So Emma rang the doorbell and a fresh-faced student answered the door.
"Hello....I used to live here (choke)...30 years ago. May we come in?" She said sure, and so we went in and chatted for awhile. Her name was Lindsay. She was very hospitable. She took a picture of us in her kitchen.
I remember my sister Julie visiting me in this kitchen once. We sat at the table and I think I wadded up something and tried to make a basket into the garbage can but didn't make it because it was precariously overflowing. I remarked, "I live in filth and squalor." It was touching to see that in 30 years some things don't change...
(Permission to take picture of garbage cheerfully granted by Lindsay.)I asked Lindsay what her major was, and she said, "Music. Piano." "No kidding," I said. "I was a piano major, too." "No way!" (etc.). "But I got my music degree from Portland State." "I'M from Portland," said Lindsay. "No way!" (etc.) So seeing we had several things in common we talked for awhile longer.
We walked over to the botanical gardens at the bottom of the steps.
Saw a tight little group of young ducks.
And then we walked up the 147 stairs. I climbed these stairs a year or more ago and remember my lungs feeling like they were going to explode. This time around was much better. Seemed kinda easy. Maybe it's the new hip (thanks, Dr. Mariani).
We headed for the BYU Bookstore, because I knew there would be many attractive features that would interest Emma. Here are some of the things you can find at the BYU Bookstore.
Insignia apparel for teddy bears
Flags of many nations
Candy
Kitschy religious objets d'art
Modest summerwear(Why wear one layer in 90 degrees when you can wear three?)
Sanctioned reading material(I realized after I took this that my nephew's book is on the far right; the blue one. Sorry I didn't center it, Tony.)
Free magazines
BYU Creamery ice creamEmma resisted the ice cream and chose a bag of blue and pink cotton candy.
She lounged on lush BYU grass...
She lounged on lush BYU grass...
...and saw a Costa Rican stone ball
Then we wandered back the way we came and climbed back down the 147 steps.
Fed the ducks some cotton candy (probably a nice change from all that infernal bread).
Even saw some turtles on a log.
We loved our morning in the rarefied bubble that is the BYU campus.
11 comments:
What a great, detailed post! Was the sink in that apartment overflowing with dirty dishes like mine always was back then? I used to love wandering around the BYU bookstore when I was too burned out to study. Ah, memories.
You are awesome! I love that you knocked on your apt door...that Lindsay let you in...and that you took a picture of the overflowing garbage. Hilarious!
And cotton candy for the ducks. Lucky ducks.
Two thumbs up! By far the best blog of the week.
Even though you were at BYU it sounds like you guys had fun! :) I can't believe how tall Emma is getting!! What a sweetheart!
What a fun outing. Amazing how much time changes things and how little. Maybe 30 years from now Lindey will be knocking on that door with her little girl! Emma is still cute. Hope to see you at WIA picnic:)
Loved it! What a great idea. ANd so fun to go back to your old haunts and find someone like you. AMazing. Thanks for the idea....I think I shall take my kids and do the same.
Denies - oh what a fun day and your pictures are smashing! I admire your gumption - knocking on doors!! I did that a couple of years ago when I was in West Valley and wanted to peak in our old house - I walked up to the front porch and unexpectedly could see into the front room through the glass screen door and caught two young adults semi-entwined on a couch. They didn't seem a bit bothered by my intrustion but were a little sheepish about the back yard which has totally gone to seed. But our teal carpet still remained and that made me happy!
Love,
Barbie
I am dying that you knocked on that door! That is hilarious! However, I must say, our friend Lindsay is lucky you weren't a psycho serial killer. Who lets a stranger into their house to take pictures??? Tell me when you want to go back and clean the place out. I'm sure one of Joe's employees will give us a good alibi--the police HAVE to trust a Church employee, right?
Oh, this is so achingly nostalgic. The entire thing was just a delightful read and I continue to marvel at the way you go-with-the-flow with Emma, marching right up to the door. Are you crazy?!?? Thankfully, yes! I love that you did that. SO many memories in that apartment and the Portland/ piano "coincidences" with Lindsay uncanny. AND YOUR NEPHEW WROTE THE "WHY?" BOOK? Goodness gracious, this is all just too much to take in. I love you. - Sher-
What a delightful post! I recently went to my old BYU apartment (the one I lived in when I was a toddler and my dad was in school), but I was too shy to knock. If only I'd had charming Emma along!
Charming pictures,charming text! And do I ever remember "I live in filth and slobbishness" and have unfortunately used it on more than one occasion. I remember you making a basket with the garbage. Only a teenager would allow such a damning photo. Too funny.
Emma, lounging on the BYU lawns. Priceless.
(Pssst...who is this Kathryn and why is she dissing so on The Brigham Young University? Who can truly call their life complete without climbing the 147 stairs, walking on the twirly bridge to the Big Mac, listening to GA's, taking speech classes from Jean Jenkins, private piano from Richard Anderson, French Intensive from Chantal Thompson, the catacombs of the practice rooms, etc., etc.,etc. Not to mention The Values Institute).
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