Weekend gettaway

this was a busy weekend for me. Last week I did not get enough sleep and was tired and ornery. On Wednesday I tried to make grape jam. It didn't work. It was tons of work, made a huge mess, took forever AND it only made 6 little jars. However, that is probably good because it didn't set, and its way to sweet, and I will probably never use it. Here is a picture of the stuff. It doesn't even look tasty. URGGHHH!!

I had a box of peaches that needed to be saved, but after that disasterous canning experiment, I was ready to give up. However, after a pep talk from mom, I decided to go ahead with it. Peaches are a lot more rewarding. They weren't as hard either. Mine sure looked pretty as the peaches had a lot of red in them. They were super sweet so they should taste good to. Here is a picture of the results.

I had to finish the peaches as I was going out of town to watch Melanie and Melissa compete in the Kokopelli triathalon in St. George. I still had half a box of really good, sweet grapes that I didn't know what to do with (since the jam fiasco). I ended up washing and picking them off the stems and then freezing them at Mom's suggestion. I left them out on the counter to dry that night. Friday morning they looked pretty in the sun. Jamie left me a suggestion on my mirror to take a picture but I didn't get that until after I had bagged them to freeze. Here is a picture any ways with them not looking as pretty:

Friday I had a lot planned. Pack up for the weekend, do laundry, shower (my hair was sticky from canning the night before but I was too tired to do anything about it until the next day), water the garden, take the papers to the recycle station, clean up the kitchen and house, etc. Well, things always take longer then expected, but I was on my way to accomplishing my goals when our little old neighbor stopped by. He rings the doorbell over and over and knocks loudly until someone answers. Then he asks us for various forms of help (rides, to use our phone, money, etc). This usually happens when the family he lives with (his son we think) is gone, which they've been for the last week or so. He sometimes gives us stuff (like an old coat that smells wierd, or a basket of items from the food kitchen). A couple of weeks ago he left us a vase on our front door that he later proudly exclaimed was from India, and had us look at the stamp that said "made in India." Well on this Friday he told me that he was offered $250 for it at one time and then asked how much I was going to give him for it. This was suprising as he had given it to us. I explained I didn't have that kind of money. He told me I could give him what I had and then pay for the rest after he gets back. I told him he should take it back and he refused and said he had promised to give it to us. I had given him $20 earlier in the conversation and told him I didn't have any more that I could give him. He often tells us he is going on trips. We keep hoping he will go so that he won't keep stoping by. He has asked for rides a couple of times, and then not been there, or changed his mind when we stop by. The family has also asked for random help at times which is also strange(the lady asked MamaRine to help paint their bathroom, and then wasn't there when she stopped by at the agreed upon time, they asked me to help move in some stuff and weren't there again, and another time two of my roommate went over to fix the television so their grandkids could watch saturday morning cartoons). Its funny.

All of us want to help and be of service to others (I've probably given him quite a bit of money over the last year, and I've seen him hit up others in our neighborhood. I even gave him some new shoes I had bought for work last winter), but its a very uncomfortable situation! We wonder who is watching this old man as he wanders around. We call the numbers he asks us to on our phones and then he has loud, often angry coversations in what we assume is Romanian to various grandchildren, children, and other family members. He then asks us for rides or whatever. Its very weird and uncomfortable!

Anyways he stops by on Friday, gets about $20 out of me to help with his next trip to Phoenix to see a sick family member, and then asks for a ride to a friends house, just down over the bridge. I end up taking him way out in West Provo near the lake, and driving around for an hour looking for this place. He then wanted me to take him somewhere else to clear up a bill he had (he had me call the collection agency who was upset because he had had 3 different people call that day for him and they couldn't do anything to help him.... don't really feel bad about giving a collection agency a hard time). I was trying to get ready to go to Vegas, and told him I couldn't keep driving him around. I ended up dropping him off at an office, and felt bad because I wasn't sure how he would get home, but figured he is pretty resourcefull. He is not very well, and shuffles around. He doesn't have many teeth, and doesn't bathe real often. My roommates and I feel bad for him, but don't understand why his family doesn' take care of him as he shouldn't be left home alone (he has quite a large posterity that go to the home on many nights for family bbq's).

