Private Concert with Ingrid Michaelson

So I'm sitting in class Wednesday, on my birthday, listening to a lecture on neoplasms of the nervous system when I get this gchat from my friend Anya (sitting in the row ahead of me):


"i have a birthday proposition for you.  what are you doing tomorrow around mmmm 3ish?"
So I say, "joining you for some fun?"  Little did I know what she was about to say next.......  She had won tickets on the radio that morning to meet and see Ingrid Michaelson in a private concert downtown.  She hadn't planned on inviting anyone in the class so no one would feel left out, but......thank goodness it was my birthday!  Hers is in a few weeks so what better way to celebrate our birthdays together??


The only thing was we had a test the next day.  And it wasn't going to be a cake walk, not Neurology.  Turns out it was the hardest test I have taken yet.  So you might ask.....did I go to the concert?  HECK YES!!  And.....did I regret going?  HECK NO!!  It was totally worth it.


Anya was on the 2nd row and I was on the 3rd.  SUCH GOOD SEATS.  And she is such an amazing singer.  It was a casual concert - she only performed about 5 songs and they asked her questions in between.  More like a "meet and greet" concert, which is fine with me!  She also performed a few songs off her new CD that just came out the end of January.  So good.


So afterwards we got to talk with her, take a picture with her, and get a signed poster.  BOOYAH!!  Best birthday EVER!

It won't let me upload the video I have of her singing "Maybe"......

Portland Day 3 - Light Rain with Occasional Outbursts of Sun

Today was a shopping and exploration day. We were like Lewis and Clark themselves! Ok, not really but I always love exploring and finding my way around a new city. It reminds me of being in Europe. Oh Europe! But, that's another post for a later day.......

So apparently I live super close to everything good. Washington Square Mall is about 10 minutes. We're talking H&M, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Apple, among others. One of the best malls I've ever seen. Costco is also about 10 minutes. Here I am testing out a desk..... haha!

Church is about 10 minutes away. The temple is 10 minutes about as well. My sister and I just happened upon it while driving. And yes, that is me jumping at the bottom of the photo :)

Downtown is only 15 minutes. I love my location, not to mention it's a super nice area and neighborhood.

Elise and I explored Lewis & Clark College a bit since that's where our parents went to school and met. It's a beautiful area, set in the woods.

The river front would also be a fun place to hang out at night. You can stroll along the river and stop at an occasional shop or two and try a delectable vegan pastry :)

I stocked up on furniture at Ikea. Couldn't resist taking a picture, but here's your first clue to how environmental-friendly Portland is.....

Oh, there will definitely be more to follow on this subject! Environmental-friendly that is :)

For FHE, I also got in my first hike, of the many to come, at the Tualitan Wildlife Refuge.

I love this city already!

What? My Dad is David Letterman?!

I've heard it enough that I should probably start believing it. We have a celebrity in the fam. I have been told numerous times that my dad looks like Letterman, not to mention how many times he has been told himself. Look, it's Mr. Letterman! Same receding hairline, gray hair, the glasses, the gap in between the front teeth (my dad had to go and ruin that with braces), the same face shape, same creases around the smile. The resemblance is uncanny. Sometimes I forget to ask my dad for an autograph.

Speaking of autographs, some dude at the Chicago airport actually DID ask my daddio for his autograph. He thought he was speaking to the real David Letterman and still does to this day. It's a great story. One to die rolling on the floor laughing. You'll have to ask my dad for the full details.

Just look him up on the Frostburg State University website. Yep, soon you won't be able to call him anything less than Dr. Anderson (or Dr. Letterman). He is finishing up his doctorate in business administration with an emphasis in management. He begins teaching at FSU in Maryland this week in fact and is quite excited. I'm excited for him. Can't wait to visit!

Just for kicks, one of my favorite Top Ten's on Letterman.... It's good!

The Gila Valley Temple Dedication

Yep, there's now a temple in my hometown. The desert of the Gila Valley now boasts gorgeous temple walls surrounded by fields and fields of equally beautiful white as snow cotton (well, only in the Fall that is, but who's telling?) Elise and I flew home for the dedication.

Saturday night was the TCC, or Temple Cultural Celebration, which they apparently have for each temple dedication. We unfortunately didn't get to go to it live at the football field, but watched a broadcast of it at the Stake Center. It was fun and entertaining, but also a bit cheesy. Lots of song and dance to tell the history of the Gila Valley - cotton farming, coal mining, Gila Valley Academy (now EAC), Spencer W. Kimball, the mormon battalion, etc. Pres. Monson opened with a few words and he and President Eyring actually sang a Spanish song. They are quite the pair!

Sunday was the actual dedication and I'm super glad that we were there for it. My mom, dad, and Elise got be inside the temple for it and Sonya, Tyler, and I just watched the broadcast from the Stake Center. It was really nice. Elder Holland gave a fantastic talk among others. President Monson is quite the character! He was outside for the cornerstone sealing and just chattin it up with everyone. He said they were expecting him inside, but he was having too much fun outside :) Unfortunately, we never got to see him in person, but nevertheless it was a lovely weekend.

In addition Elise and I threw Sonya yet another bridal shower (her third one to be exact).

In the Salt Lake Airport on the way home we saw Elder Bednar, Elder Cook, and Elder Gonzalez. They were on the escalators just in front of us. That was my first Apostle sighting! Closer than the Conference Center that is. Perfect ending to a perfect weekend with perfect weather - 90 degrees and sunny! (Might I just add it snowed all day in Utah the following day. Yuck!)

Life on the Pharm

My part-time job this summer has been to work at Edgemont Pharmacy, one of the pharmacies I worked at to get me through BYU. I figure since I have the whole summer off, I should work a little to keep me on my toes and make some extra cash as well. I only work about 1 day a week so I still have time to enjoy the sumer as well.

It's been dull at times but then entertaining at times. Napoleon Dynamite's grandpa has come in as well as Lavell Edwards.....that's my claim to fame! So the other day this older guy comes in and tells the pharmacist, "un beso sin bigote es como sopa sin sal." A kiss without a mustache is like soup with salt. Hehe. You see, the pharmacist has a mustache so this older guy just couldn't resist telling him this.

Then the same day I answer the phone and this older guy is on the phone. Well, he asks if his friend, Bruce (the pharmacist), is working that day. I say yes and then he just comes out and says, "He's a DORK." I just had to let out a little chuckle! Then he asks if I knew that and I say no, but thanks for letting me know :) Then he says, "you just look into his eyes and you see D - O - R - K." Apparently he always called the pharmacist a dork and nerd or something like that. He's not off his rocker of anything, just a funny old guy.