Fun In The Emerald City!

Well, I left Jackson Hole on Tuesday morning and after 13 hours of driving, arrived to my beloved cousin Lexi's house, where she lives with her wonderful husband, Nicholas! The drive was absolutely breathtaking! The Snake River wound through my road as I drove to Seattle and it is this same river I am trying to share with you in the picture!

Lexi has kept me moving from one fun-filled activity to the next from the moment I stepped through her door! Wednesday night we went into downtown Seattle and met her friend Sara at Dilettante's new Chocolate Martini Bar. It was amazingly delicious as I sampled their delectable chocolate martini specialties! On Thursday we journeyed to the Hothouse Spa and Sauna, which is exclusively for women (you walk around in the nude) and has a dry sauna, steam room, and a large whirlpool jacuzzi to lay in and relax in for as long as you like. We stayed there for about four hours, just lounging around in the heat and silence, feeling every drop of tension leave our bodies, and every worry and care evaporate from our minds. We also each got an hour massage and left the Hothouse in such a sublime state of euphoria, I think I will be able to instantly relax every time I remember that day, for the rest of my life!
Remember, this is only the second day! After the Hothouse experience, Nicholas joined Lexi and me as we drank champagne and watched the sing-along version to Mamma Mia! There was much singing at the top of our lungs, some dancing, even some very graceful leaping from Nick! Friday evening Lexi had her 33rd Birthday Spectacular! It involved good things in 3's: wine, chocolate, and cheese! Every guest brought a unique and wonderful assortment of each; we had wine from around the world, cheese of every flavor and consistency imaginable, and chocolates I have never even heard of before: coconut curry, fig with fennel and almonds, spicy chili, and truffles were some of the chocolates to be had! Not to be forgotten, the coupe de gras of the evening, if you will: Pin the Lips on Lexi! A game cleverly created by some friends consisting of a large poster of Lexi and pink cutouts of lips people try to stick in the right place while blindfolded. I am sorry you missed it! I was laughing so hard!

Saturday we traveled to Sonia's apartment and we all partook in the making of a great feast! We made homemade ravioli with Sonia's KitchenAide, Pumpkin Sage Ravioli in a Butter Pecan Sauce. It was soooo very delicious! From there, we walked down to Broadway and joined Adria's birthday party at Bill's Off Broadway. We didn't stay there very long and walked back to Sonia's to get the car. We parted ways with Sonia and met with some of Lexi's other friends near the Alibi Room at Pike's Place Market and we went to an audience-interactive Improv comedy show. It was a lot of fun! I'd never been to an Improv show before, and it is quite a different experience!

That brings us to today, which has been wonderfully relaxing thus far. We met Lon and Karen for lunch and I think that was the only time I have left the house! Yay for being a bum! I love it sometimes! I am planning on heading out Tuesday for Chico, California where Wendy and her family are expecting me! I have had SUCH and AMazing time here with Lexi! It is going to be hard to leave...but the good part of planning on moving someplace awesome like San Diego, people are going to want to visit me more frequently!! Right?!

XoXoX

On The Road Again, I Just Can't Wait To Get On The Road Again...

Sunday morning I awoke as soon as the sun started peeking over the horizon and into my window, anxious to start my expedition. As soon as I was on the freeway I gave Grandma Mellott a call; I let her know I was moving to San Diego and asked if I could stop by on the way. It was cute, she kept calling me a "stinker!" I stopped by and gave them a visit, I am so glad I did! I love those two with all my heart.

After a couple of hours, I headed out and drove through to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I arrived fairly late to my hotel the Wyoming Inn; which, by the way, is an absolutely beautiful hotel with the most beautifully plush bed that makes me feel like I am lost in a cloud of euphoric comfort!

I woke up early this morning and hit the slopes at the Teton Village Resort! It was such a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky! Can you tell by my super-cheese smile I am having fun! Laugh, Laugh. It was pretty awesome, I discovered that I need to link my turns and, for anyone who is curious, that the lodge has to-die-for bloody mary's!

Jackson is such a charming, beautiful town; i wish I had more time to explore the area, but I can see myself coming back for a visit. I am super-excited to head out tomorrow and get to Lexi's. I will most likely get there on Wednesday, unless I punch it, but I don't see that happening...to often!

The picture on the right is one I took in the middle of a run. Isn't it absolutely beautiful? The sunrises and sunsets have been taking my breath away. I should be better and take some pictures to share. But I am proud of myself for taking my camera with me and using it! I have been terrible these past few years when it comes to taking pictures, or not taking pictures, rather! However, I got a beautiful new pink camera from Mom for Christmas, and I plan to document my travels through the visual art of pictures! I will keep you all posted!

XoXoX

Quite a Mouthful!

Hello all my lovely friends and family! Things have been happening so quickly in my life these days, I feel somewhat guilty for not writing more to help keep everyone up to date. There is a lot of ground to cover today, so let's hit the ground running! I will try to be better in the future so my blogs will be more frequent and shorter/sweeter; but for now, bear with me as I get you up to speed!

