Friday, June 26, 2009

7 Quick Takes (Vol 27) The Reunion Addition

Wow, I haven't blogged for an entire week. WAIT, WAIT, I have an excuse, I really do. You see I was in Park City, Utah for a family reunion. So, without further ado here is the "Reunion Addition". Make sure to go over to Jennifer's site to see all the other "Quick takers".

-1-
Some explanation is probably in order. Every other year members of my husband's family meet for a family reunion. This tradition started 12 years ago when we were together for an impromptu reunion in Hawaii. We had so much fun together that the idea of meeting more frequently seemed to be a good idea. In the intervening years we have met in Alaska, Idaho, Ohio, Virginia, Illinois and now Utah. In 2011 we will be in New York City. The next reunion site is picked on the last day of the current reunion and it is usually based on someone in the group saying, "Hey, I want to put in the work to get this all arranged and there are fun things to do around where I live." It is sort of like how they pick the place where the Olympics are held, only with less outlay of money (we hope). We have some planned family activities and we eat most dinners together but we also have time to explore the area and do things in small groups.

-2-
I had WAY too much food to eat this week as well as some stellar regional beers. In no particular order this week I consumed salmon, kobe beef burger, pizza, salads (but not too many of those), massive amounts of french fries, eggs, biscuits and gravy, cereal, perhaps a few grapes just to have something healthy, bacon cheeseburger, BACON, BLT and much more. And there might have been a dessert or two thrown in there as well but my brain is still recovering so I can't be sure.

-3-
Why are these crazy people twisting around in the air? Well, they are demonstrating Aeriel Freestyle skiing at the Olympic park. And I suppose they like twirling around in the air and landing in a large cold pool of water. Every Saturday during the summer months there is a freestyle skiing demonstration at the Olympic ski venue. It was very interesting, even if I did have to sit outside in the rain to view it. Also had to buy a fleece jacket because I would have frozen otherwise. Thank goodness I love fleece jackets because otherwise I would be very mad at myself for forgetting my sweatshirt at the hotel and not realizing that it would be cold.....in June.

-4-
Women after a certain age just shouldn't wiggle in public. I'm just saying a little bit of decorum or perhaps more clothing would be appropriate in certain situations. This lovely lady was performing at the Sunday street fair that is held in downtown Park City. I wish that all of you could have been there for the WHOLE experience like I was, and at street level too as I was sitting on the curb. Up close and personal you might say. She and her fellow dancer were trying to encourage audience participation but not having much luck. I wonder why?

-5-
This intrepid group of people had just finished a trip through the Timpanogos caves. Loads of fun, tight places, wierd stalagtite formations, all that good cave fun. When my SIL made the reservations for the tour she said, "Well, we need to be there at 3p and our tour starts at 4:30p. That gives us enough time to do the 1.5 mile hike up to the caves." An hour and a half to do a 1.5 mile hike? Will we be moving at a glacial pace or something? Well, you see I missed one small word in what Laura told us. I missed the word "up". It isn't just a 1.5 mile hike, it is a 1.5 mile hike with a rise in elevation of 1100 feet. Oh yeah, can you say huffing and puffing at 6500 feet above sea level. Of course Joanne (in the white sweatshirt) didn't even break a sweat but then she thinks it is fun to do a 35 mile mountain bike ride every morning. The rest of us were a tad more winded by the time we got to the cave entrance.

-6-
What is a trip to Utah without a stop in Salt Lake City to tour the Mormon Temple Square, to hear an organ concert at the Mormon Tabernacle and to have the nice young guides try to explain to us that we should be interpreting what the Bible says through the Book of Mormon. Um, no thank you to that. I will have a longer post on the proselytizing aspect of the tour at a later date. The organ concert was great though. Oh, I wasn't supposed to be taking any pictures inside the building but.......I just have to take a picture when someone tells me that I can't.

-7-
Can't you just hear the Fifth Dimension singing "Up, Up and away in my beautiful balloon..." One of the highlights of the trip was a hot air balloon ride on a beautiful Tuesday morning. Not a cloud in the sky. It was very cool to float over the Utah landscape looking down at the animals, people going out to get the paper etc. A great way to end our trip, and no one fell out of the balloon basket so it was a success. I was amazed that they didn't have us sign any kind of waiver to say that we wouldn't sue them if things didn't turn out well. Of course, if things don't turn out well with a hot air balloon ride then there might not be anyone around to instigate a lawsuit.

See you next week.

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