So that was funny. None the less, I did get done the things I needed to do, and headed out with Cathy and Jamie to St. George. Jamie had decided just a few days ago to compete too as there were still slots. Crazy Jamie! I like traveling with Cathy. Not only is her car nice to travel in, she stops at those places that "we've always wanted to stop, but never have." We stopped at the Red Barn in South Santaquin and had delicious icecream. There prices were actually really reasonable so I bought some chokecherry syrup for myself and Melanie. We spent the night at the Holliday Inn in St. George, where the Arizona Football team was. They had 3 huge busses. Football must be a very expensive sport for a school (the next day when we saw them packing up to leave around noon, they all had the same kahki shorts and blue shirts which seems really excessive!). This is us at the hotel. We had a "team meeting" as that is normally what happens when Cathy goes to hotels. It was not a very serious meeting =)

The next day dawned bright and early (the athletes left about 5:50am) and we went to watch them (not until around 8). It was a beautiful day and didn't get too warm until just before the last finishers finished. Here are some fun pictures of the day! The first picture gives you an idea of what a mass swim start can look like! This picture shows Jamie looking way to happy to start her run after the bike.

Here is Melanie after her swim ready to hop on the bike! And Melissa just has one more lap to go (she did the Olympic or International length while Jamie and Melanie did the sprint distance)

Cathy looking cute taking pictures (after her completely voluntary run which is bafeling), and what I looked like after cheering on our mighty athletes! It was funny cheering on for our triatholoners as I thought everyone who came by was Melissa or Jamie, or even Melanie. In fact we have video of me cheering on someone who is NOT Melissa. We have a few pictures of some of them too! Next time I will make sure I know exactly what outfits they are each in (Melanie was the easiest to find)

Here are all of us, the athletes looking much better having rested from their ordeal. Melanie and Melissa weren't sure they would want to do this again immediately following, but looked happier 20 minutes or so later. I was so proud of all of them!

Afterwards we went back to the hotel to let everyone shower and then off to cafe rio and neilson's frozen custard. YUM (Neilson's is also apparently the local young women polygamous hangout)

We then headed to Las Vegas for a fun night on the town. I think having competed in a triathalon earlier that morning put a limit on how late we could stay out! We went to see the house that Dan and Melissa might be getting this week. It was cool to wander through that house and think of what it will look like after Melissa works on it. The house is very nice and even has a small pool. I hope everything goes through for them. What fun for them!

Then we went out to eat as it was late, but it ended up being pretty pricey at the buffet we choose. That was unfortunate, but it was tasty as far as buffets go. Jamie and I were fine with Melanie paying for it, but I'm pretty sure that Melissa didn't like that!

Then we went to the Belagio because thats what I wanted to do in Vegas. That is my favorite part in Vegas besides spending time with my sister of course! The following are pictures of us there!

It was a late night as everyone was really tired from the early morning, and excersions! Everyone agreed to stay for one more song and it turned out to be "the prayer" by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocceli. My favorite!!! Melanie told us that they but in 4 new huge water shooter uppers, and they were amazing! more then 210psi (as Melanie enthusiastically reports all throughout the fountain display) This picture is me being silly-

We went right to bed after that! Sunday morning Melanie made us very tasty breakfast burritos. A staple for guests at Melanie's home. We went to church with Melanie where she proudly displayed her well deserved Kokopelli medal to anyone she talked to. Then us Utahns were off to home. On the way back we stopped at Cove Fort. As I said earlier, Cathy is a great person to travel with because she stops at all the places I've been wanting to stop at. It was really fun, and our tour guide was way cute! I would recommend that anyone stop there. THey have clean restrooms, cold water, a nice lawn and picnic tables, plus all the fun things to see at the fort! They've done a great job restoring it, and it doesn't take that long for a tour. Its a beautiful spot as you can see in the following pictures.

Here is a picture of our guide! In this picture is when we were sitting in the bunkhouse, and he was telling us the story of the mouse trap. He also showed us how to spin a hoop. Jamie just about ran me over!

Cathy and I on top of the fort!

Here is the garden behind the fort which sure puts my little garden to shame!

This is called a Mormon Hay Stacker. It was really cool. Jamie really liked it!

We arrived safe to our homes and I was very happy to sleep in my bed! I'm glad I get to go to Vegas again next

weekend to spend time with Jared and Amy while they are there with

Melanie