Kesler Kronicles

Rocky Point 2011.

2011-07-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

I'm super grateful for these good friends of mine, and I hope this happens again soon!

Montana.

2010-08-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

First let me just say, I am sooo glad that my parents are serving a mission in the states (Missoula, MT to be exact) instead of far across the world. Here are some general reasons why:

1. I can call them ALL DAY LONG. (sometimes I really do)

2. Montana is soo their style.

3. I don't have to worry about them getting sick and showing up 40 lbs thinner on our doorstep with less than 24 hours notice. (this happened)

4. I don't have to worry about them QUITE as much. (i still worry)

5. Mesa airport flys straight to them!

We got to go out and visit them last weekend, and had a blast! Here are some highlights from the trip.

Hiking.

Deer spotting.

Seriously delicious cherries.

Huckleberries. ("purple gold", they like to be called.)

Rock skipping at Glacier's Mcdonald Lake.

(yes, i was kind of posing..i think that was kevin or shanes rock that skipped.)

Logans pass, Glacier Park.

Learning all about Montana's wildlife at the Elk Foundation.

Apache Lake Hike.

Fly Fishing at Rock Creek, Missoula.

The list could go on!

Thanks mom and dad for letting us take over your apartment, making us delicious home cooked meals, and touring us around Montana! I can't wait to come back out!

Birthday Miracles.

2010-07-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Birthday Miracle #1: overcast clouds, temperatures in the 90's (till like 12ish..Thats a miracle!)

#2: My family knowing me THIS well!

(cat birthday cards?!) guess which is from Kevin, and which is from my parents.

#3: Banana Bread french toast.

#4: Free food at ALL of Joes restaurants.

#5: HOPEFULLY not gaining 2 lbs from all the delicious food!

Disclaimer:(when your dieting, good food is the best birthday present a girl can ask for!)

Fathers day.

2010-06-20T08:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I thought of why my dad is the best.

1. He left me a message about how beautiful his hike was in Montana, and how we needed to come out there so badly to see it.

2. I got this picture in an email from above mentioned hike. I think it explains itself.

3. He used to change the flowers in my car, along with leaving me my favorite power/candy bar.

4. He loves talking weather.

5. He spoiled me with breakfast every morning growing up, that now that is my all time favorite meal.

6. I would get grounded in Highschool and he would come home with treats to dull my pain.

(Ben&Jerrys Phish Food)

So, there it is Dad! You are the best, and my favorite dad of all time!

Thank you for everything you do and have done for me over the years!

I love you!

New York. Summer 2009.

2010-06-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

We recently developed film from a year ago when we were in NYC!

Here are a few favorites.

I've been staring at this donut for like a whole minute.

Lacy maybe you can bring me back one?

(The Donut Plant, Blackberry glazed and filled)

Chicago.

2010-05-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a LONG time since I've posted a blog! My only excuse was not having anything to blog about. Last semester was pretty boring.

Here is a short recap: I hated ASU, but loved subbing with the symphonies and teaching. Steve had an easy semester at MCC and worked serving tickets. There it is!

After school got out we took a trip out to Chicago to visit my very pregnant sister. (she was already supposed to have had her baby)....but.... lucky for me she didn't have her till our last day in Chicago...so I got to go out again a couple weeks later!

I LOVE their house, area, weather, and THEM! Here are some highlights from the trip.

The new Baby, Marah Claire Payne.

She was so cute, I asked to take her home with me.

Sunset Park

I guess the perk to high taxes (so i hear) is their parks and libraries are AH-mazing.

The temple, and library

Delicious Bakery's

They live right next to Lake Michigan!
(I think Keilah really bonded with Steve throughout the whole trip really..)

This incident happened at Al's Beef in downtown Chicago.

These are Italian beef sandwiches sopping wet from being fully dipped in some sort of broth. The result was soggy, but surprisingly delicious.

(I swear the food is going in not coming out of my mouth, though hard to tell)

This and that walking the downtown.

A Chicago Dog. I believe they were deep fried.

(hard to see behind the fries)

This is what a white castle burger looks like. I had never had one, but was very curious to try.

I think they look as good as they taste. which isn't really that good.

M. J's house.

I just liked this pic, cause i thought it was funny seeing keilah propping up the computer playing games.

This is their house. Isn't it amazing? We loved it.

This is what the girls looked like on our way to the airport!

I miss them already!

Thanks April and Shaun for putting up with me for 2 weeks! I loved spending so much time with you and your kids, can't wait for the next trip!

Baby Momma

2010-01-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I got to play "baby momma". I babysat my sisters kids for 2 days!
It was A LOT of fun, but like Annissa said "babysitting is the best kind of birth control".

Kids are a full time job, and I have a new outlook on how hard it is to keep them happy, entertained, and CLEAN.

Kudos to ya'll baby mommas out there!!

Harajuku New Years 2009

2010-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Sushi. JUKU. Karaoke. Pink Cupcakes. Candy. Boba Daiquiri's. Tokyo Drift.

I'm not sure how Harajuku we look, but I like to classify us as Clubbin' Harajuku, Steve, with a K-fed influence. {we did our best}

Thanks Lisa for picking GREAT theme!
I have an idea for next year, that involves soul food and a great salt n' pepa costume.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

I think this picture best describes our holiday feelings!
{And is the only picture i took!}

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-30T16:56:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was AH-MAZING.

I ran the turkey trot in the morning, had a delicious belgium waffle breakfast, made some "berry goot", watched Twilight with enthusiastic fans, ate A LOT of pie, and won a game of Settlers of Catan. It was a good day.

Saturday morning we drove up to Haigler Creek to spend some time with my parents. Horseshoes, foil dinners, BBQ's, Rummikube, "oh heck", Hearts, cloudy skies, and Bonfires.
{I still smell like a campfire, and so does my car}

The weekend was so much fun, it made it really painful to go to school today. I can't wait for the Christmas holidays to start!! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Questionable

2009-11-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Black Friday!

{Fur is in, right?}

It's over! {finally}

2009-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for all of your support!

{look how cute they are}

I'm glad it is over.

Irresistable

2009-11-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

Two things I just can't seem to resist. Should I be embarrassed?
(How many kissy faces can you really make, right?)

Taking solo photo booth shots. (see kerri's wedding post)
(Taken at Smeeks candy shop....I had to edit out one of them for inappropriateness)

Buying things from thrift stores, that I might not ever wear.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

I have a secret to admit. Steve and I are haters of Halloween. I can only speak for myself as to my reasons, but here are a couple:

1. I do not like being scared. (It makes me angry)

2. I don't like the way a mask rids people of their inhibitions.
Example: My first year at CU their was a scary riot on "the hill" where rioters were setting cars on fire, and police were shooting people with sand bags, and tear gas? (the tear gas may be an exaggeration)
these people were most likely masked.

The only plus I could see was an excuse to buy eachother gifts, and eat at our favorite sushi restaurant!

Steve, thanks for the great heels, and your welcome for the record and movie! (maybe the movie was for me too)

Thanks for watching wrist cutters with me, for pretending that I was awake the whole time, and getting me to run that spooky long red light in my delirious state.

And since we didn't take pictures to document any of this, just enjoy these spooky ones from a scary antique shop in New York.

The Pits

2009-10-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is what the pit looks like. The Opera Pit. Where the orchestra hides. AND where I've been the past two weekends.

{The pit. minus me. I don't know how a FULL orchestra fits down there}
{The stage from the pit}

ASU's production of the novel set for opera Turn of the Screw. {Benjamin Britten}
It's a crazy ghost story, but that's all I will say. Only one more performance. TONIGHT!
{I can't wait for it to be over}
{p.s. I have plenty of comp tix if anyone is interested. }

P.P.S The state fair is coming up! Who's in for funnel cake and corn dogs?

