Utah for Christmas (in October)

i spent my "Christmas" vacation in utah this past weekend because it is very expensive to fly during the holidays. the family got together minus Big Lug and his crew to enjoy some good food, cards, football, tennis and singing around the piano. it was a nice weekend but went by way too quickly.

here are some highlights...you'll notice most are of my nephew, Blakers. i wonder why?? :)

Delta did me proud

flying in first class to utah last week showed me that i really enjoy flying first class. they have decent food, free movies, beverages in glasses (not plastic cups), a pillow and blanket, and most importantly plenty of leg room and arm rest space. i was very grateful that i opted to take my quick florida sojourn in december last year to get my medallion status.

it was with great sorrow that i checked in for my return flight back to NYC and realized i wasn't going to get upgraded. i tried to contain the tears by thinking about all that lovely leg room in my emergency exit row seat. it didn't quite do the trick.

my brother Flex drove Joani and i to the airport because as luck would have it, she was flying to chicago on a business trip on a flight that left 10 minutes before mine. after some issues with joani's luggage we got through security and headed to our gates. we hung at her gate until about 25 minutes before i was scheduled to start boarding. (necessary to board first to get the best overhead carryon space). when i walked over i noticed on the upgrade list that i was #4 and at that moment in time there were exactly 4 seats that were unclaimed in first class. my chances for a return flight upgrade were slim but possible.

joani and i hugged goodbye as she boarded her flight. i grabbed my bag when they called "zone 1" and headed to the lovely bar code scanning lady. when she scanned my pass a little piece of paper printed that said i was UPGRADED! hooray! i enjoyed a lovely roasted chicken dinner with cheesecake and an edited version of Sex and the City the Movie. oh the joys for first class!

i am now pretty much addicted to being upgraded and am willing to go to great lengths to never lose my trusty medallion status again.

Today is the First Day

today is the first day of the next 6 months. today i wore a wool coat to work. granted i had to go in early to cover for a co-worker so the temperature was very cold comparative to when i usually leave. be that as it may, today i begin the next six month of my constant coat wearing life.

this must be why i own like 8 coats. to keep the fashion boredom from creeping in.

Playing with All My Sons

went with dancing queen to see All My Sons last night. this play garnered lots of publicity because it was Katie Holmes Broadway debut. the play is about a family in turmoil after WWII. john lithgow, diane wiest, and patrick wilson rounded out the main cast.

i really didn't know what to expect but the content of the play surprised me. there was a lot of aggression, drama and sorrow. the acting of john lithgow and patrick wilson was fantastic. katie was just okay. there were a couple of times where i had to not giggle because she became so over-the-top dramatic.

i've decided that plays with patrick wilson are inheriently full of tension, anger and pain. saw Barefoot in the Park with him a few years ago and left feeling like i had just been hit with a baseball bat. this play was somewhat the same feeling i had as i walked out of the theater.

overall i enjoyed the play but was glad i used a coupon when purchasing the tickets.

Ice Skating anyone?

here's proof that you can ice skate outdoors in 70 degree weather. today at lunch i saw a girl skating in a tank top and shorts. poor little thing had to be uncomfortable when she fell flat on her stomach.

I "Heart" Delta

i opened my email box this morning and there it was..."your upgrade is confirmed." hooray! my flight early tomorrow morning now means no uncomfortable seats and stale peanuts. instead i get some decent food, wider seats and the ability to get off the plane in a hurry.

again my last minute trip to florida last december has paid off. i love medallion status.

Apple cord love

i am officially a Mac user (except when forced by employment to use a PC). i recently got my iPhone and find it hard to remember what life was like prior. it seems that Apple continues to bring joy to my life with their technology gadgets.

the other day i took a leap and bought an A/V cable connector for iPod/iPhone. it is a magic cord because i can play shows and videos from my phone or iPod on my beautiful TV Ed. the quality isn't that bad either. it is AMAZING!

it has become apparent that just about anything Apple comes up with i will buy. maybe i should just hand over my debit card number and have them ship the items directly to me as they become available.

What to do??

thursday i am heading to the west to visit the family in beautiful downtown orem, utah. (don't worry Big Lug, i have already set my DVR to record the BYU v. TCU game) so here's my quandry, joani asked me what i wanted to do while in utah and i could come up with exactly three things i wanted to do...get a massage from Angel Hands, play pinochle and play tennis with the whole kit 'n kaboodle G clan. after those three things, i'm completely at a loss as to what to do.

this is where my faithful readers come to the rescue. if you have ever been, ever wanted to go, ever thought about going, or ever wished you never went to utah, please share with me some activities you did. i'm desperate to not sit at home with my dog pondering my life choices.

i promise to give a detailed report of the outcome if i choose your activity to indulge in while basking in the majesty of the Wasatch mountains.

Catskills Fun

last weekend i headed to Athens.  regrettably it wasn't the Athens with the old school architecture and pure blue waters.  this Athens was nestled in between the Catskills and Poconos.  about 14 peeps trekked up to enjoy some fresh air, tennis and bowling competition and the fall foliage.  

the cabin was on the Finger Lakes and it was absolutely beautiful.  some friends were adventurous and even kayaked, canoed and swam in the lake.  i enjoyed my view from the boat dock.  

the weekend was great and it was fantastic to finally swing a tennis racquet...made even better when i and paul beat the other boys.  

An October Welcome

it's October! crazy how time flies. already multiple events in my life have happened in 6 short days....

• Big Lug celebrated his birthday
• General Conference took place last weekend
• Master Bowler and I had dinner to celebrate his birthday (which was actually in August)
• Booked my travel to Phoenix for the NBA All Star Game
• Went to the Catskills with a bunch of friends to see the leaves, eat some S'mores, and play games
• Played tennis for the first time in almost a YEAR!

i am really looking forward to see what happens in the next 25 days. at least i know i will be back with the fam for a few days, going to see All My Sons with Dancing Queen, paying for my London Thanksgiving vacation, getting a wisdom tooth extracted and playing the piano during the Ward Primary Program.

will the excitement never end?!?!