My Favorite Things Part II

That's right, I'm also a "Hall-raiser" like Phil Dunphy from Modern Family :) For those who don't know, Hall and Oates is a very underappreciated group from the 70's and 80's that made some amazing songs. Just look them up. "Your Kiss is on My List" and "Private Eyes" are two of my personal favorites. When the Davis' wanted to take me out for my birthday a little while ago, I decided that my new favorite restaurant was Ruby Tuesday. I have never had a bad experience there. The salad bar will change your life. The steaks are fantastic. And everything just tastes fresh. When I went down to Santiago in September, I noticed something odd in the airport ... they had a RUBY TUESDAY!?! Completely random, but also not ... because why wouldn't they have my favorite restaurant in one of my favorite countries? Because it is exactly what they say it is ... Simple Fresh American Dining.

Snowboarding is how I get in touch with nature. Snowboarding is my own version of camping. The picture to the left is not of me, but you get the idea. I am definitely a Utah girl, because I count down to the opening day at Brighton. The closest resort out here in VA is like an hour away and everyone says that the snow is terrible. I will have to give it a try anyways. There is nothing like carving down a powdered mountain on a snowboard. I like to put in my ear-buds and ride down the mountain to my snowboarding mix, which features artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson, MJ, and Jamiroquai. I have been boarding for the past 10 years, and the more I do it, the more therapeutic it is for me. Now, please understand that I'm not one to do flips and 360s ... I keep it simple and safe. Plus, I'd much rather fly down the hill than wait to go off a rail. Just personal preference.

There is nothing quite like NYC at Christmastime. The shot to your right is from 30 Rockefeller Center in NYC. My good friend Amanda and I scored some decently priced tickets last year, and we went the week before Christmas. We stayed with a friend of hers who lives and works in Manhattan. This city is enchanting. You could live here for a year, and still not do everything. But on this specific trip, we went to the temple, shopped along 5th Ave and 34th Street, saw Wicked, went to the Met, and ate at some of the coolest places ever. Amanda's friend Brooke was able to give us an insiders view to NYC ... otherwise we would have never discovered a quaint little Thai place in Soho called called "Peep". I believe I was a New Yorker in another life.

I was introduced to this soda by my cousin Alyssa (whether or not she wants to take credit for it, I'm not sure) ... and it's delicious. I can't stop. Haha. My mother thinks I am addicted. Well, everyone knows that I enjoy soda in general, but this one is my favorite. Also, Coke Zero is just better than Diet Coke. That's right, you heard me Auntie. It just tastes better. And it doesn't matter what you put with it ... lemon, lime, vanilla or cherry ... it's delish. Luckily, here at the park we can only sell Coke products ... it's part our new contract, which I had nothing to do with (trust me, if I did have something to do with it, I would take credit for it ;).

Ken Griffey Jr. is my favorite athlete of all time. He recently retired from baseball after playing for 21 years. He debuted for the Seattle Mariners in 1989 ... which means he played in his first major league game when he was 19 years-old! This prompted fans and reporters to nickname Griffey "The Kid". As a 19-year-old, his first time up to the plate in Seattle he hit a double. His second time at bat he hit a home run. AT HIS SECOND AT BAT!!! He has been a part of my childhood. I can remember going to the Kingdome in Seattle to watch him in awe. Morgan and I collected baseball cards, posters and figurines of Junior since we were little. And he had a SuperNintendo game called Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball that we still play to this day. Griffey retired this year and remains 5th on the all-time home run list with 630 during his career. Plus, he just seems like a really great guy. He might be one of the last big home-run hitters in baseball that HASN'T been in trouble for steroids. He's been married to his wife for 18 years and they have three children together. I just wish there were more athletes like Griffey that kids could look up to.