It Needs To Be Done

Ever get burned out on something? I think everyone has. With some things we have a higher endurance than others. Like that neon day-glo fad in the late 80's. Gross. That was here for like 5 minutes. But other things, like online commerce and gasoline engines? Well, those have both been around for a while now, I don't suppose they'll disappear anytime soon.

After I graduated from college in 2002 I found that I had a lot of free time on my hands. Instead of fixing up my ailing 85 year old home or getting a second job, or even sitting and home feeling sorry for myself, I started volunteering. For a year or two I volunteered both for No More Homeless Pets In Utah, an animal welfare group and for the National Ability Center, a recreation mecca for persons with disabilities of all varieties located in Park City, UT. On February 21, 2004 I participated in the world's first adaptive bobsled race. That season and the season prior (2003/2004) I volunteered in varius capacities most memorably as a 'test subjet' or 'guinea pig'. I would ride brake (that's backseat) of the 2 man sled for various athletes in training. The Olympic track goes up to 80+ mph during some runs. Talk about fierce rush. I was in the presence of greatness and I won't soon forget it. Especially the spills, and bumps and bruises--I do have some battle scars but I have no regrets whatsoever. In the summer time I also participated in the adaptive cycling program at the Ability Center. I basically got to hang out and meet more awesome people and ride my mountain bike. Beforehand I think I had to learn some basic first aid or how to fix an adult trike or hand cycle or some such nonsense, but of course I never had to use that knowledge.

In the Fall of 2004 I became more involved with NMHPU and was approached to oversee the Animal Ambassadors program, which includes community outreach and education, and merchandise sales. Animal Ambassadors are volunteers that go to various festivals and gatherings throughout the community and talk to people, spreading the word and message of No More Homeless Pets In Utah. Handing out literature and educating, and fundraising via the sale of merchandise. Spring of 2005 I became increasingly involved with NMHPU and was unable to commit to the Ability Center that summer. Which was probably ok, as the cycling program was pretty stacked with folks to assist the year prior. I likely wasn't missed that much. I worked tirelessly the summer of '05 for NMHPU traveling to various events, often far outside the city, often by myself. I'm no wimp but hauling around hundreds of pounds of boxes of tee shirts, tables, chairs, event canopies and media displays can take its toll on anyone. What was my motivation? It needed to be done.

And there is still a lot more to do. Animals have brought me a great deal of joy. And despite as cliche and cheesy as it sounds, it is my way of paying them back. Unfortunately, companion animals are still dying in shelters daily because there aren't enough homes for them. But instead of dwelling on this negative, I can only myself push forward and 'do what needs to be done'.
I have been less involved with the volunteer effort over the past 6 months, for a variety of personal and professional reasons. A lot of the volunteers think it's because I am getting married. That is part of the reason, but not entirely. I think we all need a break from some things from time to time. That being said, may have been burnout, maybe not, but for a while there I was in sheer survival mode in my personal life, so like the Ability Center the year prior, something had to go. I didn't volunteer much at all over this past summer. So while I hope that was only a temporary pause in the continuing endeavor of NMHPU, no matter what my involvement level, and no matter if it is sanctioned by an organization, I will always remain loyal to my feline and canine friends because that is all they have ever been to me. It just needs to be done.

I Blew It

So I finally made it back over to the Red Cross. I didn’t make an appointment, I just showed up. I don’t think I spent much more time there than I would if I had made the appointment. And I don’t know if I mentioned a prior post that you can’t really donate in someone’s name. You can donate for yourself if, for instance, you are undergoing surgery and may require a transfusion. But for the rest of us average Janes they just take your blood and some of it goes to hospitals and clinics for patient use and some of it goes to labs for experimentation, so who really knows where mine is going. Regardless, if it’s possible that I’m replenishing the overall blood supply on behalf of a loved one who has drawn from it in recent months in some rough estimation, that’s good enough for me. My primary reason for this tangent is that I really blew it this time. What’s the first thing they tell you to do when going in to donate blood? DRINK LOTS OF WATER. What did I fail to do today? DRINK LOTS OF WATER. In fact, in retrospect I drank very little over the course of the day, so besides a cup of chai this morning and some turkey noodle soup for lunch, I really didn’t consume much fluid at all. And boy did I pay for it. I’m slowly rehydrating but I felt pretty lousy when I left the donation center. And my arm actually hurts. That's never happened before. I suspect I'll have some fancy drug-shooter-looking tracks in the days to come. Thankfully, I’m off to loaf on the couch with a big stinky mutt dog any moment now. That usually fixes most things wrong with the world.

