Reno and Medford

This past week, Josh and I took a road trip to Reno, where I had never been, and Medford to see our friends The Westons (who had suggested the road trip to Reno in the first place). We went to Reno mainly to attend the temple, since we have gotten oddly fanatical about attending new temples, but we also needed the trip to relax after an especially grueling school term.

 I had to take this picture from a weird angle because so many roads were closed off for Hot August Nights

I'm not sure we're ever going to come back to Reno, but we had a great time while we were there. We stayed in one of the nicest/biggest/most convenient hotel rooms we've ever stayed in together, in this hotel:

The Atlantis

which had this in the corner, next to the window:

and this in the bathroom:

The TV, not the mess

Josh even served my Diet Coke to me like this:

Though it was only because the DC had been in the back of the car for 3 days and was undrinkably warm, not because I demanded it (I swear!)

Josh treated me to a 90-minute massage in the spa, and I would absolutely recommend that to anyone who happens to stay at The Atlantis, because the spa was beautiful and had a lot of different amenities, like the Brine Inhalation Light Therapy Lounge (which I didn't use, though I did sit in the steam room). The hotel has package deals so that, if you book a spa appointment at the same time as a room, you get a good deal at the spa. Totally worth it. I've been to many spas in my time, and I'm pretty certain this one was the best I've seen.

After the temple, we went to dinner. Josh and his mom are big fans of the show "Dinners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on The Food Network. Before we travel anywhere, Josh checks to see whether there are good restaurants that have been on that show in the area. This time we went to the Gold-N-Silver Inn, where I had the lemonade porkchops (which were so tender they practically just fell apart) and Josh had the tri-tip sandwich.

I also got this:

It was supposedly vanilla, but tasted like maple syrup

Josh discovered that there is a drive-in in nearby Sparks, NV, and insisted we go there on one of the two nights we were there. He has fond memories of attending the now-defunct drive-in in his hometown of Hermiston, and I've never before been to a drive-in, so it was an adventure. We saw "Dinner for Schmucks."

Our view of the screen

I absolutely recommend the drive-in. It was only $4 per person for a double feature (we had already seen the second movie, so we left during intermission), and you can take in whatever snacks you would like. Plus, I could recline my seat.

On our drive back to Beaverton, we stopped off in Medford to see Chris and Haylie, who moved there in May. We forgot to take pictures, but we ate here and it was delicioso! As we were leaving, Josh said, "I really should have taken a picture of that pizza!" (because for some reason he likes to document the food we eat). Then we went to the temple, where the session was apparently full of people from Haylie and Chris's ward. We had a great time, and we were the first ones to visit in Medford, and we are completely gloaty and prideful about it! :)

I think this trip was definitely in my top 5 of trips Josh and I have taken together because: 1) I didn't feel like I was stepping into a wet bear skin coat when I went outside (I'm looking at you Washington, DC in August), 2) My feet didn't feel like they were broken and yet I still had to walk around on them (Disneyworld), and 3) We didn't stay so long that I started getting antsy and then got into a fight with a man who cut in line at the airport and then Josh told me to shut up because he thought we might get stabbed (Jamaica). So, it was a success!

Also, we discovered probably the awesomest podcasts for car trips ever. We learned that Jefferson re-wrote the Bible (for his own use), how Legos are made, whether it's better to buy organic or local, and many other fascinating things.

Templini, Templito (tiny temple, tiny temple)

This past week, Josh and I took an anniversary trip down to Reno to visit the temple and then to Medford to visit our friends Chris and Haylie Weston. I'll elucidate the trip in a different post, but this is just about temples 33 and 34 on the Grand ShepAlder Temple Tour: Reno and Medford.

