Trip Home part 2

Fun in Utah continued:

Halloween movie night.  The kids got really into Hallween and we made paper ghosts and bats to tape on the wall.  They wanted a Halloween movie and chose Corpse Bride.

RJ and Katie (6) were good buds this trip, as she was the only one willing to wrestle and rough house with him.

That is why is other cousin Cael said "He a jerk".  RJ plays too rough sometimes and hurt his leg I guess.

Skateboard lesson from uncle Drew.

THE FOOD!

This is a great time of year to visit my mom because the massive garden is in harvest time.

She grew carrots for the first time this year, and that massive cabbage the size of a basketball.

I made these cinnamon/ sugar almonds.  I got the recipe from another blog but can't remember which.  They're good, just like the hot nuts at christmas.

And caramel apples!

We picked some apples off my mom's tree and made caramel.

I posted the recipe on here a while ago.  It's good!

Parker's Drive In

If you grew up in Northern Utah County, you probably already know, and hopefully agree with everything this post has to offer.

I'm talking about American Fork's greasy spoon,

Lee Parker's Drive In

It's a historical part of AF. Last summer there was talk they were closing, and it seemed like a little panic whenever I would talk to anyone about it.  Luckily, Lee's daughter is keeping things going.

This little restaurant was huge in my childhood.  Any time cousins would visit my grandma from out of town, we'd always have to get Parker's.  As a kid, it  seemed like special occasions needed Parkers.

Another reason this dive seemed personally important, was the fact my mom and her two older sisters all worked there through high school.

But back in the late 70s they'd call it "the pit" back when it was an Arctic Circle.

We heard lots of stories from my mom working at Parker's, like one time she was leaving and had 2 melted, nasty, frothed milk shakes leftover and was holding them standing out the sun roof of her friends car, looking for someone in town to throw them on.

Two unsuspecting cowboys (most likely from Lehi) were on the curb and just got drenched--a high speed car chase ensued through the back streets of AF.  As a kid my mom seemed like such a rebel.

Anyway, there's a lot of nostalgia associated with this place.  A lot from my own life, and a lot hearing about it from my mom and aunts.  I remember one time I was in there to pick up the food with my mom and I actually saw old man Lee Parker myself... in real life.

I think the menu is as old as I am, they just increase the prices over the years.

NOTE: The two older ladies in the back worked with my mom.  My mom would always brag that she advanced to go behind the counter and worked the grill, where beginners just cashier and make drinks.

So here's the food.

I made this whole post to enlighten people about the difference between hamburger sauce and fry sauce.

You have to ask for hamburger sauce, (I think it's $.50 or something) but it's a lot better than fry sauce.  My mom knows the recipe, so she always makes hamburger sauce when we make burgers at home, and so I forget how much better it is than your usual fry sauce.

Fry sauce = equal parts mayo and ketchup, and some places put pickle juice or relish in it...sick!

Hamburger sauce: mayo, ketchup, and a little buttermilk.

Anyway, if you are ever driving through Utah County on I-15, get off at the American Fork 500 E exit and drive north to state street and try the hamburger sauce with your fries.

Hopefully people like it as much as I do.  Rhett says it's just OK, so maybe you have to grow up with the greasy magic of Parker's to really appreciate it.

Trip Home!

RJ and I recently spent a week visiting my family.

Lots of fun things at Grandma's house.

First off, picking raspberries for breakfast to go with her raspberry lemonade.

We visited Lynette at her Tailoring shop in Provo, but RJ fell asleep and Lynette thought he looked like a posed dead kid the way his hands were crossed and his feet together.

We spent a few days with the cousins.

ASTRO POPS!

Under the table for shade.

The Saturday I took the 4 oldest kids up AF Canyon to Tibble Fork.

I was bummed we were too early and leaves hadn't started changing.

Main Attraction for us:
Feeding the ducks, then throwing rocks at them once they'd gained the kids' trust

{RJ's varsity jacket was a hand-me-down from Rhett's sister.  It reminded me of EMILIO Estevez in Breakfast Club.  I tried to watch Breakfast Club the other day on instant Netflix but shut it off due to all the f-bombs.  I guess I'd always seen it edited on TV or something.  Bummer.}

The drive down the canyon, Cael and RJ held hands the whole way.

From these photos, it seems like these two boys are good friends.

But the next morning my sister Heather asked Cael if he wanted to go to grandma's to play with RJ and Cael said:
"No! He a jerk!  He hurt my leg."

So cousin spats already...and RJ always seems to be the mean bully.  But Cael did scratch RJ's arm the next day and got his vengeance.

more to come from our trip...later

Where Is Fall?

A couple days ago, it was cool and crisp, and I thought fall was here and got excited to bust out the sweaters and make caramel apples.  But a heat wave came through and it's been unwanted and I keep hoping fall will come, as I love it and one season closer to Christmas.

pictures taken in AF canyon

Autumn is best in Utah I think...although I've never experienced fall in Vermont.

