Wednesday, January 25, 2012

..and the last of Sundance Part 1



Final sushi dinner at Blind Dog




The guys from our favorite short film- not sure what the naked chests are all about???


Just hangin' out



After a morning workout



The cast of "The Bachelorette"- see James Marsden & Kirsten Dunst




On our way to the "ticket tent" at Eccles



Tuesday, January 24, 2012

More Sundance Pics


Cast of "For A Good Time, Call..."- See Nia Vardalos, Mimi Rogers, Justin Long & others





Waiting in line... again :)






Shoppin' for boots!



Just to show we are "official Sundance"




Cast of "The Surrogate"- John Hawkes, William H Macy & Helen Hunt




... and once again, waiting in line
Amy, Darien & Kari


Sundance Part 1 Wrap Up

As you can read from the previous few posts, the first 3 days of Sundance were wonderful.. and the 2nd 3 days were even better. Let's take a look:

Sunday-
2 films (of course after gym time!)
First up- Shorts!
This was new for us- have never experienced a shorts program before
10-15 min short films
Interesting... of 7, some good and some not so good
Next...
For a Good Time Call- Starring Justin Long, Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, Nia Vardalos
VERY good- wonderfully humorous flick.. loved this one (and just found out it was picked up by a studio!) Girls starting a phone sex business. Who knew?

Monday-
More gym time (good thing due to all this yummy food & cocktails!)
#1- The Surrogate- Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt & Williams H Macy
Superb (and also picked up)- a definite "must see"- true story too
#2- Bachelorette- Starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan & James Marsden
Name says it- wedding movie
Funny, kinda dark humor.... worth viewing
Last movie. Sad. But they were good and so worth the trip (and vacation time!)

Today, Tuesday, was simply wrapping up the 5 days and taking the girls to the airport after one final lunch. So sad. Makes me pout now that Sundance Part 1 is over. Boo hoo.
But, this was an amazing year. Everything was perfect, Exactly what Sundance should be.

Love, love, love this week in January. Every year.
Thanks Lil' Amy & New Kari!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sundance Pics



Let the fun begin!




Egyptian Theatre on Main Street


More Main Street walkin'




Cocktails at Montage celebrating Amy's early birthday




Anne Heche & Carrie Preston at "That's What She Said"




Amy & Kari in the fresh snow




Paul Dano & John Heder at "For Ellen"




Whiskey & Apple Cider at the Ice Bar at High West



Sundance 2012 Days #2 & #3

Days 2 and 3 were fabulous! Exactly what Sundance should be.. take a look...

Friday- slept in, hit the gym and then hit Main Street for some sights... BBQ lunch, dabbling in some shopping and people watching
Next up- our first film!
"That's What She Said"- Starring Anne Heche & Directed by Carrie Preston
Very typical Sundance flick- funny, quirky... had to be there to enjoy it
After the film, we headed up the mountain to the new luxurious Montage hotel for some libations... after reviewing the website to see hotel rooms were $1,500 per night and a cheeseburger was $19, we opted for a few cocktails and shared some ahi tuna... yum

Saturday- Fantastic day! First, major snowstorm, which was fun- not bad enough to shut things down, but lots and lots of snow all around... so pretty... and reason to bust out the cold weather gear- including the snow hats!
Spa was up first... wonderful time at Align Spa... all 3 girls were more than pleased with our services and will definitely go back. Relaxing.... and then off to lunch at Deer Valley Cafe. Planning for a light lunch ended up being lots of chips & salsa, salads, soups, tacos, and cupcakes all around!
And then... again.. Film time!
"For Ellen"- Starring Paul Dano and John Heder
Okay, this is one of those time that the film was NOT good, but it was fun talking to the actors afterward and sneaking some pics. Again, that is what Sundance is all about.
After the film, we braved the storm and hit Main Street again... despite the inebriated young folks, we enjoyed some High West Whiskey laced hot apple cider, flirted with the local bartenders and bouncers and saw many "lovely" celebrities walking Main Street.
Tonight:
James Marsden (we are seeing him in a film on Monday!)
Scott Speedman
Kate Bosworth
Marley Shelton
Scott Wolf
Fun, fun, fun!!!

This is definitely the stuff Sundance is made of. The town covered in white powder, but not super cold, celebrity sightings, tasty food, belly laughs, and the wonder of funky cinema that no sane person can really comprehend but we enjoy it nonetheless. Bring on the next several days.

Photos up next!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Sundance 2012 Day #1

It's finally here!!! Sundance 2012

Thursday-Tuesday with Amy Solinger & Keri Kehr
Friday-Sunday with Shannon Rosati

Arrived today in time for lunch... after a quick bite at Molly Bloom's Irish Pub, we were on our way...

Not much today.. just getting settled, checking out the Sundance store and out to dinner at my favorite restaurant in Park City- Purple Sage

Wine, martinis, mojitos, blue cheese chips, fondue, salads, soup, pork tenderloin, ice cream sandwich and butterscotch pudding (ok, not each of us ate all of this, but still...) and I am very honored when the owner remembers me and gives us pudding on the house! This is a wonderful tradition.

So. very. full. But delicious.

