Candy Corn, Candy Corn!

When I was probably 6 or 7 years old, my mom and I were shopping at the local grocery store, Albertsons. It was on a school night sometime in October, and was dark and chilly outside.

While walking through the candy aisle, I spotted a bag of my very favorite candy … CANDY CORN! I just absolutely loved eating each of the three colors, one at a time. My favorite part of the candy was the top yellow part (I thought that tasted the best).

I asked my mom if I could get the bag of candy corn, but much to my chagrin she told me no. So of course I said, “Pleeeease, mommy? Pleeease?”

She looked at me, and with a sigh said, “Alright, but you have to share with your brothers and sisters when we get home.”

“Okay!” I said with a big cheesy grin.

As soon as we packed up the groceries in the van and buckled up, I grabbed my bag of candy corns and proceeded to eat as MANY as I could before we got home. As I quickly at those candy corns, I distinctly remember thinking, “If I eat all the candy corns before we get home, then I don’t have to share!”

In the whole 2 minutes it took to drive home, I had probably eaten ¼ of the bag … and boy did I have a tummy ache.

I’ve lost my passion for candy corns since, and every time I look at one I feel slightly ill, like I’ve eaten far too much corn syrup. But in remembrance of the love I once had, I eat one little candy corn every October – one color at a time (starting with yellow).

From Doggy Doris to Treadmill Timothy

You all now know about that dog downstairs that used to start it's daily hour bark at 6 AM. Thankfully, they finally moved out last month.

But guess who moved in upstairs? Treadmill Timothy.

We were introduced to our new neighbor, Treadmill Timothy, Monday morning at 5:50 AM when we were woken by a deep sub-woofer type sound beating down our ceiling, until about 6:30. Can we say, instant headache? Grrrr.

All week we've been trying to figure out what that noise is! Jumping jacks? Washing machine? Dishwasher? But this morning, we cracked it -- a TREADMILL.

Totally rude.

The complex DOES have a very nice workout room, complete with treadmills.

Let's just say we've had to use the broomstick on the ceiling ... not that it has worked.

It's going to be a LONG next few months until Janaury when our lease comes up.

I'm tired.

Goodbye, Beautiful 1200 Square Feet!

Kent and I have been strongly thinking about getting a bigger apartment, so that we can get a piano and I can go back to playing every day.

I've practiced piano for 20 years pretty much every day (ask my brothers -they'll tell you), so it's been a difficult year for me not being able to have a piano readily available. I either have to schlep to my parents house in Sandy, or hope the chapel is unoccupied. In other words, I'm lucky if I get to play once a week.

Piano is a huge part of who I am. It has always been a good friend to me, has always been there for me; and although it sounds corny, I'm lonely without it.

So, I have been cruising KSL.com every day to find a nice apartment in the Avenues or on Capitol Hill that we can:
a) afford
b) looks nice, and
c) facilitates a piano

This has been a difficult task, but at last we found one. It's a 1200 sq. ft. duplex in the avenues, and is beautiful! It would only cost us $130 more a month than what we are currently paying for our 700 sq. ft.

We set up a viewing for this Thursday but we had to cancel, because after looking at our current contract we see that we can't get out of our contract unless we give 60 days written notice. It made us both sad. Kent was excited about the apartment, and I think we were both dreaming of our life there.

So goodbye, beautiful 1200 square feet. Hopefully we'll find something in January when our contract comes up.

That Sweetheart Boy of Mine

I got a call at work today about 3:00, and who was it but Kent.

He said, "Could you come by the east doors of your building really quick?"

"Sure, be right there" says I.

I walked out the east doors, and there he was - that sweetheart boy of mine with nothing less than a bag of chocolate chip cookies from Paradise Bakery!! What a guy.

I asked him if he was just now taking his lunch break, and he said, "No - I just had a real quick errand to run. You sounded like you were having a tough day and cookies were the only thing I could think of that would help."

What a sweetheart. Actually, the hug worked better than the cookies ... but don't tell Kent.

Farmer's Market

Last night, I went to the downtown farmer's market at Pioneer Park. Can I just say that it made me really happy??

The weather was just PERFECT, and it was so relaxing to slowly meander from booth to booth, tasting fresh plums, peaches, apples, and tomatoes fresh from the garden. Then there is the honey butter, cinnamon bread, and goat cheese.

I bought some cinnamon white bread and green apples to make bread pudding with, and I couldn't surpass the GORGEOUS golden plums (that to me taste like a mix between apricot and a sweet plum). I would have bought more, but I didn't have much cash on me.

Summer nostalgia at its finest!

Farmer's Market, I love you!

Skunk!

Last night, Kent and I headed up Millcreek Canyon with a 4 piece chicken meal from KFC, our chairs, some firewood, Kent's guitar, and a bag of marshallows. We found a pretty little spot not far up the canyon, and ate our chicken.

About 8:30, the picnic-ers around us all packed up and went home. Not 5 minutes after the last of them left, we had a visitor amble into our picnic spot. It was a skunk!! It was a very CUTE skunk, but it made us nervous so we left shortly thereafter. I could just imagine having to call my boss the next morning and tell her I wasn't coming in today because I was permeated with SKUNK!!

Funny thing happened at work today ...

I got an email from somebody on the east coast that said, "On a sidenote, I have never been to your great state but plan to visit the Yellowstone National Park sometime!"

Too bad Yellowstone isn't in my great state ...

It made my chuckle. :)

Ode to Ramekins!

My coworker told me today that she bought ramekins, and boy did that start a 30 minute conversation dedicated to the endless possibilities of ramekin use!

Here is what we came up with:
- Molten Lava Cakes (of course)
- Potatoe Gratin (thank you Melissa d'Arabian)
- Bread Pudding
- Mini meatloafs
- Mini lasagnas
- Anything baked and mini (like I said ... the possibilities are actually endless)

Doesn't this just make your mind reel?!?

So, I had a fabulous idea that I'd like to try some day. If you are having a dinner party, do a ramekin tasting! For example, if you have just 2 people, make a main, a side, and a dessert ... all in ramekins! GENIOUS! I'm going to do it.

Here's my menu:
Main - Mini/Individual Meatloaf
Side - Potato Gratin
Dessert - Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding w/brown sugar sauce

DONE! LOVE IT!

Kent's 9 Day Vacation

Kent's plane took off last Friday night at midnight headed toward upstate New York.15-18 hours later, he made it to his destination -- a camping spot in the Adirondack mountains.

Reports thus far are that he didn't sleep much at all on his overnight plane ride, and that when he woke up in his tent Sunday morning (his first morning in camp), it was raining buckets and his aunt's tent flooded, and the person with all the food was delayed, so the camp didn't have food until this morning (Monday morning).

Through it all though, I think Kent is enjoying himself (he's the kind that likes sleeping on the ground ... hm, that gives me an idea!). :)

As for me, I'm working hard, staying at my parent's house, enjoying visiting with my family and some friends,and reading lots of books!