What gives?

My car got totally side-swiped at the hospital parking lot, while I was inside undoubtedly saving lives. This was not just a little tap tap tappy either. They got all along the back door and the back panel above the wheel. But they must not have noticed the loud scraping sound coming from my car crying out in pain, because they neglected to leave a note, which is particularly classy. My beautiful dark blue sparkling Honda Accord just doesn't sparkle the way she used to anymore. She's damaged goods, and she knows it. The light in her eyes is gone. She's less than a year old - she's just a child for heck's sake! Honestly, this was not my favorite surprise.

So I'm bugged. Scratch that, I'm hopping mad. Thanks for listening.

Oh yes, and I also got pulled over by the Highway Patrol while traveling delightfully fast on my way home from work today. I was really speeding, reveling in the wide open freedom of I-15 on an early Saturday morning. I was already merging onto the shoulder before he even had to turn his lights on, I knew I was toast. I also could not find my insurance card ("I know it's in here somewhere..."), and Mr. Police Officer let me off with a verbal warning and a slap on the hand.

Take that, Murphy's Law.

City by the Bay

And a year goes by...

San Francisco was just fantastic. We loved it! We did everything on our list. Highlight for me by far was riding a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge - it was a tandem bike, so Rhett did all the work and I just enjoyed the scenery while I pretended to pedal. I was so entertained by the suicide warning signs all over the bridge:

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So here's my question: If you are suicidal and looking for a way to off yourself, would the above sign be encouragement or discouragement? They might as well have said "Depressed? This'll do the trick. Jump here." But maybe it could help those cry-for-help-types, so that's good I suppose.

On a lighter note, we enjoyed a great 1st anniversary there - May 4th.
It's been a good year.

San Francisco awaits

We're going to San Fancisco on Wednesday for our 1 year anniversary! I'm so excited. We're staying at the San Francisco Marriott, below.

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We've both never been there and we are quite looking forward to it. Any tips or must-see advice? I want to ride a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, I'd love to see Alcatraz, and Rhett already got tickets to a San Francisco Giants game. So far, that's the list. So if you've been before and loved something, please share!

Here's to Sarah

My little sister Sarah turned 21 this week! April 14th to be exact. So do I still get to call her "little"? Regardless of should or shouldn't, I probably always will.

This is my ode to Sarah in picture form. She's pretty much one of the coolest people in the entire world, and I just can't get enough of her.

She loves her dog. She named her little dachsund Tank. Now she has one named Boo Radley.
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We explored our Italian heritage together. Fara San Martino - this is the town in Italy where we're from.
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at my wedding
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close up
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a romantic moment.
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foilage is so delicious.
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At laguna beach.
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Ah, that face. How can you not love this girl?
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I LOVE YOU SARAH!

call me a grump

Every so often I have to work a Sunday, which I really don't prefer. But apparently the babies here at the hospital are pretty excited to get out into the real world, and they just can't be reasoned with. I'd much rather they all wait to be born until Monday, but again - unreasonable. So when I have to work a Sunday here and there, I understand. But this morning I woke up with a seriously bad attitude, I did NOT want to go to work. I procrastinated getting out of bed as long as I could, rationalizing that the traffic would be a breeze at 6am on a Sunday morning. That only bought me a few minutes before I had to give in to the inevitable.

On to the highlight of the day. Around 11:30am, one of my coworkers beckoned me into one of the empty patient rooms. Waiting inside was a handful of fellow employees, and a cute young married couple there to give us a spiritual thought and the sacrament. I was so incredibly grateful for this gesture of thoughtfulness, that they would care enough to bring the sacrament around to all the hospital employees who wanted it. I suddenly felt so selfish and embarassed by myself and I felt my bad attitude melting away. And in this new and different setting, as this young man in a suit kneeled on the hospital floor to say the prayer, I listened in a different way and was so touched by the meaning of the words. I try to pay attention to them every time but to be honest, I'm frequently distracted. This time it meant so much more to me and I found myself getting really emotional. I quickly composed myself since I was still at work, but left feeling so much gratitude. So thanks to that nameless young couple whoever you are. You made my day.

the great surprise

I successfully surprised Rhett. This is a very large accomplishment and I can't believe I forgot to mention it. Before now, I've never been able to pull off a surprise - Rhett reads me like a book and he always ruins it. But this time I was very very sneaky my friends...

For Valentine's day I planned a road trip to Vegas to see the O Show by Cirque du Soleil (with a great deal of help from my dear friend Melanie. The Skylanie pair joined us on the road trip). Valentine's day was Thursday, and I had to work till 7:30 but I met Rhett at at restaurant in downtown Salt Lake for dinner. He gave me a beautiful sparkly necklace which was perfect because I had been complaining that I lost my favorite one. And I gave him tickets to the O Show for the following night at 10pm. He was excited, but of course concerned at my lack of planning since he had to work the next day. But, ta da! I had already talked to his boss and gotten him the day off, and talked to his HR manager to make sure he got vacation for it. My plan worked. He was genuinely surprised, and I was genuinely proud of myself.

BELOW, at the Bellagio gardens.

We had dinner at a restaurant in Vegas called Lucille's. Best food ever, I still crave it. One entree could feed a small nation for a week. I've been there a couple times but never ventured over to the powder room, where this lovely decorative item is proudly displayed. Oh, what I've been missing! May I present... Electric sex glowing in the window.

Tell me you know the reference. If not, I cannot explain it to you, because you have betrayed your childhood and we probably shouldn't be friends. F R A G I L E. Must be Italian.

happens all the time

Sometimes I take pictures of things that amuse me. I have a whole file of them on my laptop called "Um, funny." Most likely only funny to me, but maybe someday I'll share them all with you. Fingers crossed! This one I found taped to the locker next to mine at the hospital, and I grinned a little.

Common occurance at the maternity ward where I work. It's a real problem.

Thanks Far Side.