Whoa Bessy!

September 13, 2014

#113 - Milk a Cow

I got home from the Dirty Dash and crashed!  Not before showering and changing into clean clothes of course but I crashed.  An hour or so later I woke up to my phone quacking like crazy.  I had made plans to go with Whitney, Susie and Chelsy to Wheeler Farm that evening.  They were trying to get everything figured out so we could make it for the 5:00 milking.  Yep, you read that right!  Susie needed to milk a cow for her summer adventure list.  Being the good friends that we are, the three of us joined her on this adventure.

We met up and headed for the farm.  I was teased because I was still trying to shake of my nap hangover when we got to the cows.  After waiting in line forever behind some needy people, we got our tokens and headed to the milking barn.  The kid in charge of the milking presentation was quite the dynamo.  He said maybe 10 words total when he was giving us instructions.  I was expecting more of an explanation on how often the cows are milked, how much milk was produced, or anything else dealing with the milking process.  Yeah, we got none of that information before he just started having kids give it a try.  We were definitely the only adults there that weren't accompanied by children.

We celebrated our first cow milking experience by eating milkshakes and hamburgers!  Seemed appropriate!  :)

-Em

Down and Dirty

September 12, 2014

#85 - Participate in a Dirty Dash

Who doesn't love playing in the mud?  Add in hundreds of people, various obstacles, beautiful weather and 5 kilometers and you have yourself a Dirty Dash.  Doesn't that sound like the best way to spend a Saturday morning?  Unfortunately I had a difficult time convincing people to join me on the adventure.  A few people in my singles ward decided to join in the fun so that I didn't have to participate all by myself.

Madi, Jenna, Erin, Kristen, Kelsi, and Me (not pictured: Laura)

2 Tattoos in 2 Days...I'm addicted

Our Dirty Dash was held at Soldier Hollow in Midway, UT.  We signed up for the 8:40 wave but ended up going with the 9:20 wave.  From the starting line, we headed straight up a hill of dirt with sprinklers.  I was slipping and sliding in no time.  My shoes were caked in so much mud I instantly became 3 inches taller.  Through out the course we had to overcome various obstacles...hills, cargo net ladder, hay bail stacks, mud pits, giant inflatable slide, trees, creek, saving our shoes from the mud pit and other things that I'm not remembering at this moment.  But our biggest struggle was trying to find clean, dry sections of clothing to wipe the mud out of peoples' eyes.

Towards the end of the run they had a giant slip and slide that we went down.  A line developed because they were having some trouble getting water to all the sections on the slide.  I sat in line watching people struggle to get on the slip-n-slide or make it down.  Because I had seen others go before, some excelling and some failing, I was prepared to be the most graceful of them all.  Then I actually started moving and all dreams of being graceful went out the window.  I ended up slipping right before I stepped onto the slip-n-slide.  It wasn't just a little slip either.  Both of my feet/legs slid underneath the slip-n-slide.  I'm sure I looked extra spastic as I tried to wiggle myself out from under the slide.  Spastic looking or not, I made it down the slide and to the final mud pit before the finish line.  They couldn't have us looking semi-clean from the water on the slide so there was one last pit we had to trench through before finishing.  We all ended up looking nice and muddy for our finish line and after pictures.

A group of people were waiting at the end of the race collecting our muddy shoes for charity.  They send them off (hopefully to be cleaned) and the shoes end up in Africa.  I was more than happy to leave my shoes behind so it was an added bonus that someone else will benefit from them.

#112 - Shower with Strangers

Shocking that this wasn't on my original list of adventures!  But showering with strangers happened so it made the list.  We finished our race and had mud in places no one should ever have mud.  Luckily they provided "showers" to clean up after the race.  For those willing to pay $6, your shower could be a pressure wash with warm water.  I was not willing to pay the money and figured cold water wouldn't be too bad.  It wasn't the cold water that was the problem.  When there are 30+ people all trying to get clean at the same time, water pressure goes down the drain.  People were taking off the spray handles and hoses so they were getting gushing water.  Great for them but horrible for those of us who were down the line getting a drop or two.  I had finally given up trying to really get clean when I saw that a couple of my group members had commandeered a prime shower location with a steady stream of water.  All 7 of us were able to get fairly clean before heading to the car.

