Thankful!

Right now I am extremely thankful for these:

I have never had anything made in a crock pot that I haven't liked. You can just throw in a few ingredients and let it cook for hours and hours--and voila--a fabulous meal!

Letter to P90X

Dearest P90X,

I know that I have gotten started about 6 or 7 different times now and couldn't quite stay committed for the full 90 days. Well, this time is different. I just wanted to give you a heads up!

Your newest and closest friend for the next several weeks,

Kasi

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on

I ran across this video yesterday at Rockstar Diaries and instantly fell in love. I think I have watched it a total of maybe nine times now. It is so cute and so funny. Let me know what you think!

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Pops

My dad describes himself as an "electrician by trade," and I describe him as a great dad and a sensitive man. That is probably where all of us Sucher girls got our ability to cry at pretty much everything. My own waterworks give Dane a good laugh at least once or twice each week. Let me tell you, there are some pretty tear-worthy commercials out there!

My dad likes to chat on the phone, so he called me in between some classes this morning. Last week he was working at Primary Children's Hospital, so he called to say hello, check on Dane (his new best golfing bud), and to share a couple of "neat" experiences from the hospital. (Just thinking about them makes me cry...)

While he was working, a little 5-year-old girl walking down the hall asked him for a hug. His partner was on a ladder, and she asked to hug the partner as well. So, of course, he came down the ladder for his own hug. The little girl gave each of the strangers a big kiss on the cheek too. Total strangers. My dad just fell in love with this little one.

Another little boy walked by, about the same age, and he had a tube coming out of his nose. He stopped and said hello and gave each of the workers a happy little fist tap. When he walked away, he gave my dad a thumbs up and had a big smile.

I think the thing that really gets to me is hearing my dad start to cry on the other line. He was so obviously touched by those little experiences, and I am sure he will remember them and appreciate them forever. He is just like that.

Anyway, I just had to write this down right now, and since the computer is here, I am just going to do a quick posting. Oh, how I love that man!

Spendovers

I am just getting ready (cleaning up the house, prepping for a scholarship workshop, packing up, and doing laundry....oh, and blogging) before I head over to my mother-in-law's place for the night. I am headed to the TREASURE Valley area for work, and she is KIND enough to let me stay the night to get a bit of extra REST. I already had one 5:00 am wakeup this week (to get in some last-minute studying), and that is enough for me.

(Does anyone else ever wonder how their bodies were able to handle such late nights and early mornings in college? The fact that I made it through the undergraduate years in one healthy piece is a miracle--and others were WAY MORE BUSY than me. Seriously, those wonder women and super men are ABUNDANT in Pocatello--and in many other places, I am sure! How in the world do they do it? They really should give me some lessons!)

Anyway, life is going well here. Heavenly Father is blessing me with lots of knowledge about growing and expanding capacities and about priorities. That's really the whole GAME when it comes to TIME right, putting those most important things first in life. As I come to put my family and Heavenly Father first, all other things fall in place.

Speaking of FAMILY, Mary Anne, I can't wait to see YOU and spend some woman-to-woman time with you. Please grant me some of your cooking wisdom and card game trickery this evening. I should hustle up and get my priorities in ORDER, and get to you IN A HURRY!

My First Restaurant Review: Aspen's Junk

I am officially doing my first "restaurant review" of sorts. Dane and I just returned from a week-long work trip to Colorado, where we dined to our heart's desires--no fast food allowed--and it was just glorious! After 8 days of eating on the road though, tonight's home-put-together taco soup was a great, fast option for getting back to some homemade food. I must say that after 2 weeks of eating in some fabulous little joints this month, I am excited to put my culinary skills (what little I have) to the test! (Dane is pretty excited about my new-found desire for making some beautiful meals too.)

Anyway, (back to the point) the first restaurant we tried was in Aspen, Colorado, and it was called Junk. Dane and I happened upon the chic little outdoor restaurant during our personal, self-guided tour of the city after arriving. There was a large outdoor fire pit which drew us closer to the restaurant like moths to a flame (is that how the saying goes?).

And here are the reviews (remember that this is coming from a native Idahoan). Each rating is based on a 5-point scale, 1 meaning poor and 5 meaning excellent.

Location: 5

Easy to spot and right in the middle of town, the restaurant is located right smack dab in the center of all that is happening. In fact, with the large outdoor pit, it is hard to overlook even with all of the beautiful restaurants around. You can't miss that it is right across from one of Aspen's oldest buildings, which houses musical and theater performances.

Atmosphere: 5

Okay, so the atmosphere really embodied the "junk" theme. Water was served in glass mason jars; the seats were made of recycled jeans; canned drinks were covered in small brown paper bags; work lamps were used to spotlight areas; camping lanterns adorned the tables; fries were served in empty tin cans; and industrial work lightbulbs hung around the premises. Though everything looked like it could be purchased at a local "Home Depot" and could seem trashy, it was really a uniquely beautiful environment set for a great dining experience.

Taste: 4

Dane sampled the $13 burger, which he remarked was fairly run-of-the-mill and typical. Disappointment ensued as no fries accompanied the smaller-than-usual entree. I chose a $5 taco because I really wasn't hungry and ended up with two amazing bites of a very tiny taco. The taco had an asian flair, with cucumber and cabbage and a tangy, spicy asian sauce on the shredded beef taco. I was amazed with the flavor! It was very unique and tasty too.

Price: 3

Remember, this is where an Idaho girls speaks. Food in Aspen is usually significantly above the typical price-point in Pocatello, but we were surprised with the amount of food we actually got for the price. If fries had come with the smaller burger, it might have felt more affordable. Thought the food was good, we finished up with a yummy chicken alfredo pizza at Belly Up to satisfy our appetites. We left the restaurant still feeling a bit hungry.

Service: 5

The employees were fabulous, giving us directions and recommendations for many of Aspen's must-see spots. They were so friendly and helpful, a trademark of this fabulous town!

There it was, my very first online food critique. The food was fun, and the atmosphere was a blast. Dane and I enjoyed chatting it up with locals and other visitors. We even met a teenage magician who was featured in a documentary being played in Aspen's film festival. Never a dull moment!