There's no place like home

Last weekend I went to Kansas City and had the best time.

My trip started out by taking the New Jersey Transit to Newark airport.  This was my first time taking this train, and I highly recommend it if you have to get to EWR from the city.  It's only $15 each way and it's pretty quick, and a nice scenic ride.  Bonus, you can use your train ticket for the airtrain at the airport as well.  Nice!

When I got to the airport I was surprised to see I was flying out of the first gate!  Well....I thought anyway.  Here I was thinking I was going to disprove Jason's theory, and then found out I had to take a shuttle bus to another terminal.  Guess you really don't ever get the first gate.

When I got on the plane, all proud of myself for carrying on, I was surprised when the flight attendant told me to leave my bag in the tunnel and I'd get it after the flight.  Since this is my tiny suitcase I always carry on, I asked, "I have to check this??"  She responded with, "Yes, the bigger bags have to be checked."  I was totally annoyed, as I'd worked hard to not have to check a bag.

When I got on the plane I was floored, to see the smallest plain I'd ever flown on (minus the one-seater when I went skydiving.)  There was one seat on one side, and two seats on the other.  The ceiling was probably only 6' high.  There were only overhead bins on one side, and they were half the normal size.  Weird.

Flying into Kansas City was nice.  It made me reflect on my trip to Chicago the weekend before and think about all the different states in the US.  I thought about how different areas have different things to offer.  I wondered how it would be to take the next 50 years and live in every state for one year, and how cool that could be.  Every place is unique and there'd be so much to learn, and so many great people to meet.  But obviously, I just can't get myself to leave New York, at least not right now.  :)

Curtis picked me up and we headed out for a night he'd planned.

We started out at The Plaza where he told me I could pick the restaurant.  I decided on Cheesecake Factory.  He said that was fine, but that we had dessert plans later.  I got the Crispy Chicken Costoletta and Curtis got the Mesa Chicken.  New choices for both of us and we both LOVED our meals.

We had a really pleasant time, as the weather was perfect (all weekend) and we could eat outside.  We were also entertained by a little boy who was leaning over the fountain reaching for coins, getting his sleeve wet and inches away from falling in until someone yanked him back.  I think we were both slightly disappointed.

*Side note, did you know that Kansas City is the City of Fountains?  It has over 200 fountains, and claims to have the second most in the world, just behind Rome.  We seriously saw fountains everywhere.  It was really pretty.

Dinner at Cheesecake

After dinner we took off, and I didn't know where we were headed, other than we needed to be somewhere a little before 7:30pm.  As we got a little closer I noticed people dressed nicely (he'd told me I could wear jeans, but look somewhat dressy) and people of all ages, all heading to the same building.  I thought maybe we were going to see a play or something.

I was really excited to find out we were going to the ballet!  Other than when I was really little, the only time I've been to a ballet was last year when I went to The Nutcracker.  It was especially fun because one of Curtis's friends was in the ballet.  There were three different shows, the first being really funny.  It amazes me that something that has no dialogue really can have the whole audience laughing for 40 minutes.

In between performances.

Outside in front of the Kansas City Ballet, after the performances.

Curtis got so sick the week before I came, and was still sick over the weekend.  As we all know, men tend to be whiners when they don't feel bad, and Curtis is no exception ;), but I really did feel so bad for him.  He was popping pain pills for his throat and coating his mouth with lidocaine every one to two hours.  This was the face I saw pretty much every time.

After the ballet we went back to The Plaza for dessert.  As we were driving through the parking structure I saw a sign for The Melting Pot.  I gasped and mentioned how I'd heard it was so good, but had never been there.  He asked me what it was like he'd never heard of it.  As we were walking to our dessert place we walked past The Melting Pot, and then he yanked my hand and pulled me back.  He'd planned on going there all along!  I was SO excited.  I've heard great things about this place and let me tell you, they're all true!  It was honestly AMAZING!!

I couldn't be happier.

We opted for the Yin-Yang dish; white chocolate on dark chocolate.  SO GOOD!  I honestly almost made myself sick because I just couldn't stop.

