"Very Superstitious, Writings on the Wall"

Superstitious (adj): Having or showing a belief in an excessively credulous faith in and reverence for supernatural beings.

There are an uncountable number of superstitions in the modern day world. Of course there is seeing a black cat on halloween. Or picking up your feet over railroad tracks. And my all time favorite, holding your breath as you pass a cemetery. I mean, we might as well all be granted bad luck because there is no way someone can hold their breath that long.

FACTOID: The average person cannot hold their breath for more than thirty seconds. 

Yeah, I looked it up. 

Beans are life.
(Photo Courtesy of MySnackShop)

Superstition Number 1: 

I sit here eating my green beans, delicately sliced avocado, gourmet chicken, and lightly buttered pasta with a sprinkle of parmesan. This is the exact same thing I eat before every track meet or cross country race. I didn’t even think I was superstitious! 

Superstition Number 2: 

During the fall we had to do a time trial to determine who would be running Varsity at our first cross country meet. The night before I decided to paint my nails this shiny light pink color. If I am being completely honest, at the time I just thought it would look good as my hands swung when I ran. From there on out I always painted my nails that same color, it was lucky!

Superstition Number 3: 

It was my second race of the season, not that it really mattered but I was wearing my hot pink sports bra and matching underwear. Actually I guess it did matter, and it always will. The whole entire race I was just seconds behind the leader. Then at the last second I sprinted to passed her. I’d like to say that right before my kick I looked down at my sports bra and it gave me the encouragement and the energy to run faster. But that didn’t happen. I just wear that sports bra every race simply because I believe when something good happens you must follow the same EXACT routine to make it happen again. #Superstitious.

Superstition Number 4: 

Cheesin' at Herriman because we finished without upchucking! 

This is the last of my superstitions and I have to give all the credit to mother dearest. I was loading the bus to head down to Herriman, the utterly most dreadful course to ever exist on this planet. If that was a hyperbole you would know because I never fail to remind you when I am using my literary devices. It’s no hyperbole, trust me. As I climbed up the stairs on the bus my mom sneaked a little pack of Sport Beans into my bag. She said they would just give me that final boost at Herriman. Even though I thought the beans were stupid I still decided to eat them. It was true the beans did help, actually they are probably the only thing that got me up Herriman’s insane hill. I would like to say that I am going to use them there again next year but I have already planned to be sick that day. I hate that hill with a passion and some magical beans will not ever change it. However, I still take the beans every meet, it’s even become a team joke. “Liza’s got to take her beans!”

Honestly, I don't necessarily believe in the whole superstitious thing but just like everyone else, I am to scared to see what happens if I don’t follow them. Except for those text messages that say if you don’t do something you will have bad luck for the rest of your life. I’m simply too good for those. 

The Vocabulary is Actually Vital, Don’t Forget To Do It

You know those nights where you sit straight up in bed freaking out because you forgot to do something? 

It was 11:40 on a Wednesday night. (Actually, I am not really sure what time it was but just go with it for the dramatic experience). Where was I? Oh yeah, it was 11:40 on a Wednesday night. I had gone to bed without doing any homework thinking that I had none to do. BIG MISTAKE. Life Lesson: There is always homework. Especially if you are in 9th grade Honors English class… Preferably with Mr. Parker. 

Anyways, the hair stood straight up on the back of my neck. My Vital Vocabulary. 

I know what you are thinking… Vital Vocab… Seriously Liza? You freaked out because of Vital Vocab?

I cannot deny it. There was no way I was going to bed that night with the thousands of possibilities crossing my mind: That’s it, I’ve failed the class. I’m never going to school again! When did I become so irresponsible? I’m Appalled at myself. What will colleges think of me? How will I show up everyday to school and face the hatred in Mr. Parker’s eyes? My life is over. 

My heart started beating a million times a minute. My head was throbbing. My shaking hands became clammy.

I bolted upstairs to my parent’s bedroom. They had been peacefully reading but both jumped out of bed at the sound of my scrambling footsteps. By the look on my face they probably thought my dog had a seizure or a real emergency was taking place. 

