Community, Continued

There's this awesome little store that recently opened in Midway, called simply enough, The Store. It is the first and only grocery store in Midway, despite the fact that there are two larger supermarkets in Heber. And being the only grocery store in Midway, I never go there without seeing someone I know. The Store sells your typical daily-type groceries but they also have many specialty items. My favorite part is the bakery.

They have bismarcks. Bismarcks have always been and shall forever remain my favorite doughnut. Custard on the inside, chocolate icing on the outside. What's not to love? And these bismarcks are the best I've ever tried. Yesterday I stopped in for one. But perhaps it was one too many, because Jessica, the girl behind the counter, said, "Why do I even ask you what you want? I'm just going to start calling you the bismarck lady."

I guess I could be called be worse.

Community

Excuse me, while I have a Norman Rockwell moment.

I love where I live. Have I mentioned that before? It's a small community nestled in the mountains. It's a tale of two towns: Heber City and Midway. Think Dallas/Fort Worth, only without the traffic. Or the buildings. Or all the people.

The people who do live here are exceptional. Tonight my daughter and I went to the local production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." It was presented in-the-round, which was perfect for our town, and here's why: I had a perfect view of EVERYONE. Both on the stage and in the audience, I saw: kids I taught last year, kids I teach this year; children I teach at church. People I work with, people I go to church with, and of course, friends.

There is much to be said for community. To see people and feel connected; to feel as happy about running into someone as they are to be running into you. In this age of personal devices, and i-thisses and i-thats, what a treasure it is to do some real life, face-to-face social networking.

Even better, set to music.

On our way out, my daughter was reading the back of the playbill and asked, "can I try out for the next one?" How can I say no?

Guy Update

So today I happened to stop in on a local business owner/friend. As we chatted, guess who should pass by her window? THE GUY!!!

Naturally I had to ask if she knew who he was. And in fact, she knew a little. She told me his name, but I am going to withhold publishing it so as to protect him. It sounds like he might need a little protection. He is a former ranch hand from Montana or Minnesota - she couldn't remember which. Anyway, he has experience with big cattle drives. She's not sure how he ended up here. He had a car, but then sold it for money. Then he had a motorcycle, but he sold it for money. Then he had a bicycle, and, well, you know the rest. Now he can be seen walking all over town. She also thought he seemed to wrestle with Tourette's Syndrome. And that is the total of what she knew.

It's not as glamorous as being an Australian spy whose mind was erased, but I guess my questions are answered (mostly).

A Little Blast From the Past

So here's what's going on at my house lately. On Saturday, my kids played with some friends who had the old Muppet Show on DVD. They came home and begged me to find this particular sketch on YouTube. We've been singing it ever since. Watch it, but be warned, you will not be able to get the song out of your head. It is now my ringtone.

Good-Bye Bad Hair

So I finally got my hair cut. It finally has shape. It finally has style. And now I look just... like... this.
I swear.

A First

Today was the first day of the NCAA mens basketball tournament. Yes, March Madness. I married a sports fanatic, so it was a definite bonus that I loved the tournament as much as he did. We've had fun betting each other for the best brackets - I've even won a few times. We watched it at the department store while trying to register for our wedding. I watched it from my hospital bed when trying to stop early labor. I've watched it for years; and for years, I've had a vested interest: the Arizona Wildcats. There's nothing like being on campus when the tournament is on. Sometimes they got knocked out early. Many times, they made it to the Final Four. 1997 was our championship year. Lute Olson was the king of Tucson. The Cats have been invited to the tournament for as long as I can remember. Every year that is, until this one.

*Sigh.* So I'm feeling a little lost today. I mean, who am I supposed to cheer for? Gonzaga? Duke? (I don't think so). My daughter is doing a report on the state of Tennessee, so that's who she's rooting for. Most people around here are rallying around BYU. I'm just not feeling the love there, either.

I think I'll just sleep in my Arizona t-shirt tonight and hope they get invited next year.

The Guy

There's this guy. He's tall and blonde and kind of looks like a young-ish Robert Redford. He always has on earphones, sunglasses, a thick down coat, blue jeans, and tall leather boots. He's usually toting a backpack as well. And at random times throughout the week, usually in the early-afternoon hours, he is walking along the street before you get to the hill where I live.

Today, instead of the boots, he was wearing hiking shoes.

I'm obviously not the kind of gal to stop a random stranger and start an interrogation, but this guy poses some questions that I really need to have answered. For starters, who is he? Where is he from? Why is he always walking on Homestead Drive? How much did he pay for those very expensive-looking boots? What is he listening to?

Because it is highly unlikely that I will ever have a conversation with him, I've decided to fill in the holes for myself. I've chosen to leave him nameless, as it's likely he's in search of his stolen identity. He is from Australia and he woke up in an abandoned barn right here in Midway with nothing but the clothes on his back and a mysterious recording on an MP3 player. The recording is full of hidden layers, each revealing a clue to his past. The clues are hidden in the surrounding mountains and each one brings him closer to the woman he loves but doesn't remember.

It could happen.