Saturday morning we were pretty lazy, sleeping late and then going to breakfast.  After breakfast we went to my old neighborhood!

My old house, 1985-1987.  When we lived there it was blue.

We knocked on my next door neighbor's door, as our friends the McCrackens still live there.  Kevin was home and when I told him who I was he immediately got a huge smile on his face and welcomed me inside with a big hug.  It was so great to see him, and hear about his wife Karen, and their kids.  Their oldest, Lindsey, and I were best little friends when I lived there.  It was good to catch up.  Kevin shared the story with Curtis about the first time he saw me, when I was two years old and jumping on the gas line.  My strongest memory of Kevin was when I'd gotten a tic while playing in a field at one of my brother's soccer games and Kevin had to come over and hold a flame to my arm to make the tic back out because my dad was out of town.  I remember not understanding what was happening and being so scared, but Kevin was so gentle and sweet.

We chatted for a few minutes and then Kevin said he'd take me next door so he could show me the backyard, as he knew the guy really well who lived there and said he was very nice.  I was so excited, as I didn't anticipate that!

We knocked on the door and Kevin introduced me as "Rachel Hope, of the Hopes....the original homeowners."  The man's face lit up in recognition and he immediately said, "Oh!  Come in!  Come in!!"  I asked if he was sure, as I felt a little awkward walking into a house I hadn't stepped foot in for over twenty years, but he insisted.

Kansas is where I have my first memories.  Most of them are more like photographs in my head, just flashes of images, however when we walked in the house so many things came flooding back to me.  It was actually sort of overwhelming.  I immediately noticed my heart started pounding and I was talking really fast and was somewhat flustered.  I know, I'm weird.

The first thing I saw was the stairs.  This reminded me of sitting on the stairs while my older siblings would leave for school and I was so sad.  

Then I looked to the left and saw the living room and remembered the time I'd had disappearing ink.  (Who knows where I got it??)  I remember telling my mom I wanted to pour ink on her shirt because it would disappear, and getting annoyed that she wouldn't let me do it.  (Sorry for getting mad Mom, I wouldn't let a three year old do that to my clothes either.)

Then we walked into the kitchen, which borders the family room.  As we walked in I remembered the step down from the kitchen to the family room.  I commented on remembering my mom carrying me in there once and tripping down the step and twisting her ankle.

Then I looked in the kitchen and so many more memories came back.  I immediately checked to see if the intercom was still there, which we used to torture our babysitters (it's still there.)  And looked at the fridge and remembered pulling a chair over to climb up on it to get to the counter, to then climb up the fridge to get to the colored mini marshmellows that were kept in the cabinets above.  Random memory?

Then I walked to the back of the kitchen to look outside onto the deck.  I remember going out on that deck and feeding the chipmunks that'd come up and eat out of our hands.  I also remembered the hot air balloons that got freakishly close to our back windows one day.

Then Kevin took us to the backyard.

Reminiscing in the kitchen.

Curtis was snapping photos of me while I was tripping, remembering my childhood.

Remembering in the backyard.

Talking with Kevin about how I remembered hanging out along the side of the house while my dad trimmed the trees.

Marvelous Mastin.  Such a great cul-de-sac.

Our tree lined street.

After my trip down memory lane we went to get Curtis a haircut, which for some reason exhausted both of us so we went home and napped until dark.  We finally got our act together and went out for so much fun.

We went to dinner at The Plaza again at McCormick and Schmick's.  We ate outside on a platform that was sort of elevated from the street.  It wasn't the roof, but sort of a third story terrace off the restaurant.

While we were eating our (again, delicious) meals (I got a chicken caesar, natch, and Curtis got the Mako-I tried shark! both so good) we were entertained by some performers on the street.  It was a little 14 year old girl backed up by her dad and she was honestly phenomenal.  Her name's Shanice Hayes.  They had quite the crowd around them.  Curtis and I went down to enjoy the atmosphere a little after we finished eating, and joined a few other couples in dancing during the slow songs.  It was such a nice environment.

Not the most clear picture, but it was the best I could do from the terrace.

