100 Degrees in the Shade...But It's a Dry Heat!

Maredith and I just returned from a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, where views of the Wasatch range of mountains like this (left) are at every turn. She was scheduled to attend a three-day course and then a three-day conference on E-Learning, held at the University of Utah, with a weekend in between, and had booked a double room at the Guest House. All she had to do was say "Mom, would you like to join me...?" Of course, you know me...I was almost finished packing before the words were out of her mouth! (I am my mother's daughter, after all.) This was Maredith's first visit to Salt Lake City, and I had not been to SLC since I was about 10, so everything looked new to me, too. We had a good time together, as we always do, in spite of having to battle some nasty respiratory problems that we blamed on the wood floor refinishing "fun" we'd experienced the week before at her house in Louisville. These were made worse by the high temperatures (100-104 daily...only bearable because of the lack of humidity), the smoke from the fires south of the City (they seemed to be worse in the afternoons...don't all the photos look a little hazy?), and the altitude...it's really tough to breathe with all that stacked against you! Still, we relied on the fantastic public transportation system on the weekdays (here's a photo of Maredith at the Fort Douglas/University of Utah Trax ticket station, above right), and a rental car for the weekend to see the sights and sample the food. We were typical tourists, snapping photos of Temple Square (left) and the Capitol in Downtown, and of the Olympic Park (left, below), Park City, and the Great Salt Lake (right).


Atypically, Yarnaholics that we are, we "hit" 4 yarn shops together, and I visited one on my own while Maredith was at her conference on Monday. Here's a photo (right) of one of our favorites, The Black Sheep Wool Co., where I got "three bags full" of cotton sock yarn...! Not really that much. But enough to keep me busy until Christmas, for sure. Follow the link (above) to their website where you will find a free sock pattern by Susan Lawrence of knittingasfastasican.com who has designed these fabulous socks to honor the last book of the Harry Potter Series. Susan wonders, "Is Harry's scar the last Horcrux?" If you are wild about Harry, that will make sense...if not, well, you gotta read the books to understand the reference. (But, you can still download the pattern without reading the HP series, just by clicking "pattern of the month".)

I also enjoyed the beautiful Red Butte Gardens, high above the historic Fort Douglas area (photo right). Then, in honor of my birthday, Maredith treated me to our favorite meal (Mozzarella Fritta for a starter, followed by Caesar Salad; then, she's Chicken Parmesan; I'm Chicken Scaloppine) at the Macaroni Grill, which was located in the lovely, renovated Peery Hotel, a 1920's historic landmark in downtown Salt Lake City.

Yes, it was a great trip. Maredith seemed pleased with the conference and her course, saying that she could apply a lot of what she learned back at work. It was another great Mother-Daughter Bonding experience, and I'm so glad she invited me to join her. Still, as the week came to a close, we were both glad to wheeze "adieu" to the high climes of SLC and return to our homes closer to sea level. Ah, it's good to be home!