This party is JUST getting started

2009-09-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Seriously that is how I felt all last night. Kerri's reception was AMAZING. I got to see friends and cousins that I hadn't seen in a LONG time. {lets not go that long again} I'm pretty sure I learned new dance moves. {the ppaynes know how to party} and I'm already anticipating a night at Skateland. {that's as close as I come to clubbing}

Just as I thought things were winding down for the newly weds dance, they broke into a choreographed dance to Brittney Spears. AH-MAZING.

All I can say, is that if i could do our reception again, it would have A LOT more dancing. Here's some pics.

{planning her wedding}

I wish I had a pic with the bridesmaids! cute bouquet's, head bands, and bright red lipstick!

We start our weekends on Thurrrrsday

2009-09-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Since Steve and I both don't have jobs yet...why not start the weekend celebrations a day early?!
{we're both lacking the responisbility of having jobs...any day now..}

Arizona has a lot to offer with Antiquing! {and it's pretty moderately priced}

Give this couch a chance...seriously it may look like it belongs in some middle aged bachelor pad, but think of the comfort for just a minute, and you may want to go pick it up. let me know, and I'll give you the deets.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Well Spent $$$$$

2009-08-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

Day-date at superstition mall. 5$ well spent.

I LOVE superstition mall; it was the mall of choice of my childhood. I went there in Elementary {When I was allowed, and most likely with supervision}Jr. High, and at least the first couple years of High school.

In Jr. High, me, Heidi, Bethany, and Brenna would take booth pics every time and plan out what pose for each shot {Those booths roll through the pics fast!}

Then in High school {the more edgy} me, Brittney J., and Genessa G., would go there to cause disturbances like pretending to fall over chairs and throwing mini jaw breakers off the second level. {I still don't get it}

As I thought to post steve and I's booth pic, I thought it might be interesting to see some of my old booth delights. and it was! Conveniently, I had them all pasted {most likely for the front of my clear binder} onto one piece of card stock for your viewing pleasure.

{I must have been in a fight with Brenna L. cause i drew devil horns on her head. no big deal.}
p.s. that black and white one of Bethany and I is actually only from a few years back, but I believe it was at a Drew Danburry show, with a guest appearance of ME on cello...don't ask.

HOT HOT HOT!

2009-08-26T13:34:00.001-07:00

I remember telling Shanna the other day "oh the heat isn't so bad..." It took me a week and a half of being home + 2 walks with my cello to ASU to realize, that YES it is that bad.

{Even the cactus are dying}

A better brew. to prove that when you juice vegetables, it doesn't always look like sludge.
{just sometimes}

{1 Red bell pepper, 1 cucumber, 1 slice of ginger, 2 celery stalks, 1 slice of beet, 1 white peach, 1 slice of tomato}

p.s. Poloroids! but of course, AZ is left off the list.

I <3 School

2009-08-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

I miss taking 18 credits, biking to school, and working on campus. I miss it.
{CU Boulder, I never thought I would say this...}

I'm hoping that with my electronic music class I can have more fun projects like THIS!

Happiness

2009-08-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Our 2 year anniversary was yesterday August 18th!

We've been holding off on Temari {2 days...it was hard} to wait for our anniversary.

{After we got married, we tried to go to Temari for the first time before our reception..it was closed, and we settled for really terrible sushi at T.V. sushi bar. It took us moving back to Arizona to discover its glory!}

