Frita

Meet my new friend Frita. She's friendly, loves the water and weighs 400 pounds. Ain't she sweet?

By the way, I heart Los Cabos!

Scotty and Sarah

Scotty from Boston came to see me for the Fourth of July and another dear 2002 Winter Olympic friend Sarah played with us at Boondocks. Aren't we the cutest friends? The Olympic really DO bring people together. Yeah us! (Thanks Scott for the pictures.)

A very strict training program

Lorie, Lee and I ran the Dash for Donation 5k in Sugarhouse this weekend. Lorie believes firmly that any good run should be followed up by Chuck-a-rama - I just had to see what all the fuss was about. Well, was nice to be able to eat once for the whole weekend...

Build your own

In southern California, a little frozen yogurt shop exists in Irvine on 17th Street. The Schrecks just call it "build your own". When you walk into the shop, you have to fight the crowd to get to the bank of yogurt dispensers. There are so many flavors. You stand there dazed but excited. Grab a sample cup and try a few - it's OK! Then determine the size of cup you're up to and fill it with goodness. I personally like the combination of a sweet and tart. Don't overdo it, you need room for your toppings. Next, you have nuts, candy, sauces, and fruit to choose from. Layer strategically as you want variety, but flavors should blend well. You might want to create "pockets" in the base of frozen yogurt to hide little treats you want, but may not go with the rest of the toppings you've selected. (Be warned that anything "gummy" seems tempting, but will not be a good combo with anything wet and frozen. ) Now, carefully move toward the cash register - you don't want to get bumped and spill toppings. Ah, the moment of truth. Put that masterpiece on the scale and get a hefty dose of reality as you realize that it's pay-by-the-ounce (another reason to go easy on the yogurt base and go for the less-dense toppings). You look at your treat and look at the expectant but wise sales girl and you realise you love your creation more than your greenbacks. You pay quickly (before buyer's remorse sets in), grab a spoon, napkins and find a seat - you may have to hover at a packed table or just head for the curb outside. Sit, eat, enjoy. Ahhhhhh!

The point of this little diatribe? Utah Valley citizens have now joined the millions who already "build their own". You can find your own little piece of heaven right here. They are not quite up to 17th Street , but I think all is well.

The Games

One of my friends will tell you I am not exactly a "sports buff", however, when the Olympics come around, I am suddenly aware of athletes, stats, trivia and scoring standards - much to the dismay of those who have followed it all for the last four years. (Truthfully, I pick this up mostly from my other friends who are not fair-weather sports enthusiasts.) I love to see gymnastics, swimming and track the best. I can't tell you how extraordinarily patriotic I feel that athlete stands up and claims a medal - really, I love that he/she is there competing. I love watching people push themselves to the very tip-top of their dreams and goals. I love watching what the human body can do with an indomitable spirit and sense of national pride. This series of games has been pretty super.
The fun is also in the host country's ceremony and culture. We get to peak into a far-away land for a wee bit. Having been in China this summer for little visit, my level of connection is just a bit higher too.
I am aware I am not the only one who may love the Olympics, but I just wanted to join the club for awhile.

Two girls and a sunburn

It all started with a site visit to Zermatt to check it out for an event for work. It's a great (by great, I mean super great) little place with the most amazing grounds, suites, and a bakery to-die-for. The lovely Sales Director Annette gave me a night at the resort to "check it out" and I took her up on her offer. My friend Lori and I decided to take a girls' holiday. We drove up, camped out at the pool and read. It was so great! Unfortunately, we ran out of sunscreen and Lori now looks a little like a lobster.

Room with a view

The Olympics were the only thing to pull us away from the pool.

What to do in a tornado...

When a tornado hits, run to the basement, grab your loved ones, grab a battery-powered radio, and grab a Mariachi band (of course).

So, I just finished an event in Chicago. The first (now annual) Unicity Latino Convention - I should mention here that I don't speak Spanish. In the middle of our opening reception a tornado came to town. Our party was broken up and moved downstairs in the basement. People gathered nervously while the lights flickered, the rain poured and the wind tore trees out just yards from us. The band played on. People danced, sang and continued drinking well after the tornado left. And the band played on. That might just be the theme for this event...

Our event staff was delayed over six hours by the storm, so I (the one who doesn't speak Spanish) ran registration (the badges being with the delayed staff). A box of product went "missing". The key parts of our set didn't show up and the contracted company decided they didn't have them to begin with. Also, our set didn't fit in the room anyway...which is a challenge if you want people there. Most of the event ran on "Latino Time". Did I mention that I don't speak Spanish? The roof in our event room started leaking. Half our presenters were stuck in airports due to the weather. People brought "guests" to the event so the food was, uh, consumed more quickly than planned. Our specially planned menu for vegans was frustrated by the number of people asking for meat. The microphones didn't work. The executive Vice President had his flight cancelled so we stalled a lot. Chicago has a lot of toll roads, construction, and poor signs, so I spent mucho time lost and mucho of time trying to miss my flight home.

On the upside...I got the penthouse suite and a cheese plate (non-vegan)! The AV was good (with some upgrade$). The staff came, worked hard and became heroes. The hotel staff was the best I have ever worked with - they even helped with our event registration (they were non-stop great)! The people were happy. The final set looked good. The leak stopped. The sun came out and the band played on.

Hasta la vista!