Tracie's World

Met up last night for a GNO with some of my pals from my Young Adult Ward.  We used to get together more often, but what with everyone's busy lives, and some husbands and kids thrown into the mix, it's pretty tough to coordinate schedules anymore.  It was great to catch up.  We laughed and visited, and I think we all realize how fortunate we are to still be in touch, even if it is just over Facebook and the annual Christmas card.  We were doubly fortunate to have this little gathering at that Utah Original, Training Table.  Who doesn't love to visit and catch up over cheese fries and ultimate dipping sauce?   As we were all getting ready to leave, we realized we missed out on the opportunity for a photo op.  I had thought ahead and remembered to bring the camera along, but once at the restaurant, my middle-aged brain promptly forgot about it and left it outside in the car (as Pink would say, total fail).  So instead, here's a group photo fro...

My pal Pink is in town for Sundance, and we were fortunate to get some time with her at our beloved Spaghetti Factory (or Spag Fac for the uninitiated) before the festival is officially underway.  Welcome home Pink!

Last night at dinner we were discussing our favorite things.  Similar to how Oprah has her Favorite Things episode, the idea was that there should be some sort of club, where we each share different things that we love and that work for us, whether it's recipes, products, books, movies, etc.  So in that spirit, I thought I'd share a few of mine here on the blog, starting today with skincare. Let me begin by saying that I am not a beauty or skincare products person.  It's one of the very un-feminine things about me I guess, but I've always considered them kind of gross, and a rather un-enjoyable necessity.  I hate going into the beauty products aisle at the store - the smell is overwhelming, and I just feel completely grossed out while I'm there.  And don't even get me started on Bath and Body Works.  Talk about double yuck.  But I also have a lot of allergies, that give me dry skin, and I've tried for years to find some things to help with that. ...

Yesterday afternoon, some of us girls met for a matinee of "Country Strong" (see Tracie's Movie Blog for my review), followed by some dinner.  It's always interesting trying to decide on a dinner spot that will satisfy everyone, and in the end, we decided on Marie Callender's, which I guess makes sense after seeing a country music movie.  You're just kind of in the mood for homestyle comfort food.  I myself had not been to a Marie Callender's in several years.  For some reason, it's just not one of those chains that's first on my list.  But man, what was I thinking waiting so long?  Because frankly, it was fabulous! After perusing the menu, I noticed that they had a deal going that for $9.99 gave you a serving of either Shepherd's Pie or Chicken Pot Pie, with a small caesar salad, and a slice of pie for dessert.  Well, hello, they had me at the pie (and since I'm kind of a cheapskate, they also had me at the $9.99).  But they also had me ...

Went for my post-op appointment this morning.  The gum graft is looking good, and although I still need to wear the mouth guard for another week, I was given the go-ahead to brush and floss.   So...tonight...(drum roll please)...I brushed my teeth.  And not only that...I flossed them, too.  Oh the joy!

Despite my downer of a New Year's Eve, I did have a happy New Year's Day yesterday.  For me, the day has always been spent watching the Rose Parade and college football bowl games. In recent years, I also usually work a big jigsaw puzzle.  So, in keeping with my tradition, I woke up and tuned in for the Parade.  I'm a sucker for parades, and I discovered that HGTV shows it live and commercial-free (they also have the cute Australian guy from "The Outdoor Room" as the host, and who wouldn't want to watch that?).  After the parade, I tuned into ESPN for several football games, all while at the same time working my latest puzzle. Since it was the New Year, I thought I'd try actually eating my food, instead of sipping it through a straw.  This ended up working out pretty good, although I still need to take very small bites.  But it was exciting to not have to use my blender yesterday! By mid-afternoon, I had the TV tuned to the Rose Bowl, and rooted for the ...

Had some oral surgery done on my gums this last week.  Due to the graphic nature of the procedure, I'll spare you the details.  Needless to say, my mouth has been very uncomfortable, and I've been maintaining a low profile.  And really, since I can't brush my teeth right now, the low profile is as much for me as for you (don't say I never did anything for you).   This did, however, put a bit of a damper on my New Year festivities.  Due to being on a diet of soft foods, there were no crackers, no chips, no cheesy dips. Of course one benefit of the surgery is that because I couldn't eat any of the fun stuff, I don't have the additional Holiday pounds to lose this year.  This is especially gratifying as I still haven't lost the five pounds I gained last New Year's.   So - How did I ring in this New Year you ask?  Answer - I rang it in on East Standard Time.  The clock struck 10:00, the ball dropped in Times Square, I popped a lorta...