{Tuna lovers roll, Tuna poke, something bad roll, mango roll}

Unfortunately my hunger got the best of me, and I didn't remember that I wanted a picture of how delicious Temari sushi looks {and is!} before we dove in .

~~~~

This morning I drove to the Superstition Farmers Market. It made me really happy. So does seeing my refrigerator this full of my own food! {no more room mates}

{20$ for all of this! 2 pears, 6 peaches, 8 cucumbers, 2 celery stalks, 2 portabello mushrooms, 1 bag of carrots, romaine letuce, grapes, 2 packs of blueberries, 6 tomatillos, 3 jalepenos, 4 onions, cilantro, 2 tomatoes, 1 beet, and 4 red peppers}

I LOVE juicing fruits and veges.

{it may not look delicious, but don't let the sludgy color sway you...it is!}

Happy to be home.

California is FUN

2009-08-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Kevin+Shane

This last weekend we were able to take a road trip to the Oakland temple for my brother's wedding! We are so happy for them, and I can't wait to see their new house when they return from the surprise honeymoon {I think its safe to say it now...FIJI!}

After 3 months without driving, it felt good to be behind the wheel again, at least for the first 30 minutes.

{every road trip needs some gross fast food}

I've never driven to northern California, so it was really fun. I loved all the grape and tomato fields! What was more fun was getting my family ALL together! (almost ALL, we missed you mom and dad!)

The reception was held at Shane's house, and was AMAZING. I LOVE outdoor receptions with lights strung and big trees. (both accounted for) I also loved that we got sparklers for the newly weds departure!

{I didn't get many good pictures at the reception that do it any sort of justice, so here are some temple pics of my cute cute cute nieces and nephews. Bella, Noah, Brea, Keilah}

{From what I can tell, Brock enjoys fist punches and pulling hair. We love the new addition}

The day after the wedding we decided to caravan to San Francisco, since my only knowledge of the city comes from a high school orchestra trip. I think I will have nightmares of driving those streets for at least a couple of nights. {stick shift +stop signs on steeeeeep hills =SCARY!}

{pier 39 is stinky, but has delicious clam chowder}

Road trips with Steve are the best. We are glad to be home. Hopefully we will unpack {NYC+ California} within the next week!

xoxo

Goodbye and hello

2009-08-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer-this is completely self indulgent)

Dear New York City,

You have been fairly good to us, and have definitely stolen a peice of our heart. However, we must now venture back into the real lives we live.

Their are many things we will dearly miss:

Shake shack

Central Park

Record Stores

Shopping during my lunch break

Opera in the Park

Fireflies

Kismat Indian food delivered to our door

Lomography store

Washington Square Park

Rite-Aide runs (i'm not sure if this goes on the miss list, or despise list)

Cat Paws under our door

Firefly (the series) +theme song sing a-longs

Crumbs

longing for Beautiful Upper West side apartments

Adventures in ghetto movie theaters

3.50$ frozen yogurt with 3 toppings

Shopping in general

reading NY mag

shopping/eating at wholefoods

Photo opportunities

Beautiful Architecture

Quality time with Steve
Watching street 'ball at West 4th
Watching baseball at central park
Being a gangsta thug (steve)
Adventuring to new restaurants
Flea Markets (Brooklyn, Chelsea)
Exploring new neighborhoods
Feeling like Holden Caulfield
Reading books that take place in NYC (Libra, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay)
Strand book store

crazy guy in subway.

Chelsea Flea Market.

Lobster Rolls at Brooklyn Flea market.

Chelsea

uncrowded subways! a miracle!

Their are also some things we have no problem putting behind us:

poop lined sidewalks in Washington Heights (animal, and human. serious)

Subways in general

Homeless people

Crazy people

5 flights of stairs to our apartment

Humidity

having roommates again (other than steve, obviously

living with cats

living in the ghetto (I ain't jokin!)

walking through questionable street puddles

working 40 hour weeks (I prefer going to school)
When the A express is not express

Goodbye New York
Hello Arizona

xoxo
s.

Mistress Floral + Sgt. Mayhem

2009-08-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

We took the oath! As Mistress Floral and Sgt. Mayhem, we are now sworn in as superheroes, keepers of peace.

The author Dave Eggers' {What is the What, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius...etc} lovely superhero supply store! In front they sell supplies like capes, invisibility powder, masks..etc..and in back they host writer workshops!

When you make your purchase you have to take the superhero oath, as shown above. {In red}
Part of that includes coming up with your own superhero names. {Mistress Floral, Sgt. Mayhem}

All purchases benefit creative writing programs for kids. What a great idea, huh!? He also has one located in San Francisco for all your pirate supply needs. While shopping, I heard rumors of 7 more opening across the U.S! Check it out HERE!

Why?

2009-07-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

I just found out that Taylor Momsen (little J) had her sweet 16 lastnight in NYC, with guest appearences from Gossip girl cast mates! (ED and Chace...i've recently started calling them by their real names)

why do i live in NYC if not to scam my way into the lives of a gossip girl! im so embarrased.

Just Reminiscing

2009-07-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

READ ME

Buttercream BUTT is the new PHAT.

2009-07-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

Someone tipped me off on my new favorite thing in NY.
Sugar Sweet Sunshine's BANANNA PUDDING.

This is almost as dangerous to me as finding a cheap delicious frozen yogurt place near work! At least THIS is far away!

oh and Happy 4th of July, just a week and a half late...

Just one of those people.

2009-07-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

I have officially turned into one of those people who carry around a bottle of Tums. Just in case.

We like to EAT!

2009-07-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

We also like VISITORS! Ol' RY RY is here to stay.

Crif's Delicious Hot Dogs.

This happens to be the "spicy redneck"...deep fried wrapped with bacon, topped with chili jalepenos (cause i like it hot) and coleslaw. Lets just say it was amazing, and im glad it is far away from work.

Next is New Yorks finest. PIZZA. They claim to be #1, but i may beg to differ.

I was told that what makes pizza especially delicious in Italy, is the brick WOOD burning oven...so i was surprised to see that they just use coal. don't get me wrong, i ate may share.

The Splendors of Summer

2009-07-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

How to eat a strawberry.

The End.

Whats a girl to do????

2009-06-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend i had to let the old dog run free! which means, i let steve go visit his bestie in Ithica. It was hard. and if i wouldn't have kept telling myself that "its no big deal..i'll see him tomorrow night...no big deal..no big deal..he's not leaving on a mission again..." i would have shed some serious tears.

New york has been so fun for us. We are glued at the hip and i absolutely love it. Here are some little secrets i loved about steve today:

-our simultaneous turn reflex when i left him at the bus station
-this morning when i left and had to run back for my running shorts i caught him looking out the window trying to watch me leave.
-the way he got up with me at 8am this morning to cuddle and talk.

I love and appreciate it all, steve!

p.s. dont think this means im mopeing at home all day....see next post.

Healthy Heartburn

2009-06-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when i pat myself on the back for choosing the healthy choice over the less healthy choice, my only reward is some sort of heartburn? (do u get that when your 22?)

maybe it is because after reading my healthy choices' website, I'm on the same diet as a bonobo monkey! I am NO monkey. next time you know what i will choose!

Felines, heart throbs, and the MOMA

2009-06-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

record store cat:

Rock n' Roll exhibit

obviously the heart throb. thanks for the heads up NYLON.

Getting ready to judge a dance off.

New Yorkers are clearly feeling the lack of Skateland.

I couldn't help myself.

NY back track

2009-06-13T09:38:00.001-07:00

Below-par photography skills.(ME) where are stacy and geoff when you need them! when i'm rich i will pay you to follow me around and document my life. (think about it?)
takes place...3 weeks ago?... A saturday afternoon, a stroll through the village, and a stumble upon the bowery market! mediocre gyros, and a B+ for entertainment. (see below)

I'm a sucker for a cat balancing trick.
(boulder still takes the cake with a mouse on top of a cat on top of a dog balancing act.)

A delicious Shake Shack portabello mushroom burger. A+

Dwight Howard chalking. cool.

where "Harry met Sally".

What i would look like if i was bald.

Roller skating = cool. (sorry no mac. boo)

wait for the closeup of the real roller star!

NYC

2009-05-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

First things first... here is keilah and i the morn before we left! I wish I had also gotten a picture with Brea and am wayyy bummed I forgot to get one with MOM AND POPS at the airport! I already miss you guys!!

Now a quick NYC update!

-I work on 57th and 7th, a very short walk from possibly our favorite thing in NYC....CENTRAL PARK. Every time we're there, we can't get over:

a.how it is so lush and green in the middle of a city
b. HUGE
c. Clean
d. how their is always a fun sporting activity going on (we want to join a team) and
e. how it is so full of pda couples. (yesterday we saw a couple that fell asleep DIRECTLY on top of each other...how could that have happened??) AMAZING.

