I hail from the great state of Pennsylvania (PA to most). And this week, I really miss (in no particular order):

1. Rita's Water Ice: there is no substitute
2. Valley Forge Park
3. Wegman's and Trader Joe's (even though TJ's recently discontinued my favorite Tamari Almonds)
4. my parents
5. Trees
6. Getting Zwahlen's with the girls
7. Above mentioned girls
8. the Chester County Library system
9. King of Prussia Mall


...that's all I can come up with at 11pm. But there's more. I think I miss everything but the humidity and traffic. Seriously.

I think it's time to plan a trip home. I could use a week, or several.

Remember the first time I went to Vegas? I'm blogging it so I will.

Even though I was still sick with strep throat, Melissa and I (and Nicolas) drove to Vegas for a few days the weekend before last.

We stopped briefly in St George (also my first time).


And climbed Dixie Rock. It was really this orange.


Our view from the hotel.


Mel and I at this amazing shark aquarium that you can't see any of in the photo.


Melissa took this photo of Nicolas and I at the Paris Hotel.


Nicolas took this photo of me relaxing at a brain health clinic. It was definitely good for my brain health.

Vegas was amazing. Even though it was a little chilly, and I was sort of sick, I had a great time. I can't wait to go back.

This weekend two friends from NYC got married in Salt Lake, and the reception turned into an NYC reunion in SLC. I saw people I hadn't seen in years, and danced my you-know-what off. It was exactly the kind of night I needed (especially after getting pulled over - more on that another time) and I'm so glad I got to see everyone.

When the dancing started Kristy turned to me and said we should suggest "Empire State of Mind," but I said they'd never play it. Well...cut to an hour or so later and as soon as the first notes came on all the New Yorkers were out on the floor dancing and singing along.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: no matter where I live or where I end up, New York will always be my city.

Maybe you noticed some changes around here. Maybe you read this on a feed and don't even see the layout. If so, this doesn't really apply to you (looking at you, Kristy).

I kind of nerded out and redesigned my blog layout from scratch. And by from scratch I mean that I did some major modifications (in html) to a free template. So...it's more like Semi-Homemade I guess.

Still.

Web design (and design in general), has always been really interesting to me, but I've never taken the time to learn any of it until now. I definitely learned a lot by trial and error putting the new layout together, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

I've had a couple crazy weekends that I can't wait to share, but for now, it's time to catch up 30 Rock on Hulu.



*I can't believe I just had to create a 'nerd' label...I'd have thought I already had one.

I thought about using another Katy Perry song (Waking Up in Vegas), but I decided to go retro.

Is there a more classic Vegas song than Viva Las Vegas? I think not.

All I want to do is chew something. In the past five days of eating soft food I've determined that chewing is essential to feeling full. And happiness.

I want to eat chicken or pizza or SOMETHING THAT'S NOT PUDDING.

I thought I'd be feeling much better by now, but I'm not. And I'm going a little bit stir crazy from being in the house since Tuesday. I've been trying to keep myself busy (vacuuming, cleaning my room and bathroom, going through all my clothes, painting my nails, watching a lot of movies) but I think it's time to go outside. Even if it's only to go to the grocery store and pick up more soft foods...because that's all I can swallow.

Oy.

Can I whine just for a little? Please?

I have strep throat. (and for some reason, whenever I type that, I want to spell it strept)

My throat had been a little bit sore since Friday, but things really escalated Sunday evening. I took some Tylenol PM hoping for 8 hours of deep sleep, but at 1:42 AM I was wide awake. And tossing. And unable to swallow.

I knew it was time to admit I was sick, and made an appointment at the health center for later that afternoon. It was rainy and gross, and I had to wait for a while before I was seen (even though I had an appointment). When the doctor felt my neck the first thing out of her mouth was "Oh my, that's not good." Not very encouraging.