Temple 33: Reno, NV

I need to first explain that we spent the weekend beforehand in Eugene with my family because of the Ringo Starr concert and because Josh had to work (and attend a Weird Al concert with my family, but that's a different story). I guess it was also nice to visit my family, since I completely ignored my mom and my little sister's birthdays (also in July) in order to finish the term (and not get kicked out of school). Anyway, my point is that we unloaded all of our stuff from the car because we were in Eugene for three days, and then had to re-load before we drove to Reno. You can probably guess where I'm going with this. About 3/4ths of the way through our drive, Josh realized that he had left his temple clothes at my parents' house. It wouldn't be an issue, except the Reno temple is so tiny they don't rent clothing.

We had previously been to 32 temples across the country and this is the first time this has ever happened. So Josh kind of freaked out. He realized it too late to have the clothes Fed-Exed by the next afternoon, but my parents Fed-Exed them anyway. At least we got them before leaving for Medford, which is also a tiny temple.

Here's something you may not know, but if you do not have temple clothes or have forgotten them, they have spares! Not very many, mind you, and Josh said they were very ill-fitting, but it wasn't the end of the world.

Josh told me not to say anything bad about this temple, but it wasn't my favorite. We got there early to take pictures but it was so ridiculously hot outside, I demanded we go inside.

Here I am standing in the shade, like the smart person I am.

But the view of Reno from the temple is amazing:

Temple 34: Medford, OR

We were extremely fortunate to go to the Medford temple with our friend Haylie. "Where are the pictures of Haylie?" I can hear you demanding. Well, we actually had to come back later because by the time we left the temple after our session, it was too dark to take pictures. So, I am sorry to tell you that Haylie will not be making an appearance in this post.

It's sort of interesting that we ended up going to these temples in the same week (Josh and I have tried to go to the Medford temple several times previous to this, but it was always either closed or the session was later than when we were driving by, etc.), because the Reno and Medford temples are pretty much the same temple (only the Medford temple has a shocking lack of mirrors). I think if someone later bonked me on the head and dropped me in either the Medford or Reno (or, to be honest, the Spokane or Fresno temples also), I would have no idea which one I was in.

But there was one major difference: the Medford temple was packed! It was so crowded, they had to bring in extra chairs and they were stuffing people in nearly every available space. It was lovely.

Medford also has this little fountain, which was cute (it's right behind me and looks a bit like a pedestal):

Of course, all temples are to-die-for beautiful. I feel like such a snob saying that I felt like these temples were really plain and non-descript, but that's what I'm saying. I've been way too spoiled by past temples I've seen, such as the Manhattan, Manti, or San Antonio temples, which are my top 3 favorite so far (minus the Portland temple, which is just down the highway from us and by far my number one favorite [but I'm also biased since I was married there, so I don't usually mention it since we technically haven't had to travel anywhere extensively in order to visit it]).

This has been a very wordy post, so I apologize. You can look forward to more about our entire trip coming soon!

Here's the list of temples we've visited together in chronological order since Emily was endowed in May 2007, a few months before our July 2007 wedding (Josh also visited the Ogden Utah Temple shortly before entering the MTC in August 1999 and the Mexico City Temple in February 2007 while on a work-related trip to the Mexican capital; sadly, Emily was not with him on either occasion).

1. Portland, Ore.
2. Las Vegas, Nev.
3. Oakland, Calif.
4. Fresno, Calif.
5. Columbia River Washington (Richland, Wash.)
6. Seattle, Wash.
7. Houston, Texas
8. San Antonio, Texas
9. Newport Beach, Calif.
10. Redlands, Calif.
11. San Diego, Calif.
12. Los Angeles, Calif.
13. Boise, Idaho
14. Twin Falls, Idaho (open house)
15. Logan, Utah
16. Bountiful, Utah
17. Salt Lake Temple
18. Jordan River, Utah
19. Mt. Timpanogas, Utah
20. Provo, Utah
21. Manti, Utah
22. St. George, Utah
23. Sacramento, Calif.
24. Spokane, Wash.

