Upgrade Your Holiday

Right now my days consist mostly of working on my Mozart role and waiting around for my Brazil trip to happen (I'm leaving June 15, FYI), so it's not like I have a whole lot going on. I had no plans at all for the holiday weekend because everyday is pretty much a holiday for me anyways since I'm not working. However, I have really awesome friends who are always doing really fun stuff, so even when I have no plans I usually end up going out and doing something fun anyways.

Take this weekend for instance. On Saturday I went to a baptism in our ward (for Jen Ciccone, very cool girl) and when it was over my friend Dave asked me if I wanted to go with him on a Zingerman's Tour de Food. Zingerman's is a foodie's paradise here in Ann Arbor with five locations scattered around the city - the deli, the creamery, the bakehouse, the roadhouse diner, and the mail-order center (where Dave works). The Tour de Food is a challenge to visit all five locations in one day (they give you a passport which they sign at every stop). Along the way they give you tons of samples and at the end they give you a free t-shirt.

I had already been on a Tour de Food, but I decided to go anyways and it still fun the second time around with my friends Dave, Dan, Vaugh, and Carrie. The highlight for me was at the roadhouse, where I had my very first raw oyster. I was extremely hesitant for two reasons: a) raw - doesn't raw food make you sick/die? - and b) ewww, slimy! But it turns out that I didn't die (yet) and I actually thought that it was pretty good. Maybe those foodies are on to something.

The t-shirt I got at the end of the tour is pictured to the left. It's a play on the ubiquitous maize and blue Michigan shirts you see everywhere around Ann Arbor - I think there must be a Michigan school policy that at least 30% of the student body must be dressed in a maize and blue shirt at all times, so now I can finally do my part to help out with that.

Speaking of segues, on Sunday night our ward FHE activity was a Jell-O competition, I am holding my entry in that same picture on the left - Gelatina Colorida. It's a dessert I had frequently in Brazil, consisting of various colors of Jell-O cubed and then encased in a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and unflavored gelatin. It was quite time-consuming to make and in the end I was very pleased with my dish, so naturally I felt very disappointed with the judges' decision. There were only seven entries in the contest and there were five grand prizes and mine failed to win any of them. Even a plate of lemon Jell-O with peas and string beans in it, which even its creator declared inedible, won a prize. The only other participant who didn't win a prize was Brady Emmett, and his dish didn't even have Jell-O in it (it was tapioca pudding). They did invent an honorary award for my dish ("Most Least American"), but My Gelatina Colorida losing out on the real awards was the biggest snub since The Color Purple went 0 for 11 at the 1986 Oscars.

Speaking of Brady, on Sunday night he asked me was I was going to do on Memorial Day and I said nothing, so he offered me the chance to "upgrade my holiday" (his phrase) by going geocaching with him. I had only recently heard of geocaching and I was intrigued and agreed to go. After breakfast with a group of 7 at the Northside Grill, Brady, Seth, Vaughn and I headed out to the Lower Huron Metropark to search for caches.

For those of you who haven't ever heard of it, geocaching is, according to the official website, "a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants in the activity." People hide waterproof containers in foresty-type locations, submit the GPS coordinates to geocaching.com, and then other geocachers plug those coordinates into their GPS and try to track down the box. Each box contains a log book you can sign and date, in addition to all sorts of trinkets that previous finders have left inside (I left a green origami pig named Boris in the first cache). We found four caches in the park and then headed home.

Later that evening we headed out an unofficial ward barbecue with tons of friends. It was BYO meat, so I brought a Totino's pizza to cook on the grill. Turns out that they don't taste any better when grilled. We partied like it was 1999 until it started raining, then we went home for the night.

So thanks to my cool friends I was able to take a weekend in which I had nothing planned and upgrade it to a fun weekend filled with raw oysters, free t-shirts, Jell-O snubs, geocaching, and grillin'.

I'll leave you with an image of my Gelatina Colorida, which I think would make excellent wallpaper for your desktop:

Seattle Bullets

Greetings from........ Michigan.

I was in Seattle for almost two weeks and I got back home to Ann Arbor at the end of last week. I had some great stuff to blog about while I was there, but my uncle's computer and Blogger.com were not friends. Every time I tried to upload a photo, post anything, or even save a draft of a potential blog post it timed out on me and gave me nasty error messages.

