My mom was right...

...I do regret giving up on piano lessons. Turning 30 hasn't done amazing things for all parts of me, but it has strengthened my resolve to take care of a few things. One such item is getting back on the Dozen-A-Day/John Thompson saddle.

Ruth recently gifted me her keyboard (she's upgraded to the real deal) and once we we got around to taking our Christmas tree down (we were bordering, if not completely white trash this year about that), Nate set up the keyboard in the front room so my keyboard is in plain view to remind me to practice.

Kathryn's not so subtle form of protesting the removal of the Christmas tree.

Starting over officially bugs me. Playing songs that I know I played better in elementary school is horribly depressing, but maybe that's the humility I need to keep going. My goal is to beat my younger self, and at this point all I need in order to do that is to not be a quitter. Eh, Mom?

I've been at it about a month, so it almost feels like a habit, and while I'm without a metronome, Gwen Chesley saying "and it's MEMORIZED", Cheryl Morrow complimenting my sight reading skills, and Mom telling me I couldn't quit until I could play the hymns...it's still something. My very own piano hymn book came today too. The real one too, it was a bit less expensive than the simplified one and I decided to set my sights high...or at least to my mother's 15 year old standard.

Speaking of goals and repeating things, I started back to school last week. Again. This time, I really started over. I have to take Portfolio I over again because I've been out of school over a year. That seems fair in some respects, but it's difficult to think about when I took that class the first time...between piano and school and working at GoGo again, I feel like I may be regressing.

Silver lining: I can still play "The Man in the Moon" in all 12 keys and I still give one heck of a PowerPoint presentation*

*provided Nate creates/polishes my slides

Adjusting

I've lived in Las Vegas for about five months now. Five?? There are some days when I feel like I've been here forever, but I have more days when I feel like I'm living amongst and working with people I don't know. Nate of course doesn't fall into this category, but hopefully you get what I mean. To help me stay sane during the work day, I've taken to eating lunch in my car. The temperature will allow me to get away with this for now...I know it won't last, but in the meantime I've been very grateful for the escape. While I eat, I read; and I've made it through a few books. I recently finished one, and close to the end of the book, I read a paragraph I've been thinking about a lot:

"You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place, I told him, you'll not only miss the people you love, but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way again".*

I think my problem is I assume I will stay the same person; that I could go right back into an old situation and feel right at home. While I know that is of course not true, that is normally what I tell myself when I leave somewhere or something, just as a way of coping.

We've fallen into a lot of wonderful things out here, but many moments still carry a sting, because I can't help but compare them to either my life in Utah or Ohio; mostly Ohio, honestly. I miss the friends I could've only made in Toledo, as well as friends I was able to "follow" out there and hang on to. Las Vegas is becoming our home, but as it happens, I am often reminded of what home has meant in other places.

Just had to get that out.

*Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azir Nafisi

Happy Phantomtime's Day

Nathan has figured out that he cherishes a surprise a bit more than I do. However, I've been entertained with the idea that, as of late, he's become worse and worse at actually holding in said surprise for very long. His Valentime's surprise was very much a surprise to me, and knowing a few days early only gave me something to look forward to.

Is this creepy and confusing to you as well?

The Friday before Valentime's we headed down to the Venetian and saw "The Phantom of the Opera". It was fabulous. It had been a long time since I'd seen a production like that and it made me so happy, it brought me to tears. It reminded me of my time in London when I was ridiculously spoiled with all sorts of shows weekly. So major points for Nate, and a few more points to Vegas.

Contraband picture in the theater. ps-the Phantom also had a small role in an episode of Frasier, so...obviously he was good.

After the show, we walked around and took in the sights which brought us to this:

I've always loved H&M (coincidentally a common "after show" spot for me in London) so it was fun to walk through. Isn't anything made better with a horse lamp though? Seriously.

Traveling for work can=traveling home

One of the perks of working in an office that used to be in Salt Lake and still services that area: getting to visit "on business". The last weekend in January, I went with my boss Paula to Salt Lake for the Morris Murdock Travel Show at the Sandy Expo Center. Way too many proper nouns, but there you go. It's an odd thing to fly for about 5 minutes and be home, but be at the airport, then rent a car and settle back in Sandy...at the Hampton Inn. We stayed in the Auto Mall complex just across from South Towne mall.

I jokingly offered a few times that I could sleep at my parents' house...but really, it seemed ridiculous. I will say the Hampton Inn provided unlimited hot chocolate, so I was able to seemingly keep up with my boss's insatiable coffee habit, and their workout room provided much needed alone time and fitness all in the same go.

The day we got into town, we had a travel show, so I wasn't able to see family, but we had an open house where I saw quite a few travel agents I'd worked with in the past, so it was a lot of fun to visit with them. (side note: before the show, I had the opportunity to visit my very first liquor store...in my home state. It was a special, seedy moment) The next morning I met up with Ruth, Vince, Bella and Mom. And because Jim is omnipresent, he showed up as well. :) We went to Hagermann's for their (rightfully so) famous french toast and had a nice visit. We took a jaunt to Wal*Mart and saw this:

The irony was almost enough to make me forget that I had to get along to work...it wasn't incredibly taxing, but again, it seemed wrong for me to be working when there was a family to visit and grocery shopping to do. It was a long day, but it was over soon enough, and that evening I found myself at McGrath's with a group of people that included the director of the Mexico Tourist Board. For the record, he asked me if I was British. I asked him why he thought so and he explained because of how I talk. It's a new one, but I somehow turned it into a compliment, if an undeserved one.