“MOM, I FORGOT TO DO MY VITAL VOCAB!!!” 

Ya know, usually when a person experiences a sensation like this in the middle of the night, they are comforted by their loving parents… Not laughed at. 

I wasn't kidding...

I guess now that I think back to the night, it was probably a pretty entertaining scene. I was hysterical. 

I have definitely learned more out of not doing my Vital Vocab. than I ever would if I had:

1. Never bound up the stairs if you have a 13 year old dog.
2. Never watch Pretty Little Liars on the night of a White Day. 
3. Never doubt the fact that you have homework… You ALWAYS do.

And, I have learned even more about myself:

1. I should probably keep an agenda.
2. I should probably set an alarm for Monday nights. (Already Accomplished). 
3. I should probably realize that while twenty points may seem like a lot at the time, it is not the difference between me becoming a garbage truck driver or a some wealthy anesthesiologist. 
4. I will always be some over-achieving, painstaking, meticulous dork.
5. I should probably stop refusing to accept number four. 

Two Hours of Happiness

There are two nights during the week that my family lives for. 

We go about a routine unlike any other day… We eat dinner on the couch. My mom stays up past eight o’clock. And the weirdest of all, I don’t wait until nine o’clock to begin my homework. 

You could say American Idol pretty much runs our lives.

(For the record that was a joke. We also enjoy watching the Bachelor.)

(For the record that was a joke too. We are actually a very active family that enjoys going on night walks, long hikes and excruciating bike rides. Because we all know how much I LOVE to bike right???) 

"And this, is American Idol!" -Ryan Seacrest
(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia)

Every family has that one thing that they kind of keep a secret because it’s a little embarrassing. Well ours is the fact that we absolutely live for Wednesday and Thursday nights because we get to watch our favorite singing competition. Oops, I guess I kinda just let the family secret slip. That’s okay I trust my four followers will keep it under the radar. 

OMG I almost forgot to tell you guys the great news! I obtained another follower on Tuesday, that brings me to… Da da da daaa da da da daaaaa four followers!! I don’t know if I have ever been so excited before. Morgan, whoever you are, just know that you totally made my week… And probably my month too. 

HE'S SO COOL.
(Photo Courtesy of Pitch)

ANYWAYS, back to American Idol. 

SO, when I try to express my love for the show to my friends, I am immediately shut down by their gossip from some show called the Voice. Like, why would you watch THAT when you can watch Idol, am I right? I do not know who the judges are on The Voice, but American Idol has the best of the best, which is practically unbeatable. Harry Connick Jr., who has sold over twenty-eight million albums worldwide. Jennifer Lopez, named the world’s most beautiful women by People Magazine. And Keith Urban, I don’t even have to justify him. IT’S KEITH URBAN. The most beautiful man in the world… Named by ME. 

As you can see, American Idol is a pretty special thing. And the best part is it makes everyone happy. 

My mom has something to look forward to all day long and it gives her a reason to stay up past her usual of eight o’clock. 

My dad, although he puts on the, “I am way too cool for this show” face, I almost always catch him texting in a vote on the American Idol app. 

My dog, because if you haven’t noticed, dogs like any scenario where the family is all sitting in one room and they can wedge in comfortably between two members. 

My sisters and I because we simply love the show… And looking at Keith Urban!

And lastly, my super cool teachers, who are happy because television is making a positive impact on the amount of procrastination I do in a week. 

Who knew TV could be so great? 

Obviously not  the people watching the Voice, am I right?

Almost Famous

Hello to my three loyal followers. SO, I figured you were kind of bored about hearing me complain about the warm weather. It may come as a surprise, but I'm actually kind of digging the heat. 

Ski season is coming to an end for me, that means right into track. And track is THAT much better when you can run in shorts, which mother nature has made the only option. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday the distance crew runs to the top of Swede Alley and then down the center of Main Street. You would be surprised how many people gasp as they see our bare legs and sleeveless arms. If you haven't already guessed, these are usually the people wearing a long fur coat, a scarf, gloves with hand warmers, most likely two pairs of pants and carrying a grande cup from Starbucks right under their chin so the steam warms their shivering face. And to keep their mascara from running as their eyes water in the “bitter cold weather”. Not to mention this is all taking place on a bluebird day with a temperature low of fifty degrees. LOW. 