The reason for my trip is pictured right: Jessie, the dog belonging to my aunt Jennifer and uncle Denis. The two of them took off for Hawaii and they needed someone to watch the dog and the house while they were gone so I enlisted. It was actually a really sweet arrangement - I got my own place in the funky Seattle neighborhood of Queen Anne (just up the hill from the Space Needle and Seattle Center - the picture at the top was taken just a few blocks from the house) but I was only a half-hour drive away from my sister Julie's house in the suburb of Sammamish.

For the uninitiated, Julie is my oldest sister, her husband is one Lance Olson, and they have four kids - Caleb (12), Meg (10), Kate (7 1/2), and Ashley (4 1/2). I hadn't seen Julie and her family about four and a half years. The last time I saw them Ashley was a two-month-old infant, so a visit up there was definitely overdue and the dogsitting gig was just the excuse I had been looking for (plus I really do love dogs). It was great to have so much time to spend with their family because their lives couldn't just stop because Uncle Brian was in town, but instead I got a chance to peek in on their everyday life.

There is a lot to recap so I'm sorry if this turns into one of those "I went on a trip and here's an exhaustive travelogue complete with every picture that I took" posts. Rather than provide a chronological account of the whole trip I'm going to reduce it down to some bullet points detailing some of the more memorable moments of a thoroughly memorable trip:

• Caleb went on a week-long camping trip with his school to the gorgeous Whidbey Island and I went along with Julie and Ashley to drop him off. We then had a fun little picnic down on the rocky beach.

• Elder Holland came to speak at Stake Conference, but unfortunately we were seated in the very last row up on the stage at the back of the gym, where it was both freezing and impossible to hear anything.

• At church on Mother's Day they gave all the sisters the day off from their callings to attend a special brunch, so I somehow got roped into being the Primary pianist. I think I sight-read all the music passably, but afterwards Caleb (brought in from the Deacon's Quorum to maintain order in the Primary) told me, "You played really loud."

• Speaking of music, I got to see Meg play the violin with her orchestra (favorite selections - Canon in D and the theme from a James Bond movie). We even had a chance to jam together on some fiddle music that she had recently played in a fiddle competition.

• I needed to watch all of the Jazz playoff games but I didn't have cable, so I discovered a nearby sports bar called The Spectator, where the bartenders soon came to know me as the guy who came in a for a few hours but only ordered a single lousy Sprite. I got to know a few of the bar's regular patrons and I'd like to holler at my Seattle sports BFFs Steve, Kristen, and Dave.

• Kate and I were science BFFs, building an egg capsule together for the annual egg drop (her egg survived!) and conducting an experiment for the science fair. My conclusion: massive amounts toilet paper + a leaf blower = fun project. Kudos to Julie for her leadership skills - she was in charge of both the egg drop and the science fair and she was really running the show.

• I got a chance to go with the whole family to see a brand new musical called Busytown at the Seattle Children's Theater, with sets designed by my aunt Jennifer. It was a real labor of love for her - she had spent over a year collaborating with the playwright, composer, director, choreographer, etc. to make this thing come to life. The resulting show was just delightful - here is one of several glowing reviews.

• I got to be there to see Julie run the Tacoma City Marathon. Sadly, we mistimed our arrival and didn't get to see her cross the finish line, but we were with her in spirit as she ran because she had previously asked each of us to recommend a song to put on her iPod (mine was "Rock Lobster" by the B-52s). P.S. - Where did Julie get the time to train for a marathon?

• Lance smoked up some salmon on Mother's Day and it was the first fish I've ever had in my life that I actually enjoyed. I even had seconds.

• Julie and Ashley and I rented a canoe and went out on lake Washington. We rowed underneath the freeway and found some nice secluded spots full of turtles and herons and ducks that gratefully accepted Ashley's graham cracker snacks.

• Julie and I went to the Experience Music Project at the Seattle Center (the building is shaped like a smashed guitar) and had some fun jamming out on the guitars and stuff in the interactive displays.

• The last time I had gone to Seattle was for Caleb's baptism, so I thought it was fitting that I was there when Caleb went to the temple for the first time to do baptisms. It was a really special opportunity.

