Orange.

This tree is one house down from the one I've been staying in.  Everytime I walk by it I stop and stare because it's perfect.  There's something about a big orange tree with fallen leaves all over the grass that makes me feel so..... happy.  It's comforting, home-y, fall-y.  Fall is my favorite season, always has been. The colors, the smells, the cold air, boots, chimney smoke, scarves, leggings, hats....good food.  All the good food happens this time of year.

 

Everyone's been telling me to give the Provo canyon a try for running.  I've been running on the roads here and it hasn't been pleasant.  This morning, in my new Nike winter compression pants (!!!), I gave the Provo canyon a whirl.  It.  Was.  Fabulous.  It was gorgeous and cold and alone and freezing and liberating and I almost got frostbite on my nose.  Who needs a nose, anyways?  I ran and ran and ran and ran until I realized, crap I better turn around or I may not make it back to my car.  I can't wait to go again tomorrow.  Why did I discover this place a few days before leaving?? :(

Provo Canyon

 

Mile 6

Utah, you are bitterly cold.  You are traffick-y and people-y.  You only allow one piece swimsuits at your Universities lap pool, and you're full of people who don't really know how to run.

But I love you.

Cheese and Whine

Chihuahuas for Sale!!!!
Would Boston be jealous?

I'm a simple girl.  There are really only a few things I need to be happy.  Today, I got none of them.

Utah apparently doesn't know what REAL running shoes are.  All I wanted was a pair of Brooks Ghost3's or another pair of Newtons (ok lets be honest I can't afford those yet).  All I found were Nike (barf) and Saucony (meh).  Needless to say I came home with a pair of running pants (the shorts left my legs frostbitten) and strawberry twizzlers.  Don't judge me.

Also, today I was set on swimming.  Not splashing around in a pool reading magazines and checking out lifeguards kind of swimming.  I've been craving a lap pool since I left Arizona.  I set out with my one piece, BYU-approved swimsuit and was DETERMINED to get into that pool.  The lifeguard had other plans.  I think he was gay.  I'll try again tomorrow (slash, when another lifeguard is on duty).

Lastly,  no amount of money in the world could buy this:  I wanted SUN.  We've had such beautiful weather these past couple days and I just wanted ONE MORE DAY of happy fall weather.  I woke up to rain, rain, rain.

On a positive(ish) note, less than a week left of my Utah stay then it's off to California!  A week of studio time, writing, and shows in Los Angeles!  Not exactly a relaxing California vacation but hey... I've had enough sitting around.  I'm ready to go!

Arizona.

When I first moved to Arizona, I couldn't understand why "those people" there were so obsessed with that place.  They'd always be like, "oh but we have a lake!" and "the landscape is so beautiful!" and "the weather is so nice!!"  I thought they were all loco because when I looked outside my window I saw a lot of cacti, dirt, and rocks.  The only beauty I could ever really see was sometimes there are really pretty sunsets.  Sometimes.  Plus it was always scorching hot and I missed the simple things in life like trees and a lawn.

I'm all dressed and ready go on a run, but I decided I'd rather not be outside in the freezing cold.  Instead, I cranked the heater up and found pictures of things I miss most about Arizona:

Pool sessions any time of day!

Warm, sunny weather <3

5am Canal running

Falling during 5am Canal running (ok I don't really miss that haha)

Sunrises

Things that only the Southwest can offer (shudder!)

Bicycle weather

Awesome temperatures (just makes for a nice, mild winter)

Bruce.

The best Boba smoothies in the world.

Being able to sleep/snuggle with Boston!!!

Can we PLEASE go home !?!

Now that I'm gone, I miss what I can't have.

I'll probably be back sooner than I think.  Yeah.  I'm one of "those people."

Mr. Sun

Sigh.

It's official.

I am now in the middle of a wintery, sunless, mess.

My skin is slowly going from happy-Arizona-sunned-bronze to pasty, chalky, sick-bed white.

I'm sorry skin.

I'm still in denial, and I still force "Medium Tan" BareMinerals (swoon) on my face when I really should be wearing "Queen Elizabeth III Ivory" or whatever is the whitest thing they sell.

 On the plus side, it's semi-sunny today and probably not below freezing temperatures, so I think I'll go sit on top of a mountain and try to write stuff.

Hey Boston... Remember what sun felt like??  Me neither.

Boo. And not in the scary way.

Date: Halloween Weekend.
Current City: Provo
Temperature: Freezing
Mood: Look at info above.  What do you think??


So i sacrificed attendance of the "coolest Halloween parties EVERRRR" on Friday night to take a roadtrip up to Rexburg to play at Sammy's Cafe.  It was actually lots of fun.  Free food, Boston came with, lasted about 20 minutes at a "super cool Halloween dance party" after the show....oh Rexburg.

Setting up.  I was posing for this but doubt I was aware at how "special" of a face I was making.

 

Check it out... first official "fan" photo.  Doesn't really count cuz I'm friends with one of them on
Facebook and he tagged me in it.  But still cool.

The next morning I headed back to Utah to play a show at Sammy's in Provo.  Just my luck, it rained and rained and rained up until the start of the show so it got canceled.  Which I was 89% bummed about and 11% excited about because I thought that meant I had a second chance at experiencing the coolness of Halloween (after missing all the events because of the show on Friday night).

Here's how Saturday night went:

9:30 -- Head to party in Provo

10:02 -- Die of thirst/heat exhaustion/lack of oxygen.  Hydrate, go outside.  Ho-hum around the front lawn of House Party. 

