First Time Sushi, Gelato, and Connections

So last night I went out with a friend, Ammon, (who I met after a social for us single Temple workers) to a Japanese restaurant on Center Street in Provo, to have sushi for the the first time in....my life. I was definitely a bit nervous for this new experience, but I was glad that I was going with Ammon--he's quite the world traveler and world food taster, so I figured that if I followed his lead, I'd do alright.

Now, for those who are food snobs, like moi, my rating of the restaurant in descent--good food, nothing that was disappointing, but not quite as high of quality as could be desired. However, since I'm not experienced in the Japanese restaurant area, I wouldn't know where to point you in a better direction. Yet, the one draw that it does have on it's side is the native Japanese that own and run the restaurant, so I'm pretty sure it's more authentic than not.

We tried three different sushi rolls, my favorite being the American Rolls which consisted of shrimp with tempera batter, avocado, rice, and wrapped in seaweed--great texture and taste! The other good one was the Smoked Salmon Roll with that had the salmon with green onions, rice, and wrapped in seaweed. I think eating with chopstick definitely added to the experience, as did the soy sauce with a bit of ginger and a tiny bit of wasabi (sp?) mixed in--every now and again I would get quite the sensation from the wasabi, but I genuinely have to say that once the fire died down in my mouth, it was pretty good. The next part was the most interesting....I had sashimi (sp?), the real raw fish...we chose salmon and yellowtail (I think that's tuna?). Bland, chewy, and not my favorite. Don't suggest it.

Once we stepped out of the restaurant, there was some live big band music outside of Maestro's Gelato, a little shop just a few doors east, so we stopped in for our dessert (and for me to wash down the raw fish). Can I just say that I found a new favorite?!! Gelato is definitely worth it's weight in gold, and with it being made with real fruit, my raspberry and peach scoops were divine! (Actual picture of Maestro's Gelato counter below).

After our delicious dessert, Ammon took me to a party that was being hosted by one of his friends, Tasha. I asked him what her last name was, and crazy enough, it was the same Tasha Antoniak that was in my freshman ward at BYU, and who went on my study abroad to New Zealand. Her roommate, Tuni (real name Camille) also went to New Zealand, and at the party I saw a few freshman friends that I never saw since that year--what a great night! (Below is a picture of Tuni, Tasha, and Kristen at Kaikoura in NZ).

Happy Day

After doing much thinking about life of late, I've decided that I'm most happy when I'm connecting with people. My relationships are the drive and motivation behind 97% of everything that I do (the other 3% being my purely selfish desires). After reading family member's blogs, watching video, perusing pictures, and replaying in my mind meaningful and jovial interactions I've recently had with family, friends, co-workers, and my teenage boy clients, I've decided that these things need to be recorded and remembered. With so many memories faded or now lost, I've got to put them down.

I now, with great pleasure, invite you to be my guest. So, kick up your feet, relax in your chair, and hopefully grab a bit of sunshine and happiness (or just some quirky thoughts and laughs) from this newly created blog, which really will have the rambling thoughts, ideas, stories, events, and adventures of a happy girl. Enjoy!