25. Washington, D.C.

26. Rexburg, Idaho

27. Idaho Falls, Idaho

28. Dallas, Texas

29. Draper, Utah

30. Oquirrh Mountain, Utah

31. Boston, Mass.

32. Manhattan, New York City, N.Y.

33. Reno, Nev.

34. Medford, Ore.

Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band

My brother-in-law Kaly bought tickets for us to see Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band, and since Kaly is awesome, he got us seats in the second row. Yeah, seriously. It was at the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, which is actually a nice venue (even though I grew up in Eugene, I had never been to a show there, and now I wish I had). In addition to my b-i-l Kaly and my sister Laura, my parents also came with us (it was supposed to be a birthday present, I think, though no one told my dad about it, so when he asked, "What is everyone doing tonight?" at dinner he got a big surprise to find out that we had made plans for him).

Ringo Starr is hilarious. When he started the show he read out loud the signs that people were holding up. Someone had a "Beatles" sign, and he said, "The Beatles, like I've forgotten about that."

We also saw:

Edgar Winter who sang "Free Ride" (not to be confused with "Slow Ride") and "Frankenstein

My parents were super excited about him. They practically fell over when they jumped to their feet and cheered when he started singing. It's possibly the most excited I have ever seen them. It looked like this:

And then we also saw:

Rick Derringer from The McCoys, who sang "Hang On Sloopy." Fun fact: "Hang On Sloopy" is the official song of Ohio.

Wally Palmar from The Romantics, who sang "Talking in your Sleep" and "What I Like About You" (I felt like I was at prom in 1980, but in a good way). 

Gary Wright, who sang "Dream Weaver." He took himself very seriously.

and, last but not least, Richard Page from Mr. Mister, who sang "Kyrie" (which my sister Laura hates) and "Broken Wings"

I totally recommend going to their Wikipedia pages and checking out what they looked like in their hey-day. Interesting. 

This was the best concert I've been to in a long time. Here we are with my sister and brother-in-law:

I am giving my fake smile/grimace, so don't judge too harshly

And here we are ShepAldering it up from the second row:

The night ended with "With a Little Help From My Friends" (naturally), which segued into "Give Peace a Chance."

Eliminating Fish Burps (revisited)

Remember when I was complaining about the inconvenience of fish burps?

Well, this is what Josh got me for our anniversary (among other things, of course):

They're "odorless," which cuts down on the fish burping

First anniversary is paper, second anniversary is cotton (or straw?), and apparently the third anniversary is fish pills. Very thoughtful! 


P.S. No, this is not in any way sarcastic. Josh is the best present-giver I know, and this present was especially thoughtful because I complain about the fish burps so much (mostly because, like an idiot, I usually end up taking them with Diet Coke). I also got the awesome combination gift of an upright steam vac and a Shark, for which I have been begging since I stayed up all night watching the infomercial in DC. We had a wonderful anniversary.

30 Books Before I'm 30

I have thought for a long time about what momentous thing I wanted to do before I turn the big "three oh," and I figured that I would end my third decade the way I started it, which is reading. While putting together our new bookshelves, I realized that I own a lot of books I have intended to read but have always put off. And then there are all those books that I avoided reading because I was never motivated to do so. 


Without further ado, here are the 30 books I plan to read before I'm 30 (in a year and a day):

Classics (things I should have read, but haven't):

1. Les Miserables (it helps that this is a book club book--two birds, etc.)

2.  Wuthering Heights (I'm a little squeamish about characters named "Heathcliff"-- unless they are tabby cats)

3. Great Expectations (I'm kind of anti-Dickens ever since... well... I'm not sure why. I probably had a good reason when I formed my opinion as an English undergrad).

4. A Tale of Two Cities (As long as I'm making a list of books I wouldn't otherwise read, I figured there's a place for two Dickens novels).

5. Moby Dick (I hate, hate, HATE Herman Melville, and I generally pretend to have read this just to avoid people asking me why I haven't-- I mean, I know how it ends and all-- but I figured that now is the time to do finally buck up and read the effing thing).

6. Sense and Sensibility (I've seen the movie and didn't like it, so I never read the book. I've always felt guilty about not reading it).