The next part of the night was my favorite part of the trip.  Curtis took me to the Power and Light District.  This is basically the best place for the singles nightlife scene.  There's a whole bunch of bars that outline a central area.  All the bars open up to this big open area in the middle.  It's pretty sweet.  There's all different kinds of bars, 80s bars, sports bars, etc.  We decided to go into a country bar called Big Sky.  We thought we'd just hang out for a bit and then check out another scene but ended up staying there most of the night.  It was such a blast.  There was a dj playing music when we walked in, and were entertained by watching people ride a mechanical bull.  There were a lot of drunk girls trying, and every now and then someone who worked at the bar would hop on.  These guys were so good.  One guy would ride backwards with no hands, another guy would straight up ride the bull standing on its back.  Pretty cool.

We decided to head over to the dance floor and it was about that time the country band started playing.  They were really talented, and played great hits like The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Friends in Low Places, and even a country version of Sublime's What I Got.  We had a lot of fun dancing together, but the most fun was when he taught me how to country swing dance.  I'm not usually that great at picking up dances like this.  Over time he's taught me a little of salsa but I just don't pick these things up quickly.  I was able to catch on a fair amount, however, and to say we had the best time is an understatement.  At the risk of sounding cheesy, it was sort of like in the movies when people are dancing and everything behind the dance partner's face is just a blur of lights.  We were spinning so fast and he was dipping, twisting, and turning me, and even at a few points picking me up.  (I know, I'm not 5'2" and 90 pounds.  I love his arms.)

Taking a little break from dancing at Big Sky.

We finally got so hot we headed out of the bar into the central area to cool off.

Having so much fun, but obviously so tired at this point.

Sunday we got up and went to church at the singles ward.  He actually belongs to a branch but there's a ward nearby.  It was still really small, but I met a lot of people and they were all so genuinely friendly.  I got a really great feel from everyone, as I did all the people I had contact with in KC.

The old 'hood.

After church we went home for some of our favorite past times- biscuits, a movie, and a nap.

That night Curtis's work soccer team had a double header game so we went to that.

Monday morning we went to breakfast and then Curtis dropped me off at the airport.  The weekend flew by, as I knew it would.  As I've now stated so many times, we had such a blast.  I was glad to get home at 2pm to have the rest of the day to relax.  Taking a car, plane, train, and subway to get home after a weekend away is exhausting!

Where to even begin?

So I've been neglecting my blog for about two months.  Maybe a post here and there, but there's so much that's gone on in June, July, and the first part of August, and I'm completely overwhelmed.  I want to blog about everything, but there's just so much.

I guess I'll just do the best I can.  

Life has been so hectic, I just haven't had time to blog.  Work's been crazy, everything's been crazy.

Here's a quick update to answer some commenters' questions from my last post.  I'm not moving anywhere drastic, just changing apartments.  My lease is up in September and as a 25 year old with a legit job, and after a year and a half of sharing, I need my own room.  Every day I ride the subways crammed with people, I share the sidewalks with thousands, I sit on a trading floor with 350 (the closest person sitting literally four feet away,) and I get home and have three roommates, one of whom shares my room.  Not that I'm complaining because my roommates are fab, Dina, who sits next to me at work is amazing, most (MOST) New Yorkers are a joy, but I just NEED my own space.  In college I even had my own room but at times had to escape to the solitude of my car to truly be alone.  I don't have that glory here.  Any time I'm in a car there's someone else driving it.  SO, ladies and gents, I'm moving to a place in which I can have my very own room.  Deets to follow.

Curtis, on the other hand, IS making a drastic move.  Kansas City, MO to be exact.  Long story, that happened VERY quickly.  A New York minute, some might say.  The cliff's notes version is one day out of the blue he was found through LinkedIn, called, interviewed, flown out, strenuous interviews all day, job was extended, and job was accepted, all within ten days.  Crazy how quickly life changes when you'd never guess things would go that way.  So right now he's in Africa for two weeks.  Two days traveling there, two days traveling back, 4 day safari, and 6 days climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Seriously.  He'll be back a week from tomorrow.  That day he'll buy a car, pack up, and drive to the midwest the following day.