Snowbird wasn't very busy and they are based on a seniority booking system, with me the low-man on the totem pole. I had to go on-call during my shifts, but I had to call in every hour to see if I had a massage and drive all the way up (no matter the weather conditions), even for one massage. It didn't seem worth it to me and since my monetary means at this point in my life allow me the opportunity to move, Carpe Diem! As most of you know, I have been wanting to move to San Diego ever since I went to Corps School there in 1996! It's about time I pursue that dream, don't you agree?

I am now unemployed (YIKES!) and counting down the hours until I climb into my Tacoma and embark on the next chapter of adventure in my life. Leaving is bittersweet; it has been good to be with mom, Becca and Jared, Monica, and little Crystal too. I can't forget Aunt Karen and Grandma and Grandpa Mellot, Vic and Carolyn, and the list goes on and on. It's so nice to have your family so close to you and I am afraid I did not take advantage of those opportunities this time around, I am sorry about that.

On a lighter note, I did take advantage of the powder while it was here (although I was hoping for another good dump before I left*pout*, I might go snowboarding in Jackson Hole, but I am not sure if I want to take my snowboard and gear with me when I move).
At any rate, I AM SO PROUD OF ME!!! I went up to the Canyons all by myself to go snowboarding! I took some pretty hard falls; my last run down, the first time I went, I fell into a pretty hard faceplant and bruised my nose and forehead!I decided to get back on the horse and two days later I went
back for more punishment! I had the BEST day ever! I only went down black diamonds, I didn't fall as hard or as much, it was a gorgeous day, and I even got asked out by an extremely sexy 22 year-old! I had such a good time! I hope that when I come back to get Luna, there will be some good snow, because I will still have my season's pass!
*The Pictures are a before and after Snowboarding! YIKES!! I look too old for this crap!*

*Deep Breath* Phew! Don't worry, we're almost done!


Well, it is here! Moving day! Oh moving day! How I love and hate you all at the same time!

I am too excited! To give everyone an idea of my grandiose itinerary: I will be heading out of Orem this coming Sunday, January 18 and heading up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a quick tour of, from what I hear, that beautiful city. Then, on to Seattle where I shall enjoy the wonderful company of my illustrious cousin, Alexis LaFlamme. I will be attending her 33rd birthday party! Can you believe we are all getting so old?! What a ride! I might see my friend Zack too, if he can fit me into his busy schedule.

After Seattle, I will be continuing my journey on down to Chico, California, to see my very dear friend Wendy Daye Anderson, whom I haven't seen in almost SIX years, and all her little ones!!

The plan from there, my friend Amy will fly to Chico and drive down to Santa Ana (via San Francisco and a super fun road trip) with me, where I will be staying with Amy and her husband until I find my own place in San Diego! What fun!

Well, today is my packing day and I shouldn't procrastinate that!! I love you all!


XoXoX

Happy New Year!!! 2009!! Can you believe it!?

Well, I can't! It has definitely roared in with a lloud Crash and a Bang!! I am so excited for this New Year! My resolution for this glorious year shall be to learn to take control. It may sound simple enough, but when you look at all the aspects in my life that need controlling, then your mind might start to boggle at the task at hand...

For all of you who missed it, Rebecca Sarah's New Year's Eve Extravaganza was FABulous! Complete with balloon drop, delicious food, fireworks, games, laughter, streamers, confetti, merriment had by all, resolution lists were made and even a pinata severely beaten until it yielded its delicious booty! *deep breath*
This was, indeed, the party of all parties! Kudos to Becca and Jared for really out-doing themselves this year!

In line with resolutions and taking control, I would like to announce that it is official, I have decided to embark upon my next grand adventure and finally move to San Diego. I feel like there is no time like the present to start following my dreams and I do happen to possess the knowhow, and have been know to produce marvelous results with the magic of my fingertips; they don't call me Magic Fingers Martell for nothing, you know!! Ha ha. ;)

For all of you on the Mellott side, New Year's Day with Grandma and Grandpa Mellott was such a good time. There were so many people there! Trista was there with her two boys and she is pregnant with their third. She looks so beautiful. Crystal was there too, which was wonderful, I haven't seen her in about a decade. We used to be little stomping buddies when we were younger and it was almost weird for me to see her all grown up, married and with a little girl, Kylie (who, by the way is as beautiful as her mother). We exchanged numbers and she is going to be in Yuma while I am in San Diego, which is a few hours away. I'll be closer to David and Kate as well! I'm excited about that one! :)

I shall post more about The Move later when things start getting finalized.

Also, I want to thank my friends and family who responded to my prodding and became followers of my blog, we're up to three!! Woohoo! Such fun.

Lastly, I have been getting a lot of compliments on the hats I have been wearing this winter. They are all designed and hand made by Vicki McNabb, you can reach her at: http://www.thecrochetboutique.com

XoXoX

1st Day of the Season!

