jazzed

My mom is probably one of the biggest Utah Jazz fans I know.  I've always been a lover of basketball but I am almost certain that part of the reason I am so invested in the game...especially in my Utah Jazz...is because of her enthusiasm and yes, undying devotion for the team.

Example 1:  A little while ago, my mom recounted her first experiences with and thoughts on Jon, my sister's husband.  She recalls that he had started to come around quite a bit, that he seemed really nice, was a hard worker, liked the Jazz, and treated my sister well.  I found it hysterical that out of all the qualities that she could have mentioned about a potential son-in-law, one of the qualities that she felt so important to actually mention was his affinity for the Jazz.  So if by some off chance, my future husband is reading this, please note:  Make sure that you like the Jazz...or at least pretend to...or as a last result, at least like basketball.

Example 2:  Living across the country doesn't always allow me to get home as often as I would like.  Thankfully, I am able to go home about two or three times a year.  What I find to be really comical is that despite the distance that I have traveled and despite the limited time I have at home, if there is a Jazz game on, she would really rather just sit and watch that together than go out.  Again, it's a good thing that I like basketball.

Example 3:  For those of you who don't know, my mother is a first grade teacher at Cherry Hill Elementary.  It's the same elementary school that I attended starting in the second grade and is conveniently located about two blocks away from our home.  For the last 13 years the Utah Jazz have been encouraging and supporting literacy among school-aged children through a reading contest named "Be a Team Player--Read".  Cherry Hill Elementary has been participating for the last few years and is one of 58 schools in the state of Utah that decided to participate this year.  The top 10 schools that accumulate the most out-of-school-time minutes reading win an ice cream party and a visit from a Jazz Player.   Two years ago, Cherry Hill ranked among the top schools and happily received a visit from Ronnie Brewer (now with the Bulls).  None of us were there to witness this glorious moment, but a picture of my mother next to Brewer clearly indicated that she was on cloud nine.  I don't know if I've ever seen a bigger smile in one of her pictures.  As mentioned, Cherry Hill participated in the contest during the month of February.  I'm not going to lie, I wanted Cherry Hill to win so badly that I may have prayed for it a couple of times.  Happily, they won and will be rewarded with a visit from a player soon.  We're not sure who it will be now that D-Will has flown the coop (I know, he was traded.), but he will be a Jazz player still the same and I cannot wait to see the new pictures!

Example 4:  My mom and I text every day.  It's usually in the morning or if something really significant happens...or if something happens with the Jazz.  I usually hear about a win or a tough loss.  Needless to say, the day that Jerry Sloan resigned we exchanged quite a few...same with the D. Williams trade.  It was during the D. Williams trade text conversation that I realized how happy I was that this is something that we can share together.  It may sound silly or trite, but it is something that we both love and can talk about.  It's brought us closer and I kind of love that.

My hope is that one day I can take her to a Jazz game...and not just a nose-bleed seat Jazz game, but one that is really close to the court.  I guess I should start saving my nickles, eh?

you can't always have what you want

Human nature is such that we always want what we can’t have. Perhaps always is too strong of a word but I would say that fairly often, that is the case. Wanting something else is not in and of itself a bad thing. It is a contributor or a catalyst to change and progress. But if left unchecked, it can also lead to a myriad of other problems that range from feeling entitled, selfishly dodging responsibility, greedily seeking after something that is not rightfully yours, and being generally dissatisfied with life—all under the umbrella of “I want what is not mine.”

I experienced such a thought today as I was walking past the windows of Duane Reade and noticed that Easter candy is now lining their shelves. Normally, those types of sugary substances can’t tempt me but for some reason they did today. The reason? I am preparing to start yet another cleanse. I am not entirely sure how I will fair with this one compared to the last. This one is only 7 days but the restrictions are still pretty extreme. No dairy, no meat, no refined or processed anything. It’s basically a vegan/raw diet without the help of any outside manufacturer. I can eat as much fruit, vegetables, brown rice, nuts, beans/lentils, and herbs as I want, but again the trick is that everything must basically be natural and homemade.


You would think that with all of my experimenting, previous cleanses, self-imposed observances of Lent (Yes, I know I am not Catholic) and the like, that this would be a breeze…but I don’t think it will. While I have adopted several really good habits along the way—eliminating this and making sure that I make my own that—I still anticipate that this will be difficult. The level of torture is yet to be determined.


Back to the candy. I am nearly 100% certain that the reason I suddenly wanted to purchase bags upon bags of refined sugar is because I know that starting tomorrow I cannot have them. I want what I can’t have. Men want women they can’t have, women want men that they can't have and I want food that I can’t have. It’s a universal predicament, I think.


Wish me luck!

...and I say hello (to 2011)!