It turns out my lymph nodes and tonsils were so swollen that at first she thought I had a very muscular neck. Yeah. She took a throat culture (which was painful, b/c she couldn't get past my swollen glands to my throat) and the verdict is: strep.

I had to drop off some exams off for the professor I TA for, and was hoping not to run into anyone I knew, but of course I did (in sweats with wavy, un blow-dried hair, and no make up). And then hit every red light possible on the way home.

Then Kristy texted me that she had tickets to the Jazz game last night, but I was obviously too sick to go. Which was a bummer, but not a tragedy. Until I found out they were playing the Sixers last night. Yes, I missed out on tickets to the Jazz playing my hometown team. And they lost.

So you can see how it was really an awful day. But there were some bright spots...

Heather came over to watch The Bachelor finale and brought Frostys. And Brad picked Emily! Also, the doctor prescribed a diet of ice cream, pudding, and other soft foods until I can swallow properly again. So my Lent boycott of sweets is suspended for a little while.

Here's hoping I'm well in time for my Spring Break trip next week.

Want to know a secret?

I love Katy Perry. (OK, it's not really a secret.)

Specifically, the song "Teenage Dream". I can listen to it anytime. I never get tired of it. Ever. (Kristy* can testify to that) It always makes me want to dance, and when I want to dance I'm happy. Therefore, this song=happiness. I know these things, because I had to take logic in college.

So, even though I'm sick at home in bed today with the worst sore throat ever (seriously, I think it is swelled shut, and I am SO HUNGRY), I can still put this song on and be happy.

I am pretty lame, I know.

Last year for Lent my officemate, Rachel, and I gave up candy (except Lifesavers). It was a hard 40 days, but I was so proud of myself for sticking with it. When it was over, I didn't even have Easter candy. Crazy, I know.

This year in an effort to test myself/support Kristy/look good in a bathing suit I've decided to give up sweets for Lent. Even though I'm not Catholic. It seems like a really good opportunity to see what I can handle, just what I'm made of. Or something.

The thing about me and vices is that I usually replace one thing with another. So I'm trying to figure out what will replace sweets in my life. It would be great if it were something like working out or doing schoolwork. It might be a very cranky 40 days...

I've been listening to the Matt & Kim album a lot lately, I'd forgotten how good it was.

I love love love this video. Such a simple, but really fun idea. The photomotion at the end is really great. This song always makes me happy.

I'm not usually a sappy kind of person (OK, I am a little). Anyway, I love this graphic (I wish I could find the original source, but I haven't been able to), and this point was really hammered home today.

Sometimes things don't work out the way you want, but when they do...it's pretty amazing.

Remind me of this next week when I'm buried under school work.

Last night Kristy and I watched The Biggest Loser while I graded midterms. In this episode they went home for two weeks, and one of them went home to New York City. She ran the Central Park Reservoir that I walked by every day.

Ever since I have been aching for New York.

(in the Central Park Zoo - colors edited)

I have so many amazing memories of the park (with dates, with friends, with myself). I need to find 'my' place in Utah. Somewhere I can go when I need to get away and get lost.

New York has this amazing quality about it, that makes it feel like it's your city. I'm probably just being sentimental, and not remembering all the stuff that sucked about it. But right now, I miss my city.

*title from "Empire State of Mind". obviously.

1. I don't like Akira Kurosawa films
2. I've never seen Avatar
3. I'm not really sure what ADR stands for
4. When asked what the most successfully emotional movie was by a student last week, my answer was The Notebook. It was the first thing that came to mind that makes me cry every time.
5. I'm not a fan of The Seventh Seal
6. I've seen a ton of really 'bad' movies several times.*
7. Sometimes, I just put the camera on auto.






*An incomplete list of bad movies I've seen several times:
-Josie and the Pussycats
-Head Over Heels
-Boys and Girls
-Down to You
-Waterworld
-Volcano
-The Core

This clip from Scrubs sort of perfectly describes me this week: