BERT THE YURT

I didn't really name the Yurt Bert when I was up there. I actually think I named it Yemen the Yurt, or something like that. When Scott told me he was giving me a night in a Yurt for Christmas, I instantly recalled one of those strange and inconsequential memories that you should never really ever recall because they were... strange and inconsequential. So this particular memory was stringed to the word association "yurt".


I instantly thought about Miss... Mrs... (I don't know. I doubt she's reading this, so I'm not too worried about offending her....) Barrow's English class in tenth grade. I remember this English class so well! It was the year Sarah Card told me that someone had to date Trevor Harper because he was the cutest kid she'd ever seen. I had never heard of Trevor Harper until this, and I realized he sat in front of me. He sat in front of me in every English class we ever took in high school from that point on. He always carried a huge apple juice jug of water to class with him. And my good friend Amanda started dating him that year. Mrs. Barrow presented to me a book entitled "Faces in San Fransisco" that I'd still love to get for Scott. The book featured the faces of the various workers, families, students, and bums you encounter on the streets of San Fransisco. Each photograph had an accompanying story of the individual: where he's from, what sort of hobbies does he enjoy, how did he end up in San Fran, what is the one thing he'd do to change his world, and what are his plans for the future. It was a cool book. I'd love to have my own copy. I'm not even sure if the title is right. Oh... Mrs. Barrow's class is also where I discovered a piece of art called "Untilted" instead of "Untitled". I thought that was hilarious.


The relevant revelation in Mrs. Barrow's class was the word "Yurt". A yurt. When Mrs. Barrow disappeared from East High the following year, the rumor circulated that she had sold all of her posses ions, except for her dog and her books, and she had moved to a Yurt somewhere. I have no idea where that idea was born, and I have no idea where Mrs. Barrow really is. You know, she seems like the kind who really would move to a Yurt somewhere... but then again, maybe she's doing PR for an advertising company somewhere. What I know now, but didn't know then, was that Mrs. Barrow, if she really did move to a Yurt, was a genius! I can't think of a better life choice! I don't know if I will ever be able to take the plunge and build my own yurt, but it's one of those things that will ALWAYS be on my list of things I should do..... still could do.... still should do. When I'm eighty, I'll probably still be asking Scotty why we're yurt-less.


Maybe we should talk about yurts a bit.

Eh hem....

The first yurts have been traced back to the time of Genghis Khan. Marco Polo, observing the nomadic people of Mongolia, noticed their sturdy, exactly-round tents made of rods, covered with felt, which they carried with them on carts. Yurts have been used in some of the most inhospitable and barren regions of the world: the deserts of the Sahara and Gobi, the Central Asian steppe, and the polar tundras. Yurts can be warm in temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and cool in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

After reading that, I'm thinking... Keek, don't take that horrible sleeping bag of yours to the Sahara or the Gobi. Make sure to get a new one before we visit yurts of foreign lands.

And we will visit these far off yurts someday.

Margy, Oliver, and Doug... you'll join us for those.

Grandma, Mom, Lynne, Keek.... this is the part you probably actually care about reading. Do you wish I had put this part first and rambled on and on about Mrs. Barrow after?


We had so much fun at the yurt last weekend!!!! Talk about Christmas present of all history! When I think about my best Christmas presents... a violin when I was four... a desk when I was eight (yes, doesn't every little girl want a desk? I did!)... snowshoes... power rangers underwear.... this is the best! Scott is way too nice to me. It meant so much to me that he gave me a gift that not only will I love, but I will enjoy it with my family. Kirsten, Nick, Johnny, Alyssa, Scott, and I embarked on the journey, and it was a blast! We treked up about 4 miles with snowshoes on our feet and packs on our backs to our friend Bert, the Yurt. We had a wood burning stove, some bunk beds, and a huge pile of wood to chop like the Brawny paper towel guy. Everyone took the afternoon to explore and play. Scott and I hauled our skis and snowboard up there, so Scott tried to build a jump, and we got to ski around and all the way down the next morning. Scott and I are loving what might be the greatest wedding gift yet... sleeping bags that zip together. We were toasty the whole night, and I slept better than I had in months. There's something wonderful about sleeping surrounded by silence and stars. I loved it. It was the perfect get-away that we both have been needing. I love Salt Lake. I know Scott's getting anxious to move on to new challenges adventures, and I am too, but I just don't think I'll ever be able to get my Utah mountains out of my head or my heart. I have just been so lucky to grow up somewhere so beautiful.


We're hoping to head to Moab soon and pull an opposite adventure. This one will involve rock climbing, biking, hiking around Canyonlands and Arches, and showing Scott around one of my second homes. I miss being a river guide and living the life of a moab local. I can't wait to take Scott to the Peace Tree for smoothies, Sand Dune Arch for a sunset silhouette, and, of course, to Paul Bunyan's potty.

K... Paul Bunyan just made me think of Paul Revere for some reason. Scott and I were listening to the good ol' LFO "Summertime Girls". If you haven't listened to the words.... really listened... in a while. Go home. Look it up online or something. Did we realize how dumb this was when we were kids?

Can I just say that one of my favorite things about this trip was how we act the same when we're with Ben and Andrew as when we're not. We're really just a bunch of spazzy, crazy little kids. Johnny brought bags of cadbury eggs and chocolate covered pretzels. He and Alyssa argued over whether Alyssa was allowed to bring a hairbrush, when Johnny brought lotion, something he prohibited her from bringing. We all just kept firing sarcasm back and forth and having so much fun together. We missed Doug! I'm sure he won't miss the next chance he gets to sleep in an icy bungalo! Oh... amazing news about Doug! I'm so impressed with him daily! Doug has been accepted to London School of Economics, Cambridge, and Oxford! I don't know how I could make that choice! But I'm so proud of him!