• I got a chance to try out life as a soccer mom one evening when Julie and Lance had overlapping meetings. I dropped Kate off at her soccer game then immediately took Meg to gymnastics. I watched her for a few minutes, took Ashley back over to the second half of the soccer game, then returned with Kate and Ashley to the gymnastics place just in time to see Meg climb the rope. That may not sound that hectic, but you also have to factor in all the traffic at the park from the adjacent Cirque du Soleil show.

• Although I left just before her actual ballet recital, I got a chance to see Ashley dance at an exclusive dress rehearsal. Just like her mom.

• One night I wandered over to take a look at the newly remodeled opera house and lo and behold, a performance of I Puritani had just started. I watched the first act on the T.V. screens in the lobby and then after intermission I just slipped in to the audience for the rest of the show. However, I didn't stay for the third act because the Jazz were playing, and a Jazz game trumps the opera any day.

• On my last night with the kids I gave them an origami lesson in which we made seals with balloons that balance on their noses. Julie has since informed me that Kate took our creations to school for show and tell and Meg has figured out twelve of the origami figures in the book I left with them.

In between all the aforementioned activities I also managed to squeeze in time to take Jessie on daily walks, practice for my role in Così fan tutte, and watch season 3 of the new Battlestar Galactica (which is, along with Lost, the best show on television right now).

It was really great trip because, unlike most of my trips, the emphasis wasn't on seeing as many museums and landmarks as possible but it rather it was about seeing people and getting to know them better. The Olsons are a really wonderful family and I'm thankful that they let me be a part of their family for a couple of weeks.

I just hope another four and a half years don't go by before we see each other again.

Olson Girls

Editor's note: I intended to publish this post over a week ago, but the computer I was using in Seattle was engaged in a bitter feud with Blogspot.com and wouldn't let me upload or post anything. Now I'm back in Ann Arbor where my computer and my blog have a much better working relationship.

These are my nieces Kate, Meg, and Ashley - the Olson Girls. One day during my visit to Seattle we took a walk and I told the girls that they could each take one picture with my camera and I would exhibit their work on my blog. All pictures, titles, and captions provided by the girls.

"The Adventures of Bob the Blue Jay"

by Meg Olson, age 10
“We got up really close to a blue jay and it let me take a picture of it. It didn’t even know we were there.”

"Martian Sky"

by Kate Olson, age 7 1/2
“The green is the sky- it turned green because the Martians didn’t like blue. So, they sprinkled green hair dye down from the ship. Then the sky turned green, and whenever they walk they leave white dots. That’s why there are white dots in the sky.”

"The Fence of Doom"

by Ashley Olson, age 4 1/2.
“I like to call it ‘The Fence of Moom,’ but it’s actually ‘The Fence of Doom.’ Because… why?”

Our destination on that walk was the cemetery where my Grandma Lupton is buried. I had stopped by previously and found that the grave and the bench that flanks it both had quite a bit of moss growing on them, especially inside the inscriptions, making them hard to read. I told my sister Julie about it and she rounded up her girls and we went over there armed with toothbrushes and sponges to cleaned it all up. I thought it was a really great idea by Julie because it got the girls asking about their great-grandmother that they had a chance to know (Meg, the oldest, was 1 year old when she died). When we were all finished cleaning it off I heard Meg say, "I hope my great-grandkids come and clean my grave some day." I hope so too.

Blood Embargo

I just got back from what will be my last blood donation for about a year. My upcoming trip to Brazil will take me into some areas that are at risk for malaria, so I when I get back I will be deferred from donating for one year. The Red Cross showed me a map of Brazil with high malaria risk areas in dark pink, and Manaus is at the center of a dark pink circle that has a radius of about 500 miles - to say nothing of the ultra-malaria-y Rio Branco.

When I was contemplating whether I would go to Brazil or not this summer the donation deferral issue was about the only item I had on the 'CON' list. I'm really going to miss donating blood for a whole year. It's one of my favorite things to do (I had previously blogged about how I went to donate blood on my birthday). I've been going in to donate about 3-4 times a year for the last 6 years or so (the max is 6 times a year) and I've donated a total of about three and a half gallons of blood during my lifetime.

People are always asking me why I love giving blood (usually followed up by their own horror story about their aborted donation attempt). I get a great feeling of satisfaction from donating because I feel like it's a moment when I'm overcoming some of my personal selfishness (a concern of mine that I just expressed in my previous post). I can't say that I really enjoy having a big ol' needle in my arm, but I feel like a needle in the arm is such a small sacrifice for me to make if it's going to help someone who is in need of a transfusion. Plus, blood donation centers love me because my blood is CMV-negative (my friend Wikipedia will define that for you), meaning that I am among a small portion of the population who can safely donate blood to infants. And for some reason donating blood doesn't seem to fatigue me - I actually feel really energized afterwards (maybe it's all those free snacks afterwards).