Now home to rest up for our first big day. Maybe a good workout is in order first, after this first excessive dinner.
I am so very excited. Sundance is what this girl's dreams are made of!

Sundance, here we come....

Monday, January 16, 2012

Rediscovering Thai

I tried curry for the first time in Hawaii in 1992. Hated it. Bad experience. Did not eat it again until a beautiful, convincing man enticed me into trying it again a few weeks back in Park City at Bangkok Thai. It was delicious.

So, here I am all alone on a Monday night after work. To-do list complete. Jarrod out. Nothing to cook at home. Already went to the gym this morning. Feeling adventurous. So, I take a drive.

Turns out to NOT be a very long drive. 3 blocks away. The Corner Thai. There it is. Have never visited.
Yellow curry with chicken and potatoes. Wow. This is tasty. And inexpensive. $10 and more than 2 meals from this one single order.

I am liking being convinced and I am liking this new flavor pallet.
New things 2012 is on a roll...

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Yum-o!

Yes, I took that from Rachael Ray. I know, I know....
But, I am here today to talk about my new Smoothie Mini-Blender by Oster.
OMG... yes, I never use that. But I have to. Today.

Asked for one for Christmas- Magic Bullet, Mini-blender, etc. This pink & black mini version was the best bet for me. It is amazing (thanks Mom & Dad!)

This morning it's banana-raspberry-blueberry.... tasty AND healthy. How can you go wrong? Love it. Truly do.

And the best part? (Well, maybe not the best, but a darn good part)- how easy it is to clean and use again! I avoid blenders in general because they take up so much space, take long to wash, etc. This mini version just rocks.

Happy Saturday morning to all!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Brrrr.....

I think my new thing will have to be bringing a winter coat with me when I travel to cold states.... Brrrr! I just returned from Kansas City... it was freezing! The winds were horrible. Just horrible. And of course I did not bring a coat. Just a heavy sweater. Stupid.

So, new thing will be: watch the weather and bring a coat.

Funny thing. I love fashion. Cute coats all around. I can really take advantage of this. Why have I not thought of this before now? Because I don't like the hassle of carrying it around in the warm states.

Trench coast, p-coats, down jackets, ski jackets, cashmere coats... the options are limitless. I must get on this. Stat.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

A Few New Things

Of course, busy, busy, busy this last week.... so, I have to think back to the "new things" I have tried since my last post 1 week ago. Hmmmmm.....

* Paid for a strangers frozen yogurt at the SLC airport to pay if forward immediately after I had a stranger return my lost cash (lots of it!)
* Ate meatloaf off a hot guy's plate at Grub Steakhouse (don't like meatloaf; he said it was good)

* Finally took some sane advice to vent to someone about my frustrations versus holding them in until I was about to explode (and, as expected, did make me feel a little better)

Not much, but I do feel good about that last one. Not so good about the meatloaf (seriously, does meat belong in a loaf!?), but good about the venting. Releases are good.

Maybe one I should try next time: bring a coat to Kansas City when the weather report calls for snow. Ya, sometimes I never learn.
Now, back to the People's Choice Awards.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Gettin' Veggies Any Way I Can

Something new #3-

Added shredded carrots to my tuna fish for lunch
Not bad...
Like to get my veggies any way I can
Did I mention I am also eating leftover squash on the side?
This will make up for the popcorn with butter and sugary soda I will consume while seeing a movie on a school night!

Mission Impossible here we come (in about 4 hours)

Monday, January 2, 2012

Something New

As I stated yesterday, I have decided to try "new things" this year.... Day #2.... Cook a small beef roast and veggies in a crock pot.

Yes, I have cooked a roast in the oven in the past- but I have never tried the crock pot version. People say it's great. Put it in at 10AM.... we will see how it goes at 6 or 7PM tonight. Meat, veggies, some spices and soup for moisture. What could possibly go wrong? We will see. Smells good 3 hours in!

I'm loving this so far.
BTW.. the squash last night was beyond tasty. Sliced, baked, added a little brown sugar. Delightful. Jarrod agreed. Great addition to some lean meat on the grill.

What shall I try next!? Time will tell.
Have a great day!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

A new one begins again... Welcome 2012!

2011 was a good one. Many highlights.... a few low lights, but it's always good when the highs are much greater than the lows.

A few of the good...

Abundance of amazing family and friends
A wonderful job that I love
Super fun vacations--- Sundance, Florida, and Cabo San Lucas to name a few
Maintaining my weight (yeah!)
Adding lots to my savings account while also taking care of a few "wanted" household jobs
A fun, albeit unconventional, love life
Splitting time between the Bay area and Park City
The best little kitty in the world who loves me unconditionally

All in all, great year. But...

As I have said before, I am not one for "Resolutions". I always feel just a healthy, controlled lifestyle is better. That is what I strive for, however, that does not mean improvements are not welcome.

With that, not a resolution, BUT I am going to try several new things this year. Not a bucket list, but just simple things. I would like to see if I can try at least one new thing every week- maybe more. Let's see how it goes... here we go. I am starting with cooking butternut squash tonight. Love it. Eat it. Just have never cooked it on my own unless it came pre-chopped. Simple, but new to me.

Happy New Year world!