Hangin' Tough! (PS-I'll Be Loving You Forever!)

OMG! This weekend rocked! While Mike was in Draper doing his National Guard stuff, I was in West Valley participating in the ultimate girls night out! Yes-I am talking about the New Kids on the Block Concert! I could have sworn I was a 12 yr old inside a 27 yr old body! I don't think I have ever screamed so much in my life! As many of you know (and some of you probably have no idea) I am a HUGE New Kids on the Block Fan. Always will be. I had the t-shirts, the nightgowns, the posters, all of their cassette tapes and not to mention the VHS videos of their concerts, and much much more! I was obsessed! Well, much to my enjoyment, they are back! The tour came through SLC (or West Valley City-as it says on the back of my t-shirt) on Saturday night and it was the funnest thing I have done in a long time, all inhibition went right out the window (I am talking about the screaming and the dancing.) I went to the concert with my old friend Chantel. We would sit in my bedroom for hours on end memorizing all the words to their songs.

I thought I would throw a few fun pics on here to get you all reminiscing too!

I know we all had out favorites-who was yours? Mine was Jonathon Knight (the oldest of the group and probably the most mature, I'm sure.) FYI-He is the one in the awesome blazer and mustard yellow shirt-SO CUTE! (Cute in the nineties at least).

And this is the T-shirt that I purchased to wear proudly to the gym and the grocery store and anywhere else that I can get away with wearing an over-sized t-shirt. Also, the 1st pic is the one printed on the t-shirt, if you were wondering!

The pioneer boy band in all their glory!

Donnie (front and center, the resident Bad-Boy) thinks he is so cool! Although I must say that he is quite the entertainer when he is by himself on stage

Man-I thought we would be watching a bunch of old men hobble around on stage, but no, they've still got the moves. I could have danced right along with them-nothing has changed in 15 yrs (that is how long it has been since the last time they performed on stage, if you were wondering.)

And here they are today. Ready for their GQ photo shoot. My favorite today would have to be Joey McIntyre. He played Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway-enough said!

Anyway, just thought I would let you all know that if you talk to me in the next couple of days I might still seem a little bit giddy. Don't worry, it will pass. Man I love these guys!

Peace Out!

We Did the Monster Mash!

Halloween came and went all too quickly at our house, but it was fun while it lasted. Also, I must mention that we had 3 trick or treaters this year (compared to last years one). My friend Steph and I decided to throw a little Halloween party (costumes were mandatory, which was fun, because it has been a couple of years since I dressed up for Halloween.) We had a fire pit out on our back patio, surrounded by people all night making s'mores and enjoying the rainy weather that we had that night. Inside we had quite the spread of yummy food. Everyone brought meat to grill up, and then they brought a dish to share. Thanks for the participation everyone. To top it all off, we had guitar hero going non-stop throughout the night.

Here are a few pics from the evening (sorry there are so many, but I tried to get pics of everyone that came-and I still missed a few couples).

This is Nate-our resident Holy Man and Kelsey-the cute little Ladybug.
This is my darling nephew Brooks-The Pirate.
All night he was saying "Aaaargh! Give me some candy, Matey!"


This is a pic of my fam. We have Mike and Bridget-the old fogies (who, might I add, won the costume contest). Erin and Bryan-A golfer and her Caddy (as it should be). Me and Mike-I was Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Rain (I am holding a spray bottle in my hand) and Mike was 1/2 of the quirky "Scrubs" duo. Then there is my mom-now I am not sure what she is, but she has on an old Strawberry Shortcake costume that I wore when I was a kid, and then Brooks the Pirate.

Here are all the guys-We have a Candy Bar, Holy Man, JD, Bed Bug (in the back) then Janitor, a Dalmatian, the old fogey in front, Turk, and the Caddy.

This is Mike's brother Dustin-a Cowboy, and his fiancee Kylee-the Indian

Steph and Spencer-Batgirl and TURK (from Scrubs)

Hershey's candy Bars (Jason and Sarah)

Erin and Bryan, again-The LPGA golfer and her Caddy

The girls-Golfer, Partly Cloudy (no rain this time), the Ladybug, Batgirl, Hershey's, Snow White, and a Bed Bug.