All joking aside, the moral of this story is DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Especially if you are charted to donate blood. Regularly drinking lots of water and donating blood are things you should be doing that anyway.

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we speak I have just taken the bird out for its first basting-- 16 pounder (and change). Our guests are due to arrive in 2 or 3 hours. A small gathering this time around-- last year was my first meeting of the Dunn/Konigsmark clan in Atlanta. It was only a short year ago but seems like soooo much longer. We will miss seeing the Dunns, although we will not be the only ones absent from that reunion. And of course we will miss the Aalens who are gathering in San Marcos, TX for fried turkey at Uncle Ace's house. Lots of people scattered this year. Rachael and Andy will be in Cleveland, Damon & Pam in Chico, CA.

Much love to all who, if not at our table, will be in our thoughts and in our hearts.

Cheers!

And This One Time, At Band Camp

I tried to make another appointment to donate blood today, but they were booked. I could’ve wandered down to the Red Cross after work and hung around until an appointment was open, but I had to pick up the girls at daycare by 6:00, and there was no guarantee I would be back in time. Let me clarify when I say ‘the girls were at daycare”. We don’t have human children. I’m referring to our two lab/heeler mutts going to doggie daycare. It’s just occurred to me that I’ve officially become a yuppie. Not that I’m any more or less a yuppie than I was, say, a year or two ago, it’s all just become more apparent now. But hey-- least I make my own café latte at home on the Via Veneto instead of buying Starbucks. Wait….

We got a maid service for the house, too. We haven’t even tied the knot yet and it has already saved our marriage. We really don’t have anything to argue about anymore---we have come full circle. We’re only in a year deep and nothing to bicker about. This could get interesting.

Thanksgiving is only two days away and it’s 63 degrees outside. Now that is phenomenal. Oh, and worth mentioning is that we almost had a random crisis today. Our travel agent emailed to tell us there was a glitch with our honeymoon itinerary. As I scanned the email in an almost full-on panic, I relaxed as I realized what the problem was. Apparently, New Zealand Air has changed their scheduled flights in and out of Rarotonga to certain days of the week. As a result, we will have to stay an extra day and night in paradise. Needless to say, we are both crushed.

Finally, as I write I must mention that a large brown dog is snoring in my ear. We are talking full on lumberjack chainsaw next to my head. She sure is cute, though. The dog is on the couch, while I sit on the floor. So yeah, I’m a yuppie. Sue me. And then go fetch some bottled water for me and the pooch.

Make Your Dog Happy And Go To Yappy

All of the hep cats and cool dogs will be at Yappy Hour Thursday, November 30th at Butterfly in the Gateway. A benefit for No More Homeless Pets in Utah.

Don't miss Yappy Hour in the Grand Ballroom at Butterfly in the Gateway on November 30th. It will be a fun-filled night of food, drink and Salt Lake City’s hippest live auction. Well-behaved canines are welcome to spread their wings at the VIC (Very Important Canine) Lounge. In the VIC, your pooch can get that perfect pawdicure or meet with our pet psychic to finally answer those burning questions like “Where did I bury that bone?” and “Who keeps putting the lid down on my water bowl?” Tickets are just $35 and include all your tasty food and drink. Limited tickets are available so hurry. Last year Yappy Hour sold out so don’t miss Salt Lake’s coolest party for you and your pooch.

The event is a blast and sold out last year—get your tickets while the gettin’s still good by calling (801) 364-0370 or vist: http://wwww.utahpets.org where you can purchase your tickets securely online.

The Stars At Night Are Big And Bright

Jon & I recently celebrated a landmark in our relationship. One whole year. And what a year! He surprised me with a dozen red roses & a pair of tickets to see Robert Earl Keen. The roses were beautiful, but the tickets are more meaningful to me than I can probably convey.

First off, it’s meaningful because it was a complete surprise—I didn’t even know REK was coming to Utah. But more importantly, Jon despises country music, and it was his idea to go…just for yours truly. Robert Earl isn’t traditional contemporary country music, though. Huge folk influence, some jammin’ guitar, fiddle and the like, and some good old fashioned lyrical story telling. I’m not an avid country music fan by any sense of the imagination. I’m certainly not averse to it, but I wouldn’t even consider myself an enthusiast. The fact of the matter is, a piece of my heart belongs in Texas for a variety of reasons. Among others, deep family roots, and fields of vibrant bluebonnets.

I call on early memories—good and bad—that have contributed significantly to the formation of my identity. The inner Texan in me exists. It is and will continue to be a part of me, so I choose to embrace it. Whenever I hear Robert Earl, I fondly transition to a simpler place, a place I have been many times, a place I likely will never again encounter with any element of joy. No glitter, no glitz. Just dust and cobwebs now. In reality, very little was ever there --except some people about whom I care a great deal. I can’t physically reach out to them as I would prefer. So instead, despite the wistful melancholy, I choose to embrace the tunes of a storyteller from somewhere in Texas.

