Tomorrow I start no sponsor October which is a month of no sponsors and just writing for this bloggy blog. Almost. I have two sponsorship commitments that were already planned before the idea of No Sponsor October was birthed, so it's actually more like "Two Sponsor October."? Or something. Still though, it'll be days and days of just good old fashioned writing. I am trying hard to maintain balance on this blog and to stay primarily a writing based blog. Therefore, there will be more information about me than you could ever possibly dream of wanting in October. Aren't you excited?!
(Oh, and if you want to be hanging out on the sidebar for October, it's $7 for a 200 x 200 ad. Email me at thelifeofbon@gmail.com by the end of the day and we'll get you up there.)
This weekend I piled into a red, 12 passenger van and headed South to Cedar City with my mom and sisters. Well... my mom, two sisters, sister in law, aunt and cousin if you want to be all technical about it. I know the big red van may seem a bit extreme for seven grown women, but Blackburn women don't do anything discreetly and the van seemed more than fitting. It's my sister's van- she bought it because she has five kids, four of whom are rowdy, growing boys and a mini van just wasn't going to cut it for them. They could have bought a suburban I suppose, but who wants a suburban when you can have a van?!?
I have a deep and abiding need to be in control of anything and everything (See: Reasons why it is hard to be married to me) so naturally I volunteered to drive, and drive I did! I tell you, nothing makes you feel powerful like steering a big honking bright red vehicle. Am I finally beginning to understand why men love trucks?
The best thing about girls' trips is girls' talking. Men just don't love to talk the same way women do. With men you gotta pry and push and do a lot of work to get any information whatsoever out of them. With women all you gotta do is ask one half interesting question and you've got two hours worth of conversation at your feet. Finding something to gab about for the three hour van ride was a freaking cake walk.
Oh- I forgot to mention why we were going to Cedar City. Cedar City is renowned for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Every summer and fall they put on a bunch of shows and people come from all over the country to see the shows. It's really a big deal! Really! The festival recruits their actors from all over the country- big cities like L.A. and New York and Chicago. They only pick the best of the best and the plays are always amazing. We went last year and this year we decided, hey, might as well make it a tradition!
Sidenote: I always feel a little bad when I leave Greg for the weekend to fend for himself, but he always does juuuuuuuuust fine. He eats fast food to his heart's delight, stays up until the wee hours of the morning, and plays unlimited amounts of video games with his friends. So basically in all shapes and forms, he reverts back to 18 year old Greg. And he LOVES it.
Once we got to Cedar City there wasn't a lot of time to spare, so we ditched our bags at the house and went right to dinner. We were running oh so tight on time, but the hosts said we could be seated and out of here within an hour so stupidly, we banked on that. Seven of us huddled around a four person table because there just wasn't time to wait for a bigger table. We knew exactly what we were going to order the minute we sat down, fired off our pizza requests to the waiter, and waited not so patiently for the pizza to cook as we had only 20 minutes at this point to eat our pizza, pay the bill, and run. It's the type of situation that gives Greg ulcers to the max, but it's always been the way my family does things so it felt just like home!
The waiter was quite slow with our pizzas and we didn't have time to be slow, so when he brought the last one out at 7:22 everybody grabbed a piece and ate it on the go. My older sister, Becky, and I stayed behind to pay the bill and then Becky couldn't find her ticket to the show (it runs in the family) and somehow miracle of miracles we made it to the play just as the curtain was rising. Close call!
We saw Peter and the Star Catcher which is possibly the best piece of theater I have ever seen and I have seen a ridiculous amount of theatre being married to an actor and all. I even did a study abroad in London and saw a play every night, and I hold firm on "Peter" being absolutely one of the best. If you are in the Utah area and you haven't seen this show yet, you have to go before the fall season ends. The script was insanely clever- absolutely brilliant writing, the acting was spot on, and the villian "Black Stache", was about a hilarious a villian as I've ever seen. I knew the end of the show was coming, but I kept hoping the play would go longer and longer and longer. A sign of a good play, indeed!
We finished up the night with nutella pizza that we'd had to box up from dinner and a couple of rounds of cards. I won, naturally. My little engaged sister didn't get to play with us on account of she is taking 15 credits of hard sciences at BYU and therefore had a book at her side the entire weekend. Oh, to be graduated from college!
Saturday morning we all slept in and then had lunch at a fantastic place that was secluded and quiet and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves at 11:30 on a Saturday. What a dream! We gabbed and laughed and scarfed down our food, and I didn't take any pictures of it because that it was trend I am having the hardest time hopping on to. But I ate an asparagus and roasted red pepper quesadilla with feta cheese and it was divine. Good enough?
We had an hour to kill before our Saturday matinee show so we wandered around the city's "Pumpkin days." It was one of those absolute gorgeous fall afternoons that are just perfect in every way. Seventy degrees with the sun shining and not a cloud in sight. Is this what heaven feels like?
We found ourselves quite entertained with the "Redneck Photo Booth." Who wouldn't be? That's my mom and sister in law with me, everyone else had gotten lost/ distracted along the way.
The show Saturday was "The Marvelous Wonderettes" which was pretty good, but paled in comparison to Peter and the Star Catcher. The cast consists of four women who are on stage the entire time. As my sister commented during intermission, "I just generally don't think it's a good idea to write an entire play based on the annoying habits of women." Here here, sis!
