topical

While watching the Gweneth version of "Emma"-
Mr. Knightley walks up to Emma and Dad goes, "Look, it's Mr Wingley!"
Me-"...Mr. Wingley? You mean Mr. Bingley? Good try, Dad, but this is Emma, not Pride and Prejudice."
Dad-"Well, Mr. Bingley is the only one I can ever remember and they're all the same to me!"

Mom-"Emma wears a different dress in every scene of this movie. This green dress is my favorite but Mr. Knightley yells at her in the scene so I don't know how I feel about it."

While at Target talking to Mom on the phone, I went to purchase the movie "Frozen"
"I think you should pick up two copies of 'Frozen' otherwise we'll be short one and then they'll put it in the Disney Vault and we won't be able to buy it for like ten years!" (I bought two copies)

I had a conversation with Dad about creamy and chunky peanut butter. He remembers when Chunky was new and a big deal at his house. I was a little surprised they had Chunky way back when...and then I thought about how I can tell my kids that I remember when there was Tan in the M&M package and I also remember when Pluto was a planet. Which made me think of in Psych when Gus' pick up line is "You hear about Pluto? That's messed up, right."

At least we entertain ourselves. :)

twenty-seven

Yuck, that sounds old. Anyway, for my bday this year I planned an Arizonan weekend extravaganza that made it decidedly the best birthday I've had for awhile.

It started with leaving in the first snowstorm of the year and landing in 60-70 degree paradise.

Then led off with seeing Bub and Mike for the first time in a little over a year!!! Bub and I had a ton of catching up to do (I knew we would) so we got a somewhat later start on our first day.

We went to the Phoenix Museum of Art (we like to be artsy fartsy sometimes) and saw some good stuff including a Monet and a lovely American impressionist Louis Ritman. There was also a painting of a gladiator fight that inspired the movie, a famous painting of GW and a huge chalk pastel of a girl in a white dress that was cool. Also saw a collection of mineature rooms (not really made for dolls) that were decorated in various styles, French, Georgian, etc. And what is a museum in AZ without a few desert landscapes and cowboys.

Then we went about three blocks and I had some delicious tacos that had all sorts of new and different things on them. AND we ate outside. In the sun. In February. Belissima.

Then we went home and did preparations for Olympics, Bub made pizza, Mike made his famous homemade guacamole and we had tons of treats. We started the Olympics a little late because we were mixed up on the broadcast time (AZ airs tv like Mountain time does) and then the antenna was a joy to wrangle. Poor Bub and Mike, they only got NBC by putting the antenna on the couch with Mike holding it up. Which he dutifully did the entire first night. We loved the Opening Ceremony and got super hyped for the next two weeks.

Birthday morning arrived and Michael generously made me a scrumptious birthday breakfast. He made crepes for the very first time and did a superb job at it. Topped off with strawberries, blueberries and nutella it was the breakfast of champions.

Next came a hike so that I could enjoy the warm weather, see Arizonan flora and fauna, and just generally be outside for more than ten minutes. I got to see some cactus and I wore shorts on my birthday. Because I could. Because it was warm. (sensing a theme here?).

After the hike we got ready to go see the Gilbert, AZ temple at the temple open house. We stood in line for an hour but it was worth it. That temple is so beautiful!! I think it's bigger than Draper or Oquirrh Mountain. They used the symbol of the agave plant all over the temple. The way the plant grows, the older leaves are on the outside and they support the newer leaves on the inside which could be like generations of a family with the older ones supporting the younger ones and showing them how to grow. The Celestial room has the biggest chandelier I've seen in my life. The sealing rooms are on the top floor and there are many of them, the biggest is supposed to hold 70 people! The outside grounds are quite delightful as well with palm trees and a descending pool that will be perfect for family pictures. We left just as the sun was setting so we got some great pictures.

Birthday dinner was attempted at Oregano's (I've heard great things!) but the wait was too long and we had some Olympics to watch. So I chose Zupas (a wonderful alternative) and we had a picnic on the floor while watching some great Olympic competition. Also, can I just say it was nice to watch with people who are just as nuts about it as I am?

And then we had birthday cake, which was DQ ice cream cake, that Bub and Mike got the Sochi Olympic logo on. OMG you guys, they are so good to me. And Michael tried DQ ice cream cake for the first time in his life and was converted.

More Olympics rounded out a great birthday.

The next day we played Disney Scene It (Bub won) and went to church and then Michael took me to the airport and I flew home. I really didn't want to.

So, No. 27 was pretty awesome. I got out of town, got some sun, saw Bub and Mike, saw Arizona and generally just partied all weekend long. I may need to make this an annual event!!!