Weekend Diary

Friday

8:15 As we prepare to leave the house for a day long car trip eventually ending in St. George, we inform Eddie we are stopping for breakfast. Eddie then informs us that he doesn't need to stop for breakfast.

8:20-8:55 Eddie continues to remind us every five minutes that he doesn't need to stop for breakfast.

9:00 While driving through Utah County, Kristen asks if we are almost to the restaurant. I remind her she is holding the directions in her lap. She soon realizes we just missed our exit and determines, "If you don't expect anything of me, you won't be disappointed."

9:15 After entering Communal in Provo, Eddie announces, "I'm going home," and stands by the window overlooking University Avenue while we eat.

9:40 When Eddie repeatedly refuses to eat the big beautiful biscuit we ordered for him, Kristen and I regretfully slather it with fresh strawberry jam and split it between us.

10:45 We break from I-15 at Nephi for an excursion through rural Utah.

11:30 We arrive in Gunnison amid blustery winds and snow flurries. I brave the less than ideal elements to photograph the Casino/Star Theatre.

12:00 A little ways down I-70, I photograph the Huish Theatre in Richfield while Kristen and the kiddos play at a park.

12:30 We joke about eating lunch at Subway.

12:45 We eat cheeseburgers at Sandi's Drive-Inn. Not the best old timey drive-in we have ever eaten at, but then we did just consume a massive breakfast a few hours earlier.

1:15 Monroe is our last stop heading away from civilization before we start heading back toward it. (Plenty of new Cinematic Utah shots are coming in the next few weeks.)

5:00 We ditch Eddie with his grandparents in Cedar City and head to St. George for an early anniversary getaway.

6:45 After checking in at our hotel, we joke about eating dinner at Subway.

7:00 We enjoy a quiet, coercion-free dinner of panini and cupcakes at TwentyFive Main in downtown St. George.

7:30 Kristen straps Violet into the baby carrier and we walk around the town square in a vain attempt to burn a few of the calories we consumed throughout the day.

Saturday

10:15 We settle in for brunch at the Bear Paw Cafe. I order apple pie that substitutes pie crust with a belgian waffle. Kristen orders 1-1/2" thick french toast filled with chocolate bruleé cream.

10:17 Kristen vows to figure out how to make french toast filled with chocolate bruleé cream.

11:15 While shopping at the Outlets at Zion, I realize that rainbow gradients and papyrus will one day be responsible for bringing about world peace. Wait, did I say world peace? I meant the destruction of my eyeballs.

1:00 We joke about eating lunch at Subway a half dozen more times before meeting up with Eddie and his grandparents at Jimmy John's.

1:45 We are mistakenly informed that you have to drive through Gunlock and Veyo to get to the Snow Canyon sand dunes from St. George.

2:30 Eddie has a great time, but Violet decides that windswept sand dunes aren't really her thing just yet.

4:00 Back at the house, Eddie and I swim in the pool. He nervously clings to me and demands I don't let him go.

4:30 I eventually convince him that his life jacket floats. He now demands I don't touch him. He can be kind of demanding pretty much all the time.

6:30 Eddie opens some birthday presents, including his very own pair of cowboy boots. Chocolate cupcakes complete the celebration.

7:00 Someone notices chocolate smeared on some of the toys.

7:02 Kristen catches a glimpse of Eddie's backside and realizes in horror that it wasn't chocolate at all.

7:03 Eddie gets in the bath. His clothes and the toys he was playing with go in the incinerator.



Sunday

2:30 On our way home we drive through Parowan. Our trip is made complete when we see a bear fighting two elk in someone's front yard.