Fraud At It's Finest

Miss Ally Boo and I decided to pull a mediocre prank on Mr. Alex from apartment 11 (the men in our complex that we continually harass). Ally had this little gem of a fake parking ticket, which we placed blatantly underneath the windshield of Alex's truck. Here's our plan.

1. He sees the note from a distance.

2. He pees his pants.

3. He runs to the note and reads it.

4. Realizes the note is fake.

5. His day is made. 

And that my friends, is how you give away fake parking tickets correctly. 

I Love To See The Temple

One of my goals for this Semester has been to attend the Temple once a week. As I have stuck to this goal, I have seen the blessings FLOOD into my life. 

THIS IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD!

I am so grateful to live in a town so close to so many Temples! This is a blessing that I will not take for granted. 

There is no better way to start a day. :)

Zombie Apocalypse Run

 It's the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!!!

Not really.....but it was fun pretending for this 5K!

It all went down in the Provo Canyon where we all got numbers and two flags to attach to our body. Some runners signed up as Zombies, and other just as Runners. 

When the starting bell rang the runners took off and passed all of the "Zombies" in a cage along the trail. About three or four minutes after the initial bell rang, a second bell rang releasing the Zombies.

The goal was to make it to the end without getting "bitten" by the Zombies (having them pull off your flag).

I am happy to say that WE ALL MADE IT SAFELY TO THE FINISH LINE!! 

Well...all of us except for Jake. But that was only because he was antagonizing the Zombies while "protecting" Jessica and I. Basically he asked for it. 

I'm surprised he we didn't go home with a battery charge. He was charging people, slapping their hands away when they were trying to grab our flags while making animal noises....we don't really know what got in to him. 

Maybe it was the HUMONGOUS burritos full of potatoes that I bought us for dinner right before the race....in my defense I didn't realize how late it was. 

That was most definitely one of the worst ideas I've ever had. 

Overall it was a great run!!
We even got free t-shirts saying whether we were Infected or Survivors! Two thumbs up for 5k's!!! Five million thumbs down to eating a burrito full of steak and potatoes right before them. 

Diggin' Deep Into Our Amurican Roots

If Provo were a good ole Southern home cooked meal, Station 22 would be Momma's fresh out da oven Cornbread. Their menu really ain't all that fancy, it's just the regulars. You can go get you some sweet potaters, Hushpuppies, Jack Kerouacs and even Design your own Root Boor Float. 

Jake found this little gem and he is mighty proud a' that. Anytime we get an itchin' to dig deep into our Amurican Roots, this is where we'll be. From the burlap covered utensils to the mason jars we drankin' from. Best. Place. Ever.

Addiction

Confession: I kind of sort of have a weakness. It's not ladylike, it's not healthy and it's dangerous. 

I AM ADDICTED TO FOOD!!!

On this fetching Saturday morning, Jake and I decided to try the All You Can Eat French Toast at Kneaders after our Temple Trip. 

It was

{ D I V I N E }

Seriously,so mouth-wateringly, scrumdiddlyumptiously delicious. Accompany it with a croissant and wash it down with a glass of OJ and you'd be finished too. Jake had to drag/roll me out the door. Once you get going on these bad boys, it's just so hard to stop. 

{ A D D I C T I O N }

It's real.

Halloween Cruisin'

When you live in Provo, you go on lots of these things called "Group Dates". This one actually turned out to be pretty shnazzy. Definitely a tad bit on the ghetto fab side, but still way fun! 

So they have this entire place decked out with decorations for The Hallowed Eve. You walk through wide eyed and bushy tailed, until you reach the lake featured above in the bottom middle photo. THE LAKE LOOKED AWESOME!

They had all these lights strung above it, and some serious jack-o-lanterns lining the sides of the lake that meant business. These were not your average jack-o-lanterns. The jack-o designers must have spent weeks on those things. Impressive stuff. 

As we boarded our "cruise ship" we had a pirate tell us spooky stories while he "sailed us" down the lake, and by sailed I mean pulled us along, using the string above his head that ran along the length of the entire lake....Like I said, ghetto fab but surprisingly effective.

I'm thoroughly convinced that most of these "Group dates" are just an excuse for hormonal singles to get together and touch each other, which definitely happened for some of the other lovely couples that accompanied us on the cruise. Jake and I prefer to keep it classy so nothing past G rated of course.

After all, it is Provo. 

The Chocolate

The Birthday Celebration is of course not over yet. Next on the list...The Chocolate!!

I feel like this place is kind of the Red Headed Stepchild off State Street. Instead of being in a posh building, it's set in this random house you can see from the main road. Weird, right? The inside is adorable though. Has this hometown cottagey, Momma's in the kitchen bakin' you some fritters kinda feel.