Well, it's official, the snowboarding season has started! Crystal and I went up together last Saturday to the Canyons and enjoyed 6" of fresh powder! It was a sad realization to me, however, after I became tired and out of breath after only three runs: I am too out of shape!! Well, hopefully with two season passes (one to the Canyons, one to Snowbird), I will be able to hone my skills and physical prowess as I master the art of carving down a snow-packed mountain!

Other than that, Christmas is almost here and all the fun and festivities that entails! My BFF's are coming down in two days: Zack from Seattle and Amy from Santa Ana, CA. We got a condo in Park City for their entire trip here and I know they are expecting some days in the snow as well. Unfortunately for me, they are way beyond my skill level and I am wondering how that will play out. Will I try to keep up with them and break my arm in the process? Or should I leave them for the bunny slopes and spend the day alone falling on my arse? Either way, I think I shall have a super-fun visit with them. Plus, with all the fresh snowfall that has come over the past couple of days, some of that is sure to help break my falls. Right?

Free at last! Free at last!

So, it's official! I am no longer working at Mainspring Day Spa! I got back into work (at Mainspring) on Weds. 12/03 morning and found I only had one massage. Then, Elsa calls and asks me to clean the bathrooms and the rest of the spa, train one of the receptionists on the computer system, and fix some stuff around the spa. I was there for seven hours and only made $20! It was all I could do not to walk out that day, but before I left, I erased myself from the schedule. Thursday was supposed to be my last day, but I did not go. I was so sick of being Elsa's slave! I have more energy now, I am happier, I am so glad to be free from the shackles of that place!


On a much better note, I started at Snowbird's Cliff Spa this week also! It is such a beautiful place (as you can see by the picture) and I think I am really going to love it there. Plus, I already have my employee I.D., which also serves as a season's pass chair and tram lift! You can be sure I am already planning on going boarding this next week! My friends Zack and Amy are getting into town in less than two weeks, and I believe they will be super happy about my benefits there too. I get half price day passes for friends and family!

Oooh, and I had finals yesterday too! I'm not quite sure how I did, I am hoping better than midterms, but we will see! At least I am done, and that combined with leaving Mainspring leaves me basking in the sweet warmth of freedom, even in the midst of winter cold!

Blogging: I never said it would be easy....

Well, Thanksgiving is over and I am back in the thralls of Orem life. It was quite the amazing trip for me. I drove down to Pheonix via Las Vegas and realized by the time I got to St. George I was too tired to push the whole way in one night (the fact I didn't head out until 3pm didn't help), so I booked a room at the Palms Hotel in Vegas for the night. I was pretty hesitant about staying in Vegas by myself for the night, I didn't really know what I was going to do.

When I got there, I was upgraded to a one-bedroom, two bath suite and the master bath had a jetted tub! That was absolutely wonderful, especially after driving for so long. I know, what am I complaining about....am I not the same girl who drove from Alaska to Utah earlier this year?

After my deliciously long, jetted soak, I decided to head down to the casino for a while and try my luck on the quarter slots. I set a limit of $20 and watched the amount yo-yo up and down for a while until I hit the big money on the wheel of fortune and cashed out with $387! I also met some pretty neat people from L.A. and played with them for a while. All in all, it was a pretty fabulous night!

Needless to say, I arrived in Pheonix in pretty high spirits. I was especially excited about being able to spoil my nephews: at the zoo, at chuck e. cheese, at the movies (we saw Bolt, it was pretty cute)! Thanksgiving with the family was a lot of fun, lots of food and lots of Rock Band!! Good times for all!

It's Berry Delicious!

Okay, Okay! So, I am not so good at this blogging thing! I guess when you don't have kids, or anything exciting to report, there isn't much use for a blog page!
Well, the countdown has begun for my next adventure! This time I will be driving out to Arizona to see my amazing brother David, his fabulous wife, Kate, and their two most adorable babies, my beloved nephews, Izak and Landon! I am super excited to be able to spend so much time with them!
Other than that on the horizon, I have finals coming up the week I return! Yikes!! Wish me luck in macroeconomics, the rest is a breeze!
I did get offered a job at the Snowbird Cliff Spa and I am tentatively starting there on the 1st of December....now all I need to do is get up the nerve to hand in my notice at my current job! I had better hurry up! December is almost here! Why oh why am I such a pushover!
On a lighter note! I am now THIRTY-ONE years old! Oh, I have entered the age of wisdom and enlightenment! Ha ha! Actually, I really don't feel any different, except I am now in the threshold of my thirties!!

Or My Attempt, At Any Rate!!

So, I have decided to at least give this a try! I think I have had this as my web address (Marisa's Pieces) for at least six months, but since procrastination is one of my many attributes, it isn't surprising that this will be my first entry! Speaking of, there isn't going to be a lot to my first entry, but at least it is a start, right? Right?
XoXoX