Jazz vs. Bobcats

Fans witnessed a hard-fought contest between the Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Bobcats tonight!  Whenever the short-handed Jazz went on a run, Charlotte answered back with a run of their own.  The Bobcats were within one point of the Jazz with less than two minutes left in the game but Paul Millsap and Raja Bell made key free throws to cement the lead.  It wasn't pretty but the Jazz were able to outlast the Bobcats 83-78.  I am encouraged by the fact that the Jazz seemed to play with a lot more intensity tonight.  They made a lot of mistakes (such as 19 turnovers) but they were much more aggressive, out-rebounding Charlotte 49-36 and blocking 10 shots.  I am also becoming quite a fan of Earl Watson!  He played less than twenty minutes because of foul trouble and he only had five points on the night but I thought he was very key in running the offense!

Note:  BYU guard Jimmer Fredette was in the crowd tonight!  Heard of him?

Monday Motivator

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

I am so happy it is the weekend!  To celebrate I decided to make some White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn which is another fabulous treat that I found here.  Oh my goodness it is SO GOOD!  You definitely want to make some soon!

Make about 10 cups of popcorn.  I used three bags of natural flavored microwave popcorn.  Melt 8 ounces of white chocolate in the microwave and add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract.  Pour the white chocolate mixture over the popcorn and mix thoroughly.  Place several unwrapped candy canes in a ziploc bag and seal.  Crush them with a rolling pin until you have about 1 1/2 cups.  Toss the candy canes into the popcorn mixture.  Place the popcorn on some waxed paper in an even layer.  Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over the popcorn (I am still working on my drizzling skills).  Allow the chocolate to cool thoroughly before packaging.  Definitely give this a try...you will thank me!

Linking here and here.

Jazz vs. Timberwolves

Tonight I got to take my nephew to the Jazz game against the Minnesota Timberwolves!  It was a lot of fun because Sean was so excited to be at his very first Jazz game and he wanted to know everything that was going on!  I told him that the Jazz really needed him to cheer loud so they could win.  Apparently Sean was their good luck charm because the Jazz finally got a victory following a six-game losing streak!

Having a little person with me made it a bit difficult to pay attention to the game (explaining the finer points of basketball, bathroom breaks, and an unfortunate soda spill) but it seemed like the Jazz were playing much better defensively and they were rebounding a lot more.  Earl Watson, who started in place of an injured Deron Williams, really pushed the pace and recorded his first double-double of the season.  Both Paul Millsap and Andre Kirilenko had great games, scoring 30 and 27 points respectively, leading the Jazz to a 108-100 victory over the Timberwolves.

Note: One of my students found me at the game.  I helped him with his essay after school and he brought me nachos to thank me!

My Car Turns on a Dime and Leaves a Nickel Change

Because of an unfortunate incident which has since been permanently expunged from my memory, I found out that my driver's license expired...quite a while ago!  I am sorry to report that this has happened to me before.  Many years ago I was almost stopped from boarding a plane because of an expired license.  I have gotten several tickets (and when I say several I mean more than three) for having an expired registration.  I don't know why this happens!  In other areas of my life I am almost obsessively compulsive but, when it comes to the operation and maintenance of a motor vehicle, I am entirely hopeless! 

In November I went to the Utah Driver's License Division to renew my license and found out that, due to the length of time it had been expired, I had to take both the written and road tests.  I got one hundred percent on the written test and signed up for the next available appointment for a road test which was Jan. 5!  By the time I took the road test, I had my Kia Sportage and, on the appointed day, I performed each mandatory skill with ease (even parallel parking).  At the end of my test, my examiner informed me that I failed because I completed a U-turn into the wrong lane.  I turned from one inside lane into another inside lane when I was supposed to turn into an outside lane.  Being in the wrong lane at any time is an automatic fail even though I didn't miss anything else on the test!  I tried to get my examiner to change his mind by telling him that I was just showing him the awesome maneuverability of my Sportage but he wasn't buying it (although he did mention that he thought the Sportage was a really nice car). 

