Unwinding . . . Finally!

This week (the fourth week in April) was CRAZY BUSY! We had something going on almost every day. Tuesday night, Rod's boss was in town from D.C. so we took him to the Red Iguana, a Salt Lake institution, for the city's best Mexican food.

Wednesday night was book club (my third one) the "Serious Book Club". In this club, reading the book is mandatory, the books are picked through consensus, and we're required to talk about the book for at least 20 minutes before breaking into normal conversation. :) Needless to say, it is much different than my other book clubs. Last month we read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a painful read about drastic measures to defy conformity. This month we read Revolutionary Road, an equally painful read about conforming to the point of insanity. Both books have been incredibly depressing. At least the addictive cookies Allyson bought were good.

Thursday was the big 30 Women to Watch Reception. It was such an honor to be recognized with all these amazing women. I was an even bigger honor to be surrounded by my amazing colleagues. Nancy Lawson, Parr's awesome marketing director, and her girl wonder, Rachel, arranged to have my table filled with people who have been influential throughout my career. It was overwhelming to see how many people took 2 hours out of there very busy day to support me.

By the time Friday rolled around, we were beat! Luckily my friends from book club (the original one) had arranged a celebratory dinner for me at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant: Mi La Cai. I veered from my usual (Bun--pronounced boon) and opted for the pho (pronounced Fuh). It was so nice to just chill with them and then call it an early night.

Saturday we hosted Spring Dine O' Round--one of favorite firm activities. Every Spring the firm's Auxillary Committee (a.k.a the "Queen Committee") recruits volunteers to host a dinner party at their house for a randomly assigned groups of attorneys and their spouses. It is such a great way to get to know your co-workers and their families better. This was our first year hosting, and it was so fun.

As you may have figured out by now, Rod loves to cook and we love to host parties. David and Sherrie Gee, our resident wine sommeliers, brought amazing wine for each course. Our menu started with a cheese and fruit tray. Our local market, Liberty Heights, helped me pick out the perfect cheeses: montbriac, a brie-like blue cheese; prima donna, similar to gouda but not as heavy of a taste (one of my favorite cheeses, which I discovered searching for pregnancy-safe cheese for my prego friend Kim); and berkswell, a parmesan-like sheep cheese. The Gees paired this with an excellent Kava champagne. Next, we moved onto a simple salad with field greens, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Our main course was Rod's never fail grilled chicken (grilled portabello for our vegetarian friends), which he made with a goat cheese and lemon pat, roasted fingerling potatoes, and green beans. For these courses, we had a choice between Chateau Ste. Michelle Eroica Reisling and Pinot Noir. We finished the meal off with strawberry shortcake and espressos. YUMMY!

We had planned on hosting the event outside, but due to rain, were forced to bring the party indoors. To decorate in a pinch, I used the awesome bouquet that my friend, Bean, bought me for making partner and 30 Women as our main centerpiece, and I also created a tulip centerpiece from an inexpensive grocery store bouquet.

The real icing on the cake, though, was the awesome group of guests. The conversation was non-stop fun, talking about everything from rafting, to Wicked, to Twilight, the new PTC lineup, the Red Butte Concert series and back again. Rumba also had a good time. She immediately took a liking to Sherrie and even tried to go home with her. Of course after she tried to swipe an entire wedge of cheese, we had to put her in time out. Naughty dog!

The next day, I went to breakfast with my best friends Carley Anne and Alicia. Alicia came from Idaho to help the very pregnant Carley Anne pack her hospital bag. I cannot believe she is going to be a mom in just a few short weeks! I am so excited for her.