It’s funny to think about what they would be wearing if they had come a week earlier and experience twenty-five degree weather. Or better yet, if they came in December when we considered warm to be three degrees. 

Running Down Main Street!
(Photo from Claire Breiholz's instagram)

Finally they blink after a good eight seconds of wide eyes due to the sight of exposed skin and decide they want to take a picture of us so they can remember the “crazy” runners they saw while visiting Park City, UT. 

I like to think that they send the picture to all their relatives and that I will become famous someday.

Of course I have always looked forward to running on Tuesdays and Thursdays because they are our easy days. However over the past couple of weeks, these two days have become even better. It seems we usually find ourselves walking down main street just because it is easier for all the wide eyed tourists to take our picture. 

I’m not even going to try to hide how thankful I am to these overdressed out of towers because: 

Number 1: Just when I feel like my legs are going to give out in the middle of a run, the tourist’s insane outfits make me smile boosting my energy. 

Number 2: They give me the opportunity to stop running each time they take my picture. Always a bonus. 

And Number 3: if they ARE sending these pictures to family and friends they are bringing me one step closer to reaching my ultimate goal in life of becoming famous. 

And Then There Was One

On a scale of pain from one to ten, I would say getting my braces tightened falls in as a six. 

You know that point in time when you go to the bottom of the pool thinking you can hold your breath forever but then you realize you obviously can’t… Well seven is what your feeling on the journey to the surface. 

Then I would say mountain biking in general is an eight. 

That terrible moment when you bite into a lemon and your face feels like it is getting compressed into a raison, that’s the gruesome nine.

Then there are the things that you are thinking about like breaking a bone or biting your tongue. Those make up the decimals between nine and ten. 

So what is ten? Well, I can answer that for you.

This week I have experienced a terrible thing. The life of an only child. 

SEEESTERS in 2002

A year and a half ago my oldest sister, Katy, graduated high school and is now in college at Middlebury in Vermont. It felt so weird for the first few months. Four is so different than five. Grabbing four forks for dinner instead of five. Having only two sides of the couch occupied at once. And the weirdest of all, four people actually fit on the chairlift all together. 

Obviously it was only two weeks that I had to live in misery, because Nicole was just out of town. However, in less than one year the nightmare will actually become reality. And I will be forced to live that way for two whole years with my sisters all the way on the other side of the country. 

SEEESTERS in 2013

Soon, I’ll only be grabbing three forks. And there will be awkward spaces on the couch. AND there will only be three people on the chairlift forcing us to sit with a random stranger picked up from the singl es line. It doesn’t get much worse than that. 

I am often told that I should consider myself lucky to be the youngest in the family. And I do. I have the two most incredible older sisters in the entire world and I am fortunate to follow in their footsteps. However, as Katy and Nicole travel to college I am the one that is going to be left behind to bear the life of an only child. No sisters to drive me everywhere. No sisters to coach me on how to get through high school. And the worst of all, no sisters to yell at me for stealing their clothes. It’s weird, but I will definitely miss Nicole’s face when she sees me strolling around town wearing HER shirt. 

Through it all, I do know that Katy, Nicole, and I will remain best friends. #BFFL’s! (That stands for “Best Friends For Life” just incase you modern day uneducated moms were wondering). 

I finally understand why Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström created Skype… It’s for all the kids like me in the world to stay connected with their totally awesome and stylish sisters. I love you guys. 

The day Nicole walks out the door to head to college I will have officially met the dreaded ten. 

Where's Winter?

I ain’t no meteorologist but I know winter was not supposed to end on the first week of February. I think most Park City locals can agree that it is way to early for grass to be revealing and flowers to be budding. Yesterday I went about a routine that would fit more into a June weather pattern. Late June. I wore a t-shirt to school, I ran in shorts and a tank top, and I almost got stung by a bee. Maybe you didn’t hear that clearly… A BEE. You know, Winter is one of my favorite seasons. And one of the many reasons for that is because there are no mosquitos, ants, or bees. 