here we are in central park, with the city right behind it.

Trying out a new mary-kate smile.

This also happens to be right by my work! for those of you keeping up with the GOSSIP. About 2 episodes ago, it took place RIGHT HERE! I'm basically standing right where Blair Waldorf stood. just call me Blair.

Other news to report...NYC has the best food. and i'm on a diet starting MONDAY, so you can bet i've been taking advantage of my non diet days! Here is proof:

Notice the CAT sitting on the chair....our roommates have 2 cats! we are so happy! i have been complaining about wanting a cat for a while now, and now we have 2! this one in the picture is quite aggressive...she jumped up on my lap to get at my pizza, and when i interscepted, she pawed her way to steve who doesnt have the capability to say NO to a feline. the rest of the night she layed on him twitching her tail, ears back, and a paw holding on to his leg. she taught me a lesson about steve that night.

Overall...we are loving the city! but we miss our friends and family! So lets start planning when you all are going to come visit!

xoxo

5 reasons I love Steve,

2009-04-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

1. I came home yesterday with a new anthropologie skirt (when i shouldn't obviously be spending money...NYC??), pulled it out of the bag, held it up, and all he said was "how beautiful". no questions.

2. He has agreed that he will cook dinner once a week.

3. He is so supportive of my "career". (or lack of one?)

4. He massages my back after 3 hour rehearsals.

5. He shares his little debbie snacks that I buy strictly for him.

Happy late birthday post, Steve, I love you!

p.s. we have plane tickets for NYC, a place to live, and a great internship...we say adios on the 19th of May! Come visit.

xoxo,

-s.

Good times at Lo Lo's

2009-04-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

I decided that before my parents leave for the secluded city of Lavavastok (which is def. spelled wrong), that they needed to do a little "SOUL SEARCHING" at Lo Lo's. and boy was i right.

pre-lolo

post lolo

the chicken savory, the waffles buttery, and the red velvet cake AMAZING. All in all, I think I came away a little happier, and with 3 more lb's.

p.s. we were told that Shaquille O'neal was JUST IN, a whole 3 HOURS BEFORE US!! AND sat at OUR very same table!! I cant believe we missed him.

2009-03-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what just a new haircut, new headband, a good record, and a newly arrived diploma can do for your spirits!

Here's proof!

On to bigger things...like our trip to L.A.

Here's what it looks like to arrive in L.A at 7am.

cool and collected.

And then their are some of us...who dont take well to an all night drive. (even if i was asleep for most of it...i'm fragile and weak.)

Here's what it may look like when you eat at two breakfast places in one day.

After some much needed sleep, the BEST sleep i've had in months, we hit the Getty Museum...AKA the Gugenheim...

I couldn't get enough of these plants! amazing!

The Getty was followed by round TWO of Amoebe records!!

And then a trip to little Mexico. Olvera st. Where we enjoyed delicious taquitos, a mexican dance crew, and some great, but passed up, trinkets.

Lindsay, joining the crew for a special ladies number..the macarena?

This one had his eye set on her!

Special thanks to my neck pillow, catering to my narcoleptic sleep habits. (and qt for some delicious donut holes)

AND THE BROWNS! for making the trip one in a million!

What does buying a new, shiny, inter-galactic cello case do?

2009-03-05T19:54:00.001-08:00

-Relieves some serious back pain.
-Adds some space-age flare to my school outfit.
-Apparently serves as a good convo starter? (and cigarette offer) (ex. person:whats that you got there...some sort of guitar??)

-It unfortunately, does NOT motivate me to practice or want to be in school. Good thing spring break is almost here! I'm hoping to reconnect with the "blair waldorf" in me. (gossip marathons...) and maybe the "martha stewart". (you know it!)

The Wooden's in Turkey??

2009-03-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

This may be old news...but CONGRATULATIONS mom and dad, on your call to the TURKEY HUMANITARIAN MISSION. Steve and I are sooo excited for you guys. (not only because we plan to come visit...)

A personal Favorite travel pic.

Some things to look forward to:

exotic decor.

Cold Weather!!

palaces?

We will miss you! xoxo

-s&s

BACK UP!

2009-03-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

It's been over 2 months since our last post. I've been threatened. (mom) So to ease myself back into the blog...I think I'll just do a 2 month re-cap.

Since our move back to the valley of the sun:

Lisa gets married!

And looks amazing doing it! (getting married)

Grandma and Grandpa Kesler fly down for the occasion....

And we try and squeeze in as much time with them as possible.

Shortly after...

The Wooden family goes to Mexcio!

The Villa on the beach was dreamy, we got our boogie board on ALL day, and mastered the game of CARCASONE! Thanks Peg and Bob for such a good time with all the family in one place!

My Dad and Kevin celebrated their birthing days.

but only Kevin agreed to sit on the saddle.
(T. Roadhouse...here I come..)

Steve and I bought our first peice of furniture over 20 dollars!

Thanks for not deleting us. We promise to make ourselves more interesting.
xoxo,

S+S

Things to miss

2008-12-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

We like to complain here in boulder a lot, mostly about how much we miss arizona...dislike the boulder yuppies/hippies/sorority girls/college kids in general, but i have to admit..their are some serious things we will miss. One of those...is how fun our saturdays are.

Steve and i are collectors. records, shoes, furniture, old stuff in general, broken cameras, broken watches, pictures...ect. (I can just see the look on your face now, peg, dont freak. we should fit it all in one moving truck) not to say that im super crafty, but i like to think somewhere deep inside, and with some help from my creative friends, i will make things from what i buy. or better yet, make them cute decor, or find some good use for them.

So after a stressful week, steve and i have a special saturday routine. it all starts here:

The most delicious and cheapest breakfast bagels. we go there at least once a week, and are still surprised when they ask us our order. dont they get it?

Then we take off on our thrifting route. the earlier the better.

along the way we saw this, and like brett...we both shed some serious tears. (B&L-we keep up on your blogs. everyones really.)

here were some finds, that i unfortunately could not buy.

But here is one i did buy!

this has been a long semester. i know every post ends like this...but we cant wait to be back in az!
please plan for the following:
-craft nights
-gossip gurlz marathon
-record theme nights
-book clubs
-dinner parties
-kick ball
-skateland fights. ( i missed the last one...and i was p-o'ed.)

I cant believe we can say this now...but SEE YA NEXT WEEK! WOOO!

Land of the Nutcracker. "Grand Junk"

2008-11-29T16:19:00.001-08:00

The town fits on one sheet of paper. hot dog style.

Grand Junctions plether of statues.
this one kinda sicks me out.

steves always such a nice guy.

a similar resemblance.

This summer I received a contract to play the nutcracker over Thanksgiving break in the city of Grand Junction. While, it seemed like a good idea...it proved to be quite SUCKY. I'm counting the number of things that potentially "broke" contract.

1. lodging being provided for, and MY OWN room. (this one was dodgy...because they DID give me my own room, but it was in someone's house 30 minutes away from all concerts/rehearsals...and NO they weren't offering me more gas money..OR providing meals out there... SO i "beared down" with 2 other girls. see exhibit 1.

2. Decent meals. (flying in your sickly mother-in-law from ohio to cook sloppy joes does not count)

3. I did not sign the contract saying that because I drove to the city of Grand Junk, I would be responsible for ever person in my car, taking them to and from meals and wherever their whims desire.

4. No where on the contract did it also tell us that we would also be performing in a city 1 hr 30 min. away, furthering our trip home to 6hrs.

Those are 4, but i could really go on. From now on, its union gig or NO GIG!

My only source of entertainment comes from the 1 highschool percussionist, and the other ageless percutionist who NEVER know when to hit the gong, and the 13 year old keyboardist who gets to hit the fake gun shot. oh, and the RAT KING who is like 80 years old and prancing on stage. Bliss. (Lindsay, I'm sure that this is truly your calling in life...if you only saw his
moves..)

p.s. did i mention the nasty wife of the conductor? we can go ahead and call that entertainment too...that tart slammed a door in my face!

Exhibit 1: i got the hideaway bed with springs in my ribs.

Steve, being the nice husband he is, relieved me of some pain by driving down for Thanksgiving. We hoped to spend it enjoying sushi, but to our dismay the japanese have adapted and now celebrate this great American holiday. We got stuck at the Golden Corral. But not all was lost. the service was great, and the atmosphere delightful. see exhibit 2.

The difference of money spent vs money made may be slim, but i'm just happy that its over. The Nutcracker will forever be dead to me.

Exhibit: 2

here is steve pretending to not care that we just 35$ dolla's at a place with a name such as "the golden corral". dont animals eat at corrals?

to be truthful, it wasnt too bad. and the atmosphere made up for the lack of delicious cooking.

just some documentation.

AZ HERE WE COME!

2008-11-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

We are so close to moving back to the homeland! (3 weeks) We had a little taste of Arizona last weekend, and it was quite a tease. 1 paper, 2 tests. and im a college grad!

We are so excited to be living in the same house as these cute little kids. Over the weekend, keilah actually got to the point of:
