Petersens in Palm Springs

-Written by me and Ross did the stellar job of adding 3 captions. 

Saturday April 25th

Ross and I were pretty excited to hear that the annual Morris-Petersen vacation would bring them to our neck of the woods. As they planned their trip to Palm Springs we did all the could to secretly (or not so secretly) convince them to spend as much time with us as possible.

Of course the first day they arrive was the first time in months we had rain and the temperature was cooler here than in Utah. But have no fear Benihani is here.

That awkward moment when your scallops are more photogenic then you and your husband.

I'll give it to them though. They make a great couple... in my belleh! 

After a long day of delayed flights, I think they were pretty ready to get to the hotel and crash. Someone who was NOT crashing would be yours truly. I laid down in bed and I couldn't sleep. I got up and did some stuff, tried again, still wasn't happening. I thank my lucky stars I don't have insomnia because I am not a patient person and I hate lying in bed awake at night (more than happy to lie in bed awake when I should be getting ready for work). At about 1pm I realized that I sub-consciously downed about three tall glasses of Dr. Pepper. Oops. In case you don't know, me + (copious) amounts of caffeine = awake for days. I sometimes wonder if that is what it feels like to do meth. But I digress. 

Sunday morning we all went to church together. The rest of the day was a nice afternoon of relaxing, tacos, and a walk in the park. The weather was kind of miserable yesterday, but today was the perfect day to take advantage of cooler temperatures. We headed over to Prospect Park to go for a walk and enjoy the outdoors. 

The park is not super high in elevation but there is a very pretty view of the orchards and mountains. 

I also found out that I can see the University from there. 

^ Better than the scallop picture. 

I love seeing how all the trees grow towards the light. There is somewhat dense vegetation so they have to compete to grow. 

I'm always making Ross take more pictures with his family.

I love my Momma! She is the best.

Just cruising among the tall trees. 

I need someone to paint me some of these pictures so I can have a souvenir of Redlands and this pretty park. 

When wandering around the park we found this really weird and very different kind of tree. You can sort of see it but not fully appreciate it in this picture. It is the yellow one in the upper leftish. It is always a refreshing and relaxing experience to walk around in nature. 

After hanging out they headed back to the hotel. Unfortunately Ross and I have obligations this week, but they get to head out to Palm Springs for the week. My hope is that it stays cool, but not very likely. 

Saturday April 25th

Friday evening we met up with them again so we could catch them before they fly out Saturday. We ended up eating at TGI Friday's, which was amazing (thanks!). The rest of the evening involved the hot tub time, Captain America, and a fun game of Telestrations. Sadly, not all at the same time. 

This is now one of my favorite games.

When we found out they were flying out much later than we all thought, it was much easier to say goodnight. We were trying to think of something memorable and unique to Redlands that could potentially fit into their schedule before they had to fly out and that was when we thought of Carolyn's Cafe!

It is always a fun and interesting experience at legitimate antique/consignment stores. You never know what little things they may have that are great finds. We found this decorative little woven bowls that we bought and a bunch of other stuff that would really be fun to have one day. 

I am fairly sure that I need this table as my own personal Coldstone table. I'll detach the top, buy a deep freezer to put it in, then when I want to make an ice cream creation, I will be ready to go. Sounds totally doable and practical. 

We came back to the apartment and just hung out, fans blasting and chatted and napped. I think it had been a pretty full week and everyone was exhausted. Before long they had to get going to the airport. Always hard to say goodbye but we enjoyed the time we had with them. 

Game Time: Step 2 CS

After a full day of studying, driving, eating, more studying, and crashing...

It was GAME TIME. I think I was more anxious than Ross was. We both kinda joked that i'm not allowed to come anymore because I stress Ross out more than the actual exam does.

As I dropped Ross off at the testing center I was very happy to bump into our old friends from Grenada! What an awesome surprise. We caught up for a moment but they were headed to Disneyland so we agreed to meet up after the guys were done.

While Ross took his exam, I headed to The Valley to hang out with my grandparents. I know I was just there last weekend, but I'm all about seizing the moment. I was thinking I would just hang out and tag along to whatever they were up to, but they had a full day planned for me!

We hung out a little, I helped my grandma sort through some projects, and my grandma showed me some old pictures. I always enjoy seeing photos and hearing stories. I think my grandma figured I had heard enough from my grandpa on his birthday, it was her turn!



I'm kind of obsessed with the top left picture of my grandma when she was so little. She just looks so happy. I like imagining what it must have been like to be my grandma growing up in the Utah countryside back in the day.

Grandma told me that she always wore her hair parted in the center in two braids. She said she didn't like it in her face bothering her. Sounds like something my mom would say. 

Above are my great-grandparents. I remember my great-grandpa really well, I never met my great-grandma. But my mom was very close with both of them and spent a lot of time with them while she was living in Utah as an adult. 

Speaking of my mom...

It is so fun to see my mom as a little baby. Mom's were kids once too, and they have a mom who took care of them! On the right you have my mom, aunt, and uncle next to a huge squash my great-grandpa grew and brought down to California for them. That squash is huge. I think it's funny, "Hey kids, go stand by that squash!"