11:00 -- After extreme indecisiveness, head to SLC for some "better" parties

11:25 -- Gas station pit stop.  Watch in fascination as Samantha takes 20 minutes to decide on what to get for drinks.  Spend another 5 minute playing "gas station greeters".... say hi to scary bearded terrorist guy with "fake" dynamite strapped to his chest. 

12:07am -- Arrive at first party.  Eat candy bars, dance to Lady Gaga.  Try to talk some guys out of getting in a fight over a boob-grab incident (of which i was not involved).  

12:28 -- Drive around looking for a party that hasn't already been broken up by the SLC Police Dept

1:28 -- Still driving

2:00 -- Find a basement party.  Get hyphy.  Go Dumb. 

2:30-- Leave to get some food.  End up at Denny's.

4:12am -- Bed.  Finally.

Almost 7 hours of "partying" and only 40 minutes of actually attending parties.  10 of which were spent trying to find water.  10 minutes talking the guys out of beating each other up, 10 minutes trying to get my dumb onesie jumpsuit thing off so i could pee, and 10 mins dancing to super trendy underground indie/electronic music.

Utah, you are AWESOME.

Phoenix Fashion Week

Sometimes I do things without thinking.  Sometimes I do things intentionally.

Sometimes I do things for entirely the wrong reasons.

Sometimes I do things to prove people wrong and then just end up putting my foot and/or other various body parts in my mouth (depending on how much of an ass I've made myself).

Dave is a model.  I am not.  Dave is a triathlete.  I am not.  Dave is cool.  I am not.

But sometimes I like to pretend I am.


Which is why I end up doing things like marathon training....

                                                    ....learning to swim laps (for the day I attempt a triathlon).....

                ....And Phoenix Fashion Week.


I went to the casting call mostly to prove to Dave that I wouldn't make it, and thus rub in his face the fact that I was right all along about not being "model material."

When I got the big "CONGRATULATIONS!" email, my heart sank (not to mention it almost went under cardiac arrest).

But then began a crazy whirl of fun, stress, and make-up induced acne that was all a part of making my summer 2010 AMAZING.

Although I'm glad I'll never again have a reason to do frantic 4:30am distance runs, 24-hour water diets, and 40 minute steam room sessions (every last ounce counts!), Phoenix Fashion week was an incredible experience.

I learned a lot over the summer:  I've learned about confidence, kindness, and how to cat-hiss at dumb model girls when they're not looking.  I learned that I can pull off red lipstick and that sometimes I stand pigeon-toed (gross).  I've learned that being a good model really does take talent and work, and walking on a runway is NOT like walking around the mall. 

And no matter how hot you are, the wrong photographers can still make you look like $#!t.

Unfortunately, I also learned that I will never be a fashionista.  No one's fashion sense rubbed off on me.  My closet will probably always be full of jeans and tanktops. 

Which is why I hire people like Megan to make me pretty:

While I loved all the photoshoots, the clothes, the hair, and strutting on the runway while trying to keep my shoes from falling off....it's the people I've met and the friendships that have been created that are really what's going to last forever.


(along with probably a few pictures that I wish were never taken).


Check out PHX Fashion Weeks fbook pics HERE or my album Here!

A Letter

K Smith

123 Cherry ln

Somewhere, USA 88888

Dear Socially Retarded Owners of House on 32nd Street,

   Thank you for being by far the worst and laziest landlords I've ever had.

   Thank you for taking 3 months to fix the sprinklers and yet still insist on keeping them on even though they just shot water straight up and turned the "lawn" into a mud-pit.

   Thank you for not doing anything about the insane ant infestation. Twice. Your advice of "spray some raid" was really, really helpful.


   

   Also thank you for not doing anything about the not-so-occasional night time visitors I would get in the bathroom... Spare bedroom... Random cupboards... And the front porch. They really kept me on my toes. Literally.



   Thanks for randomly asking for a $500 deposit.... 2 months after I moved in (good thing i dragged my feet on that one, right?).

  Thanks for watching as we put in time, effort, and money to furnish the place, because you had "no other plans" for the house...and then giving me my eviction notice a week later.


  


Thanks for keeping your monster truck 
thing in the side yard....

...the engine-less, interior-less Porches in both parking spots of the garage...

 

...and not one, but two trailers in my driveway. Because... I "only need one parking spot, right?" 

(this thing's not going anywhere...)

(PS, what's up with the random boat? It doesn't even have upholstery...or a motor.)

  Thanks for showing up randomly without notice. All the time.

  Thanks for sending your teenage son over to peer in windows... I mean, ahem, "mow the lawn."  You can thank him for leaving without turning the pool hose off.... Every single time.


  That reminds me... Thanks for the awesome "pool"!!!!!!!! 

aww....the pool matches my green shoes.  presh.

WTF!!!!

  Thank you for the collapsing cupboard shelves, never-ending running toilet, crappy shower with half the water coming out of the shower head, and the other half pouring out of the spout, and the drippy kitchen sink.  And the leaky refrigerator. Which leads to...

...thanks for doing absolutely no maintenance on your house whatsoever, causing the septic to back up which has resulted in an awesome bathroom flood a week before I move out*

*(which I'm not going to tell you about until I'm halfway to Utah)

** (and i'll spare you all and refrain from posting a pic)


  But mostly, thanks for your offer to be a great reference for my next rental, under the condition that I get the carpet fixed where Boston chewed a hole in the hallway.

  Thanks, but I can do without the reference. I was only there 4 months. 

Sincerely,

K


P.S. Boston s#%* in your bedroom.