1. allowing steves presence
2. including him in duck duck goose.
3. saying his name!

i love how brea's first words were "papap" and that she loves cuddling with this ol' grizzly bear.

On a sad note, Paris the cat is not doing so well. If you see from the picture her poor little tail is fractured and it now hangs limp. just like a racoon's. Paris the Racoon. We are hoping she is on a quick path to recovery.

Who knew.

2008-11-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

So i'll admit...for at least 1 semester i enjoyed (took advantage of) the great location of the LDS institute, which was across the street from the music school. I parked there everyday and it was bliss. then one day i received a pink paper on my car.

ok, this was the 2nd pink note i received. it was a little less than friendly. Boulder CU ward has spoken. WE'RE LEAVING!!

No big deal. Just Taz getting a little holiday spirit.

1 month update/denver borings/fall beauties

2008-10-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot is going on with us. We've been really busy.... and because of which... Shelly has grown a fond addiction to red bull and cup of noodles, whereas Steve has been on a pizza and hot dog diet.

FALL BEAUTIES! Fall could be the prettiest season....(although i do love springs' tulips..)

has anyone noticed how enormous my hands look? these bear paws play a mean cello.

I made steve take this pic to show off my new favorite leather jacket...(it might be more like pleather...) dont mind my sleepy eyes, and table cloth curtains.

Some random pics from denver...to hopefully bring some memories at some point...

capital hill

p.s. isnt this couch bomb-tastic?

--who thinks we should buy this coach, and who is opposed to its awesomeness.

GO D-BACKS!

2008-09-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Steve won us some awsome tix through the grace of J.P Morgan himself to a Rockies vs D-backs ball game. This was officially our first baseball game! And lucky for us it coincided with a great german festival in denver, so we got to enjoy a carnival and a baseball game ALL in one night!
Some things to remember:
-Soft pretzels with cheese are not as good as they were at Mesquite Pool.
-Horseradish mustard HAS HORSRADISH IN IT.
-Dip 'n Dots are ALWAYS worth 6$ a cup.

Some fellow d-backs friends sitting behind us took this beauty.

The view from our seats! look how close we were!!

BONUS PIC!
One of the great record stores in Denver. check steves vertical. pretty impressive.

The Game was a good one. It was 1 of the 3 series. The rockies won the first, and the d-backs the second with 2 homeruns in the last inning! Yikes!

Updates.

2008-08-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

August 18th, our 1 year anniversary! the best year of our lives! here's how we celebrated:
-Our favorite sushi dinner
-a fresh new back to school haircut
-and plenty of records!

Our anniversary weekend was followed by back to school weekend. where boulder is overcrowded with freshman and their frantic parents. Luckily, the weekend was saved by a free on campus performance by girl talk! the show is held in farrand field right in front of my old dorm! i was quite nostalgic. here is us walking to campus.

if only i could have been brave enough to take pictures of A.the glowstick ravers
B.the slowdancing couples
C.the drunk freshman passed out under trees
D.the nice person that invited us to a foam party.

all in all it was a successful night.

Following this week, was the Democratic National Convention. which i am sad to say we didnt really go to anything since i was so busy with school. one event we DID go to however, was the free public enemy show! "Hip hop for obama".

i'd be lying if i said we really went. we tried. and waited in long lines, and after being in the last 30 people allowed in, found out the show didnt start till midnight. thats way past my bedtime, so we skipped out. sorry flava flav!

this was the face i made after i found out we waited in line for 2 hours, and didnt get to see flava.

Our normal weekends are no where near as eventful. they usually consist of thrifting routes, gas station snacks, and an occasional visit from kevin to play settlers.

here is steve reconnecting to his favorite highschool drink.

here is a sign we felt degraded all those who had learning troubles. the sign is just so taxing.

Other than that, steve is just working his little heart out while i am trying to get back into practicing routines and school. i am also trying hard to get ready for a 1/2 marathon inspired by my athletic sister, and the lovely shanna kesler. i'm pretty sure i overheard bikers refering to me as looking "almost past out" on the way back from my run, but i'm hoping it was only due to my cold. i've also taken up a side job of playing trio's on pearl street. we're hoping to really up our game and make more than 30 $.

we are SERIOUSLY counting down the months/weeks and days till i am graduated, and we move back to the homeland.

no brakes?

2008-08-20T14:08:00.001-07:00

what happens when you ride a bike with no brakes. you crash. so i did. my first biking accident, and i managed to not only hit a pedestrian but also a bus. lets just say, im now very popular on campus.

Steve's new pet Charlie

2008-08-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

this is the little fellow we met peeking in on us at our window seal.

Steve decided to take in the orphan squirl, and provide him with sustenance.

After this episode, Steve told me he loves our new apartment. for no other reason then the plether of squirls lingering for food outside our window. p.s he named him charlie. i wanted to name him atticus.

Triplets?

2008-08-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

looks like i joined the bang crew! Ashley, your next!!

Old times but still Good times.

2008-08-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some old pictures, and came across our trip to conference last october! Steve and i are totally going to try and work out going again, so anyone who can should meet us there for a fun filled weekend!!

Beth and I snappin pre-conference shots.

Photo shoot at lacys place.

our lovely host of the trip. lacy dangerfield, she let steve, brad, shanna, and i to invade her apartment for a couple nights! thanks lace! (times two really, we did it in april too)

more conference shots.(i swear conference just ended...)

and a random pic from when lisa came to visit us...just to encourage all you out there thinking about what boulder is really like, to COME VISIT US!!!

april's faullt

2008-08-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

april tagged me. this is the first time i have been "tagged". so i will oblige.

5 things on my to do list.
1.get pell grants
2.get steve an anniversary present
3. stop spending money
4. grocery shop
5. set up house. (its been 2 weeks, and its still not proper.)

5 jobs i have had.
1. TASTE OF CHINA mmmmhmmm!
2. radio 1190 office manager
3. music library
4. HOLLISTER (my peak in life)
5. VICOTRIA SECRET ( i wanted the discount, so what.)

5 places i have lived.
1.g-town
2.b-town (bouldizzle)
3.t-town (tempe)

5 favorite snacks.
1. rice crispy treats
2.sonic slushes (i wish they were still on k johnstons tab)
3. treats from whole foods
4. candy of almost any sort.
5. diet sodas

5 things you dont know about me.
1.i can fall asleep at almost anytime on the spot. ask steve.
2. i love grocery shopping
3. i love to cook and plan meals
4. once i bought a pair of heels from savers, only to find out they were originally from payless.
5. i quickly get addicted to sitcoms. (gossip girl, the o.c., lost...to name a few)

5 things i would do if i were a billionare.
1. buy a new cello
2. buy steve all the records he wants
3. live in NYC
4.travel
5. invest

5 things i love
1. steve
2. my family
3. keilah and brea, Bella and Noah!!!!
4. music (playing + listening)
5. our church

5 peeps to tag
1. lindsay and mathew
2. k-payne
3. shanna banana
4. breathany
5. lacy dangerous

hipocritical moments.

2008-07-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

i have these a lot. when im driving im mad at the bikers, and when im biking im mad at the drivers. well today as i was biking back to school, after my complimentary 2 hour lunch, it was hot. like 95 at least. my goal was just to go as fast as possible to "get 'er done". (its a gradual hill for 2 miles) of course, i get caught at one of the longest lights. folsom light gives 10 minute right turn arrows on both sides. i was stuck at one such and decided since NO ONE was there to take advantage of that right turn, i would just bike on through that red light. no big deal. as im struggling up this hill on a one speed bike (ya gears would be nice at this point) i see a big cop car pull up with his lights on. unfortunately its illegal for bikers to run red lights as well.

i see bikers do this ALL the time, and i get mad that as a driving citizen i cannot follow suit. the one time i try and take advantage of this biking perk i get caught. boo.

on a brighter note, i found a picture of the perfect skirt. that will both suit my needs as a cellist (for fitting that cello in), and a poor college student that has to bike to school. today wasn't so bad.

New Apartment, New Ideas

2008-07-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend we did our usual thrifting run, and were pleased with the company of a friend of ours from steves work, Ruby!

Here are some of the jems i found!

I will finally have matching juice glasses! The material on bottom, i'm hoping to make curtains from those lovelies.

frames, mirrors, and scarfs. their are always so many cute scarfs, i hardly ever leave without finding at least one.

ok the chadalier is from urban, but was very cheap, and i was excited that i finally put it up.

a new stove mat!

a new flower pot!

While thrifting we stopped for a quick slush at Sonic, and were surprised by some sort of car show! (we parked around the corner)

Ruby and I. I'm pretending to be driving.

just another admirer being admired for his shabby chic mullet.

