Saturday, May 7, 2016

5 year anniversary!

5 Years ago I married my best friend. I love you Matt! I love hearing you talk about math even though I don't understand it. I love playing games with you. I love watching you play with your nieces and nephews. I love the sound of your voice, the gleam in your eyes, the hair on your face. To years to come!



💖
Matt's family took us to Longhorn Steakhouse!

She is so beautiful. 5 years of marriage. Wow. I'm looking forward to many more! I love this picture. She's the most wonderful woman in all the world. Happy anniversary Rebekkah!



Saturday, April 30, 2016

Neff's Grove

We went to Neff's Grove today. It is where Matt's great-great-grandfather, John Neff, lived. His great-grandfather Benjamin Neff farmed there. It was also a popular stop for the Pony Express. We took Grandma Elaine Neff here, but I can't find a picture for it at the moment.

Yay for history lessons!
It's kinda hard to read, so here's the text:
During the pioneer era, Neff's Grove was used as a campground and a picnic site. This area was also called Dry Creek. It was later named Crescent because of the crescent shape of the mountains. The creek was a former outlet for Little Cottonwood Creek which had an abundance of good water available. The Milo Andrus family built the Hotel named The Half Way House around 1859. For a number of years, travelers, stage coach passengers, and Pony Express riders used this location as a rest area. It was situated midway between Travelers' Rest at 5200 South State Street and the Porter Rockwell Station at the Point of the Mountain. It became known as Neff's Station at Dry Creek after the Deseret Telegraph established an office in 1871. John B. Neff owned the property and farmed there in the 1880's. The Creek was an important source of irrigation and well water for local settlers and farmers.


Not technically in the grove, it's next to it, but it sure smelled perty!

A lovely place for a walk. 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Sidewalk Closed


Just walking home from the train and I encountered an obstacle! What to do!?

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Matt ism of the day

I have to share this! There are many times when this wonderful man makes me laugh. He would make a great living as a stand-up comedian, I think. :D


Matt- Did you recently buy pistachios?

Me- ? no...

Matt- Smith's automatic recordings called. We bought some pistachio tainted with salmonella, actually it's only possibly contaminated. I think it was a long time ago. But they said we used our Smith's customer ID.

Me- .... ok. Well, it's nice to see the ID serving a useful purpose.

Matt- Yes. They let us know that the food we ate months ago might have killed us.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Working at the Rio Grande

I didn't know either until a few years ago. I'm sure in some places it's just bullies or something. I looked into it and while there are some places in the world where dangling shoes marks an occasion (like the end of the school year, or those weird shoe trees that seem to exist just ...because....), the shoes hanging around here let you know there's a dealer in the area. The color of the shoe, or the type of shoe can indicate what drug is being sold. I think eventually the shoes are cut down, but I've never seen someone take them down. They just disappear eventually.


Friday, March 4, 2016

Dinner at grad school

The department is having a dinner he said. Be there at 6 he said. I wanna introduce everyone to my wife he said..... I'm so overdressed. For some reason I was expecting tables and .... you know.... utensils.


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Apologies to my children

I was once a political junkie. The first presidential election I followed was Gore v. Bush. I was 17. I watch the debates, I read all I could... and the race after that... and after that... but now....

I can't take it. I. Can't. Take. It. It's so depressing. My computer even has the John Oliver add-on making all things "Trump" into "Drumpf" (except Twitter for some reason) which just magnifies my frustration when Drumpf wins a state. I polled my family to find out if anyone was drawn to the election as I was. Survey said:
Doing laundry.
Watching West Wing (Vote Bartlett!)
Youth activity
Watching NCIS
I made cookies and ate ice cream. Painted a little, cross stitched to X-Files.

It was agonizing. How is it someone who says such outrageous things, which would swiftly kill any other campaign, still gets votes? How is he leading? I don't even know anyone who is voting Drumpf. America seems to be learning how Hitler was elected. We often say things like 'How did Germany vote for this guy?' 'Didn't they look into his background?' "How were they so blind?" This is how, dear America. Angry voters don't look into things. Anger is no way to approach an election. It feeds on the rantings of anything fueling the fire of blame. Times are tough and we like to hear it's not our fault. I believe angry voters is exactly why Trump is leading in delegates.

President Hinckley said "Anger is not an expression of strength. It is an indication of one's inability to control his thoughts, words, his emotions. Of course it is easy to get angry. When the weakness of anger takes over, the strength of reason leaves. Cultivate within yourselves the mighty power of self-discipline."

On the plus side (I hope it's a plus), there is talk of a brokered convention (I think it'd kill the GOP, but at this point I don't care) which would be fascinating.