Danny, Spencer and Mike-also known as The Janitor, Turk and JD

It's Guy love between two guys!

Snow White and her charming Prince Janitor


Now, that Halloween is over and the spooky decorations are gone, the Thanksgiving decorations are out with full force! I can't help but celebrate one holiday at a time. I love this time of year! I guess the holidays are officially coming, so Happy Holidays everyone.

You Know it's Sad but True!

Last Friday, Mike called me at work and asked if I absolutely had to go to class on Monday. I said there was no way that I could miss it, being math and all, and he again said , "but do you really need to go?" I said yes, and then out of curiosity I asked Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE GIVING AWAY METALLICA TICKETS TO MILITARY PERSONNEL (and the concert is Monday night)!!!

There are just some things in life that you make special exceptions for. . .

I went to an earlier math class in was in Salt Lake by 8:00. It was kind of wierd to actually be at a Metallica concert, but it was awesome!

ROCK ON!

Just Hopping Down the Bunny Trail (or Slopes)

It is officially that time of year again. The night when all the crazy ski bums in the state of Utah gather at Abravanel Hall, to pay homage to their one true god. Yes that's right, I am talking about Warren Miller. The Warren Miller movie is a religious experience for those who wait all year for the first snowflakes to fall, and they wake up with excitement on a snowy morning as if they have never seen the stuff before. It is the time of year when you see hitch-hikers lining the roads of big and little Cottonwood canyon, and you don't think twice about stopping to give them a ride because we are all one big happy family up on the slopes and why not help a brother/sister out?
Now I know you are probably thinking "Paige, I have never even heard you mention skiing/snowboarding. Why are you subjecting yourself to being around all of these dirty people that haven't showered in weeks (and a few that showered a couple of days ago in preparation for the big event), just to partake of the knowledge of Warren Miller?" Well, I must tell you that, I don't consider myself a regular on the slopes, in fact I am lucky if I make it up once a season, only to take two runs down and spend the rest of the afternoon in the lodge or the car eating granola bars. Again, you are probably asking yourself "why do you care about the Warren Miller Movie?"
Well, my friends, I will explain.
1. It is a tradition with Mike and Spencer to go every year therefore officially kicking off the season. Honestly, it takes all of mine and Steph's strength to keep them from jumping out of their seats every time someone pulls off a gnarly jump!
2. When the movie is over and I am walking out of the theater, I think to myself, I can do that. It can't be that bad. Never mind that I HATE HATE HATE! being cold. Never mind that I am sore for days afterward. Never mind that I ultimately spend the entire day by myself because Mike has been going for years and is therefore really good and he gets bored with trying to teach me how to get on and off a lift without falling. I will go because I will have a good time and I have access to the greatest snow on earth!
3. This year was especially important because my birthday gift from Mike (and Spencer and Steph-thanks again) was to be completely outfitted in snowboarding gear, THE WORKS! Including classes. So by the time we are living in California, where I can really put my skills to use, I should be doing something like this . . .

A girl can dream right? Anyway, happy winter sporting to you! Whatever it is that you do to make the best of the long cold months we have bearing down on us. And good luck, too-I don't want to see any broken bones!

I HAD a Birthday-Shout Hooray!

I know this is a couple of weeks late, but thanks everyone for the happy birthday wishes. I guess I ought to tell you what we did for the big day (one in which I officially entered my LATE twenties! YIKES!) Anyway, I had a great birthday with many different celebrations (thanks to my fam and friends).

Last weekend we went out with a group of friends to The Melting Pot for some awesome food! If you haven't been there, I highly recommend it. I am sure you all know the gist of how things are done there, so I won't go into detail. I must say though, that I am a freak when it comes to cooking meat. I am always so paranoid that I am going to eat undercooked meat, mostly chicken, and then get really sick. Because of this I rarely order chicken at a restaurant, so I must say that I was really worried when we had to cook the meat ourselves, but everything turned out great and they tell you if the meat comes by land (pork, chicken, beef) cook it for 2 mins and if by sea, for 1.5. I probably left everything in for about 5, but it still tasted so good. :)