Look closely and you can see the "showers" behind us

At the car we created some make shift changing rooms to get out of our still muddy and wet clothes. My clothes went into a garbage bag that eventually made it's way into the trash.  They were old clothes and it would have taken more effort to get them clean than they were worth.

Inkmaster

September 12, 2014

#104 - Get a Henna Tattoo

An innocent trip to the state fair ended with me getting my first tattoo!  Okay, it was only henna but I felt like I should be wearing a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle to a Suicidal Tendencies concert.

We had made our way around the fair to see the animals, find fried food, and people watch when I saw the Henna booths.  Whitney, Chelsy, Susie, and Susie's friend were nice enough to wait with me in the line for my tattoo.  I just have to say I don't know how people with real tattoos do it.  It was hard enough for me to pick out a design that would only stay on my skin 1-2 weeks and I doubted my decision at least a dozen times while I waited.  I ended up going with the double infinity symbol.  The reason I chose this design was because it reminded me of the design on the Madrid Spain Temple. Seems a little strange that the temple was the inspiration for my tattoo but that's how it worked out.

Two girls in front of me got some awesome looking feathers and about changed my mind again.  Luckily I had already paid and my design was in the pile for the tattoo artist.  It was pretty pain free so I didn't even have to hold anyones hand while it happened.  I debated between getting it on my ankle or on my wrist.  My wrist won out mainly because it would be easier to let it dry without rubbing against stuff.

The lady who gave me my tattoo asked if I wanted glitter on it.  Not really caring one way or another, I said yes.  BIG MISTAKE!  I ended up with glitter all over my arm and later my pillow/sheets.  With a henna tattoo, it looks puffy for a little bit because you have to leave the henna on your skin for at least an hour or two.  This allows it to dye your skin with the design.  I forgot to take a picture the next day but it ended up being kind of dark orange, brownish color and lasted a little over a week.  I was sad to see it go.

All I have to say is middle school kids think you are so cool if you have a tattoo (even if it is just henna)!

-Em

Save a Life

September 11, 2014

#55 - Donate Platelets

Let me clear up a common misconception....people who donate platelets DO NOT get paid money.

Donating plasma = money       Donating platelets = warm, fuzzy feeling + pretzels :)

I have always loved donating blood.  Is that weird?  My thought process is that I have blood to give to someone who needs it so why not donate.  Maybe some day down the road I will be the person in need of blood and praying for donations from kind people.  About a year and a half ago, I went into the Red Cross donation center in Murray, UT to donate some blood.  When I checked in for my appointment, I was given a white card and told they would explain it to me later.  This card was indicating that I might be a good match for donating platelets but they needed to run a few tests to make sure.  I agreed to the tests and then waited for the results to come back.

Results....I was a stellar candidate for donating platelets.  In order to donate platelets a person needs to have a platelet count of at least 150 or higher.  My count came back over 400.  During my first platelet donation process they called me the Platelet Queen and said that if they had a hall of fame my picture would be up there.  Because my count is so high I am able to donate a triple unit of platelets.

Here is a run down on what happens when you donate platelets....

You go through the same screening process for platelets as you would for donating regular blood.  They take your temperature, blood pressure, prick your finger, check pulse and you answer the standard questions.  If you make it past the screening process, you are led to a station.  Each station has a chair and a TV/DVD combo with headphones.  The worker does everything they can to make the donor comfortable.  You can request to have the heating pad turned on or get a softer pillow or use blankets.  Once you are all settled in and comfortable, the process begins.  Both arms are used for the donation process.  One arm (my left) is the arm that you pump with.  This arm is where the blood comes from and travels to the machine that separates it.  The other arm (my right) is the receiving arm.  After your platelets are separated, your red blood cells and some saline are returned back through the needle in the receiving arm.  It takes anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours for this process.  The machines start dinging when you are almost done and the Red Cross worker comes over.  They take the giving/pumping arm needle out first and wrap your arm.  This lets the last little bit of blood and saline to be put back into the other arm.  Same wrapping process is repeated on the receiving arm.  With both your arms wrapped like a mummy and you are sent on your way.  A quick stop at the snack corner for some water, apple juice, and pretzels and you are done.

