Letter #6

Dear Giada di Laurentiis,

I know that you are very beautiful and a killer cook, and you are so fantastic that you have your own show on the Food Network (my fave). On Saturday, you were incorporating a little Sicilan-style cooking into your segment and you explained that Sicily is a hot place and people from warm climates like spicy food. Ooookay, but I just wanted to clear one thing up for you: Sicily is not hot because it is close to Africa as you so ridiculously asserted. Sicily and Africa are both hot because they're close to the Equator, not each other. Even I know that.

Sincerely,
Emily

For dinner last night...

We had a very autumnal meal and it was fabulous: Pork tenderloin with potatoes, roasted pumpkin and baked apples. I am Martha Stewart. Just so you know.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

I know I'm totally cheesy, dedicating a video, but this one's for you Dad! This song always reminds me of you. I won't tell you how old he is, but I will tell you his favorite quip about aging: "This isn't anything an 18 year old kid with 45 years experience can't do." (So that gives you a clue)You are my hero and I love you. xoxoxo

I looked in the mirror this morning...

...and after I seared my corneas, it became painfully obvious that I will need to continue the application of self tanner long beyond the summer months in order to avoid also damaging the eyesight of those around me. My apologies to those whose vision has already been irreparably harmed. *sigh*

This is embarrassing…

But I totally used to LOVE Hootie and the Blowfish. Cracked Rear View was the first CD I ever got, and I even loved it so much that I actually went out and purchased a new one after the old one became scratched beyond all read-ability. So when I heard that Darius Rucker, the lead singer, was back in action, I was very excited! Just the kind of gravelly-voiced, pop-tinged, soul-infused angst country music has been missing. Go Hootie! xoxo

Mt. Olympus

Last Saturday, Dustin and I hiked Mt. Olympus. I didn’t really want to go, and Dustin really had to talk me into it because I’m lazy and would rather go to the gym than hike up a humongous mountain. It turned out to be really awesome even though it took about 5 and ½ hours total (which included me waiting impatiently on the way up and falling into a tree on the way down). I have to admit I felt pretty bad-A after scaling all these rocks to get to the tippy top.

P.S. Don’t look at my hair—it’s not poufy in these pics

Letter #5

Dear Clueless Metro Cheeseball in Serious Need of Yoga Class Etiquette,
Ujai breathing is only appropriate if everyone else is doing it. If not, you just sound like some pervry-perv making an obscene phone call. I just thought you’d want to know. Also, don’t match your head bandana to your tank top. It’s just silly.

Namaste,

Emily

Rondez-view? Ew!

There's nothing like kicking off Labor Day weekend with a trip to the mountains...or the dusty desert. So D and I went to the "mountains" on Saturday, and lo and behold, we encountered some mountain men at the famous Ft. Bridger Mountain Man Rondezvous. This usually isn't my thing, but I thought it would be funny to go, and it was.

First of all, if you ever want to piss off animal-rights activists, this is the place to be:


Miles of fur....

...stacks of skins.

Also the place to be if you want to see a bunch of weirdies dressed like they probably dress in normal life:



Buy some "authentic" mountain man gear:


Big belts are in this season...



And this hat is cool, too, right? If you're Amish?

And my favorite part--the most common view from the (rondez)Vous! Totally ew!

We saw this guy everywhere, and there were more like him. Fantastic. As if people needed another excuse not to wear pants.