Fowl Wishes

Down to the OC today. Met with Pilgrimgirl and the kids at Whale of a Tale, a fantastic, intimate children's book store in Irvine, for a meet the author event. Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series. His presentation was almost as good as a stand-up routine. Charming, fey, witty, and entertaining ... with an air of the wee people about him. At the end, he allowed time for some Q&A. It was invigorating to see childen so excited about reading. The yasked questions about character origin and development. Colfer advised any young writers to just keep at it, and look on any exercise in writing as a challenge that can lead to success. I was reminded of a Mary Engelbreit literacy poster ... something to the effect of, "Books fall open, you fall in." I wish all children loved to read. Bought the first book in the series for my nephews. Now they just have to hurry grow up a couple of years.

Continuing Ed on being the Fearless Leader

Relief Charge Nurse Workshop today. Very good to get together and discuss better ways to fill this role on the days when we don't have a core CN on. Also, with 5WJen there, it was good to get a global perspective on patient move-ability within the hospital. Must say that there was a lot of love directed to Dr. Metro and Tan Shaggy. I think they're the favorite team of the day relief charge nurses.

From 7 to 13 points in one turn

Celebrated Superman's birthday tonight. Good to see old friends. White BOy played mind games with Son of a Pitch, and Sarita found another celebrity to be engaged to this Christmas (I think this one takes the cake over Clooney and Visnjic). Delish dinner by Wonder Woman, a fantastic present from Improv-er (resolving old property rights), and a superb Catan game in which I cashed in on cards like a madwoman, earned 6 points, and won the game all in one turn.

Seeing the Great Salt Lake

Decided to finally go see the Great Salt Lake today. Drove up through Salt Lake proper, and then headed west to Antelope Island. Must confess that I wanted to see what Terry Tempest Williams had written so beautifully about in Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place. To use a hackneyed phrase, this book unravels the human heart.

When I got to the park, I was first impressed with the swarming bugs that hovered around my car, just waiting for an opening to invade me in my car. I quickly handed over the few dollars for my entrance ticket, and just as quickly closed the window. As I drove along the isthmus to reach the island, my weird glee at seeing bugs smashed up against my windshield gave way to a growing sense of the beauty around me. Mush as I hated to expose mysel to the bloodthirty insects outside, I did stop a few times to get a better view of the birds lazily paddling in the water, every once in a while spreading their wings to swoop and glide across the salty air.

Got to the island, feeling very welcomed by the mounds of sunflowers blooming by the bushel on the roadside, and stopped first at the Visitor's Center. Displays on the formation of Bonneville Lake. Salt Exhibits. Displays on how the buffalo got here, and the first settlers on the island. Exhibit on the bird species found in the area. A tank of brine shrimp. And a video room that had, among the supporters of the preserve, Terry Tempest Williams speaking about her connection to the land and wildlife, reading a few sections from her writings.

My last stop before leaving the island was to go to the beach. Of course it was deserted. I stopped at the ede of the parking lot, took off my shoes, and walked to the shore. The water is beautiful, for which I was grateful. I'm always rather disappointedd to see water that is unlovely. As I stumbled across the long stretch of sand, the shimmering of the blue water and sky drew me closer. Got to the edge and just listened to the soothing lap of the water. Touched the water, and left with a souvenir particle of peace in my soul.

Kudos to the boys at the MAC

West Coast dancing tonight at the MAC. I really do love it here. In fact, it's one of my favorite things about visiting SLC. And tonight I was very proactive ... asking men to dance left and right. It's not very often that I feel so courageous. Anyway, swinging love to Jeremy, BJ, Dan, Bill, Bill, and the other ones whose names just didn't stick in my head. Thanks for a wonderful evening.

SLC Day 4

Bought a few books this trip, from Sam Weller and from airport stores.

Will I Ever Forget This Day, Carol Lynn Pearson (x2 for friends)
Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichl (copy for me, for Genie to read)
Blink, Malcolm Gladwell (loved this book)
Spook, Mary Roach (I love best her witty ramblings)
Red, Terry Tempest Williams
O Pioneer, Willa Cather


Also finished Mormon Enigma by Newell and Avery. Emma Hale Smith fascinates me. I can't quite comprehend the things she had to endure ... deaths of her children, being apart from Joseph for so much of their married life, knowing or suspecting his relations with other women, being involed in legal tangles with the church following his death, being reviled by church leaders on her remarriage. She's one person I'd like to meet one day.