Won't you miss me, please won't you miss me at all
This week started with me getting a card in the mail from the ladies in our ward in Phoenix that had been passed around in Relief Society and on which everyone had written a little blurb of goodbye and good luck. The card made me cry. The messages were short and sweet, but the card represented my sweet friends in Phoenix, people who appreciate me and are appreciated by me and helped me and were helped by me and admire me and are admired by me. Utah doesn't need me, and that kind of stinks (although it has benefits, too), but the card reminded me of being loved and needed and missed and it felt nice. One point for Arizona.
On Tuesday, I met Steve on the BYU campus in the Marriott Center which has the same yellow seats it has always had (and that is one of the few things that is the same about BYU since I left it 10 years ago), and we watched Chief Justice John Roberts' profile as he spoke to us about the US Constitution. A couple of weeks ago, we did the same thing, only it was Senator Harry Reid explaining his faith and his politics, which was really quite intriguing. I am loving the opportunities to be part of cool events like this on campus. One point for Utah.
A few times this week I helped out with some PTA ladies who were sponsoring Safety Week at school. I bought $80 worth of gummy Lifesavers and we passed them out to kids at recess if they promised to talk to their families about a plan for where to meet and whom to call in case of an emergency. Most of the kids had already had that conversation with their families, and it was no sweat off their backs. Utahns are so prepared, and are so involved in their children's schools. One point for Utah. Our school that we left behind in Arizona has just a handful of parents who do anything at all, and they are so overworked that "Safety Week" as an event that has priority for the PTA is kind of laughable. Again, I was needed at our old school, and I felt effective. One point, Arizona.
Last night Steve came home from work with tickets to The Marriage of Figaro at BYU, an opera. We'd been to an opera one other time -- Of Mice and Men -- and it had been a little on the ridiculous side: entertaining, but crazy, and slightly annoying. So, we had some low expectations for the performance last night, but were thrilled when we were absolutely blown away by this opera! It was seriously amazing. The actors/singers were tremendously talented, it was funny, it was easy to understand despite being in Italian, it made me want to belt out a soliloquy or two. We loved it! We are now officially opera fans, or at least Marriage of Figaro fans, or at least BYU Performing Arts fans. Also fun was that the lead was a boy we know from Phoenix, which was a surprise to us. Go Utah!
We got a package in the mail yesterday from the lovely Jami in Phoenix, who had put together a beautiful album of pictures and messages from our friends who had come to a goodbye party for us before we left. That sentence had a lot of prepositional phrases. We loved the album. We love our friends. We love prepositional phrases. I probably learned about prepositional phrases in Arizona. My kids won't be able to say the same. Arizona is where my heart is.
Today we got to go to the Hogle Zoo with my sister and her family and my aunt, uncle and cousin and her family. It was crowded and we waited in lots of long lines to get Tootsie Pops, but the weather was nice, we got in free which is always nice, and we got a nice tour through the beautiful Salt Lake streets up by the U of U on the way home. Also, Elliot became fast friends with his second cousin whom he re-met today, and that is a serious joy to this mother's soul, because Elliot has been slow to make friends up here, and it is good to see him happy. Utah is great.
This weekend in Arizona, our good friends and their spouses from Steve's old law firm are "retreating" away the days at the gorgeous Enchantment Resort in Sedona (moment of silence for Sedona --- ahhhhh, Sedona) where they will be treated to excellent food, helicopter rides, jeep tours, gift baskets, horseback riding, exclusive golf courses, red rock views, hiking and the like. Many of them are likely splurging on the spa, rated #2 destination spa in the country. Or the world, or something. We're (I'm) really quite sad that we can't be there. We love Arizona.
Steve is sad about missing the Sedona Retreat, but isn't really sad about not working in the contentious litigation arena anymore. So, as much as we miss Arizona, Utah is where we shall be. Steve loves his job here. And that makes everything right in the world, as far as I am concerned.
On Tuesday, I met Steve on the BYU campus in the Marriott Center which has the same yellow seats it has always had (and that is one of the few things that is the same about BYU since I left it 10 years ago), and we watched Chief Justice John Roberts' profile as he spoke to us about the US Constitution. A couple of weeks ago, we did the same thing, only it was Senator Harry Reid explaining his faith and his politics, which was really quite intriguing. I am loving the opportunities to be part of cool events like this on campus. One point for Utah.
A few times this week I helped out with some PTA ladies who were sponsoring Safety Week at school. I bought $80 worth of gummy Lifesavers and we passed them out to kids at recess if they promised to talk to their families about a plan for where to meet and whom to call in case of an emergency. Most of the kids had already had that conversation with their families, and it was no sweat off their backs. Utahns are so prepared, and are so involved in their children's schools. One point for Utah. Our school that we left behind in Arizona has just a handful of parents who do anything at all, and they are so overworked that "Safety Week" as an event that has priority for the PTA is kind of laughable. Again, I was needed at our old school, and I felt effective. One point, Arizona.
