ho ho holy awesome bike ride

Saturday was the most beautiful day for a bike ride.  OK, so realistically it was 37 degrees out and who knows what the wind chill was as I flew down the canyon at high {dad re:completely safe}speeds with the sun in my eyes making for lovely shadows, but maybe not optimum visibility.

 I've been waiting for this day for months and months so a little snow on the ground or just above sub freezing temps would not deter me from my fun.  The day dawned as the day I would hop on my brand new road bike and the whole paved world opened up to me.  I have been mentally plotting out long stretches of west facing road in my spare pondering moments.

 I started my maiden voyage at work on South Temple where Jameson {favorite cousin of the week, sorry lovely cousins, I do love you all}dropped off my new bike Friday afternoon. Then climbed the 11 blocks to the top of the avenues without having to weave up the hill one block at a time to catch my breath due to the old bike's lack of gears suitable for climbing.

Exceptions for bikes? Like a little sign. Kismet. Blessings from Heaven.

high speed chase

 {image}

It could be argued that you can't have a high speed chase with someone if that someone isn't aware of being chased.  I'll argue the point because how could he not know?

commence story time.

so there I was, minding my own business, mere blocks away from home, my book and my space heater {aka The Cat}waiting for me at the end of a long day.  The light turned green and I was about to cross State Street into the Avenues when some joker with a giant trailer attached to his suburban bumped into me.  Yes, just a tap, enough to make his trailer ricochet off my car resulting in the need to grip my wheel a bit harder so as not to veer into oncoming traffic.  Nothing to flip out over.

The next logical thing to happen in this story would be we pulled over, exchanged information, got the cops involved to give him a ticket so insurance stuff could go smoothly and then I went home and ate some popcorn.  But then we wouldn't have a story on our hands would we? Enter twist to the plot.

I followed him up the block and when he passed plenty of acceptable places to pull over I started flashing my lights and honking my horn at him like the mad little hornet I should have been.  I was more annoyed than anything else as I followed him around the block asking him out loud if he needed a landing strip to pull over.  He took a couple corners like he was trying out his skills for the next smash n crash derby and when he headed back in the direction we had come from I was pretty sure I was taking part in my first {and hopefully not last} high speed chase.

This guy couldn't possibly know who he's dealing with.  How could he have know that I live for this kind of thing?  That I would consider it a game to stay on his bumper until the bitter end no matter his evasion tactics?  If he was trying to shake me off, he'd have to try a lot harder.  I was on the line with 911 giving the lady the play by play, "We're heading west on No Temple, now turning south on West Temple, passing 1st, 2nd, now turning left onto 3rd headed East..."  That's when the cops took over with their flashing lights and sirens to get his attention and I was more than a little disappointed that I wouldn't be throwing out spikes after all.

His side to the story was he had no idea he'd even hit me, or that I had been following him around town for some time.  He was lost, hungry, and looking for the Olive Garden.  The cop empathized with him and let him off easy and said when he's hungry he can be a bit spacey too.  Well, yeah, me too, but really?  Really?!

The end.

{I do hope there is a sequel in the making, maybe How I Took Down My First Smuggling Ring}

before the wind

 before the winds started howling {boy, did they howl - 90 mph!}I was out and about the neighborhood taking care of things:

return library book {Water for Elephants - I wasn't a fan, I didn't even finish it, I'll see the movie instead.} pick up new library book {Sarah's key - a big fan of this book, I will see this movie too when I'm done.}
continue walk to new neighbors house to say hello, welcome to the greatest neighborhood ever
search for friend's dog after we were done visiting the new neighbor because she decided to go meet some neighbors on her own

  You know, just regular run of the mill kind of errand type things for a Wednesday night that don't exactly warrant a blog post of their very own.  The not so run of the mill bit of the night was the sky.  It was long after sunset and yet there was the prettiest blue glow behind the impending storm clouds.
  It created the loveliest back ground to my errand running and I found myself walking down the middle of my street watching the branches in contrast to the glowing sky.  Good thing there wasn't any traffic right?

While the cat watched her flocks at night.

My favorite quote of the week:

"sometimes i wonder. so much of what i see reminds me of something i saw in a meg ryan movie once, when shouldn't it be the other way around?"  