I always mess the name of what we ate up. It's either a Kazuki or a Kabuki. One of those options is an ancient form of Japanese dance...when I told people I was eating that, people were concerned. I can assure you I am not a cannibal, nor can I eat dance moves. Anyways, this dish was YumM! The bottom layer is half Chocolate Macadamia Nut and half Chocolate Chip topped with Vanilla Ice Cream.

In the end, we couldn't even finish it in all of it's fame and deliciousness. Super YuMm, but also super sweet. We topped what we could off with a glass of Milk and went on our merry way. It was a grand way to kick off the Weekend Festivities. You only turn 20 once right?

20 Years Young

Today marks the spot. 20 years young. My morning was kicked off with this lovely bouquet from Jake. He's getting good as picking these things out!

He then surprised me after classes with homemade mozzarella and tomato panini's, cheese and crackers, Martinelli's, chocolate eclairs, french bread and a chocolate Toblerone bar that he brought in a picnic basket and laid out on a blanket next to the duck pond. IT WAS DELICIOUS!! 

These ladies then surprised me! Fancy decorations, Happy Birthday Song, Fancy little straws from Zurchers and all!

They even had a Snickers Ice Cream Cake! YuMmO!

I then ended the night at the Provo Temple. Not bad for a 20th birthday, eh? 

Dining on Doughnuts

Here they are folks. The famous Bacon Maple Bars and Oreo Cream Glazed Doughnuts. They are not a figment of your imagination. They are very real and very delicious. I'm sure they're also very fattening, but.....I'm not gonna worry about that now. ;)

I'll never forget the time that I was eating a harmless brownie at a Youth activity. One of the older sisters briskly walked towards me with a frown on her face and told me "Remember Ana, one second on the lips, forever on the hips." Maybe one day I'll take her wise advice. Today is not that day.

The Fish Bandwagon

Recently we all jumped on the "Let's have a fish" bandwagon. Mckay and Nicole spent quality time hand picking specific fish for each of us to name, and raise as our own flesh and blood. After the trying naming process was complete, we found em all a bowl and excitedly started our new life complete with the additions to our little family. 

The next morning we wake up, and BAM!!!!! THERE'S A DEAD FISH FLOATING ON TOP OF THE WATER! Day after day the fish continue to die...one...by...one. At this point we start to get a little freaked out. What is the problem with these fish? Are we really just pitiful parents? Or is there a fish epidemic going around? Turns out Jeff (Kelsey's fish) is a fish killer. He mercilessly killed his brothers and sisters and didn't even lose sleep over it. Who knows what he will do next or what he is capable of. At this point, no one is safe. We had to take immediate action.

With this new light shed on the situation, of course we were forced to put him up for adoption and hand him over to a family that could better address his needs. We stuck him in a bowl, wrote up the classiest note we could muster and dropped him off at the most eligible parents house, Apartment 11. We are now able to sleep fully through the night. From this experience, we have all learned that the "Let's have a fish" bandwagon is NOT the bandwagon that you want to be on. 

Roomie Lovin'

Here they are Ladies and Gents. The lovely ladies in Apartment 8 that I get to live with.

It's crazy how six people from all over the United States, were meant to be roommates.

Meet Nicole Ophelia Bori. Less than five feet of party animal. This woman amazes me with her ability to organize. She will go and go and go, playing volleyball, working out, going caving, running Ragnar in Las Vegas, dancing the night away and who knows what else, and somehow STILL manages to finish all her assignments from school. Against all of her wishes, I have nicknamed her Ofetus, which came to me as inspiration from her middle name. She is 100% reliable, loyal, creative and always cooks us yummy foods. You can't go wrong with Ofetus.

Meet Chelsea Bartof Rouse. If you ever need to wake her up for something, you might as well go bury yourself in a ditch. This lady will sleep through the apocalypse and wake up in the next life wondering what happened. She just got in to the Nursing program because she is a BEAST! It's not every day that you meet looks and smarts all in one. She is one long legged Idahoan with a huge heart on the inside and a hand holding a full spoon of ice cream on the outside. I love her guts.

