Christmas and then some, SLC, Utah
Utah update 02
Utah has been grand! Still no phone or *real* internet connection though. I'm very very absolutely terribly sorry if I haven't been in touch. I'll try to provide a little insight on my current situation through this update.
CHRISTMAS UPDATE
For Christmas, I was blessed to be able to spend the Eve with my extended family out here in Salt Lake City playing Apples to Apples and listening to children crying, fighting, laughing, and sleeping. I do miss being around kids, College robbed me of that in many ways. Anyway, that was charming. My aunt had been harboring the gifts that my family sent so that I would not open them early and, by Christmas morning, I was sitting in my apartment surrounded by new socks, pajamas, a candle, a ridiculous hat that my dad for some reason thinks the whole world should have one just like it, and cards from family all over. I got to church Christmas morning and later that day, James and I went over to a new friend of mine and an old friend of James' house to meet and spend Christmas dinner with his family. Danny and his family were so accepting that I couldn't believe it. They were serving Turducken.... For those of you who have never had turducken (it was my first time as well), Turducken is a Turkey stuffed with a duck that is stuffed with a chicken. I am totally being serious. It was amazing, really... except I just couldn't get over the idea of how incredibly gaudy the idea of 3 birds in one was. I felt a little better after I heard that the Turducken was a gift from extended family in Louisiana.. those casian meals never cease to amaze me. Anyway, after dinner we all packed into the family mini-van and went and saw "The Good Shepherd". They really made me feel like part of the family. Yay.
I'M RICH, I HAVE A FRIDGE (and a futon!)
I don't know if I ever posted about the "I'm rich I have a fridge" saying yet. Incase I haven't... when I first moved here and for the first week or so Jenee and I did not have a working fridge. Worse than not having a fridge at all, we had a semi-working fridge that we thought was working until I spend a considerable amount on groceries that just went bad in the not-so-working fridge. ugh. Now that we have a working one thanks to our building manager and my friends Cees and James who helped move it in, I felt such a weight lifted off my shoulders. I wouldn't have to buy expensive food and instead can now shop for inexpensive food that I can keep in a working fridge... how amazingly fortunate. I felt richer than I had ever felt after not having a fridge for a week. I'm rich, I have a fridge!
Today I completed the futon couch I started yesterday. Yesterday I bought the frame for 50 bucks from a store called "Shop-Ko". It's like the same thing as K-mart just much closer to my apartment haha. Today I sealed the deal with a futon mattress from a bedding store down the street. It was about 30 bucks cheaper than the mattresses at shop-ko but shop-ko had the better deal on the frame. I'm sitting on my over-stuffed REALLY COMFORTABLE futon mattress right now on the finished futon I've put under my loft bed. The mattress is red and looks awesome with the tapestry that my brother gave me for Christmas. Very Cassaba. Alaska likes the couch as well... or maybe it's just the only warm place in the house right now with me sitting on it. She's been unusually friendly all evening...or maybe just cold.
CYCLING IN THE COLD MAKES YOU LOVE THOSE WARM DAYS.. warm 45 degree days!
It's been strangely warm here in the Valley- or at least I THINK it's strange for this time of year. I was like 45 degrees on the 26th... It's funny. When you get used to 20 degree weather again (and it only takes a week or so... and ps> it was like 11 degrees out the last time I went cycling and there were STILL people walking around in shorts... no joke... SHORTS) 40 degree weather seems like Hawaii. I went to the coffee house across the street and sat outside on the porch working on my computer then decided it was so nice out that I rode my bicycle down to downtown Sugarhouse to do some grocery and supplies shopping (this was when I saw the futon for sale... I drove back later in the night to buy it). On my shopping list was:
cat food
brown sugar (for the oatmeal i had sitting alone in my shelves)
toilet paper
band aids (for the blister on my foot that SILL hasn't healed from snowboarding last week)
and nail polish haha
I got everything I needed and cycled back. What a glorious day. It was warm again today but it rained all day. Oh yeah, can I please just shout out to everyone in Savannah who rides their bicycles everywhere in the coldest of winter despite their shivering bodies and tingling fingers? Let me just say real quick that I went for a bicycle ride in 11 degree weather the other day and didn't QUITE freeze haha. It was awesome and I plan to keep doing it all winter. It's about layers kids... 40 degrees is like the summer. Get over it, Savannah, and keep riding!
