Friday the 13th

The day came and went. Daniel really did turn 13 on that very day. Our new basement received its first initiation to a party full of teenagers. Everyone escaped unscathed. I'm taking a deep breath now and moving forward. I learned a few big words along the way:

Triskaidekaphobia - Fear of the number 13 (I did know this word)
Paraskevidekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia - Fear of big words

Now go to work and impress your friends!! Oh, and if anyone knows the word for "Fear of 13 year olds" let me know 'cause I may need that one in the coming years!

One of my favorite artists in the field today

Sometimes when you find something you like, you just need to share it. This up and coming artist's work just makes me smile every time I walk by her pieces. These are all pieces that I picked up for nothing really, but I have not doubt they will continue to appreciate in value as her popularity grows. "Stegosaurus" is one of my favorites. When asked about her inspiration, she said, "I wanted to make a long neck, but it turned out looking like a stegosaurus." Didn't Michaelangelo once say that when she sculpted, he just started with a block on marble and found the statue inside?

I call the next piece "The Happy Rhinoceros." It makes me happy every day when I see it. And finally, an example of her more abstract side. I call it "Bright Spot" because she really is a bright spot in my life and in my house.

Watch for more work by Cheyenne in the months and years ahead!

Walking a llama on the temple...

There are some things you just don't expect you'll ever do. One for me would be walking a llama on the second floor of a temple. Another would be voluntarily going down a 100' freefall waterslide. However, I did both of those things in the last couple of days. I have your attention, don't I?

From Friday afternoon about 4:00 p.m. until Saturday around 2:00 p.m. Dale and I participated in the first ever 24-hour Utah Valley race. It was a race sponsored by the Utah Valley convention bureau to spark interest in businesses and attractions in the valley. There were 37 teams of 4 (2 men and 2 women). It was similar to the Amazing Race where you had to decipher clues to identify a location, determine if you wanted to try that location and when, then go there to discover what kind of task they had for you. It was a blast! We joined our good friends Darryl and Syd Jacques to form our team, aptly named "Wilde Party of Four." We had a mandatory rest period from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. (which meant a little less than 2 hours sleep), but in about 17 hours of active race time we did a lot! I'm including a list here for my memory as much as anything, but you can read along in case you want to prepare for next year's race! I'm listing each location and what we did there. For those familiar with the valley, consider the logistics of driving to these places. We bonded in the van!

Orem's Scera Shell for orientation

University Mall to find a hidden person with our team's clues

Trafalga to play arcade games

Provo's Center Street to run up and down gathering clues from statues on the street

Seven Peaks to ride the Freefall slide (did I mention I was terrified???)

Bajio restaurant in South Provo to eat shrimp tacos

Utah Auto Sales in Lindon to test drive a car to take pictures at the Purple Turtle and Discovery Park

School of Music in American Fork to form a rock band a play "Smoke on the Water" (so fun!!!)

Parade of Homes house at Traverse Mountain to count hidden cards in the house

Hutchings Museum in Lehi to hunt for/decode clues and one team member to eat a cricket (thanks, Darryl!)

Noah's in Lindon to play wallyball and billiards

Sundance to mountain bike (one team member - Darrryl) and hike to the outdoor theater to write a limerick

Spanish Fork to eat ice cream at Cold Stone (one quart in 6 minutes!)

Payson to bowl at South County Lanes (at midnight)

UVU to search for hidden envelopes at the baseball stadium

BYU to take pictures at the Maeser Statue and the Marriott Center

Back to the Scera

Day 2 - 5 a.m.

Hike to the Y (beautiful, but ouch!!)

Cedar Hills golf course to hit balls a set distance at the range (I'd never hit a golf ball - now I have!!)

Vivian Park in Provo Canyon to raft about 2 miles of the Provo River

CLAS ropes in SW Provo to climb a tree up about 20' then jump out to catch a metal ring

CLAS ropes to canoe a stretch of the Provo River (all of this was done by 9:30 a.m.!)

Young Living Farms in Mona to climb a rock wall and do paddle boats on the pond

Red Barn in Santaquin to eat ice cream (good ice cream!!)

Spring Lake Trout Farm in Payson to bait a hook and each catch a fish

Garage Sale in Payson to buy a team mascot

Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork to lead a llama through an obstacle course that included taking it up the stairs, around the second floor of the temple (outside) and back down the stairs (easily the highlight of my day!)

Springville Art Museum to find objects in various paintings

Provo City Library to take an online test

Sprint store in South Orem to each send a text message from their phones

Back to the Scera

We did great. We performed as well as the winners, but we came up just shy in points. They get a trip to Cancun, but we had a great time and some memorable experiences. I'd do again in a heartbeat!! Go Utah County. Oh, and did I mention I'm writing this blog from the comfort of my recliner since I'm having a hard time moving my legs today?????