Final Sundance Picts

I know you're all probably sick of these, but here's my final installment of Sundance pictures. Veronica. . .double or nothing?

Cats are Skanky

NO one who knows me would label me an "animal lover," though I do tear-up when I see the saggy humped camel at Lagoon. My question to all is--why do people own cats? I don't get it. Dogs I can understand. They're fun, playful, full of companionship, etc. (though I don't really want to own a dog--at last I can understand those who do). So, last night we were at FHH and the hosting apartment had 2 cats awaiting our arrival. When they opened the door of the apartment, I nearly turned right around and went home. If it hadn't been for Kimmy prodding me, I probably would have. Can't you see?--cats keep people from fhe. . .further proof that they are followers of Satan. Maybe my dislike of cats stems from the fact that they dislike me. . .or perhaps it's because I think they're SKANKY. Even if you are a cat lover, I don't think you should subject others to your tainted lifestyle. Put them outside. . .lock them in the other room. . .drop them in the river (not really). You know, single women who have cats (especially multiples) are SCARY. So, if I even remotely mention adopting a cat. . .go ahead and drop me in the river.

Super Bowl XL

So everyone has been waiting for my Super Bowl XL rundown (especially JCLoveless--from whom I will be expecting a comment on this post). Here it is in all of it's glory. I know some of you might think I'm a sports softie. Some would assume that Michelle's "super bowl" is really a great serving dish she is hoping to use for her next party. Well, you're wrong! I've been doing my homework all season and it is by way of my faith and prayers that the Steelers and Seahawks will be facing off this Sunday. The word on the street is that the Steelers are expected to defeat the Seahawks whose Superbowl experience is rather non-existant. I completely disagree. All you Steeler fans out there had better get on your knees and pray for a miracle because you're going to need it. If you are unfamiliar with the Seahawk offense, let me give you a heads-up. . .it's stellar. Fortunately, my friends Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander will be leading the Seahawks to victory Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit. Matt Hasselbeck (whom I like to call Matty) is actually really darling. I saw an interview he did on Sports Center and he was perfectly wonderful. . .though he did talk a bit of smack about the Steelers--claiming he was "caught up in the moment." No one can be expected to keep control when the band is playing and hundreds of fans are chanting your name (I know this from personal experience). He has two daughters--Mallory and Annabelle. That alone makes me proud to cheer his Seahawks to victory. I'm so easily distracted. . .back to business--here's how I see it all going down. The Seahawks are going to look strong in the first half, holding their own against the Steelers stellar running game. Half time score prediction 14-10--Steelers. The final score 24-21 SEAHAWKS. . .all the way. "Booyah!" http://www.superbowl.com/. A side-note--I know The Other Veronica is having a rather sizable Superbowl Party. . .for which I haven't received an official invitation. Don't even worry. Kimmy and I have a brand new tv and lots of snacks at our place. . .maybe we'll have our own Super Seattle Seahawks Bowl party. Almost all of you are invited.

Kiefer Called. . .

Remember how Kiefer tried to call my cell phone a couple of weeks ago? Well, I think I missed him again. He probably wanted to remind me that 24 is on tonight at 8pm--FOX. For those of you who haven't yet joined the 24 movement, you might want to suck up to me because I now own seasons 1-4 on DVD. Don't worry, I'm going to FHH (family home hour), but certainly won't tolerate any long-winded lessons. . .

Loveless #2 Turns 29

Yesterday was Loveless #2's (a.k.a. Ryan's) birthday. Yep, he's 29! Looks pretty darn good for a gentleman knocking on 30s door, doesn't he? Ryan is one of our favorites. Somehow, he's always happy. . .how does he do that? It must be that Tooele blood. We especially love it when Loveless 1,2,&3 get together. It's non-stop laughs, with Ryan as the comedic ringleader. Notice the grin. . .yep, it's the new golf clubs that bring such light to his ever-glowing countenance. What a great wife he has! Smart man, that's for sure.We had dinner at Magelby's and Miss Sarah along with Seth and Easton provided unlimited entertainment. Please note that Sarah is wearing a leopard print skirt. What a fashion diva. . .must take after her favorite Aunt Calli. Sarah definitely has red hair. She would make a great addition to the Virtue clan. . .so cute.
Kimmy and I are huge Loveless #2 fans and are hoping that Ryan will sign an 8x10 glossy that we can hang in the GV 15.
Jeff & Kimmy.
Easton. . .loves his little bald head and ICE CREAM, but wasn't so fond of his marinara sauce.
Seth. . .yum, apple beer.

Virtue Perfection

Look what we found! It's 1.75 oz of Virtue perfection. Milk chocolate with dark chocolate truffle.