Yesterday I reported back for my second attempt at the road test and, to my utter mortification, the woman at the desk asked me why I failed the first test.  Referring to the elaborate diagram my previous examiner drew on the form, I told her about my U-turn.  I pulled my car around to the start of the test and ended up waiting for almost twenty minutes!  Eventually an examiner got into the car and informed me that I had, in fact, passed my first test so there was no need to take it again.  The woman at the counter thought my test results looked suspicious and consulted her supervisor.  Apparently my first examiner was new and marked me down because he had never seen anyone safely turn from an inside lane to another inside lane.  Most people who try it end up turning really wide or end up in part of the outer lane.  I started laughing because one of the things I really liked when I test drove the Sportage was how tight it could turn!

I now have a valid driver's license and validation that my car is completely awesome.

Jazz vs. Spurs

Sometimes it is very difficult being a Jazz fan.  After losing all five games on their recent road trip, the Jazz lost a heartbreaker to the San Antonio Spurs tonight 112-105.  I don't really want to talk about it.

Sundance Film Festival 2011

During the last week of January independent filmmakers (and the occasional Hollywood celebrity) descend upon Park City to screen their movies at the Sundance Film Festival.  The Festival usually has screenings of movies for high school students free of charge so today I took my AVID students to see the movie The Music Never Stopped.  This movie is based on a real case study published by Oliver Saks (from the movie Awakenings) about a man with a benign brain tumor that takes away most of his memory as well as his ability to create new memories.  He is, essentially, stuck in 1969 which was the year he left home after a disagreement with his father over music.  Music is ultimately the only way he can communicate with the outside world and so his father must overcome his prejudice about rock and roll to have a relationship with him.  I absolutely loved the music in the film which included the Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead!  It was a wonderful movie and I will admit to a few tears at the end!

My students absolutely hated posing for this picture but I think they really enjoyed the movie!  Alas, there were no celebrity sightings but we did have a great Q&A with Gary Marks (one of the screenwriters) after the movie!

Monday Motivator

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant;  if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

- Anne Bradstreet

Snowman Pops

It has been a really long week!  It was the beginning of a new semester at school so I have been very busy getting lessons ready.  The Jazz have been away on a long (disastrous) road trip so there haven't been any home games for me to go to!  Finally, my Mom had an eight hour (successful) surgery on her back so I have spent a lot of quality time in hospital waiting rooms!  It was definitely time for a treat!

I saw these adorable snowman pops here and decided that today was the perfect day to make them!

Carefully insert a craft stick into a double stuffed oreo cookie, dip the cookie into some melted white chocolate, use mini chocolate chips and a candy corn to create a face, and place on some waxed paper to harden.  So easy!

Aren't they adorable?  Give them a try if you are in need of a treat after a long week!

Linking here, here, and here.

On That Memorable Day...

My book club rang in the new year by reading a wonderful book called One Day by David Nicholls.  It tells the story of Emma and Dexter who first meet the day after graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 1988.  We see a snapshot of their friendship on this exact day, July 15, for the next twenty years.  They begin as correspondents while Dexter travels to exotic places trying to find himself and Emma travels in a third-rate acting troupe.  Then we see Emma in a stagnant relationship with someone she doesn't really love while Dexter becomes a television presenter with a new girlfriend every week.  Emma finds fulfillment as an English and Theatre teacher while Dexter hits rock bottom with his abuse of drugs and alcohol.  Emma ends an adulterous affair just as Dexter decides to settle down and get married to Sylvie.  Dexter's marriage ends while Emma finds success as a writer and a chance at love in Paris.  It is a clever story of two people who love each other but can never find a way to be together.  It is a moving story about life turning out differently than you imagined it would.  The reader does not find out the significance of July 15 until the final pages and I literally could not put it down! 

Note:  I heard a rumor that a movie is in the works with Anne Hathaway as Emma and Jim Sturgess as Dexter.  Hmmm...