Papa

I love that my son loves his Dad.  Especially when Dad comes home and RJ wants nothing to do with me for a while...I think the feeling is mutual some days.

RJ's face showing I ruined the party.

Rhett's current rotation (Pediatrics) schedules the overnight call for 30-hour call.  So he goes to work at 7am and gets done at 1 pm--the next day.  The week is split between 3 interns, so you usually only have 2 a week.  The other days are normal clinic days (7am to 7pm).  I imagine they must have a good reason, but working 30 hours straight, as a doctor, taking care of little kids, seems stupid to me.  Maybe because I couldn't function and might kill someone if I was in charge...but whatever.  I could barely work 12 hour night shifts, so I am a sleep deprivation wimp.

But Rhett hasn't killed anyone yet, so I guess working 30 hours straight is manageable for some people.

The longest I've ever gone without sleep was when I was 16, and stayed up all night watching movies at the drive in, then went on a Pioneer Trek with church the next morning.  I didn't realize you go right into hauling handcarts  full of heavy dutch ovens up cattle trails in Wyoming the first day.  I don't know if I got what the leaders wanted us kids to get out of the whole experience, but there were moments I wanted to die, so at least that part gave me a taste of what it was like for the real pioneers.  Oh and I took shoes that were too small and bruised all my toe nails the first day, so walked the rest in socks, so that too seemed hard core pioneer to me...especially a few days later when most of my toe nails fell off.

I probably ended up being awake 35 hours straight that experience, and by the end of the second day I was totally exhausted, bawling, and delusional.  Unfortunately a few of my friends probably still remember my condition that night as the "mob" came and drove us out to take down our tents and relocate in the dark, I had just fallen asleep in the weeds sitting indian style.  I bawled the whole dark walk to the next weed patch.

Once we were there to stay, I was lame and didn't help my group set up our tent, I just put my sleeping bag in the weeds and went to sleep.  Needless to say I wasn't a favorite in my assigned "family" group and the rest of the trek was much better for me once I slept.

Although it got better in some ways, in others it became more stressful--a kid named Sean Moon had a temporary crush throughout the trek.  If you know Officer Moon, you'll know that makes for some interesting stories and awkwardness.  Like the time he punched my friend Spencer in the top of his head because Officer Moon thought Spencer had pushed me.  Or the catcalls at my butt as I'm bending over pushing the hand-cart up a steep hill, and Sean is riding in his hand-cart right behind ours, yelling my name, telling me what a great job I'm doing, and whistling at me, as I'm sweating like a pig, tripping over the pioneer dress they made us wear, so mad I could and did spit, and grunting with effort.   I do have to hand it to  Spencer Heaton, the huge, strong kid that pulled Sean up that entire mountain that was really nice of Spencer,  but I kind of wish he hadn't so Sean wouldn't have been so well rested to yell the whole way. 

I have a photo of Officer Moon and I on the trek.  Maybe I'll dig them up, and if anyone knows where Sean is and how he's doing, I'd like an update.  He's the only boy in my high school years that I was ever aware had a crush on me, even though it was only the 3 days of the trek, so I hope he's well.  He actually kept calling my little sister Lynette for a long time, and she was only 13 or something.  I guess I looked a lot better unbathed, stinky, sweaty, and filthy and once we got home he lost interest. 

Anyway, I don't know why it seems so crazy to me to schedule people to work 30 hours straight--like prisoner of war Vietnam torture tactics or something.

Croc Hunter Revealed

...for Marianne and Melody

Melody  is racking up the memories in the Lame Clothing Contest. Thanks for the memories!

Both Marianne and Melody mentioned the slumber party in 8th grade where we made videos.

I did some impersonations of Steve Erwin: Crock Hunter as seen here featuring the ferret.

Later we learned the cafeteria dance to Superstar to "Everybody Dance Now" and filmed that.

Pretty great days running a muck in the middle of the night in Alpine, Utah.

I remembered I had scanned this photo of that night, but unfortunately, I'm wearing my Spanish Fork boys soccer shirt I bought for $1.00 at D.I. instead.  Another fashion gem, but I don't think I actually had inherited the red dawls shirt yet, thus I was dabbling in little boys city-issued sports tees instead.

Don't worry, I'll still count the memories in the winnings.

just a reminder:

HAVE YOU KNOWN ME IN THE LAST 10 YEARS? THEN YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN ME WEAR THE SAME SHIRT AND SKIRT OVER AND OVER. EVEN RECOGNIZING THEM GETS YOU AN ENTRY.

ENTER THE CONTEST HERE.

Clothing 101

Right after I started the lack of fashion contest, I read these tips from from: The Lucky Shopping Manual.

-If you’re unsure about a big ticket item, put it on hold for 24 hours and think it over.