Fiesta Ole

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this. . .I probably haven't because it's kind of a tender topic for me, but last year I entered a Taste of Home Cooking contest. I actually entered in the carrot category. . .a special carrot bread that is so amazing it makes me want to cry. Despite my optimism, I didn't even hear back from the magazine and I've been licking my wounds ever since. I was overjoyed a few months ago to hear that Eric (the brother in law) has a darling sister in law (Heidi) who was chosen to be one of the 100 finalists in the Pillsbury Bakeoff that will be held in March. She's living my dream. The grand prize is a $1 million, but there are also several other $10,000 prizes. One of them is the "America's Favorite Recipe", which will be awarded solely on the number of votes that person gets on the internet in the coming weeks. People who vote also get entered in to a chance to go to Florida and watch the contest. So, I'm calling all my faithful blogger buddies to go online to vote for our Heidi (who is super sweet and obviously very talented). I bet if she wins anything she might even throw us a Chicken Fiesta Salad FIESTA. So, click on this link: www.pillsbury.com/Bakeoff/AFR/finalist_recipes.asp?tab=5 which will take you right to the correct category (Weekends Made Special). Scroll down until you find Chicken Fiesta Salad and click on the icon that says "add to voting pool". Then you will need to click on it again to vote for it, and it will ask you to enter your name and address, etc. (to make sure people aren't just spamming the vote). Let's all get out there and vote. I'm going to try the recipe this weekend and provide a full review on Monday. . .so stay tuned.

More Park City Picts

Here are a few more pictures from the Sundance escapade. Let's have a little contest. . .anyone who can post the most correct names of the elite group. . .dinner on me (with me--of course).

V is for. . .

V is for Virtue, vision, versatility, velocity, valiance, vigilance, victory, Velamints, . . .what else?

I have yet to meet a man that deserves to be as happy as I can make him!

I saw a woman this afternoon sitting in the lobby of the WSC putting lipstick on. Just minutes later, she greeted her husband with a kiss and they were on their way. It reminded me of something a little bit silly, but I think poignant. When I was living at home, I could always tell that it was nearing 5pm because my mom would stand in front of the mirror and put on her lipstick. Maybe I was one of those completely oblivious youth who had such a narrow self-centered perspective that I never stopped to understand why my mom was putting on lipstick. Now I realize that she wanted to look "put together" to greet dad each evening. It didn't matter that some days the bed was made just before the lipstick came on or that we'd been working on a playdough diagram of the human cell. Maybe she had been running from scouts to dance all afternoon amongst cooking dinner, doing laundry, and keeping her church calling in order. Regardless of life's craziness, she took the time to be sure we were all taken care of. . .especially dad. A few weeks ago, Lori was telling me about a quote that hung on her apartment wall when she lived at Carriage Cove. It came up again today in our conversation and both of us agreed that it would make a great topic for a blog commentary. It goes something like this-- "I have yet to meet a man that deserves to be as happy as I can make him." Ain't that the truth! My husband is going to be the luckiest guy on the planet. . .though I generally prefer lip gloss to lipstick. To each his own. Love you mom and dad. Have fun mixing and mingling in Boise.

Back Seat Middle. . .Feet on the Hump!

So I talked to Suzanne M. today and wanted to send her a special "shout out" from her favorite niece. Suzanne mentioned that she is now a daily blog-checker. . . .not surprising as she is brilliant. Afterall, she is the mother of the "cub bears" and should be revered by all because of her resilience, loyalty, and genuine goodness. Now, I know she hates having her picture taken, but I couldn't resist posting this little gem from our days spent on the Mediterranean. Suzanne is the hot looking babe on the right. Gosh, I'd kill for a day on the beach right now. Suzanne, I think you'd make a beautiful addition to the mix. Bring those comments right on, little lady!

Go Away Grumpies

Photo courtesy of Lori!
I stopped at the grocery store tonight to get some milk and bananas (for the monkey). When it was time to go through the check-out, I noticed my favorite cashier. She has this beautiful white hair and looks like the granny everyone dreams of. Everytime I go into the Macey's early in the morning, she is at the first full-service cash register and absolutely beams with the disposition we all wished we had, but can't manage to pull out of our synical selves. I'm so glad she is helping me. . .as her attitude is contagious. A little girl with her mother closely behind approaches the cashier from behind. My sweet granny gives the little girl (who looks to be around 6) a big hug and tells her what a "treat" it is to see her. You can see from the little girl's glow that her visit to the Macey's has absolutely made her day. Now, here comes the ugly part of the story. While I'm standing there soaking in the joy of my friend and her little guest, the woman behind me is looking more and more irritated. She has a basket of 2-liter Diet Cokes on the belt and I can tell she has probably already overdosed on the caffeine and is a hurry. I suspect that she is going home to her empty house to watch CSI: Special Victims Unit and chug some Diet Coke with her pit bull. SHE IS NOW FURIOUS and stomps off to the express line (where she should have started) and is obviously angry with my sweet granny cashier. Honestly, what happened to enjoying life? What happened to sacrificing a TINY bit of time so a little girl could have a sucker and a hug from someone whom she obviously adores? Why can't we all slow down just enough to bring joy to those around us? To all Grumpies out there--GO AWAY! Your grumpiness is just as contagious as my grocery granny's joy and I'm sick of it. Do something nice for someone today. . . happy people need to take a stand.

