I love Salt Lake!

I have been known to love a few cities I have lived in -- New York, Amman, Cairo (not Brussels; didn't love Brussels). But let me tell you all, dear friends, I love living in Salt Lake for a few reasons. I'd like to highlight both some reasons and experiences of late depicting myy love- love relationship with this city

1. No place else is like home but the Greenhouse with my wonderful roommates + I have sooo many friends here.

2. the Sugarshack is like a pleasant summer vacation home in the rolling hills of Sugarhouse

3. The Relief Society President in Billy's ward has tattoos all over her neck, and upper body.

4. Twice in one day I got deals and or significant help in otherwise very tough situations (e.g. getting a new social security card even though my passport photo didn't look like me, and finally get that damned initiation fee at 24hour waived) for being a cougar alum! We are like a club up here and people love to meet fellow former cougs. COUGS FOR LIFE! (please all imitate my cougar roar in your head).

5. Not so brief story: Here I am walking into the Whole Foods sooo excited about eating healthy, vegetarian food, but soo depressed about spending money and a woman stops me. Let me briefly describe her (I know how you all love my descriptions of people) --- I'd say mid-60s, there with her mother who was toothless in a wheelchair, short pixie Alison Faulkner-Robertson styled white hair (SHOUT OUT Ali F.R!), smokin' bod and I mean smooookin, ruby red glossy lips, a menswear white see-through oversized button down which was, coincidently, buttoned down quite low, a black lacy bra, and skinny jeans tucked into black frye motorcycle boots. In short, amazing. So she stops me, let's call her Ruby. And the conversation goes like this:

Ruby: "Hi, so sorry to bother you but I wanted to tell you that you look fabulous in your
skinny jeans. Where did you get them?" (She was a very enthusiastic talker like
me).
Me: (baffled mostly because of recent weight gain): "Oh! Thank you so much! These are
just some cheapies from Forever 21"
Ruby: "Forever 21? Hmm... is this a store?"
Me: (now falling for Ruby...hard.) "Yes! It's just a great cheap store at the Gateway. If
you want to get some denim leggings, as I like to call these because they are soo
skinny and soo tight, that's the place to get them"
Ruby: "Oh this is great because I just bought my first pair of skinny jeans at..hmm, what
was that store called, Mom?"
Mrs. Ruby: "Uhban Outfittahs" (no, she wasn't from NY, she just didn't have any teeth)
Ruby: "Oh right, Urban Outfitters. The girl working there just told me to buy one size
smaller than my regular size so that they can stretch, so I bought a 25 but see look
at them they have stretched so much! And I just didn't believe the girl working
there that I shouldn't dry them mostly because she didn't look that cute in her
jeans but you look adorable in yours, so what should I do?"
** Yes Ruby, aged mid-60s wears a size 25, maybe 24, jean at Urban outfitters; told you she had a smokin' bod.**

Me: "Well I am not sure about what brand you bought at Urban Outfitters so that would
probably make a difference, but I usually buy two sizes smaller than what I think I
am and dry them as much as I want; granted, I am buying Forever 21 pants that are
basically denim leggings."
Ruby: "I am so glad I stopped you. Mom, we had better take these back to Urban
Outfitters and go to Forever 21"
Mrs. Ruby: "Yes, yes this is gweat infomation. you'we so cute"
Ruby: "By the way that is a killer jacket you are wearing, just killer"
Me: "Well thanks so much! You made my day!"


6. Experiencing the neo-nazi shoemaker and then the beautiful, stunning, and uplifting diversity of Salt Lake at Wal-Mart -- Sudanese, Somalis, Croatians, Serbs, Arabs, Hispanics, Blacks, and all sorts of white people of all types. I tell you, it was the most beautiful site these eyes have seen in sometime. Give me more! Give me more inter-racial couples! Give me more white guys acting dark! Give me more hijabed Arab women working the Opticians Counter! Give me more! Thank you, Sam, from custom shoe repair for helping me open my eyes! And for selling used white wranglers; Laura is looking for a pair. (SHOUT OUT L Rees).

7. Last weekend's activities were the Art Walk on Friday night and the Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days (Professional) Rodeo on Saturday - I love American culture of all types! No bias here! Love it all! Give me more!

8. People, I live in the mountains. And 20 minutes from the airport. And 20 minutes from Park City. And 1.5 miles from work. Go ahead and try and beat that.

Come explore; Enjoy Salt Lake too! You will love it too!