Winter Formal- My Way

The Winter Formal Dance at my high school was this last Saturday. However, I did not attend. My boyfriend decided that he wouldn't go to the actual dance so I decided to do it my own way: we would have a fancy dinner to celebrate my birthday, just the two of us. We went to BlueFin, a fancy seafood restaurant a few blocks away from my house and the food was fantastic. I've gone there several times and it was just as great as ever. Afterwards, we went back to my house and Mum took the picture below. The dress I also got for my birthday as well as the pair of three-inch heels that I am wearing in the picture (though you can't see them).

NOTE: Nate, my boyfriend, is in a sling because he had surgery on his left shoulder because he injured a muscle.

My Feet Make It In Print

A few weekends ago, I took part in a high school invitational meet (a meet where the varsity-level swimmers from many different schools compete all together) called The Speedo Classic. It took place at the U of A. Several of my close friends got to go and they all swam well despite the "rain out" that occurred later in the day. I only swam one event, the 500 free (20 laps), and my friend, Nick, counted for me. Counting is where you have a teammate stand at the end of your lane and help you keep track of how many laps you've done by using a board that they stick in the water when you do your turns. Although it was not my best race ever, a picture of Nick (and my feet) ended up the Arizona Daily Star. Now, before anyone asks, Nick IS the guy with the black hair in the speedo, lying on his side. I asked him what that was about, and it turns out that he likes to lie on his side while counting. Probably more comfortable than kneeling on the hard surface of the pool deck.

The Royal Palms

For Labor Day, my parents and I went to Phoenix for the weekend. We stayed at the Royal Palms Resort, which was this really big summer vacation home back in the 30's and 40's for this family from New York. In the 60's it was turned into a hotel and now its one of the nicest resorts in Phoenix. We also met up with our friends, Alex and Xiomara for dinner and desert, and did some shopping. Here are some of the pictures that I took of the resort.

This is the entrance to the main courtyard:

This is one of the Spanish-inspired towers in the main building:This is a small tile I found in one of the walls of the main courtyard. It depicts Don Quixote of La Mancha in his fight against the windmill "monsters".
This is us standing in front of the fountain in the main courtyard:
There were these little outdoor seating areas all over the place, tucked into shady corners, or near the many fountains. We found this one near the restaurant. It's actually build into the ground with a working fireplace and comfy pillows to sit on.