Stepped up their game with GIANT pretzels

A typical donation process for me takes about an hour and a half.  Just long enough for me to watch two episodes of Grey's Anatomy.  The donation center has quite the DVD collection for donors to watch while they are donating.  I have watched the entire first season of Grey's and have 6 episodes left of season 3.  They don't have season 2 at the donation center.  

Because I am able to donate triple units each time I go, they call me about every 21 days to come back and donate.  Typically you could donate a single unit every 7 days if you want.  Red Cross workers are on top of things and call me the day I am eligible to donate again.

If you have some spare time and don't mind needles, check into donating platelets.  They have a limited shelf life and can't be stored so there is always a demand.

-Em

Pizza, Pizza or Pizza?

August - September 2014

#6 - Eat at 10 New Restaurants

#1 - Porcupine

#2 Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria

#3 - Cafe Galleria

#4 - Litzas Pizza

#5 - Bubba's

#6 - Lokal's

#7 - Pho Thin

#8 - Bear Lake Pizza

#9 - Sea Salt

 

#10 - Taqueria 27

Lessons Learned: 

• Trying new restaurants is tasty!  
• Delicious food is much more enjoyable when eaten with friends.  
• Branched out to new restaurants but ordered pizza and 5 of them.
• Next challenge should be to try new dishes at OLD restaurants. :)

-Em

Stick with Goldfish....Crackers

September 10, 2014

#76 - Eat Fish

Growing up I hated fish!  Now that I am an adult I would say that I don't care for most fish because it sounds more diplomatic.  A few years ago my Sara(h) roommates introduced me to fish tacos at Rubios.  I was skeptical at first but have since come to enjoy and even crave them on occasion.  Every time I go to a restaurant that serves fish I tell myself to give it a shot.  Then I convince myself that paying for fish that I might hate when I could order something that I already know I love isn't a smart move.  It's a rough life that I lead!

I went to Cafe Rio for dinner with some friends.  Instead of going with my same old pork salad or burrito, I decided to give their salmon tacos a shot.

I didn't fall in love with fish but I also didn't hate it either. Baby steps towards being a fish enjoyer, baby steps!

-Em

Tinder Jetty

September 7, 2014

#111 - Spiral Jetty

Yes, I have been to the Spiral Jetty before but I still feel like it should be included as an adventure.  I have decided that we live in a pretty amazing place.  There are so many things to see that are within a few hours drive of Salt Lake.  Whitney, Susie and I decided to take advantage of our Sunday afternoon after Regional Conference.  Our normal church meetings don't get over until 4:00 each week.  This Sunday our regional meeting got done around 11:30 and we still had so much daylight left.  I snuck in a quick power nap before we hit the road on your sabbath afternoon adventure.

This adventure wasn't quite as exciting for me since the Spiral Jetty was no longer unknown territory. It was the company that made the trip exciting.  Whitney teaches her 4th grade students about the Golden Spike and the transcontinental railroad.  She has lots of random information in her head, including a very catch tune that her students perform.  We were lucky enough to hear a couple versus of this song during our drive to the Golden Spike visitors' center.  A quick stop at the center to take some pictures and we were off down the dirt road and over the cattle guards to the jetty.

After a very bumpy butt massage drive, we come to the end of the road and realize that we aren't the only people taking advantage of a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  A couple was just getting out of their car when we parked.  Simultaneously we realized that we all "knew" the guy getting out of the car. How did we know him?  Each of us had seen him on Tinder (yes we are all on Tinder) and there he was in the flesh on what we can only imagine was a Tinder date.  He is now known as Tinder Jetty.  We took our time getting out of the car to give them a chance to head down before us.  We pretty much followed them around the entire time because they went down to the jetty; then we went down to the jetty.  They walked out to the water; we walked out to the water.  They stopped for pictures along the way; we stopped for pictures along the way.  It was all very tender.  ;)