Can't resist a nice 70's photo. I like my mom's dressy outfit. So snazzy. 

Grandpa was getting a little restless so we headed out. Bookstore. Food. Sopping. And more shopping. We went to the library used bookstore and my grandma said I could have as many books as I liked. Woo hoo. Of course I got at least one cookbook. 

We ate at my favorite Chinese food place. We always go through the back door and now that I kinda look at it, it's definitely a little sketchy looking. But the food is always amazing.

I kept telling my grandparents they didn't have to do all this stuff for me but they insisted saying, "We can sit at home on our butts any day!"

We also stopped at Ross and the new 99 Cents Only store. Which, I don't think I have ever blogged about, but it's definitely my favorite store in the world. Yeah. Before I left to pick up Ross I was loaded up with hand-me downs, fresh oranges, lunch leftovers, books, 4 new pairs of slacks for Ross, groceries, and probably at least two other things I'm forgetting. I said goodbye and headed to the 405 to sit in traffic for about an hour or so.

When we met up with the Cox family, we were all pretty hungry so it didn't take much debate to convince them we should return to the scene of our crime from last weekend in .... Culver City. No pictures, just pure good scarf-age. I was happy that they loved it as much as we did.

After dinner the Coxs had to start their long journey back, and Ross and I weren't exactly eager to jet home. We decided to kill some time in Santa Monica at the Promenade. Pretty sure I need this Flash action hero.

This is my "Yay!! He's done!!!!" face. That's his, "Yay. I'm done. Time to catch up on *yawn* sleep" face. 

Ross said the exam was pretty tricky. And much more difficult than what he had practiced, but he thinks he did well. He will for sure find out in about a month. 

Until next time- I'm looking at you Step 2 CK!

Pre-Game: Step 2 CS

Since I don't drink, I've granted myself the liberty to change the meaning of "pre-game" to mean something entirely different.

Pre-game in this context means going out to eat before med school "game time." Aka before Step 2 CS. Remember that monster exam that Ross took last summer after studying non-stop? This exam is the first part of the second set of licensing board exams and focuses on Clinical Skills. The exam is series of mock appointments with patients presenting with different symptoms. Ross has about 10-15 minutes to talk to the patient, take notes, and do a physical exam. Then he has to type it up, determine what tests he would order, and write a diagnosis. It all goes really fast. Ross has been studying really hard and I've been able to help him. I had maybe a little too much fun pretending to be patients with different symptoms.

But soon I developed a very real and life-threatening symptom- my chronic disease of hanger. We decided it was time for lunch. We both had the day off, so I figured it was the perfect time to try this German food place in San Bernardino. I've had my eye on it for months, but it has horrible hours and is never open when we are around. I kind of explained it, but Ross is so used to me dragging him to random (awesome) places that he just went with it.



And I'm glad we did! We have kinda been hooked on German food ever since Schnitzel Haus. So we were excited to give this place a try. I love their line, "Best of the Wurst." Get it?! 

We were the only ones around and it didn't take us long to order. Part hanger, part being able to navigate a German food menu. Turns out all that humiliation at awful pronunciation at Schnitzel Haus paid off. 

I've realized that I kinda really hate taking pictures with or of my food. Like I'm some social media celebrity. But then again, I can't seem to stop myself. 

Maybe because a smile doesn't get more forced than the minutes between when your food arrives and when you scarf it down. I got the wienerschnitzel and Ross got a sausage sampler plate. The warm potato salad was to die for and even the red cabbage wasn't too bad. They also had warm rye bread and butter while we waited. 

We pre-game pretty serious so we saved room for dessert, which was black forest cake. I guess the baked goods actually come from a German bakery elsewhere. But when it tastes that amazing, I don't really care where it comes from! 

Later that evening Ross was to head out to a motel room he booked in LA for the evening. I was bored and doing nothing so I tagged along. Again we learned the valuable lesson "location, location, location." The Travelodge room was the tiniest thing ever. It was kinda dingy but is right next to LAX (and the testing center) so it cost about $120/ night. Wowzers! 

The thing with this exam, is that it is held in very select locations. We are lucky enough to live close to LA, but people fly to the United States from around the globe to take this exam. Even friends from Northern California had to drive down to take it here. 

And I always tell Ross that when it comes to medical school stuff we "spare no expense." I'll eat ramen for the next month if it means he can save himself the headache of a two and a half hour drive in traffic at 5am before his big exam. Of course, the funny part is that after all that ramen, I'll probably need a doctor to help pump my stomach or cure cancer or revive me from sodium poisoning. Cheers!

Crochet Crazy

I don't really seem to be slowing down much. I'm full-blown crochet crazy.

I have had some time off from work and I am perfectly content with sitting in my pajamas all day and crocheting while watching some stupid show on Netflix. I don't think that makes me a particularly interesting person, but I am still a little bitter I'm not in New York this week on some fabulous adventure so whatever. I'm still trying to catch up with myself from that awful week of work I had before finals. Just thinking about it makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry.

Instead of crying, I'm just awesome. I put the finishing touches on this little pony-pattern turned unicorn. Ross calls it the Rasta Unicorn and I would have to agree. I love how wild the mane is. 