7. The Importance of Being Earnest (just never have read it. Don't know why).

8. War and Peace (It's my dad's favorite book. I hate Russian authors, so I've avoided this one).

9. Jane Eyre (no reason, just haven't read it).

Books I've Always Wanted to Read But For Which I Have Never Found Time

10. Anne of Green Gables (I've seen the movie a million times, have a neverending crush on Gilbert, but have still never read the book).

11. The Blind Assassin (I love Margaret Atwood's short stories, but have always found her novels a little difficult to get into. But this one sounds good, so I'm giving Atwood another chance).

12. The Fountainhead (I've read Atlas Shrugged, but never got around to this one).

13. Return of the Native (I love Thomas Hardy. I have read everything else except this one).

Books Other People Have Recommended

14. The Poisonwood Bible (I tried to read it once, but only got about five pages in).

15. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (My sister Tasha's favorite book. She let me borrow it once, but I never opened it).

16. The House of the Spirits (my brother was incensed when I told him I've never read anything by Allende).

Books I Own But Have Never Read

17. The Dante Club (I have tried reading this book about half a dozen times and always get distracted. So now I'm finally going to finish it!)

18. Suite Francaise (Josh finally bought this book for me after it had been on my Wishlist for a few years, and then I never read it).

19. The Lost Language of Symbolism (about symbolism in the scriptures).

20. If Only I Had Known... Avoiding Common Mistakes in Couples Therapy (you know, for the learning of something).

21. Psychotherapy with "Impossible" Cases (also for the learning).

22. Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society (about the women in the early years of the church).

23. The Devil in the White City (I've heard from a million people that this is good, and I bought it way before anyone else I have ever known read it).

24. Balancing Act: The Authorized Biography of Angela Lansbury (Josh bought it for me for Christmas after I begged for it, but then I never read it).

25. The Madness of Mary Lincoln (I made Josh buy this for me after we went to DC and I saw it in the Ford's Theater gift shop. Mary Lincoln was crazy? Awesome!)

26. My Life in France (for various reasons I have put this off, even though I really want to read it).
27. Blonde (I bought this book more than 5 years ago when I went through a Joyce Carol Oats phase but then never opened it).
28. Sometimes a Great Notion (the other Ken Kesey novel)
29. Sophie's World (this book was required in my high school program, but somehow I got out of reading it. I'm not sure how. So I guess I'll read it now!)
Books I've Never Thought of Reading But Made an Effort to Include on This List
30. Their Eyes Were Watching God (I realized that my book list was a bit White).

I don't know yet what order in which I'll read these. I suppose it will depend on my mood. Because of my newly acquired Kindle, I can get some of these books for free from Amazon (Best. Present. Ever!) I'll keep everyone updated, because of course I'm reading these so you don't have to.

Trek in the Park (epic fail)

As a low-cost (free) birthday present for Josh, I promised him that we could go to "Trek in the Park" at Woodlawn Park on Saturday. I'm not a huge fan of Star Trek, but Josh has been a huge fan since childhood, and I know I need to be more open to new experiences. The only problem is, I had NO idea how popular this event is (though I should have realized that if I have heard of it, then most of the rest of the Portland metropolitan area has also heard of it), and we only arrived 20 minutes early, so this was our view:

There was a concrete walkway a few feet in front of us, and as people arrived even later than we had, they just stood along the walkway right in front of all the people sitting down! It was super obnoxious, though a guy who is much more brazen than I am asked them to move (I was so thankful!), but then even more people came late and stood in the way.

A guy who worked security had the job to clear the walkway so that the actors could make their exits unimpeded. But then HE stood RIGHT IN THE WAY! At that point, I checked out of the show. The episode they were performing was "Space Seed," which Josh tried to watch before we went (but fell asleep, though by his estimation, he's probably seen the episode 30-40 times throughout his life) and recommended I watch (but I was doing something else). 

If you look closely, you can see me in the background, annoyed, and the guy in the red shirt standing right in my way

I started feeling really sick about halfway through, so I made Josh leave early. He was able to stand closer to watch, but I didn't want to stand for the whole time crammed next to other (smelly) people. Plus, I was comfortable on my little camp chair in the shade (until I felt like my guts were being ripped out of my body).

