Recovery Mode

My jaw surgery went very well on Monday. After waking up, the worst pain I was feeling was in my left eye. Turns out that I somehow scratched my cornea while under anesthesia. So, besides wearing my very sexy "Jaw Bra", I have also been sporting an eye patch for the past couple of days. Arrrgh Matey!

I woke up this morning to a lot of swelling and pain. The doctor said that tomorrow through Saturday will most likely be the worst days to get through. Luckily my pain meds are helping and I've been able to sleep a lot.

Thanks to everyone for your emails, texts, visits, etc. I appreciate your help, love and support!

Farewell, Jim Carroll - Thank you for the inspiration

Today is a very sad day for me, as I learned this morning that one of my writing heroes has passed away. Jim Carroll was an amazing poet, lyricist and musician who's writing I stumbled upon in my teen years. His autobiographical tale, The Basketball Diaries, quickly became one of my favorite books when I read it in 9th grade. Though our lives were extremely different, his writing style spoke to me and made me feel as if reading his words were like conversing with an old friend. When the book was made into a movie in 1995, I was afraid that the film may not live up to the book. However, I was very wrong. The film turned out amazing, mostly due to the fact that Jim sat on the set and assisted the director and producers with every scene. The young actors in the film all praised him for helping them achieve such notable performances.

Aside from The Basketball Diaries, Jim wrote astonishing poetry full of raw, unfiltered emotion. His "Fear of Dreaming" collection is a treasure. Many of his poems were turned into lyrics when he formed the Jim Carroll Band. The little punk rocker in me will always adore his albums, "I Write Your Name" and "Catholic Boy."

Mr. Carroll - Thank you for all the inspiration. You left a mark on this girl that will never fade.

Friendship

Peace, OUT!

Poor Eric. The night before leaving town, he parked his moving truck outside my house. Well, some A**HOLE came along during the night and tagged the entire side of the Budget truck. Being the wonderful, helpful friend I am, I sat across the street and took photos as Eric and Brad scrubbed the truck down before saying "Adios, SLC!" and heading to Denver. :) Nice work, boys!

A Bliss Like This...

I feel very fortunate to have such an amazing circle of friends. They are all unique individuals who inspire, educate, nurture, support, and bless me in ways I never even knew were possible. I love them all for the many laughs they share with me, the shoulders they allow me to lean on, and the adventures they bring to my life. I love to watch them grow and prosper...enrich their lives with new experiences. But selfishly, it's not always easy. Case in point, this past week was spent saying goodbye to two great friends who are moving on to different cities.

First, Carolyn has moved back to Portland in order to go back to school. Thankfully, I spend a lot of time visiting Portland, so I will still get to see her quite often. Carolyn is an awesome chick who has become a very trusted friend over the past couple of years. I love her dearly and already miss her.

Her boyfriend, Eric Bliss...who also happens to be my best friend...decided to move as well...he is heading to Denver for a new job. I am SO excited for him because I know that accepting his new position with the Denver Unitarian church is an ideal fit for Eric. He will be getting paid to work with youth, but in a much different environment from the public schooling system he has had to deal with here in Salt Lake for the past 10+ years. Eric is an amazing teacher who realizes and appreciates all the gifts we're given in this world. The kids in Denver are lucky to be getting him. I guess I'll just have to start spending more time visiting Denver.

Here are some pics from the going away party we threw for E&C. (FYI - Eric has always wanted a Rosie O'Donnell pinata...he despises the woman. I had to resort to a large jackass pinata with Rosie's face taped to the front. I filled it with dum-dum suckers...seemed fitting.)

A shot of tequila, followed by 3 spins...


















...led to this.




































A very fun night was had by all












































































































Eric and Carolyn, I love you both and wish you guys ALL the best!! Thanks for everything you have brought to my life.

Bon Iver at Gallivan

Bon Iver came to town to kick off the first show of the Gallivan Twilight concert series. Free music in SLC draws quite a crowd, but there was a CRAZY amount of people there. Luckily we were able to secure a small space with a decent view. The band rolled in Wednesday night so we all met at the Bayou for dinner and drinks (my friend Brian does the soundboards for the band), they played the show Thursday and then had to roll back out on Friday morning. It was a fun way to wrap up my 'birthday week'.

Brian and I showed up in the exact same outfit...pretty funny:














Baby Lars at his first concert (4 months old):































Bon Iver (Mike, Matt, Sean and Justin):















































Brian, hard at work:

32 and counting

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face and I'm ending the day with an even bigger smile! I feel so amazingly blessed to have so many wonderful, thoughtful people in my life. I am a better person because of those I choose to surround myself with. When I was younger, I thought my life would be a lot different by age 32. But, I am very happy to say that I love exactly where I am and who I've become.

To my family: I love you all more than words could ever express. Your unconditional love and support have pulled me through many hard times, and the laughter we all share together keeps me sustained.

To my friends: I don't know who or where I would be without each and every one of you. I have been so wrapped up in my own issues this past year that I haven't taken the time to voice my appreciation and love. For that I am truly sorry. This year will be different...I promise! It was great to spend the evening surrounded by friends I cherish so deeply. Love you guys!




A special thanks to my new niece, Eisley, who made me the best present ever! Check out her shout out to 'Aunt Deb' - Denice and I are passing on our killer moves to the next generation! Watch out world.