The Standard Diner, Albuquerque

My Mom, Dad, Jen and I went to The Standard Diner in Albuquerque on our way home from a crazy road trip over the weekend. Now I can put a cu-ching on another Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives suggestion from Guy. (In case you're wondering, that was the sound of a check mark).

The Standard Diner is definitely NOT a dive, and not a drive-in. That leaves diner, but this is the most upscale diner I've ever eaten in. It was a great experience. The setting is in an old Route 66 service station, but it has been turned into a beautiful little space with great food. If you're ever in ABQ, check this place out. It's right off the 1-40 and 1-25 interchange. Easy to find and so worth it.

Let's see if I can remember what we got. Mom and I got the Burbon Butter Burger (low calorie, I'm sure) and sweet potato fries. YUM. Jen got a zuccini stack that was to die for. Dad went with a panini. They also had homemade ice cream, although we were way too full to try it. But this one sounded interesting: red orange basil ice cream. Huh?

Thanks, family, for helping me out with my eccentricities. SOOOOO much better than Applebees, though, right?

Here's the link if you want to see this place on Triple D: http://www.standarddiner.com/

Break A Leg, Morgan

Morgan is headed to Cedar City today for the weekend with the SJHS Drama program for the Shakespeare competition. Good luck to Moog and all of her insane thespian friends.

Last night we were entertained by them at "Shakespearience," an evening of silliness and drama, some spoofs on classic plays as well as some serious stuff.

We're always glad to have our Grandmas and Grandpas so close to us. Thanks for coming, Grandma Gail and Grandpa Worthy. Little Worthy especially loved sitting on Grandpa's lap and snuggling when he got tired. And eating a brownie at intermission. (Thanks to Nan, by the way. Kate was much happier hanging out at the Bartons!)

Love you Morgan! Good luck at competition.

Weird Things Make Me Happy

I've been waiting for this album to come out for MONTHS. It comes out today, and that makes me happy. You can follow this link http://www.billboard.com/#/news/listen-brandi-carlile-ghost-album-debut-1004016743.story to hear the whole album free. It's worth it. Awesome.

I'm feeling very good, by the way. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and well wishes.

Morgan is in a production tonight and tomorrow, so wish her broken limbs and I'll be posting about it soon.

Why Do We Have So Many Unnecessary Body Parts?

So, apparently a person can survive just fine with only 1/2 of a thyroid. Which is a good thing, because next Wednesday I will only have 1/2 of my thyroid. Fun, fun. I'm really looking forward to the scar on my neck, especially because I tend to get those gorgeous raised scars (I have a caterpillar on my shoulder from a car accident I was in at 18). I can't stand turtle necks, so maybe some large necklaces are in my future? Scarves?

On the bright side, I'm seriously hoping this will help with fatigue, depression, weight gain and the lovely, persistent hairs that keep growing on my face. I know, I know...WAY too much information. I inherited that trait (TMI) from my grandma Z.

Seriously, I hate that I have to have surgery. But I'm really glad that the growth on my thyroid is not cancerous and that there may be a light at the end of this tunnel.

Baptism Times Two

Two of the best lookin' boys around were baptized today. It was a great event. Thanks, Kd, for all of your hard work. Thanks, Grandpa Worthy, for a very heart-felt confirmation. Thanks, Grandma Gail, for the (already cherished) comforter. And thanks, Glovers, for sharing this day with us. We love you all.

Happy Birthday My Little Man!

Happy Birthday Little Worthy!

As long as it's sweet, LW will eat it. Or wear it.



Stockton to Malone, 2003



4th of July baby




Kate and Mom feeding brand new Little W0rthy.

I can't believe my baby turns 8 on Monday. We love him beyond words, and he has been our miracle at least twice. So here are 10 fun facts about my little man.

1. Worthy has a big heart. He is genuinely upset when Kate is unhappy. This sometimes leads to a bit of manipulation on her part, but he doesn't mind. He's usually happy when she's happy.

2. He has a bloody wicked Brittish accent, thanks in part to his love of Harry Potter.

3. He loves to carry things around with him in his pocket: legos, rocks, sticks, magnets, marbles, and other small items that wreak havoc on my washer and dryer.

4. Worthy is a VERY picky eater. His definition of good food is sugary food. Everything else, besides macaroni and cheese from a box, is nasty. I was quite sure, before Worthy, that my perfect motherhood was the reason my girls were good eaters. Ahem. Not so.

5. He is so fun to tease that we all tease him constantly. Want to make Worthy smile? Ask him about his girlfriend. Or tickle him. The poor guy is constantly being tickled by Morgan because he is ticklish EVERYWHERE. And he has the best giggle ever.

6. Worthy loves Legos, but he doesn't enjoy putting the big elaborate sets together. He prefers making original designs with the tiny, obscure pieces. And he LOVES the little Lego characters (see #3)

7. Worthy is our little miracle. First, he miraculously joined our family when he was a brand new baby. We were ecstatic to have a new son and brother. We drove all the way to Georgia in the wake of 9/11 since there were no planes flying over America when he was born.

8. He proved to be our miracle again. After we drove him back across the country to meet his sisters and his extended family, he was ripped out of our arms and taken back to Georgia. We were devastated, thinking we would never see our son again. He returned to our family as the best Christmas present we've ever received.

9. Worthy LOVES to go golfing with his Dad. So far he hasn't developed a love for the game as much as a love for being out on the course finding treasures. I have this great picture in my head of The Three Worthys out golfing together in a few years.

10. Our Little Man loves to snuggle. Since Moog is a teenager and Kate loves me from a distance, this Mom will take all the snuggles she can get. I hope to still be getting hugs and snuggles when he is taller than me.

Happy Birthday Little Worthy.

Diners Drive-Ins and Glovers

So, those of you who know me might know I have a weird fascination with the Food Network. I think I'm trying to be a chef by osmosis. If I watch enough Food Network, maybe dinner will magically appear. And it will be melt-in-your-mouth delicous. And individually plated with a garnish of some kind. So far it hasn't happened, but a girl can try.

I'm especially fond of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. I love the idea of people making real, good, made-from-scratch food in funky out-of-the-way places. I've had enough of McDonald's, Denny's, and plastic food places that seem to be taking over the world.

So last week Worthy and I went to our first (of many, I hope--road trip, anyone?!!) diner recommended by Guy Fieri. It rocked. It's located at 2041 South 2100 East in Salt Lake City. Off of our usual beaten path, but we'll definitely go there again.


The Blue Plate Diner is well known by the locals for it's yummy breakfast menu, but it's a good bet everything there is tasty. They have an antique soda fountain and bar, and funky decor with authentic vintage tables, chairs and booths.




Here's a clip of Guy at the Blue Plate Diner. They're making the Vegan Burger, which is what Worthy ordered (not really his thing---I think he tried it because it was featured on the show. It was delicious, by the way). I had the pulled pork barbecue sandwich. Yum. I want to go back and try everything on the menu.

Thanks, Worthy, for tagging along on my crazy diner adventure.