Blogstipation?

Okay, okay, so I’m not such the prolific writer I thought I was. That being said, a lot has happened over the past several weeks.

For starters, last week we played out our own version of ‘Meet The Fockers’. Funny as that sounds, there were actually no surprises and everyone got along famously. Jon’s father, step mother, and sister all made the trek from Atlanta to SLC. We were honored and flattered that they traveled so far to attend our engagement party. Several of our friends here in town couldn’t get off their asses to travel the 20 extra miles to my friend’s beautiful mountain home in Wanship for the occasion. I’m not talking about the folks who couldn’t attend because they were out of town, etc. I’m talking about the people that overtly chose not to join us. But that’s all I’ll say about the losers of that deal because we really had a lovely time and I can’t thank my girlfriends Brooke & Barb enough for organizing the majority of the festivities, along with our other friends Syd and Missie. Everyone who came had a great time and we are really honored and grateful to have such wonderful friends and soon-to-be blended family. We both majorly lucked out in the ‘in-law’ department, and I’m still not sure what exactly we did to deserve that.

The weekend kicked off with Jon’s folks arriving around noon. We picked them up took them on a quick spin around town, then brought them out to the house to show them where we live and to meet all the furbabies. We took them to Trio for lunch. It was ok, as Trio usually is. Nothing spectacular, and of course it was loud & crowded, but it worked. We dropped them back at the Marriott to register and get settled in, and we went home to take a quick snooze. We had dinner reservations for 7:30 at Faustina, which is probably our favorite restaurant in town. Jon had gone to the liquor store the day before to purchase a bottle of champagne for us to toast with at dinner. He went a little crazy and bought a bottle of Moet, which was nice. We had also agreed that we would pick up the dinner bill far in advance so that there wouldn’t be any squabbling over whose father paid and whose father got their nuts chopped off, so to speak. We spared everyone the awkwardness and chopped off both sets at the same time. The dads were pretty pissed off at us, but that’s not anything we haven’t dealt with (some of us more than others). We told them that if it meant that much to them then to just add it on to the tab they’re each already pitching in for the wedding. Ha!

Dinner was great. A little slow going at first but after the first glass of champagne things rolled merrily right along, and after a while in true Aalen-Dunn fashion no one could get a word in edgewise because everyone else was chatting away. It was great. We also presented both sets of parents with a framed 8x10 photo we had just had taken during our engagement photo sitting. (Which is another tale entirely)?

Halfway through dinner during a smoke break, Jon got a text message from Rachael. We knew her flight was delayed but we had no idea exactly how delayed. She sent him a quick text saying they were taking off and that the ETA was now 1:15 a.m. Ouch! Ordinarily would not be a big deal but we had a huge day ahead of us on Saturday, so that was a bit of a drag.

Dinner wrapped up with dessert and the much anticipated bickering over the kid-paid bill, but after all was said and done, the evening was, in my estimation an enormous success. We said our goodbyes, my folks headed home, and we drove over to the hotel to drop off Jon’s folks for the night. We came home and checked the Delta website and watched in eager anticipation as Rachael’s plane flew s-l-o-w-l-y across several states until finally reaching Utah. It was 2:00 a.m. before they finally landed. We drove up to the curb and scooped Rach into the truck full of the drooling welcome wagon (we took the doggies with us to the airport). We came home and of course no one was in the mood to go right to bed so we visited and looked at old photos Rachael brought. Finally we turned in around about 5:00 a.m.

