A Trip Down Memory Lane

Yesterday was full of fun memories. I love days like this when I get to reminiscence about the past. When life was full of promise and there were no dark shadows to tint the dreams of the glorious future that lay before us. Days before any darkness and you know there is going to be dark times ahead but you revel in the joy of the day and know you can conquer anything to come.

First we went to a wedding reception. We got there near the end and they were already cleaning up. But, fortunately, everyone except the Bride and Groom were still there. The Groom's family have been friends with my family since before I was born. A long time! The wife, Linda, told the story of first meeting my Dad. Linda and Tony were at the office and it must have been a holiday because no one else was in the office. In came my Dad to stop by before he started working. They said hello and made small talk. Then my Dad asked Tony where he had gone to school. "BYU," he replied. "Oh, are you one of those Mormons?" "Yeah." "I took the discussions back in High School, but they didn't get me!" my Dad laughingly replied. (Who's getting the last laugh now?) And that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Linda told me how they started bringing them to church activities, then actual church, and before they knew it my parents were talking to the missionaries and learning about the church in all earnestness. And then they were baptized when I was a baby. I am so thankful for that decision they made a long ago. My life would have been so different otherwise. I never would have met Olaf and had the beautiful three children we enjoy. But on the other hand, I wouldn't be living in Utah either. Pros and Cons, everywhere we go.

I enjoyed seeing their oldest son, Todd, whom I had been friends with since birth. He has a great wife and the two most adorable girls. They've moved away to the Happiest Place on Earth. They can set the clocks to the Fireworks out their backyard in Orlando. Can you guess which Happiest Place on Earth? I saw one of their other girls, Kami. I remember she had just finished nursing school when I was dating Olaf. She still lives in the area. She was good friends with Sister Homemaker and when I told her Sister Homemaker lives in Boise she got excited. She's going up there in a few weeks and I promised to give her Sister Homemaker's info so she can call her and catch up. It is so much fun catching up with old friends whom you haven't seen in 14 years!

After the reception we surprised the kids and went out to dinner at one of our favorite places in Salt Lake City, The Pie Pizzeria. I was thinking of a few slogans for the restaurant as I was eating my pie.

The Pie Pizzeria, More Cheese than You can Shake a Stick At
The Pie Pizzeria, Come Hungry, Eat, Take a Nap
The Pie Pizzeria, Leave with Less Artery Clearance
The Pie Pizzeria, A Years Supply of Cheese

Now you know why I went into Accounting and not Advertising. I don't think they'd go for any of them, but I was pretty impressed with my skills. Olaf's parents went on their first date to this very same basement, collegish restaurant a long time ago. Our boys love that fact. They can't forget it. They love historical facts that relate to them. They got Olaf's sentimentality.

The brick walls at The Pie are covered in all kinds of writing. It's not Bathroom Wall writing, thank goodness. Most of it's G-rated with a few PG comments interspersed here and there. My kids get a kick out of reading a portion of the wall every time we come. Yesterday they noticed a few people had even written on the ceiling. Must be their basketball team. In the entryway the walls had new brick walls nailed up with only a few bricks defaced. My kids decided they were bringing pens next time so they could add their names to the walls of infamy.
Once we took Middle Child's friend with us and when our pie arrived he exclaimed, "There's too much cheese!" He is so not one of our children! On that same trip I noticed the Pie cutter looked a little strange. When I asked Olaf about it he quietly told me he was high. I laughed. "I guess they don't do drug testing here unless it's to make sure you're on drugs!"
Calvin loved The Pie Pizzeria. He described the pizza to the boys in Scouts and had them all drooling for some of that cheesy pizza. Olaf has promised the boys if they pass something off he will take them to get some of that awesome pizza.

On the way home, it was late, Baby promptly fell asleep and I slept most of the way. Nothing like a full stomach to lull you to sleep after dark. That's better than any sleeping pill they've made yet.