After that we hit the road (but not before loading up on gas and treats at the gas stations. Tigers Blood Frazzle, you complete me!) and I was happy to get back to Greg who had even put a load of laundry in and vacuumed the carpet for my arrival. What a guy!
Thanks, mama, for a great weekend! Until next time!
I don't know what that 'until next time' is supposed to mean. It just sounded like a good way to end this. I'm lost for an ending basically. So goodbye.
(Oh, and if you want to be hanging out on the sidebar for October, it's $7 for a 200 x 200 ad. Email me at thelifeofbon@gmail.com by the end of the day and we'll get you up there.)
I have a deep and abiding need to be in control of anything and everything (See: Reasons why it is hard to be married to me) so naturally I volunteered to drive, and drive I did! I tell you, nothing makes you feel powerful like steering a big honking bright red vehicle. Am I finally beginning to understand why men love trucks?
The best thing about girls' trips is girls' talking. Men just don't love to talk the same way women do. With men you gotta pry and push and do a lot of work to get any information whatsoever out of them. With women all you gotta do is ask one half interesting question and you've got two hours worth of conversation at your feet. Finding something to gab about for the three hour van ride was a freaking cake walk.
Oh- I forgot to mention why we were going to Cedar City. Cedar City is renowned for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Every summer and fall they put on a bunch of shows and people come from all over the country to see the shows. It's really a big deal! Really! The festival recruits their actors from all over the country- big cities like L.A. and New York and Chicago. They only pick the best of the best and the plays are always amazing. We went last year and this year we decided, hey, might as well make it a tradition!
Sidenote: I always feel a little bad when I leave Greg for the weekend to fend for himself, but he always does juuuuuuuuust fine. He eats fast food to his heart's delight, stays up until the wee hours of the morning, and plays unlimited amounts of video games with his friends. So basically in all shapes and forms, he reverts back to 18 year old Greg. And he LOVES it.
Once we got to Cedar City there wasn't a lot of time to spare, so we ditched our bags at the house and went right to dinner. We were running oh so tight on time, but the hosts said we could be seated and out of here within an hour so stupidly, we banked on that. Seven of us huddled around a four person table because there just wasn't time to wait for a bigger table. We knew exactly what we were going to order the minute we sat down, fired off our pizza requests to the waiter, and waited not so patiently for the pizza to cook as we had only 20 minutes at this point to eat our pizza, pay the bill, and run. It's the type of situation that gives Greg ulcers to the max, but it's always been the way my family does things so it felt just like home!
The waiter was quite slow with our pizzas and we didn't have time to be slow, so when he brought the last one out at 7:22 everybody grabbed a piece and ate it on the go. My older sister, Becky, and I stayed behind to pay the bill and then Becky couldn't find her ticket to the show (it runs in the family) and somehow miracle of miracles we made it to the play just as the curtain was rising. Close call!
We saw Peter and the Star Catcher which is possibly the best piece of theater I have ever seen and I have seen a ridiculous amount of theatre being married to an actor and all. I even did a study abroad in London and saw a play every night, and I hold firm on "Peter" being absolutely one of the best. If you are in the Utah area and you haven't seen this show yet, you have to go before the fall season ends. The script was insanely clever- absolutely brilliant writing, the acting was spot on, and the villian "Black Stache", was about a hilarious a villian as I've ever seen. I knew the end of the show was coming, but I kept hoping the play would go longer and longer and longer. A sign of a good play, indeed!
We finished up the night with nutella pizza that we'd had to box up from dinner and a couple of rounds of cards. I won, naturally. My little engaged sister didn't get to play with us on account of she is taking 15 credits of hard sciences at BYU and therefore had a book at her side the entire weekend. Oh, to be graduated from college!
Saturday morning we all slept in and then had lunch at a fantastic place that was secluded and quiet and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves at 11:30 on a Saturday. What a dream! We gabbed and laughed and scarfed down our food, and I didn't take any pictures of it because that it was trend I am having the hardest time hopping on to. But I ate an asparagus and roasted red pepper quesadilla with feta cheese and it was divine. Good enough?
We had an hour to kill before our Saturday matinee show so we wandered around the city's "Pumpkin days." It was one of those absolute gorgeous fall afternoons that are just perfect in every way. Seventy degrees with the sun shining and not a cloud in sight. Is this what heaven feels like?
We found ourselves quite entertained with the "Redneck Photo Booth." Who wouldn't be? That's my mom and sister in law with me, everyone else had gotten lost/ distracted along the way.
The show Saturday was "The Marvelous Wonderettes" which was pretty good, but paled in comparison to Peter and the Star Catcher. The cast consists of four women who are on stage the entire time. As my sister commented during intermission, "I just generally don't think it's a good idea to write an entire play based on the annoying habits of women." Here here, sis!
After that we hit the road (but not before loading up on gas and treats at the gas stations. Tigers Blood Frazzle, you complete me!) and I was happy to get back to Greg who had even put a load of laundry in and vacuumed the carpet for my arrival. What a guy!
Thanks, mama, for a great weekend! Until next time!
I don't know what that 'until next time' is supposed to mean. It just sounded like a good way to end this. I'm lost for an ending basically. So goodbye.
