Top-Rope-Tough-Guys

This week I went to the Reel Rock film festival at the Tower Theatre, in Salt Lake City.  If you don't know what that is check out the trailer for the various films.  This trailer has one of my recent favorite songs on it: Radical Face "Welcome Home"


OK, now that you've been inspired, the real reason why I'm writing this post is to share another video with you.  This clip is called Top-Rope-Tough-Guys it's a short film they showed at the beginning of the festival.  If you don't climb, it may not be that funny to you, but you should still watch.  If you do climb, this will be one of the funnier videos you've seen in a while.  This clip is not on You Tube, so you have to follow the link to watch it.
http://www.reelrocktour.com/watch/2010-finalists/top-rope-tough-guys/

The Greatest Show on Earth

Yes, I'm sure you already guessed what this post is about as you've probably already read the title.  The thing I'm talking about is the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus AKA "The Greatest Show on Earth." Since the beginning of time wait stop... we're not talking about the creation here let me start over, since I can remember my family has gone to the circus every year. I'm not certain how, or when this tradition was started, but I'm not here to question it. I love the circus! (as a side note I do feel bad for the animals, but that's another post for another day) Rumor has it Grandma Hair started the tradition and it has been ongoing ever since.  As you know with traditions come other traditions. Well let me tell you about a pretty ridiculous tradition that started at the circus. Every year my dad would buy us a snow cone during half time.  Turns out the the snow cones come in a "mug" cup that usually have some sort of lid that goes over the snow cone. It looks like this...

OK well you get the picture of what the snow cone is.  Well let me enlighten you on something this supposed snow cone costs $20 a cup... times that buy four kids and it's flipping $100 for half time snow cones.  You may say well Alyse you got an awesome snow cone cup, and you better believe every year I could not wait to see what the snow cone cup would be. I did a little research and found the online store and found out that you can buy these mugs for $9 on the B&B website... This means the actual "snow cone" part (mind you it's one little scoop) cost's $11.  Can you spell R I P O F F? As a child the best part of the snow cone was taking the cup home and drinking out of it for the weeks that followed the circus. Mysteriously, about two months after the circus these mugs would disappear. The Utah landfill now has a 15 year collection of snow cone mugs and to boot my Dad's pocket book is now missing $1,500.  As I looked down watching my little cousin sip on her snow cone during the circus I couldn't help, but think of it as my younger self and I got a little nostalgic for the younger years.  Now I'd like to publicly thank my mom and dad for supporting this silly tradition.

Oh and just in case you're wondering what the best part of the circus was this year, it was when the guy did a double back flip on stilts.  I'm not talking about short stilts either he was standing at least 10 ft tall in these things.  Well until next year, this circus is over...

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

This blog post may be out of timeline, but who said anything about blogging in a timeline? I bought my season pass to Snowbird this week, which got me thinking about snow, which then turned to Christmas, which then reminded me of the gift that keeps on giving... these pictures of the Christmas gift my Uncle's gave us last year for Christmas.  What gift could this be you may ask yourself.  Well the gift I'm talking about was matching mismatching thermals, and a big family picture to follow. Can you say brilliant?  If you double click on the photos they will enlarge for your viewing pleasure... enjoy.

I'm lobbying hard that one of these pictures makes the Christmas card this year, but then I remembered we don't ever send out a Christmas card. Good thing my family is fairly fit, or this could have been a hot mess. As a side note please notice that it's dark outside. That's what happens when you're the only single one left in the family Christmas happens at 9pm instead of 9am due to "other obligations."  I was mad until I skiied all day then I stopped caring and reminded myself that I'm not eight anymore.

Buyer Beware

If you eat fast food, you might want to think twice after reading the article below.  If you don't eat fast food, you should read the article below and be reminded why you don't eat fast food.  It's pretty disgusting...

http://www.good.is/post/mcdonald-s-hamburgers-don-t-age/

Mac Attack Preview

Here's a little preview of the photography session I had with my sister Nicole and her new baby McKay (Mac). I just can't get enough of this little guy.  Stay tuned for more pictures in the near future...