I'm also trying my hand at this Ewok at Ross's request. It is a little tricky but things were going well until I got to the lips. Hand embroidering on amigurumi is one of my least favorite parts of the process. I was pretty irritated when I spent all that time and they still looked awful. On the left is mine, on the right is the pattern... obviously. 

I know it's hideous but a part of me just can't admit defeat and rip out the stitches to try again. For now this project is in time out. 

Moving on. I really love this little kawaii cactus pot. It ended up being a lot larger than I thought, but nevertheless very cute.

I decided to mix it up with different flowers and faces. Like a whole little family! Since it is a little too big for my desk at work I think I will just keep it at home. 

LA Festival of Books

Now the weather is warming up I've found that I'm sick with the Spring Fever. That is... More prone to restlessness. I am constantly wanting to get up and about and just in general be outdoors.  Which is probably why I was excited to trek to Los Angeles for the Festival of Books.



Ross has the first part of the second part of his medical licensing exam coming up, so he spent Saturday morning studying with friends but once he was done, we were off! After navigating to a parking space and some wandering around we found my parents. Well, I should say that mom found us. I think it must be a mom thing, to be able to pick out your kid in a crowd of people. Well play mom, well played!

Before we met up with my folks we actually took a walk down the "Hero Complex" which was the portion of the festival with all things comic related. It was on the way so of course we had to. Lots of cool stuff going on.



The boring part was all the comic shops who pretty much just re-located to the festival, under and EZ-up. But the cool part were the local and independent artists and publishers with their wares; art, comics, and all kinds of merch. Ross scored a graphic novel with amazing artwork for only $10. And I settled for a Rocket button.

Truth!

When we met up with my parents we listened to Octavia Spencer who was speaking and answering questions. Some of my favorite quotes were,

"Dream the biggest dreams... and it can happen!"

and when asked how she gets over writer's block,

"How do I get over writer's block? Well, I go the the kitchen and get a snack!"

The Festival of Books takes place at USC and is absolutely massive. The campus is divided up into different sections of literature, young adult, cooking, poetry, children, etc. The best section was the children's literature because it was the most interactive and brightly colored. For a little bit we listened to a panel discussion that included the author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Always a family favorite.



Part of the fun was just walking around and seeing everything that was offered!



Mom and dad bought us ice cream, which was awesome because it was pretty warm out.





Almost matching hats! A necessity for the day. Not a cloud in that sky!

One vendor had some really cool handmade leather products which reminded me of something Pip and Andrew could make. 

Also, pretty sure some child labor laws were broken with this 7 year old selling water. Dad had to help him out with the math. Dad just can't stop teaching I guess. :D 

I don't think that Matilda poster was made for adult sized faces.

The best part of the day was when I got to meet the author of Sparky! One of my favorite kids books (since I've been a kid). She was really nice and since I don't actually own the book I got a copy and had it signed. My mom met her earlier and told her about how I had crocheted a little Sparky sloth for her. While I was getting the book signed I shower her the picture and her publicist asked if I could send it to her so they could use it! It was surreal, I was surprised but said sure!

Also, I asked if they had an Sparky bookmarks, as advertised on the sign. And as she was looking around she said no, but that I could have this limited edition print by the illustrator! Whaaa?! I was so shocked, it was such a cool experience and felt unreal.

It's so much fun to hang with mom and dad. I will never take for granted how nice it is to live close. Ross and I were in no rush to make the 90-ish drive back, so mom and dad volunteered to take us out to eat. They have a bunch of food trucks at the festival, but the lines were long and I was trying to get my parents to suggest this friend chicken place in Culver City my mom's been talking about. 

SCORE!

But before I go on about Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken, I need to tell you about this present my parents got for me. My parents have been mentioning it for a several days now, and they were both pretty excited about it. They wouldn't tell me where they got it from and my dad joked that they were, "still making payments on it." I was interested. Furthermore they said that they weren't even sure it would fit in the car for them to bring it to me. Huh!?!?

So as Ross and I were standing out in front of the restaurant, my parents drive by. And from a distance it looks like a dog's head or something is poking out of the window. 

My parents are crazy. They bought me a pony!!!! With a big ol' bow around it's neck. The inside-joke nature of this present goes way far back to remember, but it's perfect in every way. Ask me about it if sometime if you really want to know. Also, I had to put "Pony girl" on the caption because it is kinda like "horse girl" except it is a pony, and a fancy literary play on words from "ponyboy." See how clever I am? 

About that fried chicken....

It was to die for. The only time I have had fried chicken close to that good was when I was in Memphis. Mmmm! And for the first time I tried honey on fried chicken and it was delicious. The honey that they have there is particularly good. The only thing was that it was so. much. food. I think it make me a little gluttonous to say this. but look at the texture of that chicken in the picture on the bottom right. *drools* 

Ross gettin' at dat. As far as sides, the biscuits were freaking epic, but so was the sweet potato pie. After dinner we rolled over to my grandparents' and hung out with them for a bit, since the last time I saw them was Easter and I have been feeling a little deprived. It was fun to just hang out and take it easy after a long (hot) day.