Meet Ally Boo Boo Holmes. She is the apartment Hipster, Ginger, Occasional Vegetarian or Vegan, Videographer, Gourmet Chef, Future for World Peace, etc. The list goes on and on. All cool points in this apartment would have to be from her. Ally Boo Boo has to be the most considerate lady in the world. If any of us need anything, she is always more than willing to drop everything that she is doing and lend a helping hand. She da bomb. She's attempting to leave us next semester to teach English in a foreign country. If she leaves, we'll miss her terribly :(

Meet Kelsey Rae Partridge. She can write one heck of a poem, leaving you in a thought provoking stupor with her perfectly crafted word usage and placement. She rocks. Kelsey Boo was actually the Wildcard of the apartment. She was the only person moving in that we didn't know beforehand. AND WE LOVE HER! She adds some flair to the apartment that definitely would have been missed without her. 

Meet Mckay Des Neiges Lindsey. A blondie from New Mexico. She is loud, and proud, quirky and smirky, and one heck of a writer as well. This past semester we all got to help her audition for Divine Comedy, a popular comedy group here at BYU. And of course, SHE MADE IT IN!! Mckaykay here is one fine lady who knows how to bake cinnamon rolls that will make yo' taste buds melt, and spike a volleybal that will make yo' eyes melt. She's a running machine and often kicks us all into shape, and who knows what we would do if we the apartment didn't have access to her straightener...it's quite possible that we would die a slow and painful death while sporting an horrendous hairdo. We all appreciate this lady.

And...then there's me. 

Bringing some opinionated sass and way too much stuff all the way from La Florida, with hair that cannot be tamed and a wardrobe that leaks into every open closet in the apartment. Appreciator of inappropriate jokes, instigator of awkward situations, and good for a laugh every once in a while when my jokes are on point.

Let's just say Apartment 8 knows how to party.

Comedy Sports

Iiiitttt''sssss Date Night Baby!! Comedy Sports is this vintage little comedy joint in downtown Provo.

Basically you watch a show that consists of two teams of comedians competing against one another. They have different challenges that give them a certain amount of points. In the end the team with the most points wins the game, hence the name "Comedy Sports".They make the jokes, we do the laughing and everyone wins. 

First Game

FOOTBALL SEASON HAS BEGUN!!!!!

 BYU vs. Washington State

 I am proud to say that we creamed them with a score of 30 to 6. 

Rah Rah, Rah Rah Rah, GOoOOOoOo COUGARS!

Bittersweet Tradition

Emily and Briana are two of my all time favorite people in this world. We've all just been reunited here in Provo, only to say goodbye again. Miss Briana has decided to travel through Europe on Study Abroad this semester. Such a punk! Thankfully we got the chance to carry out our Hike the Y tradition with a feast at Zupas afterwards. These ladies are the best!

Pastries & Massages

 Jake surprised me with an appointment at the Massage Cabin!

Cutest little Cabin Award!

After we decided to try Enlighten, the newest cafe and bakery downtown.

 Tomato Basil Soup

Turkey Artichoke Panini

Chicken Caesar Salad

Reuben on Rye with Sauerkraut

We split a scrumptious piece of carrot cake!

Blueberry, Kiwi and Strawberry Tart

We also split a Cinnamon Roll. Yes we like to eat and will claim the status of fatties, but at least we're fatties with good taste. 

Same Name Same Street

Sammy's may appear to be our planned date destination however it was not. Jake and I heard about a truly authentic Vietnamese restaurant called Rice King Noodle from our Dining Connoisseur Steven. He really likes food too and know all the latest and greatest here in Utah. We attempted to have some true Vietnamese, completely blind to the fact that there are THREE Rice King Noodle's in downtown Provo. Somebody got lazy when it came to naming. The Rice King we chose really wasn't that good, so of course we decided to redeem the date, saw Sammy's Home of the Famous Pie Shakes and decided to hit it up! Jake got a Oreo Cream Pie Shake and I got a Raspberry Cheesecake. Super yum! Note to self, when choosing a restaurant make sure there is not multiple restaurants with the same name on the same street. 

Station 22

Jake has been dying to try this joint since the first time he saw it. So we did!!

Luckily we picked a busy day and ended up getting free drinks. Yahoo! The Pink Grapefruit was downable but the Ginger Beer was AMAZING! I know I'm going to crave it. Plus I'm a sucker for glass bottles. 

This Corn dog was GINORMOUS! And surprisingly pretty tasty as well, and the sauce...YEAH BABY!

This, ladies and gents is the Abe Lincoln. Half beef, half buffalo. I guess you could call it a beefalo? Maybe the owners are trying to spread Civil Rights awareness, or maybe Abe is their favorite president. Either way the sandwich was scrumdiddlyumptious.

Of course you can't go to an American Cuisine joint without having Tatertots! Between these and "The Abe" Jake was nearly jumping out of his seat with joy. He really likes food. 

Station 22 was a success! They have a fun little sitting area of sorts where you can hang out. They have supplied board games and all. The place is totally hip!