all the cars!

their were some risks involved in taking this pic.

CW greatness.

2008-07-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to publicly anounce my gratitude for channel 2. (the CW) they work hard, make sexy sitcoms, and are the only channel we get. THANKS!

Radio 1190 am

2008-07-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

The secrets out! i have sought employment at the local radio station in the footsteps of my beloved cousin HEATHER. however, i do not dj, and sadly do not have an "on air" name...yet at least...

heres a few pictures..just for proof. sorry im making this ugly face.

this flyer was sitting on my desk one morning! imagine my excitement!

Bonus pic-zoom in! i thought protests were just a fad for the young?

seriously, radio 1190am plays some good music. check it.

Jenga Masters

2008-07-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Recipe for a good time:
Good Friends+Jenga+ QT

Has Ryan reached "Professional" status?

Mesa Bowling night! (missing one important bowler-SHAN-i think you were in the bathroom..)

My all time highest bowling score! thanks bob-cat, we always look forward to the day we out bowl you!!

This is what 2 months of mail looks like.

We had some exceptional times while visiting our home town. Sub-one. bowling. jenga. Endless BBQ's. we are now having to face the realities of getting jobs (me) and doing chores. thank you to all our friends and family for showing us what arizona is made of. (fun)

p.s. i got a job! see next post.

GIJON

2008-06-21T05:13:00.000-07:00

Our last post. Gijon has treated us well, we´ve eaten lots of mc donalds, walked a lot, blogged, all the while soaking up the memories of good good past times. Returning to the Mission has been without a doubt the highlight of our trip.

My old stompin grounds.

parks. and sassy poses.

jump!

We wil be home in just a few more days. all we have left is one long bus ride to malaga, sleeping in an airport, and a few flights. cant wait to see you all! all of you! the end.

SAN SEBASTIAN- La Joya de la Mision

2008-06-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

San Sebastian was a real treat, but left us both with some crazy sun burns. never let the wind decieve you into thinking the suns not really hitting you.

It was also a delight to see that the heart of the basque country was still beating stonger than ever. Gorra Euskadi!

watch out for nudies.

cathedral.

old spaniards. streets.

beautiful beaches.

What a dream, I had waited far too long to set foot on these beaches.

BILBAO

2008-06-21T04:47:00.001-07:00

A return to one of my most prominate areas, I do not have words to describe my joy.

An overnight from Barcy waking up drowsy in the beautiful Bilbao!

The Gugenheim
Fortunate for us while we visited the Gugenheim, they had a surrealist art exhibit, where we were able to see more Dali, and were able to crawl even deeper into one of the most crazy minds of the 20th century.
how often do you ask someone to take a picture, and they actually take a good one?... not often!

FIGUERES-SALVADOR DALI MUSEUM

2008-06-21T04:35:00.000-07:00

Before Salvador Dali died he created a musuem to himself, in his hometown of Figueres. That is all there is in this town, and it was worth every inconvenience it brought with it. (which turned out to be a lot. Figueres can get you one other direction. south, not the way we wanted to go.)

Rainy Taxi

up close. -if you insert a euro it rains inside the taxi.

Portrait of Abe Lincoln.

freaky.

A surrealist's appartment.

RADIOHEAD- A DREAM COME TRUE.

2008-06-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

We decided since we were in the area...and so was radiohead...that we´d stop in! At first we thought that the the daydream festival was sold out, but upon examination of the website we found that we were indeed wrong. To our great suprise and joy, we did not have to break the law, or deal with shady scalpers. We bought proper tickets, a day or two before the date. Liars were the opening act, and did there job well, by bringing there crazy dronage up a knotch. in retrospect, we had a really great time, with only some minor conflicts with an angry french couple.

very excited.

we would like to point out the fact that johnny has kept these same bangs since the 90's. maybe even when he came out of the womb.

why hello Mr. Greenwood.

duet.

thom.

piano.

- ‘15 steps’- ‘Bodysnatchers’- ‘All I Need’- ‘Airbag’- ‘Nude’- ‘Pyramid Song’- ‘Arpeggi’- ‘The National Anthem’- ‘Faust Arp’- ‘Videotape’- ‘The Gloaming’- ‘Optimistic’- ‘There There’- ‘Lucky’- ‘Reckoner’- ‘Everything In Its Right Place’- ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’
Bis 1:- ‘House Of Cards’- ‘Paranoid Android’- ‘Bangers & Mash’- ‘The Bends’- ‘Idioteque’
Bis 2:- ‘You And Whose Army’- ‘Planet telex’

BARCELONA (Barcy)

2008-06-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

Barcelona had quite a hold on us, and we ended up staying for 5 days. our longest stop. partly on accident due to some bad planning and full trains.

Barcelona was hip, modern, ¨seedy¨-thanks lonely planet, and at times overwhelming. we enjoyed our time looking for all of gaudi´s freaky masterpeices around town. however, due to my camera running out of batteries...they were only captured on steves.

La Sagrada Familia-Gaudi's unfinshed masterpeice.

La Rambla street act. Give this guy a euro, and he will make your dreams come true with a soccer ball.
we also have a video that i dont know how to post. as well as a video of an angry flamenco dancer.

VALENCIA- IM YOURS!

2008-06-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

Valencia's main attraction, for me, was europes largest aquarium. ¨i love the underwater worlds¨.-shelly.

lots of big freakin sharks! yeoooow!

watch out for that sharkie steve z!

the octupuss was a bit timid. but still my favorite.
dragon fish.

the baby beluga. (insert song here)

It rained a lot. and shelly got sick AGAIN. our pension smelled moldy and smoky. we ate delicious paella. saw a crazy garden of bums. earthy markets. and lots of contemporary art.

rain. cathedral. steve.

the aquarium from the outside. at a distance.

¨Hey chuck, what day is it? Why I beleive its Monday Lance. Thats the day where we all wear our kakis right? You read my mind Lance¨
I swear we overheard this exact conversation, in passing this motley crew.

GRANADA

2008-06-21T03:38:00.000-07:00

The illuminating Alhambra.

jr. high poses. cool and casual.

the gardens around the alhambra, glamour shot by steve.

Inside The Palace of Nazaries.

ceilings.

tile work and zits.

more ceilings.

more pillars!

last pillars.

jus livin the thug life. peace out.

CORDOBA

2008-06-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

Their was not too much to see in cordoba, except La Mezquita, which was a giant mosque turned into a cathedral. i liked the mosque architecture better.

As you can see the highlight of La Mezquita, was its infinity of white and red arches, mezmorizing, no? (thats muzzie work)

Also Cordoba is known for its patios...full of flowers and tile work. here was our pensions patio.

We're catching up! ¡Por fin!

2008-06-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

We finally found a computer that recognizes our camera! So we´re starting back in the depths of morocco...

TINERHIR - THE TODRA GORDGE

We decided this stopping point to break up a long long bus ride straight to the desert dunes. this bus ride was only 10 hours. with lots of stops, dust, heat, flys, and no windows. remember those adds you see on tv where the little kids are covered in flies...that was us.

The desert cities were pretty impressive, the famous todra gorge however, reminded us of apache junction.

an outlook from the roof of our hotel. berber villages.

apache junction (aka todra gorge+ donkey)

ERG CHEBBI-DUNES

We finally made are way across the country clear to the border of Algeria where we found ourselves holed up in the dunes of Erg Chebbi, our journey was well worth it. (to steve..shell got the case of a bad tajine (see previous post-marrakesh) and spent half a day getting it out of her body.

moroccans think that it is hospitable, and enjoyable for there guests to dress up in there native clothing, so they make them do so. They were wrong. and shelly feels that the head atire does bad things for her round face.

the dunes!

our faithful guide/ servant. it was romantic..the 3 of us...alone in the desert. really.

This is one of our camels, nothing phases this beast, he can poop without flinching, or breaking a stride.

.The dunes are the kind of place, where everything poses to be the photographic moment of a lifetime, so we took lots of photos.

this was quite a hike. shell didnt make it.

camel toe.

our sleeping accomidations.

At first I thought that they were wrapping a scarf around my head, because they thought I would enjoy the authentcity of the arabian garb. Boy was I suprised to find that I actually needed it. That dune sand can get in some pretty tight spaces.

p.s. not only did we have fun, but steve made a friend for life! special times.

thank you servant man.

FES (our last stop before getting the freak out of morocco!)

The two highlights of fes.

First the leather dying market. These men work all day up to there waists, in toxic dyes, just to make leather toursist souvienirs. Then they live to the ripe old age of 22.

up close and personal. mmmmhmm.

the last highlight, being this nice couple doing there part to make sure tibet enjoys the freedom everyone should enjoy. Thanks for the raggedy shirt and marker, very inspiring.

GIBRALTAR (a relief from the muslims)

¨thats a really big freaking rock¨ Steve

the top of the rock! (one might say ¨mountain¨?)

brad missed the memo! (sorry brad!)

i steared clear of these monsters.

a foggy mist.

RONDA (one of the mythical pueblos blancos)

the bridge you may take reference from the novel ¨for whom the bell tolls¨-hemingway...

CADIZ -LA FAMILIA RENGEL