Mike and me blurred by steam from our fondue pots.
Danny and Jacy (thanks for taking pics guys)
Spencer and StephAnd this was probably the most exciting part of our night (yeah I know, we need to get out more) but oh well. We were sitting at our table and outside we saw this really nice Range Rover pull up. Now it was a nice car, so we were all a little intrigued, but then it got even better. The door opened and out stepped Deron Williams. All five-foot-nothing of him. Ok, I know that is an exaggeration, but compared to the guys he was with, his entourage, posse, call it what you will, he looked so tiny. We all just stared to see where he was headed. Now, the windows to the restaurant weren't tinted or anything, so he could clearly see that we were all full on staring, but we didn't care. (and like he was really bothered anyway.) Just a pinch of excitement to add to our fun night.

WHAT A WEIRD-O!

I was tagged by Senessa and Lindsay in the same day and this one has been going around, and until that day I was really glad I hadn't been tagged because I was really not wanting to share these things but I guess I will, since you have all shared yours.


Quirks about me (and FYI I am cringing right now even thinking that I am going to put these out there. Even Mike may not know about some of these.)

1. When ever I am going to be gone all day long, for example leave for work at 7:30 and get home from school around 9:30, and I am just going going going, I have to go home and just walk in the back door and stand in the dining room. It is weird, but I have always been that way. I just need to be in my house for a minute, and then I am good to go wherever I need to go.

2. When it comes to drying my hands in a public restroom, I count out the paper towels that I use, but the number varies with every paper towel dispenser, and although I know that the hand dryers are more sanitary and "environmentally-friendly" I HATE THEM! They take way too long.

Automatic

3 hand waves in front of the little sensor

Ones with the lever

7 pulls of the lever

Stack 'em-up-inside kind

4 yanks on the paper towel

3. Whenever I am driving ona road that I take quite often (like the road to work or to my parent's house), I like to look at the houses and businesses along the way as if I were a visitor seeing these things for the first time. I like to ask myself if I were a visitor, would I like to come back to this place, or is one time enough. Everytime I do this, I usually notice something new. It is really interesting.

4. I love to vacuum, just to hear stuff being sucked up by the vacuum. Unfortunately I don't participate in this activity as often as I should, but when I do vacuum, I really enjoy it. What is even better is using a steam cleaner on your carpet. We (Lindsay-Power and I) did this before we moved in to our house and it was seriously exhilarating! I loved comparing a newly clean strip of carpet to the one next to it just waiting to be cleaned. Maybe I should see if Stanley Steemer is hiring. (right now I know Mike is thinking that either my mom or sister is writing this post, but I promise, babe-it is really me.)

5. When I sleep, I have to wear pajama bottoms (sweats actually), and a t-shirt (I am sure Mike loves that-sorry babe), but then in the summer I will ask Mike to crank up the AC and turn on the fan in our room. In the winter I will open the window and again turn the fan on, but then curl up with the sheet, blanket and down comforter. Also, when it is hot outside, I still have to sleep with a heavy blanket covering me. I cannot sleep with just a sheet. It drives Mike crazy! Also, on that note I always have to have one foot out of the blankets to keep me cool.

6. I am a mystery buff. Books, movies, TV shows everything. Now you may ask, why is this considered a quirk? Well, I get really excited to watch these things, but then when they are on, I get really uneasy. I have to have a blanket, and I can't ever be by myself while watching them, and then I will leave the room when things get too intense. Then it (the subject of the movie or TV show) usually bothers me for weeks. Unfortunately I always forget this nasty cycle I have and go right back to them. At least with an intense book I can just put in in the freezer. (Just a little Friends reference for those of you who are in the know).

Now you know more about me than you ever thought you would want to. I am sure there are more than just these, and if it were pet peeves, my head is full of them today, and I could go on for days.

THE END

P.S. I tag YOU!

Oh Dear Ol' Davis High School!

Good times. Val tagged me. I have been holding off on posting this because I have some awesome pics from the glory days, but I guess I can add those later.

High School: Davis High

1. Did you date someone from your high school: Yes-I did. The most memorable would have to be my rock-star husband (although short lived), with his bleached blonde hair, parted down the middle.
2. What kind of car did you drive? : Well, the car that I was given to drive was driven to school the last day of the semester, before Christmas break and then totaled during Christmas Break. Needless to say, I didn't get a car until I left for college three years later.
(This is the car, although mine was brown and the license plate read "DARTS". It was a hand me down from my sister.)