Life Imitating Art

Today was a day off from school so I decided to see a movie.  I have been vacillating back and forth about seeing Black Swan because, although it looked interesting and thought-provoking, several of my friends told me it was very disturbing.  I finally decided to see it because Natalie Portman's performance has generated a great deal of praise, including a best actress win at the Golden Globes last night, and I wanted to judge for myself!  The movie is brilliant!  Portman plays Nina Sayers, an incredibly repressed but technically perfect ballerina, who is chosen to play the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake.  She is perfect for the role of the innocent White Swan but lacks the passion to portray the sensual Black Swan.  The director of the company tells her that she needs to lose herself in the role.  She begins to have psychotic episodes including vivid hallucinations and becomes paranoid that her understudy is out to get her.  The more Nina descends into madness, the better her performance as the evil Black Swan becomes!  The cinematography of the ballet scenes is mesmerizing and Natalie Portman is simply amazing!  There are some very unnerving scenes but I highly recommend it!

Monday Motivator

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Girl...Who Loved the Millennium Trilogy

I have been completely obsessed by the Millennium Trilogy of books by Stieg Larsson.  All three books are set in modern-day Sweden and revolve around Mikael Blomkvist, the editor of Millennium magazine, and Lisbeth Salander, an anti-social computer hacker.  I found Lisbeth to be a fascinating and compelling protagonist!  The books are quite dark and atmospheric and I kept envisioning a black and white Ingmar Bergman film as I read them.  There are some very disturbing scenes in the books so sensitive readers may not like them, but I thought they were interesting, thought-provoking, and  incredibly suspenseful!

At one of the many gatherings hosted by my good friends, the Kollochs, the discussion turned, as it inevitably does, to books.  One of my friends mentioned The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo so I bought it the next day (I read everything he recommends).  I began reading it on the long flight home from London last summer and could not put it down!  Mikael Blomkvist has just been convicted of libel and decides to take a leave of absence from Millennium.  He takes a job researching the disappearance of a young girl over forty years ago and moves to a remote and desolate island to interview her wealthy family members who all seem to be hiding something.  Along the way, he hires Lisbeth, the girl with the dragon tattoo, to help him.

I started reading The Girl Who Played With Fire immediately after finishing the first book (luckily I bought them both at the same time).  A contributor to Millennium and his girlfriend are savagely murdered and the evidence points to Lisbeth as the murderer.  Mikael tries to find the real murderer and learns some shocking details about Lisbeth's troubled past.

The second book ends with a dramatic confrontation which leaves Lisbeth near death.  As you can imagine, I have been waiting very impatiently for The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest to be released in paperback (I buy so many books that I force myself to buy the cheaper paperback version) so I could find out what happens to Lisbeth and Mikael.  I got a nook for Christmas and this was the very first book I downloaded (much cheaper than hardbound editions).  I read it in one day over Christmas vacation!  Lisbeth must clear her name of the murder charges against her but doing so would reveal secrets about a Soviet defector.  Mikael hires his sister, an attorney, to help him expose a massive cover-up within the Swedish government and give justice to Lisbeth!  I was a bit distressed to have to say goodbye to these characters but I thought it ended well. 

Notes:  I watched the Swedish film adapted from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo last night and I thought it was excellent!  I am eagerly awaiting the English version directed by David Fincher (a genius) and starring Daniel Craig, as Mikael, and Rooney Mara, as Lisbeth.  It is filming now in Sweden.

Ice Skating

Today I took Sean and Tashena ice skating at the Gallivan Plaza downtown.

Tashena is a fabulous skater with a wicked crossover!

Sean is just plain adorable!

It was a lot of fun!

Jazz vs. Cavaliers

Tonight's game between the Utah Jazz and the Clevelend Cavaliers was another fun one for the fans at the ESA!  Utah ultimately beat the Cavaliers 121-99 and they had the game firmly in hand almost from the first quarter.  The starters came out with a lot of intensity and executed the offense with precision.  Then the second unit came out in the second quarter and electrified the crowd.  Earl Watson and Andre Kirilenko traded consecutive behind-the-back passes to give the ball to Ronnie Price for a layup!  I felt certain this play would end up on Sports Center until I saw the next one!  Ronnie Price stole the ball and passed it to CJ Miles who posterized Samardo Samuels for a hammer dunk!  Unbelievable!  The Jazz led by 20 points going into the half but the Cavs got back into the game with Antawn Jamison scoring 14 and J.J. Hickson scoring nine in the third quarter.  CJ Miles scored a big three pointer to end the third quarter and the Jazz never looked back!  Seven players were in double figures by the end of the game and the fans left the arena very happy!