In Cadiz, and San Fernando, our travel weary bodies and our malnourished spirits (sorry no mormons in Morocco) were nursed back to health by the outstanding Rengel family. They sparred no expense in letting us stay with them and showing us the city of Cadiz. It was a true blessing. Big thank for their kindness. (it included clean clothes! nice showers, true homecooked spanish food, and a testimony meeting!)

what a great family! Brad, they even pointed out where you would sit at dinner. they also say hi.

drivin to cadiz.

cadiz.

SEVILLA

We talked Jose into coming along with us, and taking the families kindness a stop further, by housing us once again in sevilla with his sis!

I dont know what happened, we were just chillin.

¨ew. the foulest creatures on earth¨-shell

steves famous jumping picture in la plaza dè espana.

who me? gettin my lonely planet on. (note. we will never purchase a lonely planet again. hate them.)

saying hi from Barcy! (barcelona)

2008-06-13T02:38:00.000-07:00

sorry for the lack of posts. the computers we have been trying to use, dont want to let us download pics. boo. but we are in spain now...barcelona..and will be home in a short amount of time! (9 days?) wewill keep trying to post at dif computers! hope everone is doing well! cant wait for our week in az! sincerely,

steve and shell

The Blogs of Fury

2008-05-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

Here for your viewing pleasure, is a fury of blogs to catch you up on the last week or so of our adventuring.

The beautiful City of Malaga!

We would like to throw major props to Brad, for his mission city recieved us well! We look foward to seeing the rest of it after our jaunt through morocco.

getting down with TANGIER and RABAT!
this is tangier, very beautiful, no?

This is where we pooped in tangier. not shelly of course, because she is a lady. and peeing was disgraceful enough.

Why hello there Rabat.

this is the Kasbah in Rabat, also the captiol of morocco where the king resides

Hark Lord Stork!

.storks reign as kings of these once great roman ruins.

Shelly getting wild, warped tour style.

there are cats everywhere; we guess of ancient roman ancestry, and stevsie here just could NOT resist!

here we have steve showing his vertical with a background of what was once going to be the highest islamic tower (they signify where mosques are located)

CASABLANCA

There is not much in casablanca, only the third largest mosque in the world. It is also one of the only mosques in the islamic world that allows non muslims to enter, WOW

MARRA (freakin) KESH!

OH MY!!

here is steve hangin out with a snake, who probably used to be cobra commander. these snake charmers charmed/lured us just as much OR MORE than the cobras! aiiiyiiiyaiiii!

these fellows here can make a potion here for whatever you may desire! (this is on the agenda for tonight)

if these delicious looking stands werent covered in bees all the time i would probably buy some dried fruits and nuts. mmm.

I often wonder, what men do in morocco besides sit around in carts and smoke all day, because this seems to be a favorite past time of theirs.

berber carpets anyone?

overlooking the main square djemaa el fna. filled with cheap eats!like this! cous cous and tajines are personal favs.

I get paid to do nothing.

2008-05-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

i've been here at la biblioteca, pushing 7 hours. ive turned into a library rat. ive looked at everyones blog at least twice, and it has resulted in posting out of boredom. however, Do Not Fret, i have a special treat i've been working on that will most likely be posted tonight.

p.s. i finished my last final today! and i think ill take this time to reflect upon my semester.

Modern Lit- Do not reads:

the road by Cormac McCarthy

Ceremony, by Lesli Marmon Silko

The Professor's House by Willa Cather

However, my Spanish History class did pick some winner novels! (who reads novels in a history class??)

i havent finished yet, but it really speaks to me, plus the bookstore wouldnt take it back. so this prize i will own for the rest of my life. (everytime i got caught reading this, i was exchanged dirty looks, as if i were a pervert for reading a romance novel while working.)

we drive to az on friday! and cant wait for jeremys big day! and to see all of you!

Saturdays

2008-05-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Typically on a Saturday, with really great weather, boulderites and boulder-folk, like to enjoy Pearl Streets luster. here are some of its offerings.

4/20

2008-04-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

4/20 flashback. A Boulder Tradition.

A little Close up.

"this is my second year out here. i had heard that Jerry Garcia started it, so i knew it'd be awesome."
thanks Jerry. for everthing.

Happy Births Steve and Brad! (yesterday)

2008-04-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

yesterday was Steves Birthday! My Parents called up and invited us to go out to dinner ON THEM! (big mistake on their part...ill pay you back pegamus) this obviously meant sushi, because we are generally to poor for such splendor. It was a fantastic night. Big thanks to Peg& Bob-cat, and the japanese man shown below who serenaded the table next to us on an electric saxophone. (steve wouldnt let me tell them it was his birthday. boo) who doesnt love a little saxophone to set the mood! not ME! (saturday nights are generally a real treat...with the sushi chefs singing kareoki to "dont let me down")

YES AND YES!

mmmmm

thanks self timer for capturing this birthday moment!

PROVO!

2008-04-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we drove to Utah for conference AND to visit our dear friends Lace, Pete, Ty, and Breath. We enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. and it made us miss living near friends! We cant wait to live back in az. Special thanks to Peter and Lacy for being so hospitable, and enlightening. I enjoyed literary discussions with Peter, exchanging home cookin recipes with lacy, little debbi's with everyone while soaking in the springs, and antiquing! I have grown a new respect for Provo. Lacy&Peter: YOUR cute, your house is cute and, you make delicious breakfast! Extra special thanks to Bethany for making your way down from the rex-bug. We wish we had time to shoot a music vid, but perhaps next time.

here are some highlights from the hot springs. Which, by the way, are soo worth the boiled-egg stench.

the Gurlz!

steve and ty were true hiking companions.

and hiked hand-locked.

We finally made it to

the hot springs. here, steve is

freak dancing on Peter.

The group. (i dont know why im standing funny. just go with it...some sort of jr. high cheerleading pose. ill ask heidi)

us, looking quite frumpy, heading to temple square. CORRECTION: ME looking frumpy.

Antiquing!

I cant wait for school to be over. and i cant believe i have another semester. We drive home on the 9th of may just in time for Jeremy's wedding! And then we leave for spain on the 13th. if we have enough money. (jk, but really.)

Holla to the gurlz (and boiz if you cook):
if you have any delicious and CHEAP recipes...send them my way! emphasis on cheap. and no meals consisting of 711 treats. although i do love slurpees and skittles.

Making Colorado's History

2008-03-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Colorado Rapids VS L.A. Galaxy!
4 to 0

We did in fact make Colorado History by being two of 18,000 people to fill up their new stadium! This was a record number, and announced over the loud speaker. However, credit was not given to whom it was deserved. Due to a somewhat new player on the L.A Galaxy's team (David Beckham anyone?), he was really the one to bring in the crowds. guys and gals, all came in hopes of catching a glimpse of this heart throb. i will admit i was enticed to go to the game for the mere hope of a half-time song/dance from Posh spice. much to my disappointment, she was a no-show.

it was a spicy game with 2 red card ejections, and 2 yellow warnings, topped off with a near BRAWL! here is the best we could do with snappin a pic of beckham.

it may not look like much, but it was HAWT! (the fight, that is.)

I think if Beckham played for the Rapids we may have bought season tix. too bad.

My Quartet

2008-03-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the CU Graduate String Quartet. WOW.

(Ilya, Anne, Me, Philip)

i missed the "casual photo" memo.
(we were lucky to have gotten Ilya in a non-see through shirt, and wearing jeans...instead of plaid flares...he likes to show "soul" in his every-day wear.)

look how funny we can be.

please help me out with how to post videos. asap. i have a good one.

worst movie ever

2008-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

the other night steve and I were grocery shopping, and decided to rent a cheap movie from "the red box". I had been wanting to see August Rush for quite some time, not because it looked good, but mostly because the story involved a cellist. i dont know why that really made me want to see it, because most of the time when a cello is involved in movies, they obviously arent really playing and it bothers me. (yes im a brat.) but we rented this movie anyways. (also cause the little boy is really a good actor in finding netherland)

please spare yourselves and do not watch this movie. not even for a laugh. the little boy is the most annoying character...not to mention the perv level of Robin Williams. Peg you were right, any movie with Robin Williams is not worth it. (in the movie, he runs a illegal homeless kids shelter and he makes them play music on the streets and then give him the money.. some sort of music hustler)

Things we miss about AZ

2008-03-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

(in no particular order)

1.Our Fav. Food places:
-QT
-Yoko's (steve only)
-In-n-out burger
-Nielsons grinders/mimi
-Filiberto's
-Jack in the Box Tacos

2.

3.

(not pictured above: Pete+Lace, Ty-roo, furious J, Ash+Log, Lindsay W..sorry we need yo pix)

4. Nile Theater-punk rawk shows
5. Peter from Taste of China (tickle tickle)
6. En Fuego V-ball (Coach Bater)
7. Rich entanglements
8. Sun's Games