The Family That Flees Together, Trees Together

I'm a huge HUGE fan of the NPR Radio Show This American Life.  The other day at work I was streaming an episode called American Limbo this episode actually aired back in 2001, but was reaired last week.  I was particularly struck by the first act about the Jarvis family, a family of eight who's on the run from the law for seven years. During this seven year span the family lives on a boat, in a swamp, in a tree house. The crazy part is all the kids turn out to be pretty normal and fairly unfazed about the whole thing.  I found it amazing to hear a story of this family that just makes due with what they have and also learning different trades and handy work to get by month by month.  I mean if I had to share a 8x8 bedroom with my three sisters for three years I don't think I could make it.  Don't get me wrong I love my sisters, but I have to be honest I'd go nuts. I love the way they presented the family in this episode, they paint a beautiful picture of simplicity and unity. It's a good reminder that sometimes living simply, brings out what matters most and in this case it's a great family bond. While I don't necessarily support them running from the law, but somehow by the end of the episode I found myself routing for this family not to get caught. I'm almost tempted to sale everything and go live on a boat for the next five years. If you have some spare time you should listen to this episode.  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/177/american-limbo, or just listen to the first act it really is amazing. To end this blog post I'd like to give a shout out to This American Life for bringing a new perspective to the table week after week, for making me think outside of the box from time to time, and for the entertainment you have brought me episode after episode (check out the radio show archives). 

Summer Time and The Livin's Easy

FRUIT PIZZA:

It's the perfect reminder that it's still summer.  Nothing better than fresh summer fruit on a fresh summer night.  Making this lovely dessert brought me back to highschool cooking class days.  I loved that class so much I took it twice.  To bad none of those skills stuck with me. 

Long live the Fruit Pizza... (you better eat it fast it gets soggy after a day)

Uinta This?

Last weekend a group of us took a weekend trip to the Uintas. We camped at Butterfly Lake and made a dutch oven feast fit for a king.

Brownies:

 

Corn on The Fire:

Dutch Oven Potatoes and Popcorn:

Niki, Amanda, and I set up our own little tent:

The next morning we went on a hike and did some climbing.

These next two pictures we're going to play a game of can you spot the cool guy, you know the kind of games they used to put on cereal boxes?

Overall, it was a great weekend.  It was nice to beat the Salt Lake City heat. If you've never been to the Uintas you should get up there ASAP, the summer season is short (July -  August) I'm hoping to get up there again before the summer ends. 

Ohhhhh Baby Baby!

Here's a little video I put together of the flip cam footage we took in Tahoe.  As a side note there's a part where my sister says she farted, she really didn't she was saying that for a funny little dare game we were playing. I just wanted to save her the embarrassment that wasn't even real.  Enjoy...  for some reason the video embedding is not working, so please click on the link to watch the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUAZ_eHZ5s0

Keep Tahoe Blue

First let me start with this:

That's right people KEEP TAHOE BLUE... they say it for a reason.

I recently went to Lake Tahoe for a nice 10 day get away. The weather couldn't have been better.  I honestly don't think I saw a cloud for 7 days straight.  All kinds of different activities kept us busy such as:

Wake boarding:

Skiing:

Wake Surfing:

Tennis (private courts right on the water):

Bike Rides Along the Truckee River:

Photography Making:

My mom's whole family came out including all three of my cousins.  Here's all of the cousins together. The "kids" table never gets old... it's actually a privilege to be part of it.

I'd like to give a shout out to the boat captain! Thanks for the awesome trip.

Doppelganger??

A few weeks ago I was on a solo flight back to Salt Lake City and I had the joy and the pleasure of sitting next to a fifty something lady named Patrice.  She really set the mood right away by asking me my name shaking my hand 3-4 times and then it happened... she turned to the guy next to us and said this verbatim "Doesn't she look like a gringo version of Beyonce Knowles."  I'd thought I heard it all, turns out I haven't.  I mean I've always thought Beyonce and I had a lot of similarities: Curvy bodies, similar skin tones, long brown hair, great singing voices, married to a famous rapper.... NOT.

Check us out side by side.  Doppelganger?

Probably the weirdest/funniest thing I've heard in my life.  I think Patrice was a little drunk on that flight. She did ask me for a ride home when we taxied into the flight gate...but I'll take it! BEYONCE OR BUST!

Celebration of A Nation

Last weekend for the 4th of July I went to California with Kimberlee, Jane and Maggie to visit Kristine.  I was also able to see some of my family out there.  We had a very successful weekend! It all started with this...

That's right people it's Buffalo Bill's... You know that weird hotel about 30 miles outside of Vegas that suddenly shows up out of no where.  We stayed in the Big Red Barn for a night.

As soon as we got to California we went straight to the beach:

You may be wondering who the amazingly cute kids are in these photos.  Those are Jane's and Kristine's Nieces and Nephews.  Such a cute family.

The next day I spent the day with my Grandma and Aunt and Uncle.  Later that night met back up with the girls and went to a fire work show on Huntington Beach:

Kimberlee got hit in the head with a comet...

So glad we could visit this girl! She's the BEST...

Who doesn't love a good pyramid?