Long time, no blog

So, I haven't been writing nearly as much as I had expected and I feel a little guilty about it. I hope it's because I've been living a little Utah instead of just dreaming and speculating.

A few months and so much catching up to do...

Since I last posted, so much has happened. The snow has melted. The mountains have gone from brown, to snowy, to brown, to green. Gary Coleman passed away. I have replaced parts on both the washer and dryer :). I can actually snowboard (sort of). Old friends have visited. I've made great friends here. The Mini found a new home. The new car always contains a change of clothes, shoes, extra hats, mittens and even more random snacks than before. I have new favorite national parks. I actually haven't been sleepwalking... amazingly. And I have Utah plates.

The driver's license, bootlegging, mountain biking and moose spotting are still pending...

For now, I'll post a few of my favorite photos and promise to share more soon.

xxoo,
Kristy


the photos: Our neighbors at the studio... Did I mention the Marlboro man? That one time CB came to visit and we almost "died" while hiking Little Cottonwood. Silver Lake Reservoir in Uinta National Forrest. One tired herding dog. Lunching at the Utah State Correctional Facility — Hard Times Cafe (notice the barbed wire). My lovely, crazy friends.

Sunny days in Utah

selfless or selfish?

For as long as I can remember, I've tried to live by a few simple rules: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Do what you want with your life as long as your actions do not hurt yourself, or others, directly or intentionally. Take as much responsibility for your actions as possible.

Occasionally, something happens in my life that requires me to go back and revisit these rules. Are they too simple? Did I violate one of them? What about these beliefs and actions is selfish or incomplete?

This weekend was one of the times I had to question.

On Saturday morning, I decided I needed to find a community activity. So I looked up soup kitchens in the Salt Lake City area. I found a large, LDS run organization which seemed to provide great relief to individuals in need and accepted volunteers, so I called.

A woman answered the phone and when I inquired about volunteer opportunities, she asked which temple I attended. I replied simply that I did not attend a temple but I would love to volunteer if there was a need. She informed me that my "services would be more valuable" if I were a member of the church.

I had no words. I don't understand how my lack of religious affiliation makes a difference. How could this make me less capable of handing someone a sandwich, acknowledging their existence and showing a little empathy. How could someone who attends temple make this situation more worthwhile for someone in need? How could a religious person put conditions on delivering food to someone in need?

I felt such a sudden rush of surprise, disappointment and anger that I hung up the phone. Could I not even help make soup or sandwiches because I am not a member? Could I not help clean, or help obtain food or supplies? Is my difference in opinion about religion so offensive, that one would deny me from helping them help someone less fortunate?

I absolutely recognize that this was one person in a very large organization with flawed point of view. I am positive these are not the views shared by most within the church. I am also positive that the church does far more good in this community than harm — despite my differing views, I appreciate and respect the church for it's contributions.

The experience just made me wonder why the organization of religion often has to come between people and positive action. Don't our rules get in the way sometimes?

I would love to hear your thoughts. When is attempting to be helpful actually selfish?

Waiting for the snow to melt

This coming Wednesday will officially be two months in Utah — it's been so much fun and a little overwhelming. I'm far behind on my blog posts and definitely still exploring. As they keep reminding me, good friends Brian and Shoko have been here for four years and have much left to explore, so I'm trying to be patient. :)

Don't get me wrong, I love the snow but I can't wait for enough of it to melt to do some hiking and camping locally, and really check out the SLC galleries. I'm looking forward to this Friday's gallery stroll beginning at the Kayo Gallery. We'll see how it compares to the KC Crossroads district, but with gallery openings, nice weather, live bands and art it looks like it's off to a promising start.

Before I moved here, everyone warned me about the lack of bars and beverages. Sorry but you were wrong! :) So far I've tried three local breweries... Wasatch, Squatters and Red Rock and haven't been disappointed. You'll have to visit and taste if you don't believe me...

So many fun downtown places I've wanted to check out, but haven't yet had time: beehive pub, beehive tea room, no brow coffee, Faustina, Paris Bistro and the Retro Rose just to name a few.

For now, I'm exploring as I can. For $10 I can pick up a weekend pass to learn how to rock climb indoors and I really need to work on my... um, snowboarding... if you can call it that. If I fail at snowboarding, Solitude still offers great views and a really nice lodge!

Work at the studio has been great and keeping me busy. I'm lucky to have a job where I am able to make advertising, help keep photo shoots and the business running smoothly, and work with creative people who care about good design and advertising. If you know me well, you know I've also been really impatient about meeting new people in the industry :) but it's all fun just the same. New week we'll be attending the SLC Addy's; I can't wait to see new local work and meet some industry people.