haha
MY NEW GYM MEMBERSHIP
Other triumphs? Absolutely! I found myself a gym about 4 miles from the Globe here. (remember, Jenee and I call the apartment the Globe) It only costs 15 bucks a month to join! This is like 20 bucks a month LESS than every single other gym I've looked at since I've been here. Sure it's about 3 miles further away than the others but oh my gosh I love it (so far). It's a community center closer to downtown SLC. The place has a free computer lab with the internet that also offers introduction computer and internet-savy classes. There are lessons you can take in different disciplines at the gym itself and the community center shares it's building with a day-care and after-school care program for the more urban kids. Sure it's a bit smaller than what I got accustomed to at ClubSCAD and there aren't any TVs but I like it just fine. I went for the first time today and spent about 35 mins on the machines. I actually think it has more machines than ClubSCAD has, not to mention an awesome community feel with children and adults alike. The best part? It closes at 8pm so I have to make sure I stick to a schedule if I want to work out. This keeps me in line. haha. Today during my work out I ran next to an old man on an elliptical reading Time magazine, behind an over weight woman who was working her butt off (literally) who seemed to be having a very heated conversation with herself while on the bike, in the room next to about 5 men all muscle heads of different ages, races, and obviously backgrounds. One an older guy, biker to the bone, white long hair underneath a bandana, another really short white guy about 20, another about 28 or so black dude in basketball shorts who seemed to speak arabic clearly to his younger son and english to his muscle-head friends, and this other guy who looked like a white business man who could have been the mayer for all I knew... the last one was this guy who looked 100% native american and about 45. They were all talking and having a grand old time like they had been friends forever.
I'm starting to learn that the people who think that SLC has no diversity are the people who don't allow diversity into their lives. It seems to me that in this area, it's the people who are afraid of so many things and situations or those who say things like... for example... "that's gay" using the terms gay, homo, or fag as synonyms for "stupid" who are the ones always blowing the "we need more diversity" horn and criticizing Utah for the lack-of around me. I'm starting to find that in truth, it's these people who seem to actually be afraid of diversity, not realizing that the thing they speak so fondly about is the thing they are hiding from in their nice little neighborhoods with REAL street names, not 3rd or 6th. Utah is predominantly white but that sure doesn't mean it doesn't have it's personal spread of cultural diversity. I really enjoy it to be honest and I don't know why someone would want to go to the 24 hour gym where everyone just plugs in and doesn't get to know anyone over a fun community gym where everyone is out to make sure you stick to your goals and get the hottest body you can! hahahaha Honestly, I think that those people who say "that's gay" or swear at their kids or their parents under the comfort of their beautiful house in the burbs make me way more uncomfortable than the crazy people I meet at the "inner city gym". I'm not saying I'm any better than anyone, I just come from a different experience and haven't been what Jenee calls something like Utah-nized. I'm still learning what that means but, like, today I had a conversation with someone in the burbs about why I chose to live here in SLC and not anywhere else in the world. They looked disgusted when I said I was planning on staying for a while, maybe forever. They looked at me like I was uneducated and unreasonable, like I was being utterly ignorant and stupid for making such a statement. They made me feel like they couldn't find ONE good thing with the city or the state and that anyone, myself included, who was an educated member of society, would absolutely never ever stay there for a prolonged period of time. This made me sad for them, who had lived here for the past 20 years.... why would anyone so educated and passionate about where I should live subject themselves to living in a place they hate so much? Family? Jobs? Jeesh. All I could think about was, can't you see the mountains around yoU? You live in a city more beautiful than most and you are looking at me like I'm a fool for ever moving to that city? It could be the most crime-ridden terrible state with a bad economy and no love at all (and it's QUITE the opposite... I'll assure you) and it would still be one of the most beautiful places in the United States. You can see the amazing peeks on 3 sides of the valley from wherever you are in SLC. I mean come ON... awesome! ...or maybe I'm just easy to please?
Anyway that's all for now. It's about midnight here and I'm going to crash for lack of better things to do. I haven't started trying to make friends yet because I don't have any way for anyone to contact me until I get either the internet at home or a cell phone. My phone is still in the mail and at least I know my aunt sent it. She suspected it'd be here sometime this week last I talked to her. The internet is for sure coming on Friday so, at least I'll have that by the end of the week. I really can't get much work done without either. Frustrating. It's good though. It's given me a lot of time to just chill out. I even read a book this week! This book was the FIRST book that I have read cover to cover that is un-school/video/sound/editing/business related in over 3 years. Not kidding. Do you know how amazing it feels to have time, even if you don't WANT to have time, to read a book. It's like God saying, slow DOWN sister, you're missing too much. I'm in and learning... and going to bed so I can hit the gym earlier tomorrow, maybe meet someone else who will let me listen to their conversation with themselves. It's good... gives me someone to pray for while I run. ;) I'll update about the book tomorrow from somewhere... probably a coffee house where I'll actually have internet access to post this and that. Godbless.
We could be closer than you know,
Chelsea
Utah has been grand! Still no phone or *real* internet connection though. I'm very very absolutely terribly sorry if I haven't been in touch. I'll try to provide a little insight on my current situation through this update.
