Roomie Reunion

In a sea of thousands of people, we just so happened to run into some of my favorite Cougars on the west lawn of the Capitol before the National Symphony took the stage. Laura (center) was my roommate in the house on University Ave, and in BYU fashion, she married our home teacher Jesse, who was also in my rock-climbing class. They are avid rock/ice climbers, and I'm sure June Girl will be no exception (I love that they call her that).

Apparently we're all getting old; I can't believe Laura is already finished PA school and Jesse is almost a lawyer. If you never played Ticket to Ride before you played with me and Spence, you have Laura to thank—her and her mission companions in Korea.

Here we are earlier that day, posing for what we were promised was the world's largest photo project, mid–Smithsonian Folk Life Festival.

Sited at D.C.'s Fourth of July Parade

-A sunflower-motif float featuring 12 dancing, striptease (and possibly gay) cowboys
-Poor Abe Lincoln stuck on the float with blonde doing karaoke of Katy Perry's "Firework"
-Seventh-Day Adventist, toting a 10-foot wooden cross, running from an overweight policeman who was trying to get him out of the parade

BLOODSPORT

Jace would be so jealous. Niels and I watched Bloodsport tonight, back to back (well, Niels watched it back to back. I just caught the epic synthesizer love scene and Jean Claude's final match. MATAY!).

And look what I came home to yesterday! I say turn on the oven, and he makes dinner. Good little Niels. Best roomie ever.


AND we play together on two soccer teams; judging from last night's games, Niels has still got it.

60 Years

Grandma and Grandpa cut the rug at Pinehurst to celebrate 60 years of companionship. Karfords like to dance.

And I got to see Katie's Benjamin again:

We had some nice beach time at the lake, too, where Aunt Deb showed Katie and me a thing or two about human ruddering a stranded sailboat.

Now I Have Two, or, Time for Brittany to Get a Life

To demonstrate the fierce competition for BYU intramural championship T-shirts, I submit a photo snapped on 600 North:
The masking tape failed overnight, but that navy blob in the window—yes, that's the neighbor's newly acquired intramural championship T-shirt, hung up so the world can know an intramural champion lives here.

Now, what to do with mine?
The Gras Fairez (the boys tried to be Grass Fairies last season but BYU frowned on that, thus the new, Latin-esque spelling) claimed the upper-division soccer title. I celebrated by basking in intramural dominance at the pool with Emily (who won her own matching t-shirt in softball that day).

Your Favorite Canadians, and Mine

You know you've found gems of friends when you can sit and talk into the wee hours about everything from breakfast syrup varieties to the challenges facing international healthcare; when the doubles racquetball is competitive, their enthusiasm for the train game matches yours, and you are already planning your joint family vacations, which include backpacking your children into the wilderness. You know, J-Dawgs kind of friends.

Life just isn't the same since Diane and Cody returned to Alberta. Lucky me, they came back to visit. Here they're pictured with Harden, who I remember, and Maelle, who I just met.

Note the special sauce on the up and coming J-Dawgs fan's face.

The Summer of Niels

Niels has consented (mostly because I have a new TV, I think) to move to Provo this summer. And he'll take a few classes at BYU. Here's to the 14er club revived! Nevermind there are no 14ers in Utah. I'm stocking up on Nutella now.