Hungry, Hungry Hippos

Kimmy and I went to Logan, American yesterday to hang out with Laura and Eric. While we were there, Laura pulled out the Hungry Hungry Hippo game. It reminded me of the games we played as kids that I've missed over the past few years. What about Candyland and Shoots & Ladders? What ever happened to Operation, LIFE, and Memory? Now, those are games, people!

Bowling Bonanza

For Christmas this year, I gave each of the Jenkins kids a coupon for an Michelle Activity night of their choice. So, Brooke called last week to make her reservation and Friday afternoon we had a great time. Her activity of choice was bowling and then Sizzler for dinner. Lori's kids love Sizzler! I don't know if it's because of the ice cream or the endless supply of pizza, but it's so much fun to go with them. It's especially fun with Brooke because she is always so polite and fun to talk to. We played 20 questions and just laughed. Usually when we go, Brooke orders steak. Yep--she's 7. A special note about our bowling escapade. . .Michelle bowled a personal best at 121. Brooke was right on my heels at 73. I can't wait to see where the other Jenkins decide to take me. . .rumor has it that Ali wants to go to Disneyland to see the "princess castles." Oh, boy. I had better start planning that activity. I'm not sure the Magic Kingdom is ready for crazy Ali (whom I like to refer to as JUDY).

New Picts

Took some pictures I thought I'd share. Vote on your favorite.
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Sundance Film Festival

Big weekend! I drove up to Park City yesterday to meet some friends for the Sundance Film Festival. We didn't actually end up seeing any of the films, but we did spend some time mixing and mingling with the rich and famous. Let me give you a brief recap of some of my star sitings--Tommy Lee, Scarlet Johansen, Shannon Elizabeth, Josh Hartnett, Greg Kinear (remember him as David from Sabrina?--oh, I love him), Lucy Lui, etc. The most exciting siting was of my dear friend Miss Jennifer Aniston! I was so excited that I nearly wet my pants. In fact, in one brief moment, she solved my weekly dilemma. After seeing her long hair, I've decided to endure to the end and resist cutting my locks. Anyway, Jen definitely waved at me. Notice that she signed this Volkswagen (the official car of the Sundance Film Festiva--gosh, Robert has great taste). Look at this hottie! I did have someone ask my friends who I was and if I was famous. Of course I'm famous. They recognized me from my Talk it UP Provo spots. It's tough being in the spotlight. Suddenly, I have no privacy.
Does this face look familiar? Yep, Anne Heche was standing like inches from me. It was funny because the security guard didn't recognize her and wouldn't let her in to the reception area to get her credentials. He told her publicist that he "didn't watch TV." So, Anne waited outside the gate with the rest of the unfamous.
One of the original missions of Sundance was to hold a competition for films made outside the Hollywood system. The idea was to showcase the movies, get publicity, and bring them to a wider audience. It has paid off in a big way. Some say too big a way. A look at this year's lineup may explain why.
The festival, which runs today through Jan. 29, opens with a screening of "Friends With Money." It's a drama that focuses on three married women, their husbands, and their one single friend. And the cast is straight out of Hollywood, including Jennifer Aniston, Scott Caan, Joan Cusack, Jason Isaacs, Catherine Keener and Frances McDormand. That's a pretty heady group. Think your next-door neighbor who just graduated from film school could round up that group?
The festival's closing film is "Alpha Dog," a crime story about a young, notorious drug dealer who became one of the youngest offenders ever to appear on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Once again, the screen credits read like a Who's Who of Hollywood. Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone are among the all-star cast.
Other films in the running this year feature the acting talents of John Malkovich, Sam Shepard, Jessica Lange, Eva Saint Marie, Ed Norton, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, Lucy Liu and Tim Robbins. Mind you the films may be written, directed and produced outside the Hollywood system, but it must be nearly impossible for some independent filmmakers to land that sort of talent.
Still, there are dozens of films this year that do not boast big names or big budgets. The subject matters are diverse and decidedly non-Hollywood. Cancer, crosswords, local elections, disease and drugs, and the war in Iraq are among the themes.
And for fledgling filmmakers who may be discouraged by all the star power, there is this to remember. Of all the films entered in last year's Sundance, including such critically acclaimed movies as "Hustle and Flow," "Murderball," and "New York Doll," it was a little nature documentary that slammed them all. "March of the Penguins" was the big box-office champ. Sometimes, you get lucky. Sometimes you don't need all those stars — just a good, well-executed idea. Redford ("Bob" to the locals) must have been proud.