CHRISTMAS UPDATE
For Christmas, I was blessed to be able to spend the Eve with my extended family out here in Salt Lake City playing Apples to Apples and listening to children crying, fighting, laughing, and sleeping. I do miss being around kids, College robbed me of that in many ways. Anyway, that was charming. My aunt had been harboring the gifts that my family sent so that I would not open them early and, by Christmas morning, I was sitting in my apartment surrounded by new socks, pajamas, a candle, a ridiculous hat that my dad for some reason thinks the whole world should have one just like it, and cards from family all over. I got to church Christmas morning and later that day, James and I went over to a new friend of mine and an old friend of James' house to meet and spend Christmas dinner with his family. Danny and his family were so accepting that I couldn't believe it. They were serving Turducken.... For those of you who have never had turducken (it was my first time as well), Turducken is a Turkey stuffed with a duck that is stuffed with a chicken. I am totally being serious. It was amazing, really... except I just couldn't get over the idea of how incredibly gaudy the idea of 3 birds in one was. I felt a little better after I heard that the Turducken was a gift from extended family in Louisiana.. those casian meals never cease to amaze me. Anyway, after dinner we all packed into the family mini-van and went and saw "The Good Shepherd". They really made me feel like part of the family. Yay.
I'M RICH, I HAVE A FRIDGE (and a futon!)
I don't know if I ever posted about the "I'm rich I have a fridge" saying yet. Incase I haven't... when I first moved here and for the first week or so Jenee and I did not have a working fridge. Worse than not having a fridge at all, we had a semi-working fridge that we thought was working until I spend a considerable amount on groceries that just went bad in the not-so-working fridge. ugh. Now that we have a working one thanks to our building manager and my friends Cees and James who helped move it in, I felt such a weight lifted off my shoulders. I wouldn't have to buy expensive food and instead can now shop for inexpensive food that I can keep in a working fridge... how amazingly fortunate. I felt richer than I had ever felt after not having a fridge for a week. I'm rich, I have a fridge!
Today I completed the futon couch I started yesterday. Yesterday I bought the frame for 50 bucks from a store called "Shop-Ko". It's like the same thing as K-mart just much closer to my apartment haha. Today I sealed the deal with a futon mattress from a bedding store down the street. It was about 30 bucks cheaper than the mattresses at shop-ko but shop-ko had the better deal on the frame. I'm sitting on my over-stuffed REALLY COMFORTABLE futon mattress right now on the finished futon I've put under my loft bed. The mattress is red and looks awesome with the tapestry that my brother gave me for Christmas. Very Cassaba. Alaska likes the couch as well... or maybe it's just the only warm place in the house right now with me sitting on it. She's been unusually friendly all evening...or maybe just cold.
CYCLING IN THE COLD MAKES YOU LOVE THOSE WARM DAYS.. warm 45 degree days!
It's been strangely warm here in the Valley- or at least I THINK it's strange for this time of year. I was like 45 degrees on the 26th... It's funny. When you get used to 20 degree weather again (and it only takes a week or so... and ps> it was like 11 degrees out the last time I went cycling and there were STILL people walking around in shorts... no joke... SHORTS) 40 degree weather seems like Hawaii. I went to the coffee house across the street and sat outside on the porch working on my computer then decided it was so nice out that I rode my bicycle down to downtown Sugarhouse to do some grocery and supplies shopping (this was when I saw the futon for sale... I drove back later in the night to buy it). On my shopping list was:
cat food
brown sugar (for the oatmeal i had sitting alone in my shelves)
toilet paper
band aids (for the blister on my foot that SILL hasn't healed from snowboarding last week)
and nail polish haha
I got everything I needed and cycled back. What a glorious day. It was warm again today but it rained all day. Oh yeah, can I please just shout out to everyone in Savannah who rides their bicycles everywhere in the coldest of winter despite their shivering bodies and tingling fingers? Let me just say real quick that I went for a bicycle ride in 11 degree weather the other day and didn't QUITE freeze haha. It was awesome and I plan to keep doing it all winter. It's about layers kids... 40 degrees is like the summer. Get over it, Savannah, and keep riding!
