The last excuse for a college break coma

I come to find out nearly everyone goes home on college breaks and falls into a sleepy coma, so seeing as I've now officially graduated, I figured I'd go out with a bang:
Exhibit:
After passing out cold for approximately 7 of the 10 hours in the backseat driving home from Utah (best roadtrip ever!), I proceeded to spend the next 36 of 48 hours in my bed, save for my dad's calls to ask if I was alright or if I had eaten anything that day. No, watching lots of Mad Men (season 1 and counting!) doesn't really procure any hunger, but thanks. (Don't worry, I'm not completely malnourished: I just went through the last of my dark chocolate stores.)

My last weekend in Utah was fabulous, thanks to many friends and family who rallied to party with me!

Oh, and this wouldn't be a post without arguably my favorite line of the weekend, thanks to my friend Jacque, who said, "None of this high-fiving hello business. What are we, on a date at BYU? NO."

I miss Utah friends already.

That being said, I think this picture sums up the weekend.


It could have been Lady Gaga costume #2, if only she had actually graduated from Tisch.

Today I loved

-Driving home with 4 friends from a whimsically planned overnight roadtrip.
-Going to another friend's play.
-BBM-ing my sister in England while sitting in the In-N-Out drive thru.

I somehow have more of a social life living at my aunt & uncle's house for these 7 weeks than I ever had in Provo.

So Utah, hats off... all things considered, you've been really really good to me this summer.

Utah = New Zealand? Roadtrip-tested idea.

Spent last weekend with my Olsen extended family in central Utah.
The drive down felt like New Zealand.

If you live in Utah and want an easy 3 hour roundtrip roadtrip, save yourself the 13 hour New Zealand flight, and take
the I-6 East up Spanish Fork canyon for about 20 minutes,
then Right where it says Manti & Richfield for another 30 mins or so,
Then left at the Fairview Chevron (can't miss) up the canyon for another 45 minutes-ish.

SPEC.TAC.U.LAR.

If anyone does this, please comment and attest to this grandeur.

Oh, also, bonus, I drove back the night of the 4th and saw no less than 10 fireworks shows from the I-15. I can't promise the same to anyone who tries this mini-roadtrip out, but I promise the beauty of that part of Utah far exceeds any amateur pyrotechnic show.

Yes, lobster rivals an outdoor movie screen

Guys, this is making it HARDER!!!

Anyone knows I love NYC/New England/DC/Boston.
But I am a SoCal wimp for good weather!
(Blame it on my parents!)

The following are ejemplos to explain further what I like to call 'my own great East/West Schism':

A new East Village NYC Lobster Roll shack (even bearing my nephew's name!) with proprietors from Cape Elizabeth, Maine- the original lobster roll place! (It's beautiful up there, ps...you eat your rolls overlooking their gooorgeous craggy shoreline.)

Bonus- they only use knuckle and claw- any lobster aficionado will tell you its the best part! (Missing good shellfish, and heck, ANY FRESH SEAFOOD, in the landlocked beef country that is Utah. Apparently I didn't overdose enough this summer...)

and

A Hollywood Hills home with disappearing edge pool AND outdoor screen. My only question is if you can watch movies in the pool...


More confusion, non-schism related:
I am still annoyingly congested and tired, despite pounding Sudafed's maximum suggested dosage for the past 5 days.
No cough, no fever and thus, no flu.
So that's good, right? Seeing as some silly boys in my complex have quarantined themselves in for the weekend with swine flu?
Yes?
Suggestions?

Back to basics

Loved the GC this weekend.

(Utah's obsessed with acronyms i.e. OMG, did you see the RSP and the EQP in the JSB playing hooky from FHE?)

General Conference- it's where all the Mormons in the world tune in and hear from our main leaders and are reminded how much we are loved by God and other great uplifting things. Semi-annually. This year, there was a constant theme of SERVICE and LOVE expressed.

I love cutting through the cultural nonsense and getting back to basics with GC. Because ironically it's the fundamentals, the essence, that culture tends to mess up, at least for me. Even though I am not perfect myself, sorry Utah, but I get really frustrated with fanatical hyper-righteous interpretations I see here.

My faves: Uchtdorf and Bednar from Saturday AM session, and Holland Sunday PM session (there are 4 main 2-hour sessions).

How about you?

Success.

Got sunburned this weekend.

(Albeit, barely).


At a body of water.

(Albeit, a pool.)


First Amendment law book did not make me cry.

(The foreign language-ness of it is getting easier.)


It's the little things, people...

The button

First day of school, 30 mins before class starts, a button pops off my new pants, derailing my outfit of a month-long vision.

I'm on my hands and knees trying to find it, to no avail...

Severely thrown off, I am late to my first class by probably 30 seconds, but nonetheless welcomed to scores of eyes as I traverse in front of all of them in the middle of the professor's introductions, climbing over several people to get a seat.
NICE.