 I don't think I've ever considered a big ticket item of clothing.  Unless you consider big ticket a pair of jeans for less than $50.

-“Don’t buy anything that doesn’t flatter you or isn’t comfortable, no matter how of-the-moment it is.”

 I don't ever think about whether it's flattering, just if it's comfortable.

“If you have to talk yourself into a purchase in the dressing room, pass on it.”

 I rarely try anything on.

“If there’s nothing in your closet to wear with it, skip it.”

 Pretty much I only wear jeans and t-shirts, so I'm lost at coordinating "outfits"

“Never purchase something just because it looks good on someone else.”

 duh.

“Don’t save a pair of jeans for that anticipated five-pound weight loss. Owning them is bad for your psyche. If the time comes when you drop a size, chances are you won’t hesitate to run out and buy a new pair”

 I'm pretty sure I always buy pants way too big, and I have garbage bag butt in the back, so they're  comfortable but not at all the right way they should fit.  I was told having a really short torso, I should wear low rise jeans.  But I hate crackage with my bubble butt so no way!  I loathe low rise jeans.  They were made for girls with no bum I think.

“If a stain didn’t come out at the cleaners or when you toiled over it in the sink it’s permanent. Time to let it go.”

“If we kept every item of clothing with a memory attached , we’d be buried in clothes.”

 I have a big problem with this one...thus the contest

“Ask yourself if each item of clothing in your closet:

1) flatters your shape,

2) fits perfectly or is fixable,

 3) is the right color for you,

4) has been worn in the last two years

– only things that get four yesses should stay.”

I don't think I have one thing that gets 4 yesses!!

These tips were kind of depressing to realize how little I know, and even less that I actually implement.  But they seem to make sense, I guess I just never think of it. 

Clothing to me is like shelter--just to cover my nakedness and protect me from the elements.

But I'd like to change.

Contest for Your Memories of the Past

Another little contest and giveaway to celebrate this time:

my lack of fashion sense/ style.

When Rhett graduated in May, it was obviously an exciting event for our family.  But it was also exciting for my closet, because I'd always had the plan to get rid of all my clothing that I've had since high school when no one in our family was "student" status any longer.  With that plan, I also planned to replace everything I threw out, but that has yet to happen, and may not happen for a while. 

Anyway,  I think most normal people probably don't have much or any clothing from high school, I guess depending on how long ago you graduated.  I graduated in 2003.  So the newest items to go would be at least 7 years old.

So after all the high school (there were even some Jr. High) clothing were bagged for goodwill, I was left with a little less than half of what I started with.  Pathetic? Well I kept waiting for someone to nominate me for TLC's What Not to Wear, but no one did.  So I had to throw it all out myself, leaving me still clueless about style and how to dress myself, and not having the fancy new wardrobe the show would have bought me. 

Anyway, there were 2 items that should have been thrown out but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

The red "dawls" t-shirt.

The blue mini-plaid a-line skirt.

These are my favorites.

I wore them together one last time early this summer. 

I walked in the kitchen and my little sister Lynette was there and said: "Wow.  You still have those?" 

Yes. And I can't get rid of them. 

I am kind of a pack rat.

But these two articles of clothing I've had for so long, worn so much, and have so much sentimental value, they have become kind of like baby blankets you can wear.  The skirt more than the t-shirt.

HISTORY of the T-Shirt

Just a hand-me-down from my older sister when her chest out grew it--I was probably in 9th grade. Nothing special, but for some reason I always liked it. More sentiment than style obviously.

HISTORY of the SKIRT

please don't think I'm disgusting when you read how long I've had it, think of it as vintage or something

This skirt started as a jumper when I was a girl.  I don't know how old I was exactly, less than 10 though.  I don't necessarily remember loving it as a jumper, but I got too big, so my mom cut off the arms, and made it into the skirt. 

So I've had it at least 15 years if not more. 

I've worn it for 15 years.

But I'm moving on.

The skirt is also moving on to something in a different shape and form.

I have plans for both of them...but here's where the contest comes in.

If you recognize either item, that is 1 entry--make it 1 post

If you remember a story or have a memory/ event where I was wearing one of these, 1 entry for each memory/ story, make each a separate comment to count.

I haven't pinned down the prize, because it depends on who wins it, (i.e. if you don't have kids you'd hate to win baby crap) but I think in the past with my Stalkers Come Out Contest I had pretty good prizes.

Marianne won this just for having the funniest comment, so hopefully this will inspire you to rack your brains in the last 15 years if you know me to enter to win.

If you have a photo of me wearing either item, that is an automatic prize.

Email the photo as proof to: jessica.crapo@gmail.com

I don't expect much of a response on this contest, so don't feel embarrassed for me when no one comments, I'm expecting very few to have paid attention to my lame wardrobe.  But I'm excited for the few who do.