So... a little randomness about Utah. They put fry sauce (something like 1000 Island) on everything. Today I almost hit a billy goat in only kind-of-rural Bluffdale. Everyone drives fast here (80mph+) which makes me, and the Mini, pretty happy. Gary Coleman keeps getting arrested. And I have yet to see (or recognize) a polygamist.

Oh yeah... one more. I still need to check into this one — The Temporary Museum of Permanent Change — because it is very random. And it reminds me of my only recurring dream involving Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder... but that part is for another time.

Well, thanks for reading my rambling. Hope you enjoy the bits of SLC. More to share soon.

c.1984

When I was a kid, I had pretty definite aspirations of what my life and career would be like as an adult. These included a super high-powered job, 80s style pantsuits (but more modern of course!), big hair (because it's classy) and really big purses (not sure about this one). My fridge would be stocked with something sophisticated, say Clearly Canadian. Oh... and I thought I should have a personalized license plate with my name on it.

Looking back, I think my eight-year-old self was hoping to be a Realtor or perhaps a Mary Kay sales person. That didn't quite work out.

So, as an adult, I spend my days at a commercial photography studio and work feels more like play. High-powered? Sometimes I get to choose the music on the iPod. Pantsuit? I don't own one, thank you very much. Hair? I left the "big" hair behind with the humidity. Purse? Hmmm, moderate. License plate? Soon to be Utah and definitely not personalized.

Despite missing out on a few of those, I love my job where we keep the mandatory RC cola and PBR in the fridge (there will be time to explain that later). I think the best part of not knowing – or guessing — what my personal life would be like, is that it is somehow more like it was in 1984 than I could have ever imagined.

In 1981, my family moved from California to Kansas. We were fortunate enough to move to a place where neighbors were more like extended family. We spent weekends outdoors with neighborhood kids, or camping in central Kansas or just eating and drinking close to home.

Since I've moved to Utah I've been equally fortunate. With just over a month under my belt, my new (and old) friends have invited me to Christmas and New Year's Eve dinners, attempted to teach me how to snowboard, driven me hundreds of miles for hiking, and generally fed and entertained me. The food and beverages might be a little better, the music is about the same, Mom and dad will be happy to know there will still be volleyball in the back yard in the summer. Maybe it's time to reinstate neighborhood games of kick the can and jailbreak?

Road Food

No, we didn't eat them.

The 1,400 Mile Journey

The beginning of my Utah adventure took place in a 16' Penske truck. Fortunately my friend, Heather, was with me as we figured out how to unhook and secure the car carrier from the back without the use of instructions or help from men. Talk about some self-sufficient women! :)

Later we loaded my life into the truck, my Mini onto the back and the cat & dog into the cab. After a few curb checks, fights with the cat and a stockpile of grasshopper cookies, Brian and I headed off for Utah.

Day one – Chicago to Omaha
I blame the western Illinois landscape for our consumption of an entire box of grasshopper cookies in an hour. Is that fair? So we experienced clouds all day, post-storm black ice in Iowa, about 30 cars off the road with 10 semis overturned and Subway for lunch. After our second stop for fuel, the check engine light came on. Awesome. We're either going to roll on some black ice and die, or the Mini will be our only method of escape when the truck dies. We arrived in Omaha around 10:30p to find only Perkins open for dinner. Uhh... carryout burgers.

Day two — Omaha to Cheyenne
Much earlier start. Only 11 cars and 3 semis off the road today. Nothing better to start the day than some country gospel. Why can't I play Minor Threat in the Penske? Stopped at a Flying J to fuel up, get some pizza and hopefully find an iTrip... no luck on the iTrip. Just a nice Nebraska man with a glass eye and a preference for the CB radio. But we did find some naked lady trucker stickers which seemed to help the Penske forget its engine troubles. In the evening we found ourselves in Cheyenne. During a lovely dinner at the Outback steakhouse with our "Australian" waiter, we heard a little trucker talk.

Day three —Cheyenne to SLC
While fueling up in Cheyenne, Brian tried to decode trucker talk... no luck. Maybe later. Just outside of Cheyenne was one of the more beautiful places I've ever been. Hope to return soon and share pics. Lots of high winds this day. Saw a school bus with a sign from Lee's Summit, MO — how small the world is sometimes. Stopped in Elk Mountain, WY at the scariest and most amazing gas station ever... so much so, Syd wouldn't even get out of the truck. Only stop for 46 miles but they had amazing trucker hats! After 200 miles of Little America billboards and a decision not to fill the truck cab with a vat of 49¢ ice cream cones, we made it to SLC. Someday I'll tell you about the last 30 miles. :)