Is that creepy thing wearing a Sombrero?

We Made it to Utah! We were on I-80 for 645 miles as highlighted below. ! I thought 1-80 ended at Tooele, I was so so wrong.

Me: I'm really thirsty, can we stop and get a drink?

Dan: Nope, don't need to. Pass up my camelback.

Me: Wait, you brought a filled camelback and you were going to leave my big christmas present because there wasn't room?

Dan: Yes
Dan drinking away from his water source. We barely made it through the 13 and half hour drive. I went stir crazy around Elko, and started poking Dan w/ a straw. He got angry "That I was bothering him!" And we didn't talk to each other for half an hour. We are 5 years old.

Dan defied the Eternal Laws of Christmas by opening a present early. But it was for a good cause: So his brother Chris could see the look of delight on his face as he opened...

Thats right, an X-Box! Thanks Chris, now I get to hear Modern Warfare going on in our living room... At least Dan is happy, make that THRILLED. Speaking of the x-box, Dan has been so busy playing it, he is neglecting his "DAN'S MUNCHY MOMENTS". So I'll have to fill in.

This beauty is the Hi Hat Diner. We pass it every time we come to Clinton, and always joke about going there. Today we made the joke reality.
How can you not want to go in a place with a scary Mexican doll holding a sign next to a siren? They really pushed that "WORLD'S FIRST CHILI VERDE OMELET" thing by the way.

This place had WINDOW TROLLS! How can it not be good?

A hand written menu w/ drawings? Yet another sign of the deliciousness to come! And here is the "WORLD"S FIRST CHILI VERDE OMELET." Both Dan and Aaron got one after the owner and waitress talked them up.

I was a bit wary of the Chili Verde, and stuck with good old pancakes.

But you'll notice in this picture of Aaron and Stacie my not so sneaky hand reaching into Dan's omelet. They were surprisingly good. In fact, everything was surprisingly good. It's like the pearl of wisdom Aaron's Grandfather gave to them on their wedding day: "Never have expectations, and you'll never be disappointed." So true.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Next Stop: STG. Huzzah!

Christmas in the Ghetto

The day after Thanksgiving we braved black friday for the first time. And Christmas came early for us! We're now "TV rich" (it was the next step after "couch rich", Dan is sure that "X-box rich" is the future. I think not). We are now the proud owners of this:

There was a certain victory in getting the very last one out of a giant pile. I felt victorious, like a Best Buy shopping champion. Next it was time to decorate our apartment for Christmas. But, being that we bought the above mentioned TV, this year will live on in history as "Our Dollar Store Christmas".

"Classy" Dollar store stockings with our names Ironed On. Ghetto. Awesome.

Beat up Artificial tree purchased at Wal-mart circa my Freshman year of college. All trimmings courtesy of Dollar Tree (which incidentally is located next to Red's Donuts in the ghetto.)

We did splurge and each got an expensive Donut ornament. We thought it fitting to commemorate this year.

These are actually from Target, not Dollar tree, but I love them. I sit and watch my fake snowflakes twinkle in the window while feeling grateful Im not Utah watching actual ones.

Today being Sunday, I finally had a day off to get back to baking. I made Peppermint Brownies. Its like Christmas in your mouth. Thankfully we will soon be in St. George at my parent's house, where Christmas is actually classy.