Utah has got one thing right

Growing up among the mud puddles and liquid sunshine where you can tell which way is north or south by the moss growing on the trees instead of east or west by the looming Utah mountains I have a great appreciation for my liberal, tree-loving, hippie state of Oregon.

We would come to Utah during our summer vacation every year to spend time with my grandma and cousins and it was always an awesome time of playing in out-door pools and snipe hunting when the kiddies had gone to bed in air that you could barely feel on your skin it was such the perfect temperature. Then I went to Snow College and Utah was no longer the 'vacation spot.' It turned into a huge bowl of sugar. Mormon sugar. There just wasn't enough opposition, ya know what I mean? Everyone was so prepared for the second coming, their moms sent them with 72 hours kits, they knew their ancestors by first, middle and last names from the handcart companies and believed Utah to be Zion, therefore a blessed land. Uhum. Ok, so maybe that's not all true... but you know what I am saying.

Well, the fact that I had to wear lotion every second of the day so that my skin didn't spill my intestines all over the sidewalk didn't help matters much and Utah is fine for a vacation, but it will never be 'home.' Even now, with our cute little duplex in Farmington and our new friends and our wonderful church callings that keep us involved in the ward, this is not home. We both love our overcast days too much.

But Utah does have one thing right. Cafe Rio. That place is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I can honestly say that I have never had anything but their taco salad, but that alone keeps me going back. And keeps my mouth watering for tomatillo dressing. At $10 a person, it's a little spendy, but definitely worth it. But when you can make your own version for $5 why not? I was craving it like crazy today and so I just marched over to the store and bought some cilantro and a tomatillo and blended myself up some dressing. I drenched my rice, black beans, lettuce and tomatoes in the stuff and I don't think I took one breath through the whole meal. It is that good. In fact, I vaguely remember moistness on my chin has I shoveled the good stuff in, too busy to have time to wipe my mouth. If you haven't had Cafe Rio than you have not lived, and having not lived, you would not be able to die and go to heaven while eating the deliciousness of it all.