Jazz vs. Knicks

The game between the Utah Jazz and the New York Knicks was so much fun for the fans at the ESA tonight!  It was a fast-paced game with a lot of action and a lot of scoring!  In fact, the Jazz reached 100 points at the end of the third quarter!  Awesome!  Even though the end of the game was very exciting, I was more impressed by how the Jazz began it.  The starting lineup has had a bit of trouble as of late.  Tonight, however, Deron Williams and company came out with intensity and executed their offense better than I have seen in a long while.  Utah moved the ball and ended the night with 31 assists!  I thought the Jazz were much more aggressive tonight, out-rebounding the Knicks 36-26 and scoring 54 points in the paint.  I really like it when the Jazz execute the offense and drive the ball inside, but it is also really exciting when the perimeter shots are dropping.  CJ Miles and Raja Bell both made four three-point shots each, much to the delight of the crowd!  Deron Williams and CJ Miles both ended the night with 24 points leading seven Utah players in double figures!   The Jazz beat the Knicks 131-125.

Note:  Jazz fans were overjoyed to see Mehmet Okur back on the court, especially when he hit an amazing three-pointer!

Monday Motivator

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour."

- John Boswell

Barber's Violin Concerto

I have been giddy with anticipation for tonight's concert with the Utah Symphony because it was my first opportunity to see Thierry Fischer conduct the orchestra as Music Director!  I was extremely impressed with him when he was a guest conductor.  Fischer is known for his light touch and vivid characterization and the assembled crowd at Abravanel Hall certainly heard that tonight!  The concert began with the Violin Concerto by American composer Samuel Barber with Robert McDuffie, a crowd favorite, as soloist.  I thought the piece was lyrical and very romantic.  Maybe it was because I played this instrument myself, but I was enchanted with the jaunty theme played by the solo clarinet throughout the first movement!  After itermission the orchestra played a piece I was unfamiliar with called Harmonielehre by John Adams, another American composer.  I was entirely fascinated by the percussion in the piece.  There were no fewer than 18 percussion instruments with five percussionists!  It was an epic performance and a nice way to spend a winter evening!

Note:  Before the second half began, Thierry Fischer was presented with the key to the city by SLC Mayor Ralph Becker!

Jazz vs. Hawks

The 110-87 defeat of the Utah Jazz by the Atlanta Hawks was, without a doubt, the worst game I have seen at the ESA this season.  In fact, the Jazz have not lost this badly at home since 2003!  Once again, the Jazz got off to a really slow start trailing by as many as 14 early on in the first quarter.  The bench did try to inject some energy into the second quarter, but, whenever Utah got any momentum going, Altanta answered back with deadly three-point shooting!  Jamal Crawford hit an amazing half-court shot at the buzzer to end the first half.  Andre Kirilenko tried to rally the Jazz with 12 points in the third quarter with 5-of-5 shooting but the Hawks had an answer every time.  By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, it was too late for a Jazz comeback.  The team was so lackluster that the entire arena seemed to lack energy also!  It was a very weird feeling!  I spent more time talking to my cousins than watching the game.  The only highlight of this game was a spectacular block by Gordon Hayward!

A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing!

Tonight I went to see Born Yesterday at Hale Theatre.  Hale always likes to ring in the new year with a comedy and this year's offering was hilarious!  Harry Brock is a wealthy junk dealer who throws his weight around to get whatever he wants.  He comes to Washington in order to convince a Senator to pass a bill that will make him even more money.  The only problem is his ditsy girlfriend, Billie Dawn, doesn't make a very good impression on Washington society!  Harry hires the reporter who comes to interview him to teach Billie and these scenes provide much of the hilarity in the show, especially when she needs to look up every word in a paragraph!  In the end Billie learns a lot more than Harry bargains on!  The actress playing Billie is outstanding and the set of a posh Washington hotel is gorgeous!  The script is a bit dated but I would recommend it for an evening of lighthearted fun!

Note:  My very favorite moment in the play is when Harry yells at Billie and she tells him that he has used a double negative!  Awesome!