Saturday we picked up Jon’s folks and took them to Squatter’s for lunch. That is where we will be holding our rehearsal dinner so we wanted to give them a taste. Midway through lunch Jon got a call from the Governor’s assistant who informed us that our walk through at the Governor’s Mansion had been pushed back for a few hours. We met my folks at the Wells Fargo Building and our caterer, Mysha, with Panache escorted us to The 23rd Floor, where our reception is being held. My parents had both been to events at the venue before so they knew what it was like, but I think Jon’s parents and sister were pretty surprised how nice it was. Not surprised like they didn’t expect it to be nice, but surprised like it was more spectacular than we could have described. Afterward, we reconvened at the Gov’s and did a walk through the first and third floors with all the folks. (The second floor is the Gov and family’s private residence). My mom was especially enamored, as I expected. She has been in love with Victorian design and architecture for as long as I can remember. I took a bunch of photos, but in all honesty they likely did not do the interior of the building any justice. I didn’t take them for display, or publication, but more planning & design although we aren’t really going to do anything but carry our own flowers and have a string quartet in the ballroom.
After our majestic tour of all venues wedding related, everyone split up to get ready for the evening. We once again picked up the Dunns and headed up the mountain for our dinner party. When we arrived the place looked fantastic. Barb, Missie, Brooke & Syd were all running around hurriedly putting things in place. I must say I felt a bit out of place not being on the hostess side of the party. All the parties we’ve had there I have had a hand in preparing for. Not this one. They wouldn’t let me pay for anything either, which is annoying. Jon & I escaped to the back deck for a quick break and agreed how surreal it was to be the guests of honor. It was kind of a little bit shocking. I think it just was finally sinking in just how cared for we are by our friends and families, and how big of a deal this wedding business is. And we’re still 5 months out from the big event! Despite our shared state of awe we managed to choke down several glasses of champagne during a toast in our honor when my lovely parents shared some charming stories about yours truly. Even David Dunn did not pull out the proverbial ‘legend of the toadstools’ (thanks a lot, dad). Overall, though, the fam and friends were very gracious and wished us well on our shared journey. And yet, we’ve only just begun

I've Just Been Informed

That I'm losing my readership (ie, Jon has quit reading because it's been so long since I have posted). Have faith, and patience o' grasshopper.

Gimme a break.

Happy Halloween

 

Glen Canyon Dam

This is undoubtdedly one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

Lake Powell in the distance

Look at the teeny little cars next to the drain pipes (four gray structures on the side of the concrete). When the dam overflows the water thunders through those...they are easily bigger than the vehicles to the left of them..

On The Road Again

Beautiful Red Rock


Right outside of Page, AZ (and more bug guts)
Arizona side of Glen Canyon

Believe It Or Not

All of these photos were taken in separate places--not in immediate succession....you get the point...

Arizona

"Entering Arizona & Indian Country Beautiful Scenic Area Bring Your Cameras" (Plus some smooshed bugs on the windshield)
"Arizona The Grand Canyon State Welcomes You" (and more bug entrails...)
Chili's for lunch in Flagstaff, AZ. We bought and decorated a chili pepper for the benefit of the children's hospital.
Jon's says "We are getting married" and mine says "I heart Jon Dunn". If Flagstaff only knew the value of these pricelesss art works they would be on ebay in a snap.

Scenic New Mexico

Wind Power, baby!
Oil derrick--saw lots of these
In case you can't read it, this yellow sign says "New Mexico, Land of Enchantment"
There was a nasty storm and we drove right through it.

Oscar

My grandparent's cute (and well fed) little pet, Oscar.

Sailing

So the below pics are from Lake Sommerville in Sommerville, TX. We had a great day sailing with aunt & uncle Bob & Diane Wallis from Houston. Their boat, aptly named “Finally” was very cool and we really had a great time. We met them at the marina and had little (translate no) wind out to the center of the lake, but we drifted calmly and it was pretty hot which gave us all the more reason to jump overboard and cool off. We visited and ate snacks and drank Tecates and carried on just generally had a really fun time. At one point while in the center of the lake we bailed out to take a cool dip only to be surprised by the fact that we could touch the bottom with our feet! Now that was a slightly creepy sensastion, especially since we were all hanging on to this massive boat floating right next to us. We were scraping rudder for a bit but got turned around and were on our way again. Returning back to the marina, we had significant wind and the boat tipped sharply to one side. It’s a very unnatural sensation and I haven’t been on a boat like that for ages. Suffice to say I was a little freaked out and hid out in the bough of the boat until Aunt Diane convinced me that we would not tip over like on a smaller pontoon Hobie. I’ve jumped out of an airplane and own and ride a Harley Davidson and the boat freaked me out. Go figure. (And I’m a good swimmer, too!). Makes no sense. But we eventually made it back to the marina, shuffled into town and had some great Mexican food at the local joint (we drank a margarita the size of my head) said goodnight and gave goodbye hugs, jumped in the new truck and made our way back through the rural cotton fields in Robertson County.

Sunset at Sommerville

Love The Gov

Well, I have been a bad, bad blogger. No posts in over a week. However, we are full steam ahead into the wedding planning and a lot has been going on. First of all, I bought my dress last week. Sight unseen since they actually had my size & color in stock at Bridal Corner in North Ogden. I am going Saturday morning to be fitted. Now that is progress.

We have also been talking with wedding coordinators Lori and Jon Woodbury and as it stands they will be handling several aspects of the organizing. Yeah! Less stress for yours truly.

