February Break, pt. 2

Ok, remember what I said in that last post? About catching a plane to Los Angeles from Nashville? It’s true, that’s what I did…except the plane had a layover in Salt Lake and guess what? I got off in Salt Lake and stayed in Salt Lake! Jake and Natalie picked me up and took me down to a noodle place called One More Noodle Shop in the Chinatown plaza, which is like Salt Lake’s version of Mariachi Plaza, except Chinese. And I must add: Andrew and Sidney were among those who joined us for that noodle dinner. (and after dinner you know we had to visit the giant Chinese supermarket for treats and a look around)

I spent that night at Jake and Natalie’s and in the morning Andrew and Sidney picked me up for a couple of brunches (at my second brunch I had ice cream) before Andrew did me the kindness of a Highland drop off at Kristen and Cory’s basically completely remodeled home.

Here’s a funny thing. Usually when I’m in Utah I’m there for a family event and I think to myself “Man I wish I had time to see my friends and do what I want” but on this trip I was like “Eh, I think I’ll just stay here at Kristen’s house.” But I did sneak down to Salt Lake a couple times to see Cindy and Jared and their kids (they are seperate sets of kids).

When I was in Highland I’d find the nieces and nephews “working” before being rewarded with hot chocolate. Which they drank sitting in the snow.

Another afternoon in Salt Lake, more little visits with friends, and another visit to the Chinatown Plaza (this time to pick up some groceries). I cooked bacon and rice cakes as a side for dinner one night. Rachel’s reaction to me cooking it = just about all the kids reactions to eating it (little Chinese chocolate cheeseburgers were a much bigger hit). BUT the good news was I got to eat the leftovers for the rest of the visit.

On probably a Friday night we went and saw Free Solo, it was my third time. I just loved listening to the audience gasp at all the moments I gasped at my first time. Afters we went to Freddy’s.

The next morning, while everyone else, I don’t know, skiied? Cory and Ellie and I went and saw Into the Spider-Verse (it was my FOURTH time and I was still noticing things that slipped by me all the other times). Afters we ate at the new American Fork Don Joaquin, which was great, and then I had my first Waffle Love waffle. It was a big day!

That night we watched the Dawn Wall, another rock climbing movie. We couldn’t get enough climbing movies!

Ah, Sunday morning.

Sunday night we cooked up a whole lot of different tacos. Brisket tacos, broccoli tacos, Brisket & Broccoli tacos, and I made vegetable memelas. They were a bigger hit than the rice cakes.

Ah, Sunday night

Then, Monday morning, Cory drove me to the airport

And then I traded this

for this

So, yep, next: a California post

February Break, pt.1

I’d been on this rather busy project for nearly a year and the whole time I would say to myself “As soon as this thing ends I’m getting out of town.” And then, at the beginning of February, it ended! So I knew I had to make good on my word to myself. But before I could, Uncle Frank and Aunt Afton were in town and I got to spend a very nice long weekend of sorts with them.

The first afternoon that we met up I walked them over to the library and we saw the original Winnie the Pooh and friends before going to dinner.

Dinner that night? Uncle Boon’s with Uncle Frank (and our backup plan, had it been to busy? Around the corner with us to Uncle Boon’s Sister with Uncle Frank’s Sister)

A couple days later we went for lunch at Parm…but first, a little visit to the temple chapel where, surprise surprise, all the local moms had rented bounce houses for the kids? Something of a low key tradition. If you know you know.

When I was picking out restaurants to go to with Frank and Afton I just asked myself “Hmm, what does their sister (Mom) like?” and then we’d go there. And wow, Parm could not have been a bigger hit. It seemed like we could have just gone to Parm over and over again and everyone would have been super happy. I was super happy to just see them happy with some of my New York food. I ordered a slice of ice cream cake for us and Afton immediately said “Oh, that’s not going to be enough” and we ordered a second one right away.

After that, hiding from the cold, we wound up in the Natural History Museum.

Then Saturday we had Tacos No 1 (a hit!) and I dropped Afton and Frank off at Aladdin. Later I’d retrieve them and take them down to Frankies. Another hit! Frankies with Uncle Frank! Then we met up with Greg at Morgenstern’s. Greg brought along his friend Jared, himself a descendant of San Marinions, just like all us Taylors.

We went up to the Plaza hotel to have a look around and a walk around and then here’s a picture of Afton and Frank waving goodbye as he headed to seperate subways. I needed to get home and get ready for Nashville, but I also needed to see Free Solo for a second time (this time on the real IMAX at Lincoln Square).

My early morning flight to Nashville had about 11 people on it.

Ah, nice calm Nashville mornings

Sunday night I attended my third Superbowl at Jeff’s but you know what? Doesn’t seem I have any photos. Just imagine me eating way way too much chili queso dip (and also imagine about five or six people bringing chili queso dip). After the big game we went out and walked off some of that queso.

I guess my photos are a real grab bag for the next two days of Nashville, but the main idea is we had a lot of fun just walking around and hanging out and stuff. One of the best things we did was go swimming at the Y Monday morning (no pics because it was wet). And I diversified my Hot Chicken eating by going to Bolton’s. It’s a famous place, a place with history, but boy, I do like Prince’s better and that’s that. Last thing we did before my flight to LA Tuesday afternoon was go to a Mexican shopping center called Plaza Mariachi. What a fun place! I could tell they really party there on weekends.

Ok. For next time, remember what I just said: That afternoon I caught a flight to LA