Jazz vs. Pistons

On paper the Utah Jazz should have blown the Detroit Pistons away but tonight's game was unbelievably even!  Utah shot the ball 47 percent from the field while Detroit had 45 percent shooting.  Both teams shot 33 percent from behind the arc and Detroit just edged past the Jazz in rebounding.  The lead changed in this game eleven times and the teams were tied 15 times.  Jazz fans were unable to feel confident in a favorable outcome until the last 17 seconds of the game!  Raja Bell hit a key three-point shot and then two free throws to give the Jazz a decisive 100-97 lead.  Tracy McGrady, who Jazz fans love to hate because of the intense rivalry with the Houston Rockets, had an opportunity to make a three-pointer but missed.  Al Jefferson grabbed the rebound and Deron Williams eventually hit two free throws to give the Jazz the 102-97 victory.  Once again, the bench came into the game and provided a spark for the Jazz.  Ronnie Price had another spectacular dunk to get the crowd at the ESA cheering!  Once again, the Jazz had a great fourth quarter to eventually win the game.  This seems to be the modus operandi for the Jazz this season!  But with a 24-11 record, I don't think you will hear too many Jazz fans complaining!

Notes:  We had several celebrities in our midst tonight!  Ryan Seacrest and his girlfriend, Julianne Hough, were in the crowd!  But of more interest to me was new Utah Symphony Music Director, Thierry Fischer.  He was in attendance with his two teenage sons (who were thrilled with their father's appointment to the Utah Symphony because of the great skiing opportunities).  At various times during the game Jazz owner Greg Miller seemed to be explaining the finer points of basketball to them (they are from Switzerland) and all three of them were taking pictures of the action!  I am quite excited to see Fischer conduct the symphony this weekend!

Monday Motivator

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  it is the time for home."

-  Edith Sitwell

Jazz vs. Grizzlies

The Utah Jazz rang in the new year by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 98-92.  After a rough start, the Jazz led by ten at the half but the Grizzlies came back and made a game of it.  Memphis overcame a 13 point deficit to take a 79-78 lead with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.  For the rest of the fourth quarter it was a back-and-forth battle between the teams.  However, like he usually does, Deron Williams took control of the game making some key free throws to make it 96-92.  Then he passed the ball to Gordon Hayward who made a spectacular dunk to guarantee the win.  Zach Randolph was a bit of a handful for the Jazz, scoring 27 points on the night.  Paul Millsap had the unenviable task of guarding Randolph and played as good as fans could have hoped, ending the game with 22 points and 10 rebounds.  If Paul Millsap was the hero of the game, the pleasant surprise was Gordon Hayward!  He finished the night with 13 points, playing almost 30 minutes.  Hayward even ended the night as the sub of the game.  It was a lot of fun watching him play because he is definitely gaining confidence with his increased playing time.  It was a good win to start the year!

Note:  In a game with quite a few technicals, Jazz man Francisco Elson received a double technical and was ejected from the game for arguing a foul against Marc Gasol.  It was awesome!

New Year's Eve 2011

This year I got all dressed up for New Year's Eve and went to a fancy concert at Kingsbury Hall with Jim Brickman.  I was actually quite underdressed because I decided to leave the mink coat at home at the last minute!  Lots of very fancy people!  The concert was absolutely wonderful and a great way to ring in the new year!  Jim Brickman is well known for his solo piano compositions and his collaborations with guest vocalists and he put on a show that included many of his hits as well as some lovely Christmas songs.  He brought several vocalists with him, including Anne Cochran and Mark Masri, as well as Tracy Silverman who played the electric violin.  I finally got to hear an absolutely beautiful rendition of "O Holy Night" which is my favorite Christmas song.  I also loved Jim Brickman's arrangement of "What Child Is This?" with the electric violin.  He performed his most popular original Christmas song "The Gift" and other original songs including "Valentine,"  "Beautiful," "Simple Things," "Destiny," as well as my favorite Jim Brickman song "Peace."  He also played a new song called "Timeless" which might become one of my favorites!  Jim Brickman is utterly charming and very humorous and he interacted with the audience all evening including a hilarious Q&A.  It was a lovely beginning to the new year!