And finally, I have little time and will get back to the photo blogging of the TX trip because I’ve got guest lists to edit and passport renewal forms to tackle this evening. BUT, I felt compelled to share my experience this evening. I had the honor of finally meeting Governor Huntsman and The First Lady, Mary Kaye. (And of course an entourage of various staff including Mike Mower the Governors PR man. They were in the studio to chat with Doug Wright on the call in program “Let Me Speak To The Governor”. Afterward, they hung out and visited with the Nightside crew for a few minutes, and it was revealed to all even more how ultra cool The Gov is. The interview will likely be posted on the Nightside website in the next few days, and when it is I will link to that audio so all can enjoy. Aside from being a top legislative official, he is a very sincere person and exceedingly gracious. He is not only an avid rock fan he is a musician himself (piano/keyboard-- the coolest instrument for among other reasons it’s the one I can play). Oh, and on the air he challenged any other state’s governor to a rock music trivia contest. I suspect he won’t have any takers.

Just another in a long list of reasons to love The Gov.

Update, you can hear the audio of Huntsman on Nightside on this page. Unfortunately I can't link to the specific interview but scroll on down there and you'll find it...you should already be surfing this site anyway...

TX II

Wow, where to begin. What a great trip we had. It felt like we were gone for a month—in a good way-- when really it was merely a week. We arrived in Austin around 4:00 PM after our plane was delayed for 2 hours. Boo! We could’ve slept in. Oh, and might I add that I had been in the ER with my mom all night the night prior. She up & decided to have appendicitis that day. I got the call at work from the doctor at the Instacare who said they needed someone to come and take her to the hospital pronto. I didn’t want her to have to take the dreaded ambulance ride, so I tore out of work early & rescued her. Well, sort of. Eight hours later, much physical pain and administrative ordeal she was safely out of emergency surgery and in her hospital but her appendix had actually ruptured by the time they got her in the OR. Good grief. The recovery was not as simple as it could have been, but I am happy to report that she is doing much better now and we are already planning a camping trip to the Wasatch Mts. for next weekend. But alas, I digress.

So we got to Austin and headed to San Marcos to my Aunt & Uncle’s house. I regret that we didn’t really get any pics with Gary & Gini (sorry guys) so we’ll have to make up for that next visit. They took us down to the San Marcos River where it winds through town and we floated from one of the falls to a point downstream that was not too far, but just enough to give us a taste. The water was brisk, and we saw a few fish, a lot of college kids (Texas State U), 'Frisbee Dan', and a few of Uncle Ace’s fellow Lions of the San Marcos Lion’s Club.

Afterward, we cruised back to their house, and proceeded to visit with their neighbors, and then….dinner! They really know how to treat folks like royalty. It had everything to do with an early birthday celebration for me since Gini would be leaving in the morning to visit her family in Arizona. Uncle Ace busted out the filets and lobster! I have some great pics of him goofing around with the crustaceans prior to putting them in the pot but I have chosen not to post them here as I figure it would just piss off my animal welfare friends. I must say I have to agree with Alton Brown in terms of getting over the whole ‘hurting’ of the lobsters. They are just great big insects. Perhaps I’m fooling myself, but regardless, they sure were tasty.

The next day, (my birthday!) we headed into Austin for a brief tour before splitting to Rudy’s BBQ Sauce for Jon’s radio cohort Michael (well, ok he’s actually the host) and we toured the Texas A&M campus. Along the way (and earlier in the day on our way to Hearne) we were enlightened by many a college tale from Uncle Ace. When we went to College Station he was able to point out several of his old haunts, on & off campus. Gig ‘em Ags!

Back in Hearne we started the evening with a pitcher of margaritas. Yeehaw! My birthday dinner was great. Mary’s El Alamo Cafe, owned and operated by Mary, a long time resident of Hearne and kind friend of my grandparents. It’s home style Tex Mex, and the chili rellenos are really excellent. Can’t beat the prices either! I was presented with a cake and candles, the whole she-bang. I am such a lucky, lucky girl. I think they even sang to me but I don’t recall as I was heading into a food coma & was undoubtedly half in the bag. After dinner we retired to Wheelock Street, and the day ended. The next day we were slated to meet my other Aunt & Uncle, Diane & Bob (from Houston) at Somerville Lake where their beautiful sailboat is moored. Stay tuned for that excursion, along with pics.

Our Trip To TX Part I

Here is is folks, the Texas State Capitol Building.



Upper left hand --here is a crop duster that almost took us out.



Above: Abstract: "Crop Duster Over Cotton Field"

Below: Rural area outside of Hearne, TX. It's all cotton fields, baby!! (And yes, we pulled over and stole a handful right off the plant)...hemp schmemp...



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