Did you know that holding stress inside for prolonged periods of time can make you physically ill? True story. In fact, it can make you so sick that you have to give up the things you love in order to get better – doctors orders!
I had written a post over the weekend (that I chose not to post) titled “Some Stories Are Not Meant To Be Told”. It was basically about holding painful memories back and how it is probably the “right” thing to do.
Apparently… I was wrong.
I am now on a “bland” food diet until I get my “stress/gut symptoms” back under control. That means no spicy food, no acidic food, no greasy food, no chocolate, no alcohol, oh and no coffee or soda! Yeah, so basically what I am telling you is that holding stress inside has ruined my life… at least for the next week or so.
I highly recommend you find ways to communicate your stress, maybe see a counselor or hit a punching bag, that you will not end up like me – sober and eating oatmeal.
Blogfully yours,
Summer
Bag full of complaints, Lessons Learned
I haven’t been posting so far this week because, well, I feel like crap. Sometimes when I don’t feel well, I write more because it occupies my mind.
This is not one of those times.
So today I am going to give you another installment of Grace in Small Things.
1. My Mom, or “Doctor Mom” as I have been calling her.
2. A doctors office who can see you in under 24 hours.
3. My new pink iPhone cover (courtesy of Sarah).
4. ED and Karina The Russian becoming friends.
5. Flip Flop weather.
Blogfully yours,
Summer
Grace in Small Things
A few weeks ago I went hiking with my group up Parleys Canyon. We took 3 shuttle cars to the top of Parleys summit, drove down a dirt road and hiked the Alexander Spring Trail – a leisurely 5.3 mile which is mainly downhill.
The hike was beautiful, but then again, there are not many hikes in Utah that are NOT beautiful. We saw a lot of moose tracks and enjoyed each others company.
Here I am in my typical “Happy Hiker” pose.
When you are in the middle of such a beautiful valley, what can you possibly have to NOT smile about…?
We get to the bottom of the trail where 2 other cars had been dropped off. The first car loads up the shuttle car drivers and heads back up to the top. A few minutes later we get a call from one of the drivers saying that someone had driven their backhoe onto the middle of the dirt road so that it is blocking the trail. Going around it is not an option because on one side there is a steep cliff and the other side there is thick vegetation. There is no company name on the tractor or phone number.
Freaking-fabulous, right?
Fortunately we still had one other car with us at the bottom. Unfortunately we had around 12 people show up for this hike so 3 of us had to wait while the car ran a load of passengers to their cars a the mouth of the canyon.
As confused and annoyed as we were for our fellow hikers who were going to have to leave their cars for the night, and even though we were having to huddle together to avoid freezing to death (that may be a slight exaggeration), we still found reasons to smile.
Maybe it was the trail mix… but more likely it was knowing an ice cold beer (or two… or three) was waiting to reward our patience when we got to the bottom.
Blogfully yours,
Summer
Hiking, Story Time
I was tired (and by tired I mean too busy trying to catch up on my DVR shows) last night and didn’t get a new post written. I decided to bring my laptop with me to work so that I could write on my lunch break. So, since it’s lunch time and since I am sitting in a Russian owned coffee shop plus I have these adorable pictures I have not shared… here you go!
My darling BFF, Karina the Russian, often joins me for lunch and brings along her (our) 2 beautiful Russian children. On this particular beautiful spring day last week, we decided that lunch should consist of pizza at the park. The kids couldn’t have been happier with this idea.
We soaked up as much sun and grease as we could. Karina commented on how it was so beautiful that you don’t even need to close your eyes to “create a moment”. Creating a moment is something we often do. You simply take a bite of food, shut your eyes and focus on simply being in that moment closing out all other thoughts. We even do this with the kids so when Dimitri heard his mom say this he promptly spoke up, “nut-uh! Mom you have to close your eyes to create a moment. That’s how you do it!”
Not to be out done, little Pasha decided to teach us a lesson as well. Although she is better at letting us figure it out for ourselves rather than telling us. So what did we learn? Do not, under any circumstances, share a drink with a 2 year old child – especially one who is eating pizza!
Blogfully yours,
Summer
K to the R stories, Lessons Learned, Loved One(s)
I’ve decided I am either crazy or dedicated to be taking summer semester classes. Either way, I knew I needed to make the most of the 2 week break ED and I shared in between semesters. We discussed lots of options on where to go. My only criteria was that it be someplace mountainey that I could hike and that wherever we stayed had a shower.
How’s this for mountainey?
And how’s this for a happy hiker?
What’s that? You want a picture of a happy hiking couple? How about three?
In case you skipped over the title of this blog, we went to Zion National Park. It was absolutely amazing! We had perfect weather, we didn’t kill each other on the drive to and from, and most importantly, I resisted the urge to push him off the mountain after he made me climb our hardest hike much faster than I am used to (that’s putting it nicely). Why in the world my boyfriend feels the need to hike a 5 mile strenuous hike, which they say should take 4 hours, in under 3 (thank you very much), is beyond me!
I present to you, Angels Landing:
Honestly, that doesn’t begin to do it justice.
We hiked several other hikes, we ate at amazing restaurants (highly recommend the Spotted Dog), and as for the room with a shower, we stayed at the Novel House; a cozy bed and breakfast where all of the rooms were themed around famous authors. We stayed in the Rudyard Kipling room, not because I had any idea who he was (author of Jungle Book), but because I liked the way the room looked best with it’s India/Jungle feel to it.
Lastly, Karina sent me with her version of a “to do” list, as she is often prone to do. I can’t share the majority of the list… but I will share item number one because it was one of the first things I did, much to ED’s embarrassment.
1. Scream at the top of your lungs from the highest mountain “I’M THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD!”
Blogfully yours,
Summer
Hiking, Vacations
Me: “So you know that bruise I thought I got from sitting on the rock at Emerald Pool in Zion? The one on the side of my knee? Well, turns out it really is a bug bite of some sort cause it is all swollen and itches like a son-of-bitch.”
ED: “Oh, you mean the one I said was a bug bite all along? Man, I really hate being right ALL the time.”
Me: “Yes. That is the one. I debated telling you for that very reason. Consider my ‘you were right’ as an early birthday present.”
ED: “Aw. Thanks baby.”
Relationships are all about the give and take. Lucky for ED I’m such a giver in this one.
Blogfully yours,
Summer
Dating debating, Hiking
Metropolitan… Manhattan… both start with an “M”, both sound fancy and both are in downtown Salt Lake City. One is a seedy underground club, one is an upscale restaurant. My beautiful friend Susan invited me to lunch last week…guess which “M” location I ended up at.
“Hey Sarah, I was supposed to meet Susan for lunch today and I think I am at the wrong place. I’m at the Manhattan and it looks a little…um…scary… I don’t think they even serve lunch here either… Anyway, I don’t have Susan’s number, could you text it to me?”
“I’m pretty sure you are supposed to beat Metropolitan… not Manhattan sweetie.”
“Fuck.”
I get the address from Sarah, look around at the lunch time crowds walking the downtown streets and decide, what the hell? I’m healthy and parking is a pain, I’ll just walk it.
15 minutes later I show up at the correct “M” restaurant looking wind blown and limping from walking in heels that are a half size too small.
Susan and I had a good laugh about my stupidity and she promptly ordered me a glass of wine, then shortly after, another. Thank God Susan has such an amazing sense of humor and thank God she had her car so she could drive me back to mine because there is NO way I was going to walk all the way back.
Attention to detail kiddos… trust me and my blistered feet, it is highly important.
Blogfully yours,
Summer
Posts Grandma won't approve of, Story Time
