.

Me and Jas hanging out in the Grand America
Me and Jas hanging out in the Grand America

There you have it, we spent the whole weekend in downtown Salt Lake City and found exquisite accommodations, delicious food, cultural opportunities, and plenty of shopping. So don’t underestimate your local scene. There is more to it than you might think.

Dad’s New Ride

Jason’s dad, Keith, recently fulfilled a long time dream; he bought a new 2007 Harley-Davidson® Fat boy® motorcycle.

My dad used to own a Harley but still I know relatively little about them, except that they are extremely loud. For those of you who know even less about hogs than I do, here are a few facts. Harley-Davidson® motorcycles are a U.S. original. The first Harley was made in 1903 in a 10’x 15’ wooden shed that served as a “factory”. In spite of their humble beginnings, by 1920 Harley-Davidson® had become the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.

Over the last century Harley-Davidson® has become an American icon so it’s no wonder that a Harley is the dream ride for many motorcycle enthusiasts, such as Keith.

Keith definitely deserves a little spoiling so I’m glad he finally got his fat hog.

Dad looking cool on his Harley.
Dad looking cool on his Harley.

BTW, for those of you who are thinking that you might like a Harley, be prepared to have that purchase set you back $7,000-20,000. And yes, you could buy a car for that much.

Winter’s Final Fling

I got my wish to go boarding one more time before the season was over. I went snowboarding with the boys yesterday, my usual boarding posse. We went to Brighton, on what turned out to be their last day of operation for this season.

Although it is nearly May, Brighton still had 118 inches of snow. It’s interesting that the resorts will open in the fall when they only have a sprinkling of snow, but will close in the spring when the snow is still piled 10 feet high. I don’t understand this logic.

We were all excited to get a few more runs down the mountain before we said our final farewells to winter, so excited in fact that many of us went despite various illnesses. Aaron had laryngitis and was barely audible. Jeremy and I were both sick with colds. But we all just couldn’t pass on the last boarding of the season.

We were expecting a nice warm, spring boarding day. However, the odd, surprisingly cold, weather we have been having persisted. So the temperature remained in the thirties and it snowed periodically throughout the day. These cold temps resulted in hard compact snow and my knees, once again, are consequently bruised.  

We were all unaware of this, but apparently it is tradition on the last day of the season at Brighton to wear abnormal attire. We saw people wearing wetsuits, hula skirts, leisure suites, capes, wigs, bear costumes, and every odd colored ski suit you could imagine. These unusually dressed individuals made the day more entertaining.

We enjoyed ourselves and our last opportunity to hit the slopes for a while. Now I will officially say adieu to winter, pack away my boarding clothes, and prepare for mountain biking, hiking, barbecues, gardening, and relentless heat. Welcome back warmth; I have missed you.

For those of you who can not bear the thought of waiting months to board again, never fear, Snowbird Resort is open everyday until May 11, and then every weekend until at least Memorial Day, possibly longer if conditions permit. With their whopping 141 inches of snow, there is still plenty of boarding to be had for those of you who aren’t so enthusiastic about welcoming spring quite yet.