A nice shot of the happy couple jetty

Old Navy flip flops couldn't handle the salt

Spiral Jetty is still just as cool as the last time I saw it.  This time the water was a lot further from the jetty than before.  We decided to make the trek out to the edge of the solid ground.  Ran into a minor problem, water use to be covering the ground that we had to walk across.  I was the lucky one to lead the pack and find the mushy, juicy areas.  Salt juice combined with flip flops are a recipe for disaster!!  I ended up with gunk all over my feet, on my legs and pants.  Whitney and Susie had a nice laugh at my expense and threatened not to let me back in the car because the salt brine smell would come with me.  Lots of pictures and some jumping later we were ready to head home.  The three of us had one last opportunity to make Tinder Jetty's date a little more awkward.  Pretty sure we interrupted a romantic moment when we started to make our way back up the hill to the cars.

Back in the car we had snacks waiting for us.  I felt like an elementary student on a field trip as I ate my uncrustable sandwich (actually pretty good) and drank my water.  Even though I was bringing the lake with me, I was still allowed back into the car for the ride home.

Relaxing Sunday afternoon adventures are some of my favorites!  If you haven't visited the Spiral Jetty, do it...NOW!

- Em

Sidenote:  We have since run into Tinder Jetty 2-3 times at various stake activities.  Whitney joked on Sunday that she was going to go up to him and ask him if he was at the Spiral Jetty.  It didn't happen but is bound to happen sooner or later.

Burning Eyes & Fingers

September 6, 2014

#36 - Learn how to bottle/can

When this adventure made it on the list, I started to think of the easiest things I could bottle/can.  A friend posted a picture on Facebook of her attempt at bottling pickles.  Only a few ingredients were needed and it looked like a pretty simple process.  Yep, sign me up for pickles because I am all about easy!

Fast forward a couple weeks and the pickles quickly became a distant thought.  A friend from my ward, Anna, created a Facebook event inviting people to make salsa.  All of the ingredients were from her families garden (except the onions) so those wanting to participate just needed to bring a jar to store their finished product.  I love salsa and needed to bottle/can something so it was a no brainer. Along with 13 other friends I accepted the invitation for the Salsa Party.

Saturday morning comes around and it's time to make salsa.  I went to the cupboard to grab my jar only to find that is had mysteriously gone missing.  Not wanting to go out and buy a new one, I looked around for an alternate.  Ironically enough I ended up with a pickle jar as my last resort.  Yes a few pickles were evicted but it was for the greater good.  Pickle jar in hand I walked to Anna's house; getting there right on time.  Turns out I was the first to arrive.  That isn't too shocking because young single adults aren't always the most punctual, especially on a Saturday morning.  The surprising part was when no one of the other 13 people who said they were coming ever showed up for salsa making.

I spent the morning with Anna and her mom making delicious salsa while listening to celtic salsa music (yep it's a thing).  All of the tomatoes and peppers that we used came straight from their garden.

Tomatoes peeled perfectly but the peppers put up a fight.  Anna had pepper juice squirt in her eye and she also got some juice on her upper lip.  She was quite the sight in her sunglasses with an ice cube up her nose on her upper lip.  I learned a very valuable lesson too....ALWAYS wear gloves when cutting peppers.  Oh the burn!  My fingers felt like they were on fire the rest of the day and it would randomly reignite for a couple days after. I washed my hands a million times with various types of soap and the pepper oils still remained.  If you want to try something fun and exciting, cut up a whole bunch of hot peppers with no gloves and then try to take out your contact lenses.  Two days after and it still burned when I touched my eyes.

When the burn gets too extreme, it's necessary to put your head in the freezer.

The Sheffield family was so nice to let me invade their home for the afternoon.  Our salsa had to cook for a while before we could bottle it up.  Since the bottling part of the activity was what I really wanted/needed to do I stuck around the whole morning.

In the end I got to take home my pickle jar full of delicious salsa along with a couple other bottles save and enjoy later.  Perks of being the only person to show up for the Salsa Party!

-Em