The new year is always a reflective time for me....as it is for most people who base their year on the Gregorian calendar.  It's a time where we review the past, let go of what we did or should have done, and try to look forward to a new year of opportunities.  It's exciting and uncertain, a blank page full of possibilities.  For me, energies are usually high in the first part of the year.  I am full of good intentions and I have my thorough and lengthy list of goals posted in more than one spot.  But, like many, I often lose some of that initial excitement that accompanies a New Year as I get bogged down in the daily routine of life...or if I find that my new or revolving list of goals is a little too lengthy.

It's now near the end of February and I can't say that I have been stellar at following my resolutions but I can't say that I have been horrible at them either.  I think that over this last year I have come to realize that change is a process.  It's not just letting go of something one day and completely adopting a new habit the next.  Much of life's progress happens a little at a time--baby steps, if you will.  More than likely, you will take your first step and then fall, but the trick is to get back up and take another step without beating yourself up for falling down in the first place.  Don't get me wrong, I am still pretty good about criticizing myself, but I have also become better at recognizing progress in its smallest of forms.

My list of goals is still lengthy and perhaps a bit ambitious, but I am working towards them still the same.  Without divulging my biggest weaknesses, here are three that I think are appropriate to share with the universe.  It's also a great way to ensure that I will be held accountable for the completion of them.  So make sure to check up on me!

1.  Get healthy--this is all encompassing.  I want to eat better, exercise regularly, learn about health and nutrition, and of course, the classic and never changing goal of...lose weight.

2.  Travel--since moving to New York, I haven't really traveled much.  Sure, I have taken some really great road trips (and yes, that does count as traveling) and I have traveled a bit for work (that was fun too) but I haven't taken a vacation that didn't include the SLC International airport for quite some time.  Despite not having the money, I have always been torn about how to use my vacation days.  I love my family.  I miss them.  Naturally, I want to use my time off to spend it with them.  But I won't lie, my heart has missed some of that adventure that comes with friends in other places outside of your hometown.  So this year, I am going to take at LEAST one trip.  There are talks of a cruise and perhaps one other destination.  Very excited!  And of course, I will still make it home a couple of times as well.

3.  Learn Me Something Good--I think that within each of us we have some sort of a desire to learn, to improve our minds in some way--whether it be through books, school, or by simply learning through the world around us.  I have a few topics of study and plans in mind.  I just need to muster the discipline to set a schedule and put those plans into action.  I'm looking forward to giving my brain a little exercise outside of the doldrums of work and articles posted in my Facebook newsfeed.

You say goodbye....(to 2010)

Dear Blog,

I have neglected you.  For that I am truly sorry.  I have been busy, too tired, too traveled, and haven't felt the creative juices flowing like they have in the past.  Though I've failed to capture some great experiences as they have happened, it's never too late to go back in time to highlight some of the best.  So here they are...in no particular order.

1.  Caldwell Family Reunion--It had been years since my family last had a family reunion that wasn't related to a death or the less-frequent marriage.  Talks about a family reunion had circulated for a while but nothing had come to fruition.  Since I was on a pretty heavy streak of event planning at work, I figured that it wouldn't take that much more effort to start the ball rolling for the family.  Emails were exchanged, dates were set, activities were planned, assignments were made and it all worked out.  We had a great turn out and had a lot of fun.  Some of our family was very much missed but it was good to be together.  I love my family.  I am grateful that I was able to spend some quality time with them this summer (reunion) and also at Christmas.

2.  Summer Lovin'--It was a summer of scandal and intrigue....well, not really.  I wish.  But I did receive innumerable inquiries from curious friends about this new man friend that graced nearly every Facebook album posted this summer.  Unfortunately, my summer was not as scandalous or love-filled as I would have liked it to have been.  (Can't say I didn't try though!)  Christian Ward, one of my closest friends, interned this summer at Amex.  We went to high school together but our friendship didn't really flourish until we moved to the city in August of 2003, literally 3 days apart.  We noticed each other at church on our first Sunday and became instant friends.  Despite the distance and the time apart, we have managed to stay pretty close and make every effort to see each other when I am in Utah or he is in NYC.  And if I can speak for both of us, we both love spending time together.  We lived it up this summer.  We went to the ballet, went out to fine restaurants, traveled to CT, hung out in Central Park, played Frisbee, shopped at Whole Foods, did Broadway, met random strangers, took walks, saw Maroon 5, made dinner together, went to the beach, laughed our heads off, you name it.  We had an fantastic time together and I must confess that as I sent him to the airport in a black gypsy cab, I did have a few tears well in my eyes.  Christian is one of my most favorite people in the world, one of my best friends, and he was part of one of my best summers to date.  It's a zen thing, like how many babies can fit in a tire--you know, that old joke.

3.  New York, NY--I have always prided myself in the fact that I have made the most out of living in one of the greatest cities in the world.  I have played both tourist and tour guide and I have, for the most part, enjoyed every moment of it.  But as life goes on, the novelty of living in a big city may wear off and those fun, touristy things of yester-year take a back seat to real life.  This last year, however, I revisited my habits of a newbie and took advantage of some of the city's most excellent offerings--including, but not limited to:  Palmyra road trip, Saturdays in Central Park, Movie on the Intrepid, US Open,  Jersey Boys, Procession of the Ghouls, Thanksgiving Day Parade, Christmas windows/tree/Santa Land.