On a happier note, the two weeks prior to his trip he wasn't working so it was fun having evenings to spend with him, since he used to work 12-14 hour days. 

One particular evening is blog worthy.  We'd gotten together to do our pushups (we're both doing the 100 pushup challenge, a six week program) and then wanted something to eat.  We grabbed a quick bite at a place up the street from his apartment, and then didn't want to go back inside, as it was a beautiful night.

We headed down to the Seaport, which is only two blocks from his place.  It was one of those nights, as my dad would say, you're grateful to be alive.  The temperature was absolutely perfect.  There were people, but it wasn't too crowded.  We got some ice cream and just sat there, watching people, enjoying being together, and really loving the live music.  Just a typical guy, playing his guitar and singing.  Street performers are everywhere here, but this guy was different.  His voice was so easy, it reminded me so much of James Taylor.  If I had to sum up the whole experience in just one word, I'd say pleasant.  Perfectly pleasant.  

Curtis was trying out his new safari gear, hence the hat.

You might remember these ships from the night we went to the Pirate Palooza.

Knicks vs Jazz

So I realized I never posted these pictures.  This was one of Curtis' and my first dates.  I randomly got tickets to the game in the HSBC box.

We had a blast.

Saturday night and Sunday

So Saturday night Sara and Jenna threw a Pirate Palooza, which was totally fun because as trendy as pirates have been for the past five years, I've actually never dressed up like one.  It was interesting walking the 6 blocks to their place dressed up, all along, but living in New York, it's not uncommon to see something like this.

The awkward part?  When I got to the party, peeked in, and saw a bunch of people dressed normally.  I have to admit I got a little insecure and walked out to call Curtis to see if he was there yet, because I knew he was going.  He wasn't there yet, but I decided to pull an Elle Woods circa Legally Blond (the original) and just hold my head up high and walk into the party.  I felt a little lame, but there were a few more people dressed up one I got inside, like my lovely friend Courtnie.

Curtis' outfit was so great, when he walked in he was super serious, and no one knew who he was.

Ellie and Carley dressed up like mermaids.  Love it

Maybe there was dancing.....

So after the party we couldn't help but walk the couple blocks down to South Street Seaport to take some pictures with the ships.

Sunday there was a picnic in Sheep's Meadow.  Once it gets nice there's picnics a lot on Sundays. So fun.

And maybe when I saw this little piece of art I couldn't help but see an ANTM moment....

Friday night and Saturday

It's been a really fun last 24 hours.  Last night Curtis and I schlepped through the rain to the UES and tried a new restaurant, Zocalo.  If you're ever in New York and looking for a yummy Mexico restaurant I highly recommend it.  We both loved it.  They seriously had the best chips and salsa ever, and the chicken in the enchiladas was so tender.  Mmm.  After dinner we went to Union Square and saw Under the Same Moon.  It was a great foreign film.  Very touching.  We both shed a tear.

This morning we branched out to another new place for brunch.  We go out for breakfast on Saturdays a lot, and usually always end up going to one of a couple of the same places.  We finally branched out and headed to TriBeCa to eat at a place Courtnie recommended, Kitchenette.  It was adorable and the food was really good.  We shared mixed berry pancakes and cherry and vanilla french toast.  SO GOOD.  The restaurant was decorated really cute.  All the tables were made from old doors, and all the decor was from upstate.

After brunch we walked a bit and then headed to Union Square so Curtis could look for jeans.  We went to America Eagle, Diesel, and Filene's Basement.  He ended up doing really well there, getting a pair of Diesels and another great pair for $84 total.  I, on the other hand, spent a little too much at DSW.  I got four pairs of shoes though, and I'm super excited.  I'd been needing (almost) every pair.

Then, to top it all off, we went to Pinkberry.  Tonight Sara and Jenna are throwing a Pirate Palooza so everyone will be dressing up for that.  Should be fun!

General Conference weekend

General Conference weekend was a pretty eventful one, so being that I try to keep up with my blogging like a journal, I want to still blog about it.