3. What is your most embarrassing moment in high school? I think I had quite a few, but one would have to be falling out of a jeep wrangler on a date with a guy I really liked. For more details, please refer to 100 things about me.
4. Were you a party animal? I don't think so-unless any of you out there would like to object.
5. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I would have to admit that I was in sophomore girls choir, and we were TERRIBLE! :) I did date somebody who played the bass guitar in the Jazz band (Yeah, honey, I am talking about you). Also another person I dated played the clarinet in the band, his sophomore year, although if I had known that, I probably wouldn't have dated him. :) (And I hope all if you reading this know I am not actually that shallow)
6. Were you a nerd? : Unfortunately I would have to say yes. When me and all my girlfriends got together, LOOK OUT! We never knew where the night would take us! I just remember lip synching at Lindsay's house with wooden spoons and spatulas.
7. Were you on any varsity teams? : Just soccer, but come to find out I wasn't that good (an unfortunate fact I learned after sitting out the entire first game of the season.) I made the best of it though, and if we were killing the other team, I got to play. :) So I was a part-time varsity player, but I had some really good times on the sidelines. (I hope that some of you remember what I am talking about when I say "Dog Pound!" Who let the dogs out?)


8. Did you get suspended/expelled? : No, but that would have made a good story-maybe I should have tried a little harder. . .
9. Can you still sing the fight song? : "Oh When the Darts, go marching in, oh when the Darts go marching in, We will all stand together and cheer them, when the Darts go marching in. Fight team! Fight team! Fight! Fight!" (Ha! Now it is stuck in your head, too.)
10. School Mascot? Dart-man/Dart-Woman (You go girl! Yes, Dusty Lindblad, I am talking to you!) Go Darts!
11. Who was your favorite teacher? Man I loved Ms. Coburn. She could make any subject exciting, but I loved my AP psych class. Also I loved this guy. . . Mr. Mike Navidomskis. His classes were so entertaining. I even aimed for poor citizenship so I could attend his U make-up classes. Ok, just kidding, but unfortuntely I did have to attend one of them. Most entertaining U make-up ever. Sure as heck beats janitorial work.

He was alway tying flies during class. Looks like the hard work paid off-although that is one ugly fish!

12. Where did you sit during lunch?: Outside Bowman's or in an over-crowded Spanky's. Or the favorite, Lindsay's kitchen, and maybe getting too comfy and not going back for our next class. 13. Did you go to homecoming and with who?: Yes, I had two experiences with homecoming. . . Junior year, Preston Croxford
Senior Year-Mike Burgin, yeah you heard me right, although at that time if you had told me that we were going to get married, I would have have said "Come, again?"

14. If you could go back and do it again, would you? I loved high school! I would totally do it again, but I would have put a little bit more of an effort toward the school part. It would have saved me work in the long run.
15. What do you remember most about graduation?:Skipping out a little early on the all night party (apparently we missed the big sing along to that one graduation song), but swimming at Lindsay's until about 6 in the morning and then heading to work at 8. Good times!
16. Where did you go senior skip day?: Barnes Park. . .that is about all I remember, all though the original plan was to have a Ferris Bueller day. (Museum, fancy retstaurant, Cubs game-I mean Bees).
17. Were you in any clubs? : Pro-Schola! A-T-T-A-C-K! ATTACK! Also, I think that fashion board counts, and you can't forget DECA.
18. Have you gained weight since then?: No comment.
19. Who was your prom date?:

Junior year-Ryan Wicknick

Senior year-Spencer Lloyd

20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?: Yeah, if we even have one-I would like to know whatever happened with our 5 year?
21. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?: None-I had a great time! Ok, I guess I would tell myself to take school a little bit more serious.

Now I want to know more about your high school experiences-
Steph, Jacy, Erin, Morgan, and anyone else that reads this.

P.S. I had so much fun digging through pics at my mom's house, that I have decided to devote an entire blog post to old pictures. Coming soon to a computer near you!