I think Josh had a good time, though.

At least, he looks happy

We'll try again next year, come earlier, plan for a bigger crowd, not throw up on people (not that I did that, though I may have been concerned it would happen), but this time it was kind of a bust. Josh is already excited because our good friend from our Eugene Institute days, Wyatt Spear, who met us at the park and stayed the entire time, told us that at the end of the performance they announced next year's selection will be the classic second-season episode (and of Josh's all-time favorite TOS installments!), "Mirror , Mirror." I have a feeling Josh is already planning to grow a goatee in honor of the alternate-universe Spock.

BTW: Josh waited until we were walking to the park to tell me that there has been gang-related shootings in the same park to which we were heading. He assured me that we (probably) wouldn't get shot. And he was right (this time).

My Bestie is Having a Baby!

I had the pleasure of attending a Blessingway yesterday for my best friend Amanda. A Blessingway is originally a  Navajo traditional ceremony to celebrate a woman as she transitions to the role of Mother. I was a little skeptical about this (but as the daughter of former commune-living hippies, I really shouldn't have been), but I had a great time. Rather than have a party for a baby whom none of us have met yet, the focus is on the mother-to-be, and giving her our well-wishes and blessings before the birth. It was so nice to have a forum to celebrate Amanda, who is such a beautiful pregnant lady!

This is us:

I have known Amanda since Kindergarten, have been friends with her since 3rd grade, and have been BEST friends with her since freshman year of high school. She has been with me during some of the best moments in life, and some of the worst, and I can't wait to meet her baby girl Eibhlin (pronounced "Ave-uh-lynn"-- it's Irish) in a month or so.

Some of the activities of the Blessingway included:

Smudging

Lighting a candle

(we all got tea lights to light when Amanda goes into labor)

A relaxing foot massage by Amanda's older sister

(her younger sister is in the background)

A presentation of beads/charms so that when she's in the delivery room she can look at them and think of the love we're giving to her, and (hopefully) that will give her strength for the labor

Holding a naked baby
(Amanda's sister has already potty trained her 5 mo daughter[!] who hung out naked most of the time)

Belly casting

And opening presents!

We also brought and read poems that made us think of Amanda or childbirth. My poem was this one by Marianne Moore:

I May, I Might, I Must

If you will tell me why the fen

appears impassable, I then

will tell you why I think that I

can get across it if I try.

I picked it because it succinctly sums up my views on life and my idea of what childbirth/parenting must be like. Plus it's short and easy to remember. :)

I'm not going to lie, I cried a lot. I went on forever about all these memories I have of her, and the more I shared, the more I remembered more things to share. I may have been slightly obnoxious since no one else knew what we were talking about, but it was a lot of fun to reminisce and to hear other people's stories about her too.

Here are a couple anecdotes:

* When we were in the 4th grade, we were on the same softball team. One time, during practice when Amanda was playing first base and I was batting, I got out at first. Amanda either laughed at me or I thought she was making fun of me, or whatever. So I threw my helmet at her. Our coach made us run to the edge of the field and back. Together. It was awkward.

* Junior year of high school, we had a series of classes together. We sat in the back of the classrooms and pretty much just talked nonstop. Our teachers must have hated us, but didn't split us up or anything. We had maybe a ten minute break between classes, and we would often go to Dairy Mart during the break and get these huge sodas that we would drink during our second class. Whenever I drink those huge fountain drinks (which isn't a lot, thankfully), I think of her.

* Senior year (I think), we went to some play at the performance theater in Eugene (the Hult Center), and because we didn't arrive super early, we had to park on the top of the parking structure. As you can imagine, after the show everyone tried to leave the parking garage, so there was a huge backup of cars and we were at the end. So we spent the waiting time sitting in my car singing songs from Alanis Morisette's "Jagged Little Pill" at the TOP of our lungs. 

I cannot express how much I love Amanda and how excited I am for her to have her first baby. Hooray! 

(it will also give me an excuse to knit some baby leg warmers)