haha
MY NEW GYM MEMBERSHIP
Other triumphs? Absolutely! I found myself a gym about 4 miles from the Globe here. (remember, Jenee and I call the apartment the Globe) It only costs 15 bucks a month to join! This is like 20 bucks a month LESS than every single other gym I've looked at since I've been here. Sure it's about 3 miles further away than the others but oh my gosh I love it (so far). It's a community center closer to downtown SLC. The place has a free computer lab with the internet that also offers introduction computer and internet-savy classes. There are lessons you can take in different disciplines at the gym itself and the community center shares it's building with a day-care and after-school care program for the more urban kids. Sure it's a bit smaller than what I got accustomed to at ClubSCAD and there aren't any TVs but I like it just fine. I went for the first time today and spent about 35 mins on the machines. I actually think it has more machines than ClubSCAD has, not to mention an awesome community feel with children and adults alike. The best part? It closes at 8pm so I have to make sure I stick to a schedule if I want to work out. This keeps me in line. haha. Today during my work out I ran next to an old man on an elliptical reading Time magazine, behind an over weight woman who was working her butt off (literally) who seemed to be having a very heated conversation with herself while on the bike, in the room next to about 5 men all muscle heads of different ages, races, and obviously backgrounds. One an older guy, biker to the bone, white long hair underneath a bandana, another really short white guy about 20, another about 28 or so black dude in basketball shorts who seemed to speak arabic clearly to his younger son and english to his muscle-head friends, and this other guy who looked like a white business man who could have been the mayer for all I knew... the last one was this guy who looked 100% native american and about 45. They were all talking and having a grand old time like they had been friends forever.
I'm starting to learn that the people who think that SLC has no diversity are the people who don't allow diversity into their lives. It seems to me that in this area, it's the people who are afraid of so many things and situations or those who say things like... for example... "that's gay" using the terms gay, homo, or fag as synonyms for "stupid" who are the ones always blowing the "we need more diversity" horn and criticizing Utah for the lack-of around me. I'm starting to find that in truth, it's these people who seem to actually be afraid of diversity, not realizing that the thing they speak so fondly about is the thing they are hiding from in their nice little neighborhoods with REAL street names, not 3rd or 6th. Utah is predominantly white but that sure doesn't mean it doesn't have it's personal spread of cultural diversity. I really enjoy it to be honest and I don't know why someone would want to go to the 24 hour gym where everyone just plugs in and doesn't get to know anyone over a fun community gym where everyone is out to make sure you stick to your goals and get the hottest body you can! hahahaha Honestly, I think that those people who say "that's gay" or swear at their kids or their parents under the comfort of their beautiful house in the burbs make me way more uncomfortable than the crazy people I meet at the "inner city gym". I'm not saying I'm any better than anyone, I just come from a different experience and haven't been what Jenee calls something like Utah-nized. I'm still learning what that means but, like, today I had a conversation with someone in the burbs about why I chose to live here in SLC and not anywhere else in the world. They looked disgusted when I said I was planning on staying for a while, maybe forever. They looked at me like I was uneducated and unreasonable, like I was being utterly ignorant and stupid for making such a statement. They made me feel like they couldn't find ONE good thing with the city or the state and that anyone, myself included, who was an educated member of society, would absolutely never ever stay there for a prolonged period of time. This made me sad for them, who had lived here for the past 20 years.... why would anyone so educated and passionate about where I should live subject themselves to living in a place they hate so much? Family? Jobs? Jeesh. All I could think about was, can't you see the mountains around yoU? You live in a city more beautiful than most and you are looking at me like I'm a fool for ever moving to that city? It could be the most crime-ridden terrible state with a bad economy and no love at all (and it's QUITE the opposite... I'll assure you) and it would still be one of the most beautiful places in the United States. You can see the amazing peeks on 3 sides of the valley from wherever you are in SLC. I mean come ON... awesome! ...or maybe I'm just easy to please?
Anyway that's all for now. It's about midnight here and I'm going to crash for lack of better things to do. I haven't started trying to make friends yet because I don't have any way for anyone to contact me until I get either the internet at home or a cell phone. My phone is still in the mail and at least I know my aunt sent it. She suspected it'd be here sometime this week last I talked to her. The internet is for sure coming on Friday so, at least I'll have that by the end of the week. I really can't get much work done without either. Frustrating. It's good though. It's given me a lot of time to just chill out. I even read a book this week! This book was the FIRST book that I have read cover to cover that is un-school/video/sound/editing/business related in over 3 years. Not kidding. Do you know how amazing it feels to have time, even if you don't WANT to have time, to read a book. It's like God saying, slow DOWN sister, you're missing too much. I'm in and learning... and going to bed so I can hit the gym earlier tomorrow, maybe meet someone else who will let me listen to their conversation with themselves. It's good... gives me someone to pray for while I run. ;) I'll update about the book tomorrow from somewhere... probably a coffee house where I'll actually have internet access to post this and that. Godbless.
We could be closer than you know,
Chelsea
posted by Chelsea at 6:05 PM
2 Comments:
weooo! did you get internet?!?!
i am glad you are getting settled in and enjoying it, it sounds absolutely beautiful and wonderful!
l,
blair
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