Later, I crack open my 'law school primer' (as I'm calling it) class book and want to cry. So I lay on my bed in the fetal position and take deep breaths...for about an hour, trying to think happy thoughts ("think of the happiest things" as Peter Pan would say).
Eyes assume that on-the-brink-of-a-meltdown sting-y feeling for probably 48 hours, with accompanying zombie-like exhaustion.

New apartment's air conditioning is broken, so even Utah feels like a rainforest: sleeping with no clothes on, taking cold showers...with each heated exhale, the point is further proven that there should NOT be school when it is this hot out.

Basically, I'm still mourning summer's end and getting my trash full on drop-kicked by school.

BUT THINGS ARE LOOKING UP:

Two people (both male, one professor in the middle of a lecture) said my hair looked great (and you know I NEVER 'do' my hair),

Three of my good friends (Murfie, Sponge and Coppins) are in my pseudo-law school class,

AND

my jaw/neck/head BARELY HURT. For probably the first time in at least a year. Miracles happen.


So you know, there are always two sides to every button.
(Even if said button is still MIA.)

"Bargain foodie"

I was at Whole Paycheck Foods today...

Gorgonzola and walnut stuffed portobello mushroom caps...

Shrimp, spicy tuna, and salmon sushi (I made a landlocked sushi exception- sue me)...

Bars of dark chocolate with mint crisps...

And $15 on....

YOGURT.

Yes, I realize how ridiculous....

But it is GREEK yogurt- you know, the super high-quality thick and creamy but still nonfat kind.

I can't stomach the expense (pun intended) when it's not on sale. But today, it was.

The life of a bargain foodie.

Attack of the landlocked sushi

Never again will I eat sushi in a state or country that does not border water.

(With exception of maybe Las Vegas)

Photo: Serious Eats

My friend Mike invites me to sushi at his favorite place in Salt Lake, but I just cannot muster it. He has tapered off with the invites, with knowledge of my 'landlocked sushi' fear...

To elaborate:

A) Happy Sumo.
Only been twice, because on the last time I got food poisoning...from the looks of it (I know...TMI), it was the seaweed salad. Or the San Francisco Roll?

B) Costco 2-day old assorted California rolls (yes, I know its not 'real' sushi).
Ate the remains of what I bought on Saturday for lunch yesterday...then I went on a run later with Rindz...had to stop at a gas station because my stomach hurt so much...it was not pleasant.
Then, upon my return home, the minor chills that ensued and stomach ache that persisted prompted a Google search of "swine flu symptoms"...

(BIG HINT: Read THIS and you won't be scared of it anymore!)

Nevertheless... sorry Utah, but I've decided from here on out that when I'm in landlocked places (including you), I'm sticking to above-land animals.
Comprende?

Oooh, hoy es Cinco de Mayo!
Vamos a celebrar.... the knowledge (from that above link) that you are now empowered to take on the Swine Flu, should it waft your way...

Ojala que tengas un buen dia!

Utah driving violations

Violations:

Going 70 in the fast lane.

Going 30 on University Avenue.

Brake checking me while I tailgate you to move over while you are doing the a fore mentioned. (Yes, I'm quite aware I'm right on your rear!)


Dear UDs,

Let me introduce to you these things called "stop signs" - They are red with white lettering. How they work is you push your brake pedal slightly, then keep going. You were born with peripheral vision; use it.

Also, we have these things in California called "carpool lanes"- they just put them in your state here a little while ago. If you can't count another human in your car with you, then you cannot. use. them.
Double white lines are not passing lanes.
If I can properly refrain, you can too.
(PS: I'm convinced if they put the black diamond symbols on the carpool lane signs here, it would be the ski bum apocalyptic equivalent of the Yakima'd Subarus).


And lastly, dear drivers, when there is something happening on the OTHER side of the freeway, it does not warrant a lookie-loo.

I know that flashing lights are exciting, but try to contain your curiosity, because maintenance trucks are not peep (road)shows.

I welcome your vents in the comments.

Silly Goodies

I've posted the following in hopes your humpday is enlivened.

1)


I stole this from Teen.
We need to BUMP these OUT of Utah, as more poofi-ness is NOT what this state needs. However, if Utah is doomed to stay outdated as it presently is, I may be okay with these if it means the lack of hairspray usage will help the environment (because the quantity in which it is used here is alarming). At EFY, I used to call the girls who ratted their hair like this "tumor-heads," laughed at them and covertly took pictures of their hideousness. They're probably barefoot and pregnant as I type this.


2) Here's last semester's Best of The Daily Universe's Police Beat.
Because we all know it's why people read the DU (that, and Reader's Forum).


3) Stole this from Val's blog:
















4)

Ed Westwick and Helena Christensen in a Harper's Bazaar photo shoot a la 'Mrs. Robinson.' Westwick has said he's the "last of the romantics" (the antithesis of womanizing Chuck Bass). This only makes me fancy him more!














and...


5) Here's a little gem of a video I posted on my Facebook page but thought I'd also share with the blogosphere. Call me a narcissist, but I've watched it probably no less than 200 times to laugh... er, admire how skilled I am (remember, my life is bleaksville and Lipstick Jungle is on hiatus).

It is entitled "Sunday Best."
Enjoy.