Somethin’ is up. And I do not like it. 

We are exactly half way through our ski season but it is starting to look like it may rap up before the anticipated date. It is like Spring skiing up on the hill. Sixty degrees, sweatshirts, and slush. 

*Please take a second glance at that last sentence. It contains alliteration,  in which a number of words begin with the same consonant sound. Shoutout to my sixth grade Language Arts teacher, Mrs. DeKoff. YOU DA BOMB<3*

ANYWAYS, Back on the topic of Spring… OH WAIT, it’s Winter not Spring. Sorry must have gotten the two missed up because at this moment they are lookin’ a whole lot alike and are very hard to distinguish. Oh man, I am heated. Heated, meaning angry but also a feeling of warmth, because I am not at all chilly like I am supposed to be during this season of Winter.

February 1st, 2015

February 11th, 2015

If you do not understand the pain I am in right now, you are probably live on the coast California and do not ever feel the desire for snow. OR you are from the East Coast where the snow is already abundant yet keeps on falling. I think mother nature has something against Utah… And I am bound to get to the bottom of whatever that is. 

I mean one week the high temperature is five degrees and snow won’t stop coming down. And then the low for the next week is fifty degrees and the sun beats down the entire day. OR it is fifty degrees and pouring down rain. RAIN. EW. 

If you have plans to visit Park City “the dream ski town” for winter vacation, I encourage you to change flights and visit Vermont, where those ski town dreams will actually come true. However, if you are THAT desperate to visit our town just make sure you throw a bikini in your suitcase. Your going to want it. 

Sadly, Mother Nature has left me with no choice but to anticipate more mood swings on the horizon. 

#sundance2k15

Hello to my loyal readers! And bon voyage to everyone else. YES, I am talking about you people who just came to look at my pictures... TOODLE-OO. 

Anyways, we all know that it is that time of year again. Park City becomes the definition of a "big" town. Which is a good thing because us locals get to meet famous people for the first time ever. But then it is not so grand when the roads are filled with insane lunatics and it takes me twenty minutes just to pull out of my driveway. 

Sundance in full swing up on Main Street.
(Photo Courtesy of Hoola)

And so begins the annual Sundance Film Festival... and an unhealthy stress level for me! YAY. 

In reality that is not entirely a true statement. I mean I am not stressed the entire time... Only when I have to deal the impolite tourists that think they are driving on the LA highways during rush hour. Although when they are rude I take that as the indication that I can be rude right back. So that means I get to use the car horn, YESSS. I really do love that thing!

Your thoughts perhaps?  " But you can see documentaries!" "And dress up!" "And meet famous people!"

Yeah, all those things about Sundance do make me feel lucky to live in Park City, but they are definitely not my favorite parts. My all-time favorite activity to do during Sundance is people watch. The act of watching random strangers walk by… and judging them. 

Point Made.
(Photo Courtesy to the big sis)

Now you probably think that I am some arrogant, judgmental, person but it isn’t like I am posting pictures of these people on the internet. Well… I have only done that once. Just kidding, I have come close to doing it, but never will. Anyways, if you saw what some of these tourists were wearing, you would definitely struggle to stifle a chuckle.

This year at Sundance I am not seeing that many films. In actuality, I only saw one. The film was called Dark Horse. It was really well made, entertaining, and a wonderful story. 

SPOILER ALERT: Just kidding! I ain’t gunna spoil nothing.

SPOILER ALERT: Did you actually think I would do it this time? #Gullible 

Anywho, today I leave for a ski race in Sun Valley so I’ll be skipping the tail end of Sundance this year. 

Last night I was thinking about this as I fell asleep. Obviously my first feeling was hallelujah, no more sundancers! And then, something weird happened. I felt… bummed.

Writing this blog made me realize something… they always do! Sundance does make me flustered and some people just get on my nerves. However, I think I would feel pretty upset if the festival went to any other town. Sundance is the one time that I get to live in a true ‘big’ town, and I have learned to embrace every aspect of it.