New Husband Requirement

This morning someone ditched me and I had to face the gym at 5am alone. Granted, I did the same thing to that person yesterday. . .so I guess we're even. When I returned home to the cold, dark, and deserted parking lot, I noticed that my neighbor was getting out of his wife's car. Barbara leaves for work around 6:30 and each winter morning her husband turns on her car so it will be warm when she leaves. I NEED THAT. I'm pretty independent (mostly because I have to be) and can fend for myself in most respects, but it's moments like these that I realize I'm missing something.

CUT or KEEP?

I'm at a crossroad and I need everyone's honest opinion. Remember how I'm working on my JLo hair? I've actually been working on it for about a year. . .gradually growing out my tresses. Well, I'm sick of them! I didn't want to do my hair this morning and that's a sure sign that I need a change. I've heard mixed opinions from several reliable sources. Some say CUT and other say KEEP. Most of you have seen me with both. . .what do you think?

So I skipped institute last night and went to the BYU men's basketball game. Yep, you caught me, I'm already slacking in at least one of my New Year's resolutions. While I was there, I realized two things--First, I really like to watch basketball. It's fast moving, action packed, and full of drama. Secondly, I realized that couldn't ever be married to a coach! Both b-ball games I've attended this season were especially entertaining because the opposing teams coaches were absolutely ridiculous. Steve McClain is the coach for the Cowboys. Let me just say that the man spent more time on the playing floor than most of his athletes. He was wildly dramatic and quite a misfit. It was noted that he couldn't keep his sports jacket on for more than 2 minutes (we timed it at one point at 1:20) and needs some serious dental work. When I asked Jeff if he thought his players were ever embarrassed by their coach, I was surprised when he quickly answered "nope" and explained that he was their advocate. They were grateful for his constant appeals to the referees, his vigilance, screaming, and overall boisterousness. I was just grateful he isn't the BYU coach.

It's Back!

BAM--Winter is back in Provo! It's a good thing snow is white and sparkly. . .otherwise, I'd be packing up my summer duds and heading to Aruba.

Talk it up Provo!

So last night I had my second taping for Talk It Up Provo. Yep, I'm going to be a star! You know how Martha Stewart used to appear on the Today show to demonstrate her creative magic? Well, I'm the Marty of Provo. I go to the studio (after I've done my own hair and makeup) and wait for everyone to pull it together. Then they put a microphone on me and we set things up on the set. Last night we made these great monogram letters (special thanks to Monica F. for the idea). I was a HIT. Sorry to report that I'm not sure what station airs Talk it Up Provo or the time, but I'm sure you all have it TiVo'd. If by chance you miss it, I will be making another guest appearance the first week of February. They've asked me to be a regular--I believe the phrase was "our crafting go-to girl." If anyone is interested in accompanying me to the set, I'm sure I can get you a back-stage pass.

Shirley Seated in Grandstand

We finished inventory a little bit earlier today than I expected. . .so I decided to treat myself to an outing at the Museum of Art. For months I've been wanting to see the Rodney Smith http://www.rodneysmith.com/ exhibit and since today is the last day it's showing, it appeared to be my last chance. Smith's photography was really beautiful. I especially loved that it spans a wide range of genres. . .including landscape, portraiture, fashion, and photojournalism. The only drawback. . ."too many ballerinas"--ML.

This is my favorite--Shirley Seated in Grandstand. She is beautiful. . .timeless, really. What is exactly is Shirley thinking? Did she think the race started at 4. . .when it actually started at 1? Maybe her scarf is tied too tight. Perhaps she is dismayed because she forgot to pack her tutu and the photographer is upset with her (though Mark is grateful). Maybe her wicked step-sister signed her up for LDS Singles. I bet she's is waiting for Robert Redford. Afterall, he promised to show her his stables and buy her a Spiced Apple Cider from the Starbuck's down the road. Mmmm, Robert always smells so good. I bet he's wearing a hat and I'm sure his hands are warm.

Count Down 2006

I have the most amazing staff. I probably don't tell them enough how wonderful they are. Maybe I'll make an addition to my 2006 goals. We finished our inventory today. . .it went so smoothly--mostly because everyone is perfectly pleasant, willing to do anything, and we all get along. THANK you to my lovely CCF ladies for making it a fun time. Love you all!