9. Butcher Jones (even though it now smells like a birthing child)
10. "Saturday Soda day" (TY)
11. FAMILY
12. Mission Bay Hotties

these are just some off the top of our head. we cant wait to return!

It is Official!

2008-03-21T12:02:00.001-07:00

First things first. No, we arent having a baby.
Secondly, we would like to apologize for backing out on Havasupi. We tried to work around it, but it came down to saving 800$, and we dont have that kind of money in the first place.

I would like to announce an official itinerary of leaving the U.S. on May 13th for Malaga, Spain...and returning June 23rd! Our trip (tentatively) will include the countrys of Morocco, and Spain! We are excited, as this is the first time Steve and I will be able to visit Spain together, and it is our first purchase over 100$! I tried to get a pic of steve and i both documenting this celebration, but he had to leave for work. so here's me.

No, this isnt a mexican blanket wrapped around my neck, just a large scarf.
again, we were so excited about Havi, and to back out nearly broke both of our hearts, but as we will be living in arizona again in only 9 months (sounds longer than it is, think of it more as just 1 and a 1/2 semesters +a little summer) we think we will be able to plan many adventures soon!

if anyone would like to come visit us this summer, not only would we LOVE it, but we would offer entertainment and accommodations , minus an angry cat pouncing on your face at night.

paris the destroyer.

2008-03-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

although paris was slightly less than a good cat, we did love having her around. the short time that it was. why she had to go:

1. we were worried about getting our security deposit back. (see exhibit a.)

exibit a.

notice anything?? we're hoping not. otherwise we may have to find a scrap of this textured delight!

2. due to what we call "cabin fever" paris chews any cords in sight.

its been a week since she has left us...

our parting night.

this is how we like to remember paris.

it seems i post a lot about my cat. no lindsay, i am not a lesbian. paris just leads a more interesting life than we do right now.
if you would like to see more interesting posts about what i am doing with my musical career, than please help me learn how to a. post sound clips
b. post video clips
i have some very good footage, but no idea how to load it.

special thanks to: kevin, for making this happen. (driving paris to az), Bob-cat and Peg for allowing the furry feline on their property.

my favorite things about working at the library.

2008-03-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

Top 6 favorites
1. librarians saying "peace." to leaving patrons.
2.referring to books as "these guys", and asking where they "live". (ex. "could you put these guys back where they live")
3.In depth discussion of metal bands, proving the versatile musical tastes of classical music majors.
4. inappropriate jokes made by the local homeless fellow with a passion for jazz.
5.being referred to as "MK". Love her.
6. being asked by fellow staff member constance if i need/use any of 'these guys' as she waves a box of tampons around. (cause she apparently doesnt anymore. ew)

Top 5 favorite work activities
1. dusting books people haven't opened in at least the past 10 years.
2.refilling the useless tiny pencils with no erasers.
3. calling patrons on their home phone at irresponsible hours, to remind them of over due books.
4.reminding patrons their is no food or beverage in the library. (i take this very seriously.)
5. keeping accurate updates on which cats are currently at the humane society with fellow staff librarians, Constance, and Anita.

i couldn't resist the work-related post after todays horrendous day at la biblioteca.
sorry no pics. ill try and get a pic of constance and anita soon. they're bundles of fun.

hair misfortunes/ v-day surprises!

2008-02-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

so, steve and i have had a busy week. every night i was home for aprox 30 min before i had to leave again for rehearsals, recordings, or concerts. thursday night (v-day) was just not going to happen, especially since i had my symphony concert that night, so we decided to celebrate our own v-day on friday. likewise, i decided to take the whole day off and get my hair done from a "friend" who needed a "model" for her new salon that she got hired at. little did i know i would come back with not only blotchy blonde highlights, but also nasty "face shapeing" layers. this was not in the plan. somehow when i say a trim and all over color, people just always seem to misunderstand, that NO I DONT WANT TO HAVE STRIPES, OR HAVE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE LAYERS. for better comprehension...(roots after the first dye...SURE!)

Luckily after my bad (5 hour..yes it took her 5 hours) at the hair salon in the wasteland of Broomefield, where im positive it ONLY produces the weirdest people, steve surprised me with a decadent meal cooked by himself! including lobster and steak! I hope he knows that i now will order lobster where ever i go, and he has created a lobster loving monster. who knew steve could cook so well?

Thank you steve, for being the best Valentine!

articrat aristocrat

2008-02-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

we have re-named saturdays as "saturday fun-day". mainly to motivate ourselves to do the many things in the area that are fun that we're too lazy to do. on this saturdays docket, the denver art museum!

Word Art by Sean Landers-Our Fav!

Steve beckoning to the art.

they got artsy on me!

giant brooms anyone?

CAUGHT mid-yawn!

special thanks to sara and her anthropologie wardrobe, andrew for his wrist fanny-pack, and rachel for her knowledge of fine art!

why do i work at the library?

2008-02-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

why do old people lick their lips so much. its gross.

bowling for friends.

2008-01-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

steve and i have really gotten into the idea of becoming excellent bowlers. we were supposed to go with a group of our friends at the college UMC, but their excuses ranged from work, to their mother in the hospital. (the hospital might actually be true...im looking into it.) somehow people have this conjured idea that bowling is only for young kids or people over the ripe age of 60. they are sadly mistaken! we have met some of our closest friends bowling! (today in fact!) here are some examples!

here our new asian friend has her hair in one pony tail, and then from the back has divided them into two held precisely in place (on top of her head) by to mini monster clips! BRILLIANT.

sorry, its a bit out of focus...but if you look past the wife-beater tank and valor pants, you might notice a beeper attached firmly to her side. you cant leave the house with the possibility someone may send you a coded message on your beeper...perhaps hoe hoe hoe? (403 upside down..phones use a different style 4...believe me, ive used this one many times prank paging brenna like..it can be done)

so, if any would like to challenge us to a game or two, we will shall surely take it!

p.s. steve broke 100, so i hope your serious bowlers.

p.p.s lindsay, if you were hoping steve turned nerdy on us, well....here is a pic of what sits below the millenium falcon by our front door.

stop justifying yo laziness!

2008-01-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

so this morning was like any other morning. i got out of bed early, showered, was at school at 8am practicing....by 8:30 i enjoyed a donut with the dean (thursdays donuts with the dean DE-licious) and by 9am, i was calling steve trying to convince him that we both were sick and should call our employers/professors ASAP. that didnt work, so i practiced a bit longer before convincing myself i needed a day off because ive just had a long week. (tuesday and wednesday were LONG days.)

so what have i been doing all day, one might ask...well..after my photo shoot with paris the cat, i tried to delve into a new class im taking...spanish history..(not that i dont love spain, but it was the only history class available after i dropped my whole schedule the first week of school)

this post is dedicated to shanna. no, your not lazy...but you would ALWAYS take that day off of school with me! shanna is the one to count on!

p.s. later the same evening, i recorded some tangos with my new quartet! stay tuned, boys and girls, i will post the video soon! and i will introduce each of them in their own individuality.

THE MILLENIUM FALCON

2008-01-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Steve has dedicated long strenuous hours of modeling, followed by long strenuous hours of painting...and this is the outcome! behold, Millenium Falcon.

look closely at the picture to the right..and you may make the acquaintance of Captain Han Solo, and Chewbacca. Also notice the angle at which it is hung. It is about to enter light speed.

Paris je t'aime.

2008-01-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

This post is for Paris the cat. It is an apology to her for leaving her desolate for 2 weeks. we're sorry. and we love having you back in our lives!

p.s. we're so pumped for our Havasupi trip that we roughed it to The Sportsmens Warehouse, feeling far inferior to all the grizzly sportsmen sucking on knives, and bought camelbacks! Now we will have the full hydration possibile! heres proof!

It's just a sipper camelback. only for small sips. i hope you are all getting ready! we have our paper chain links counting down the days!

apologies and profanities!

2008-01-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

p.s. sorry matthew, we should have known, your right. we'll make it up to you.

p.p.s. heres a little treasure everyone missed in their posts from new years.

The begining of our blog

2008-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

hello friends and family! we have created this blog to keep you folks updated in the ongoings of our lives, mainly for our Ghana trip this summer, and the preporations for that.