The next morning I had an early breakfast with Tom, Stacey and the croupy Grey. I was sick over this weekend, so I felt like it was okay to be around fellow sickies (Bella was also sick). We had a lovely breakfast at Paradise Bakery and I briefly made Grey happy by pulling out an oldish cookie (like a day) from my purse ( I took it from the front desk at the hotel and decided against eating it). Breakfast was over too quickly and I again was whisked back to the Expo Center. Thankfully the second day seemed to be a bit more tolerable...if only because I knew we'd be heading home soon...and maybe also because of this:

Once the show was done, we made our way to the airport way too early, had some "express" California Pizza Kitchen and I made my way through a good portion of "Reading Lolita in Tehran".

It was great to fit in a few visits with family, but most of the time, I felt homesick yet comfortable all at the same time. I guess that's fair, considering that is how I tend to feel when I'm home in Vegas too.

Viva Las Salt Lake!

January...finally...continued...

More visitors! We enjoyed our first January group of guests so much that we decided to have some more. Jim and Alisha's group came down for a long weekend, so we visited the Strip, then decided we didn't need to visit it again. :)

Lanterns in the Bellagio to celebrate Chinese New Year.

This dynamic quickly became very common.

So did this one. :)

Liz and the twins after the bizarre Atlantis statue show in Caesar's Palace.

Family picture at the fountain at Caesar's (I decided yet again to talk through it).

Our house felt pretty crowded while everyone was visiting, but it felt all the more empty when they had to head back home. Until next time! ps-within 2 weeks of our visit, Jim was telling me that the next time they visit he wants to check out a town full of donkeys that is apparently nearby. Can't wait.

30ish

The 14th was a busy day. For awhile I didn't want it to be, and then I decided busy was perfect. I had taken the day off because of my birthday stance from a few years ago and it turned out to be the only, therefore perfect, day for Nathan's swearing in. I got up that morning around the same time as Nate (he had to work most of the day) and snuck off to the gym for a solo workout before breakfast was needed. I loved it. It felt good to workout in the morning again, it felt good to not have anywhere to go on a mid-week morning, and it amused me that a lot of retired men work out around 7:45am. After my time at the gym, I joined my parents and in-laws for breakfast-it was the first time in a long while that I actually had family around right on my birthday and it made me feel positively spoiled.

We got ready for the swearing in, and made our way to the courthouse. Clark county decided to give me a birthday present in the form of a still paid for parking meter and I took it as a sign we are where we're supposed to be. After the ceremony, we took a tour of the courtroom and the offices and headed for lunch at Bahama Breeze. A co-worker recommended this place, and I went only because of an appetizer she described. It's turned out to be one of my favorite places so it was a fun birthday choice.

After lunch, Nate had to go back to work for a couple of hours, so we dropped him off, split up a little and I went shopping with my mom. We went to Kohl's and found ridiculous Christmas candles that will never sell, and a couple of necklaces that we proved would sell. After Kohl's, it was off to Von's to find a particular laundry detergent mom has been looking for---and we had success! This part of the day was the most low key by far, but again, it had been a while since I've been able to just hang around and shop with mom, so it was perfect.

For dinner, we all met at our place and had a little party. It was odd to actually have to be the hostess; I'm so used to living in a too small space that won't allow visitors, so it was fun actually having enough room to have a proper party:

Liz before embarrassing herself (yet again) with her complete inability to blow out birthday candles. I'd say it's an age thing, but I remember being about 10 at my grandma's house when I experienced the same issue.

Thanks to Jack for taking a few pictures of my parents; Dad's real smile is sometimes hard to catch, so one must be tricksy.

Mom's cute profile.

Clearly we are both very excited about our "new" VHS copy of "Lord of the Dance". Somewhere in Saratoga Springs, Matt is breathing a sigh of relief.

The next night after birthday fun, Nate and I went down to the Strip with Jessica and Woody. They ended up being better tour guides than us by far; Woody found the perfect parking spot for one who wants to avoid the "authentic" Strip feel.

By the Bellagio fountain with my too prominent ghost head.

In the lobby of the Bellagio...Nate really did try to wait for her to stop holding the horse up, but she kept it up, so I feel like she earned her spot on this post. Go USA.

Turning 30 was a lot more enjoyable than I expected! Mal enjoyed it so much that she decided to try (and like) corn chips. Here's to getting older and enjoying salty snacks!

Nathan Swears

Nate is such a cuss face. To celebrate the occasion (and the whole "becoming an attorney" thing), his parents, my parents, Jessica, Woody, and Ivie all came for a visit. We all met at the courthouse at noon, and enjoyed our private swearing in ceremony with Nate's new found connection with his very own judge.

Swearing with the judge.

Look how much happier he looks now that he's official!

With the proud parents.

With the proud Terrys. (aren't they stylish?)

Stylish people can also be criminals. Don't be deceived.

Nathan at his post.

Nathan with an older and proud Liz. I've typed Nate's praises before, but he worked very hard while always keeping me in mind during the process of law school and beyond and all that it has entailed. To say I'm proud is an understatement, but Nate doesn't like to be braggy, so I'll try not to be as well. He's done an amazing job and continues to work hard to be successful. His humility is enviable, but sometimes frustrating. Recently I asked him now when people ask him what he does if he will say "an attorney" or "a lawyer". His answer: "I work for a judge". :)