Friday night it was a double header at the movies.  First was Stop-Loss.  I swear I've been seeing previews about this movie for like four months, not to mention have been reading about it ever since Rees Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe broke up.

It would make sense that it had a political agenda, but I just didn't think a whole lot about it.  It was definitely very anti-war.  Despite the fact that it was extremely liberal I could look past it and really enjoy the movie.  I liked it.

Leatherheads is another one I've been seeing previews for forever.  I was really excited seeing as how I love George Clooney (he's in my top 5), Renee Zellweger is one of my favorite actresses, and who doesn't love John Krasinski?  That being said, this movie was laaaaame.  I mean, I was really tired and struggling to stay awake about thirty minutes in, but still, it just a total waste.  I ended up surrendering the fight and went to sleep for most of the second half.

Saturday was a super packed day.  I got up early and schlepped up to West 95th Street to meet up with my fabulous new friend Adam, who'd rented a Zip Car for a few hours to head to New Jersey to go to Costco.  Since I was having a party that night Adam let me tag along.  Costco was great.  I've never actually shopped there for myself.  I mean, I've gone with my mom millions of times, but never have I personally bought anything.  I was able to get an amazing load of delicious treats for a super low price.  Thank you Costco and thank you Adam!

That morning I'd gotten a surprising call from my aunt Terry.  She and her husband Jon were in town for the day.  They'd been on a cruise and were staying the night in New York and wanted to meet up.  They were seeing Mama Mia! and wanted to know if I'd seen it.  I hadn't and they told me they'd get me a ticket.  Sweet!  

So as soon as I got my groceries home I changed and then headed up to Times Square to see the show.  It was kind of ironic because I never knew the story line, but the night before at the movies I saw a preview for the movie Mama Mia! and then here I was, seeing the show, twelve hours later.  I absolutely loved it!  I don't know ABBA's music, other than Dancing Queen, but enjoying it anyway.  It was super upbeat and funny.  Loved it.

After the show we ate an early dinner at Cosi.  I can't believe I'd never eaten there before this.  I'm officially obsessed with the chicken caesar and am so glad we have one by my work.

After dinner I headed home to get ready for the party.  This was something I was super excited about.  About a month ago I read a post on Amanda's blog about a party that sounded so fun.  They had an Enrichment activity where they had a Favorite Things party.  Basically everyone brought something that was their favorite.  It could be anything from a favorite recipe, to a favorite mascara, to a favorite hair towel.  Amanda said the party went really well.  It helped everyone get to know each other better, plus hear about a lot of super cool things they hadn't heard of before, and leave with a new little tricket.  I thought this sounded so fun and was meaning to tell someone in our Relief Society presidency that we should do it for Enrichment.  Then I got to thinking, we don't have to do this for Enrichment, we could just have a party.  I've really been wanting to get to know the girls in my ward better so I thought this was perfect.  I mentioned the idea to my roommate in the middle of the week and she mentioned that it was perfect timing since Saturday night all the guys would be a the Priesthood Session of conference and a lot of girls had been talking about getting together to do something.  So, we sent out the evite and it was a great turnout!

It was a really great party and there were some really interesting gifts given, that really helped me get to know interesting things about the girls.  One girl gave my roommate a gift, and while I don't even remember what the actual gift was, it was what was on the outside that was neat.  There was a super cool postcard (so we thought) on the outside.  Chels mentioned that she loved the postcard and I agreed, and then the girl who gave it said, "Actually I took that picture out of my window.  Photography is one of my favorite things so I thought I would include one of my pictures."  Super cool.

And maybe towards the end of the party we ended up blaring the music and having an impromptu dance party.  AAAAAnd Chels couldn't help but bust out this umbrella during Rihanna's Umbrella.

Sunday morning I made the General Conference typical Hope breakfast, Eggs on Toast.  MMM.  Although I can never make it as good as my mom's, it still was alright.  

We spent all afternoon on the futon and got a little bit of the sleepy sillies.  And, yes, that is my Ridge 04 shirt.  I still wear in proudly.