My favorite blood donation anecdote: Two summers ago I was living in Wooster, Ohio as a cast member of the Ohio Light Opera. One day the Red Cross held a blood drive at the student union during lunchtime. I had to do a performance of The Gondoliers at 2:00, but I decided that I would be fine for the performance because I never had felt tired after giving blood. So they put me in a chair adjacent to the lobby and stuck the needle in me. As soon as the blood started flowing into the bag, the stage director of my afternoon show walked right by me, saw the blood rushing out of my body, and got a really panicked look on his face. I tried to assure him that I would be fine for the show, but he looked doubtful as he headed out the door and over to the theater.

When it was time to bandage up my arm I remembered that my costume had short sleeves, which would be a problem. But they found some flesh-colored tape and wrapped me up. The whole donation process took much longer than I had anticipated, so I couldn't even sit and relax for ten minutes afterward like you are supposed to. I bolted out of there and ran across campus to the theater, arriving out of breath at the theater at about 1:45. I threw on my costume and makeup and made it onstage just in time. Mind you, this was not a show with static blocking - we were dancing all over the place. But, just as I predicted, I was fine and I had plenty of energy even though I had been giving blood just a half hour before. And afterwards I asked a few audience members if they noticed my arm bandage and they all said no.

I guess memories like that will have to sustain me during my one-year absence from the blood donation scene.

For free! Surplus drums of mayonnaise from Operation Desert Storm!

I love free stuff. Whenever I find a free giveaway, no matter what it may be, I'm there and I want as much of it as possible. For example, I recently discovered this little monthly coupon magazine called 'The Clipper' (no relation to the poor little Davis County Clipper), wherein I found a coupon for a free beverage at a local coffee shop, no purchase necessary. So I went down there to get my free beverage and found out that they have a nice assortment of smoothies and fancy hot chocolate. So pleased was I with my free drink that I found a stand full of copies of the Clipper magazine and I went through and cut the free drink coupon out of about twenty magazines. (I left plenty of untouched magazines on the rack and the coupon was a couple days away from expiring anyways, so I felt like it was okay). Over the next couple days, I probably stopped in to pick up a free hot chocolate about six times, always getting the biggest size with all the whipped cream, caramel, and fudge they could squirt on top - if it's free anyway you've got to go all out, right?

So naturally you can understand my attraction to such things as Ben & Jerry's annual Free Cone Day. I organized a little outing with my friends Jessica Allen and John McElderry to go down and get our free cone. The line went all the way around the block, but hey - free ice cream! The coffee shop with the free beverage coupons was just around the corner, so after we got our free cones we stopped in and all got some more free stuff. Then we went next door to the movie theater (we saw a little Brazilian film called "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation"), followed but another round of free drinks at the coffee shop.

However, this time was different. I went up to the counter to order and Jess and John said they would be right back and they disappeared out the front door, returning moments later with a homeless man they had seen out on the sidewalk. They told him that we would get him something warm to drink, so I gave him one of my coupons. As soon as he got his drink, he thanked us and left. We sat down to eat and a moment later he came back in and said that since we were so nice he wanted to sit down at the table with us. He told us he had hitchhiked his way up from Florida, where he had had surgery, and he was trying to back to his family in the Upper Peninsula. Jess and John bought him a sandwich, which he ate, and I gave him all the rest of the free drink coupons that I had and then he left.

I felt pretty humbled by the experience. I live my live as such a gluttonous consumer, always thinking of myself - even my last blog entry was about how I greedily check every vending machine I pass for a few extra cents. But John and Jess (I suspect she was the brains behind it, being a social worker and all) saw that someone else had a much greater need and they went out of their way to help him. I was very touched and I resolved that I need to stop thinking of myself and I need to be more helpful to others that have a much greater need.

P.S. - The title of this post comes from a Simpsons episode where Homer is scouring the want ads for free stuff, finding such gems as sixty soiled mattresses (courtesy of the Springfield Men's Shelter) and the aforementioned mayonnaise.