4.  End of Apartment Nightmares--Hallelujah!  Oh blessed day!  I finally moved out of my hell-hole of an apartment.  After four years of inconsiderate neighbors, elevator floors covered in urine, blood stained walls, hallways that reeked of garbage and smoke, and a neighborhood that came straight out of an episode of CSI, I am finally free!  I'm in my new place.  It is lovely.  I am so happy.

5.  Raw--If any of you know me, you will know that for the last two years and change I have been exploring new ways of eating.  I have developed a keen interest in nutrition and have made concerted efforts to change my eating patterns to include more fresh vegetables, to eliminate processed foods, to avoid refined sugar (I do slip occasionally!  Don't judge!) and to be the one who makes my own food.  I've always had a passion for good food and have always been intrigued with the culinary arts.  There is nothing more satisfying than creating a perfectly balanced and creative meal from start to finish.  This year, however, I started to explore another facet of the healthy eating movement: Raw.  I had come upon such amazing information about raw eating that I wanted to explore it further.  Now I am far from living a raw lifestyle.  I still enjoy cooking and I will, occasionally eat meat.  But I have also dabbled quite a bit in raw cuisine.  Add to that an amazing and inspirational friend (The Raw Model--Anthony Anderson) that I made over the summer and you've got some good motivation to continue to dabble. 

6.  Work--For the most part, I really like my job.  Sure I have my bad days and deal with politics at varying levels that make life a little more difficult, but who doesn't have to deal with that?  I think what really gets me through is the people.  I have some really great co-workers and colleagues....people that I have come to trust and enjoy.  I also get to work with fantastic volunteers.  People who are busy and important but who still find the time to give back.  My heart is constantly warmed by the generosity and kindness of my volunteers.  And to top it all off, I really do get to participate in some fun events....things that I normally wouldn't participate in.   For example, I got to meet Elmo.  Not the fake Elmo or the giant sized walk around Elmo that you can find anywhere...the real, live muppet Elmo.  I swear I was more excited than the kids.  I could hardly contain myself but I managed to stay somewhat professional and allowed the young preschoolers an opportunity to hug him first.   Other highlights:  Manthropy (a bachelor auction), Toy Drive Party at Gallery Bar, free tickets to various sporting events and concerts, and innumerable volunteer projects throughout the year.  I'm grateful for my job and the wonderful people I have met because of it.

7.  Concerts--Despite my love for music, I haven't been much of a concert-goer.  It's not that I haven't ever wanted to be, it's just that my cash flow hasn't ever really allowed me to be.  I've been to a few--mostly boy bands, but nothing consistent or out of the pop genre.  (I am not counting symphonic or orchestral events here.)  This year, however, I was able to fulfill a life long dream of mine.  One day, my good friend Jane and I were walking in Times Square, looked up, saw that Harry Connick, Jr. was coming to the city for a short stint, and we decided to go.  I cannot tell you how excited I was to be seeing Harry.  I have loved him for more than half of my lifetime.  He instilled in the beginnings of my deep love for jazz.  Anyway, the concert was amazing.  Harry was amazing.  Not only is he a talented performer, but he is a talented musician.  He put on the best show ever.  And bonus!  Jane and I were happily seated in our seats about 15 minutes before the show was scheduled to start.  We were probably 5 rows from the top.  Then the house manager approached us and asked us if we wanted to move further down.  "Sure!"   I thought we would get bumped down a little further, but not much.  Imagine my surprise, however, when we were moved to Row J--ten rows from the stage.  We were dead center.  I was in heaven.  My face literally ached from smiling so much that night.  And double bonus:  sweet Jane waited with me to see Harry exit the theatre after the show.  I got some pretty great pictures of him.  Harry, I love you, baby!   Oh, and I also saw Maroon 5 (with Christian) at Beacon Theater, Dierks Bentley at a small venue in Brooklyn (with Dustin, Rustin, & Aubrey) and Usher at MSG (with Tami & the girls at work).  

8.  Cooking--Did I mention that I love cooking?  I think for a while there I was making at least 2 new recipes a week.  It was quite the adventure.  I also developed a slight crush on two chefs over the past year:  Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.  Don't worry, still love Bobby, too!

9.  Glee & White Collar--Obsessed!  Love Glee.  Love White Collar.  I can't stop visiting iTunes after each episode of Glee and I can't help but feel that Matthew Bomer's piercing blue eyes are staring deep into my soul each time his image flashes on the screen.  Love, love, love!

10.  Friends & Family--I have amazing friends and family!  I feel so blessed to have the friends that I do.  They've helped me to learn about the world and myself.  They've been supportive and loving.  They've offered great advice or have lent a listening ear.  Again, I'm truly grateful for these wonderful people!