I thought it was the wittiest spin off of a movie quote if I ever heard one.  Auuh, someone who loves Meg Ryan movies as much as I do. 

Happy Weekend dear void, what will you be doing?

within walking distance

It's still a few months before City Creek will open, but talking about it last night with my friends had me excited for it all over again. 

I live within walking distance and have enjoyed watching the progress and look forward to convenient shopping {Nordstrom downtown? heck yes!}

The only downside to the completion?  Having that cranes leave.  I love cranes mixed in with a cityscape.  They inspire me and bring a feeling of change and growth.  This rendering also inspires me, makes me want to pull out my markers or design a retail space.

{images from here}

my idea of a really good time

why does fall seem to be the shortest season of them all?

on my ipod while I rode

"..falling slowly sing your melody

I'll sing along.."

Damien Rice

do tarantulas bite?

 To show my dependance on the all powerful google I decided not to pick up the pretty spider like I wanted to because I wasn't sure how much trouble I would be in if she bit me without first consulting dear google.  

Yes, google let me know they bite.  It'd feel like a bee sting.  Unless I was allergic.  Can you get tested for tarantula allergies like you would an egg or pollen allergy?  That box isn't provided on most forms where you're asked to check all known allergies.  Aprin - no, eggs - no, tarantulas... maybe?

So I let the spider alone and we went our separate ways. This is a favorite spot of mine on the BST trail with a great vantage point of the city.

My breakfast yesterday. 

{yes, I think I'll be one of those people who takes pictures of recipes I try and post about them.} 

The short stack. Mini cinnamon spelt pancakes with blueberries and applesauce/agave syrup.

I got the recipe here though I didn't add the maca or protein powder, instead opting for a heaping teaspoon of ground flax seed and a bit more cinnamon.  I also tried them with pears and it was a perfect blend of harvest time flavors.

More and more grapes.  Do you live near me?  Do you want some because I have heaps and heaps growing in my back yard.

wanderlust

Wish I were here.  Somewhere in the middle of a really long hike.

Are you in the mood for some change in scenery today?  Where would you like to go?

fresh from the market

I woke up early this morning as has become Saturday tradition this summer and laid in bed wondering what to do with myself until it was time to go to work.  Read this on the porch?  Bake something yummy?  Ride up the canyon and enjoy the crisp air that travels down the mountain with the river and pools in pockets in the morning shade.  Tempting, I even headed in that direction first.  But decided instead to ride to the farmers market and find something for breakfast.  I filled up my backpack with tomatoes, a very long seedless cucumber and a bag of peaches.

I loved seeing these girls wrapped up in blankets in their family's stall.  Neither of them seemed very awake. Bet they've been there every Saturday this summer doing the same thing?  It reminded me of the early mornings I'd wrap up in my blanket to ride along when my brother had a paper route. 

A bike propelled piano.  Why not?

Happy Saturday friends.

inspired by: The Help

King of Queens by Fabricut was used in The Help on a beautiful settee along with a load of other beautiful fabrics that distracted me from the story at times, but only added to how much I enjoyed the movie.

I used this fabric in the parade of homes this summer and recognized a few others during the movie from projects I've done in the past.  I had to refrain from poking my friend each time I noticed another great fabric, but she did say at the end of the movie that she had guessed I was really enjoying the set design.  Guess she knows me pretty well.

Wouldn't it be fun to dress more circa 1960 feminine with all those great full skirts, belts and pretty heels?

If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it.  Bryce Dallas Howard plays Hilly Holbrook - the kind of villain we love to hate.

out and about: downtown SLC

I used to take loads of pictures while I was out and about of the little details that caught my eye. 

Sometimes I'm a little too aware of acting like a tourist in my own life, always with my little camera pointed at something and I wondered if I was missing things because I was always looking at everything too closely, if that makes any sense at all. So I stopped for awhile, and I've missed it.  I don't think I'll ever stop looking at things like I'm trying to fit it into something I can save for later.  

 After I dropped my things off at home {including the camera unfortunately} I went for a fun on the trails and it was much more pretty up there in the hills at sunset than the city was today even with all the sunshine and blue skies.

all in all, a gorgeous day off {I love having my mid-week week end.}