Part two of my Utah trip

Part two of my Utah trip was visiting dear friends (whose family were already providing my accommodations).

My hosts were Tim & Erin, a young couple who recently purchased their own home. As yet, they have plenty of room for house guests ; ). Andrew and I each had our own room by each other. (As we were officially companions which usually means always being in the same room or in sight of each other, we slept with our doors open.) They had prepared the rooms nicely for us - including, in my room at least, a carafe of water on the bedside table (which I appreciated), and postcards, stationary & pens in the bedside table (some which I also used). They were gracious and hospitable (and so cute).

After leaving Andrew at the MTC, I spent a very short quiet time alone and then went to the Larsons' to visit with Melanie who was in semi-isolation, having fallen ill early in the week with an undiagnosed ailment and wanting to safe guard her newborn granddaughter. (AJ, Stephanie, and now little Maddie live with Kent and Melanie, AJ & Erin's parents. There are also seldom seen 16 year old Sean and Steven)

As the new father AJ (Erin's twin) had to return to work and Melanie was in isolation, Erin spent most of the days helping Stephanie who is still recovering from complications of the pregnancy. I mostly hung out with Melanie in her room.

Lots of comfortable happy old friend visiting - not much earth shaking to report.

Thursday, Melanie was doing particularly poorly and rested all day. Erin, Stephanie and I went to a mall and had "Japanese" food at the food court. oh, Erin and I had Japanese, Steph had Arby's. We had Teriyaki Chicken over vegetables and noodles. Probably not authentic. I liked it better than other teriyaki I have had and better than the authentic Japanese restaurant my office likes.

Friday, while Erin & Steph took Maddie for her 2 week appointment, I went with Melanie for her appointment where we found out that in addition to whatever else has been going on - still not identified, she now has pneumonia.

As has happened almost every day since the theft, Wednesday I lamented the loss of my Palm and that I still didn't know with what to replace it. Melanie waxed enthusiastic about her iPod Touch which Kent got her because she didn't want to hear about how much he loved the one he got through work anymore. At least the two young husbands in the family have one as well. And this is what my son David told me he uses much as I used my Palm. I was getting sold. By this time Kent was home, and my next lament was that I wished I had gotten my new techno-tool before coming to see them, because I knew that he would help me set things up. (Or rather he would set it up for me.) He said he would be happy to take me to Sam's Club where they got theirs. I was so excited I didn't even think to ask if there was a Costco nearby (where I could have gotten points on my cards). (Of course, you never know if an item will still be there.)

Anyway, Wednesday I got an iPod Touch! I am hoping that Joseph will be able to figure out how to get my Palm information from the computer to the iPod Touch, affectionately known as Winnie the Peg in honor of entering the family the day Andrew entered the MTC. Do you think the emotions of experiencing the latter influenced my actions? Probably.

Kent set me up with a lot of useful applications, some fun games, and audio books - among them Eragon, Pride & Prejudice, Holes, & Ender's Game. I downloaded more free games - and some Satellite Sisters podcasts!

I used Winnie the Peg to map my course to KFC to buy dinner for my gracious hosts on my last night. I listened to an audiobook all the way on my drive home today which made it much shorter-seeming and safer. I just hope I can use her for my contacts, memos & calendaring which made my dear Palm so indispensable.

Of all the books Kent put on Winnie, I decided to listen to Twilight as it is the only one I have not read. (The others, are definitely worth re-reading time and again) It certainly made the trip easier, but, sorry Sariah, it is not a book I would 'read' otherwise. Much like on one road trip, I checked out The Travels of Marco Polo from the library and listened to it. Good on a trip, but I don't think I would have ever ploughed through it on my own. I am not even sure that I am going to finish this one. Oh, probably on light rail on the way to work.

When I got home I saw that the (remaining) boys - mostly Ben!) had accomplished a lot of work. Massive amounts of weeds had been pulled in the front yard and another mystery pile of junk (on 'the bricks') decimated. And only 1 pet had died. - One of the cockatiels dropped dead Tuesday morning - too soon to be from neglect on the boys part! ;

Things to do; things to do! I need to record all my credit card purchases for the week (!!), pay bills, and maybe the boys - who just got back from helping Ruth & Tom work on prepping their 'new' house - and I should eat something - like I didn't also 'graze' all the way home from Utah!