Last night Steve came home from work with tickets to The Marriage of Figaro at BYU, an opera. We'd been to an opera one other time -- Of Mice and Men -- and it had been a little on the ridiculous side: entertaining, but crazy, and slightly annoying. So, we had some low expectations for the performance last night, but were thrilled when we were absolutely blown away by this opera! It was seriously amazing. The actors/singers were tremendously talented, it was funny, it was easy to understand despite being in Italian, it made me want to belt out a soliloquy or two. We loved it! We are now officially opera fans, or at least Marriage of Figaro fans, or at least BYU Performing Arts fans. Also fun was that the lead was a boy we know from Phoenix, which was a surprise to us. Go Utah!
We got a package in the mail yesterday from the lovely Jami in Phoenix, who had put together a beautiful album of pictures and messages from our friends who had come to a goodbye party for us before we left. That sentence had a lot of prepositional phrases. We loved the album. We love our friends. We love prepositional phrases. I probably learned about prepositional phrases in Arizona. My kids won't be able to say the same. Arizona is where my heart is.
Today we got to go to the Hogle Zoo with my sister and her family and my aunt, uncle and cousin and her family. It was crowded and we waited in lots of long lines to get Tootsie Pops, but the weather was nice, we got in free which is always nice, and we got a nice tour through the beautiful Salt Lake streets up by the U of U on the way home. Also, Elliot became fast friends with his second cousin whom he re-met today, and that is a serious joy to this mother's soul, because Elliot has been slow to make friends up here, and it is good to see him happy. Utah is great.
This weekend in Arizona, our good friends and their spouses from Steve's old law firm are "retreating" away the days at the gorgeous Enchantment Resort in Sedona (moment of silence for Sedona --- ahhhhh, Sedona) where they will be treated to excellent food, helicopter rides, jeep tours, gift baskets, horseback riding, exclusive golf courses, red rock views, hiking and the like. Many of them are likely splurging on the spa, rated #2 destination spa in the country. Or the world, or something. We're (I'm) really quite sad that we can't be there. We love Arizona.
Steve is sad about missing the Sedona Retreat, but isn't really sad about not working in the contentious litigation arena anymore. So, as much as we miss Arizona, Utah is where we shall be. Steve loves his job here. And that makes everything right in the world, as far as I am concerned.
Comments
When we moved to Phoenix from Kennewick, I felt much the same way. We had been very involved in church and in the schools, and we had an amazing groups of friends with whom we were always doing something. We had movies and popcorn on Sunday nights, we traveled to Oregon and rode the Rogue River rapids, we had game nights where we laughed until we were rolling on the floor, gave each other baby showers, put on wonderful church programs, and saw our kids become best friends. Leaving all that was a sad chapter in my life.
Courtney, thanks for making me feel good about my efforts at trying to stay positive.
Suzie (is that your real name?), when are you coming to the Land of Conflict again?
Kalli, what a nice thing to say. Can we be friends?
Brandi, Hory Mory! You just made my day. Huge smile on my face. I love you and your big hair and your big-haired rock star boyfriends.
Sarah, we're not talking about permanence at this point. If you want to talk about permanents, I have years of experience upon which to draw: spirals, wavy. . . . Are you up for a sisters' trip to somwhere in the spring? With Ab and Diana and Jessica and Eliza, for good measure?
Just so you know, the PTA misses you lots! And so does the ward, obviously. In fact, Saturday night Jordan pulled out a folding chair and sat next to our van for the trunk or treat--she said you had done that last year, and she loved the idea. You've left your mark. :)
P.S. Nate's brother is in the opera at BYU. What night did you go?
Maybe we should move there too and then we can be the newbies in Utah together... I heard you met w/ LVClark...lucky. There are so many COOL people in Utah.. (adding you to the list...)
One point for Emily.
P.S. When I feel like myself again, I am totally taking you on a tour called c jane's Provo. You are gonna love it.
AZ feels the loss of your presence, but you make UT a much rosier place!
And Hoorah! for affordable opera and the Marriage of Figaro (he is a scoundrel! he is a scoundrel!)
100 points to Emily for coming to see her family at Thanksgiving!
The opera really was great. Compare it to the modern Of Mice and Men where Lenny's character belts out, amelodiously, "I want a rabit, George -- a rabit to stroke; a rabit I could stroke, George!"
Did you see my brother in the opera? He wasn't on every night, but maybe he was on the night you were there. That would be cool.