Thursday, June 30, 2016

LOVELIST | June...



After celebrating Utah Pride, it was time to check out how other cities celebrate.  Thankfully a few weeks later, my friend’s Rusty and Chris invited me to hop up to Seattle to enjoy the festivities there, as well as their yearly BBQ party.  I had an amazing time... it was just what I needed.  It’s already been ten years since I’ve been there and  I can’t wait to return to the Emerald City again soon! 

My friend James came to visit Salt Lake earlier this month for a long-weekend getaway.  We had a lot of fun as I showed him around my home city.  (It wasn’t his first visit, so we got to skip over the usual sites, thankfully!)   On Sunday we made our way to Utah’s Disneyland with a visit to Lagoon. It was the morning after the tragedy in Orlando and it was just what we both needed.  And I finally got to check out the new coaster, The Cannibal.  Wow.  Hold on tight. It’s a white knuckle thrill!  LOVED it!

I have to admit, Season 3 was a bit of a disappointment.  So understandably I was a bit nervous going into the new season of Orange is the New Black.  Thankfully my doubts were quickly resolved a few episodes in,  because it’s fantastic, and heart breaking, and funny, and moving.  Just the way I like my Ladies of Litchfield.  

We’ve been waiting years (four to be exact) for Ladyhawke to release some new material, and this month she finally did with her third album Wild Things!   Favorite Tracks Include:  A Love Song, Golden Girl, Dangerous and Wonderland.

Sure we just finished the fantastic FX Series The People vs OJ Simpson, but there’s another fascinating ESPN five-part documentary on the rise and fall of American football star, O.J. Simpson, from his days growing up in Los Angeles to his murder trial that polarized the country.  Featuring interviews and never before seen evidence, I was completely riveted. 

On my first night in Seattle, my friends took me to the Skillet Diner in Capitol Hill for dinner.  Not only was it my first time eating poutine (which by the way was ah-mazing!!) the rest of the dinner was just as tasty.  Best kale salad of my life.  So I either need to find a way to sneak Skillet home with me, or just go back and visit again real soon.

Our favorite twin-sister-lesbian-pop-stars just released their eighth(!!) album Love You To Death, and instantly I loved it to death.  Favorite tracks include:  Faint of Heart, Boyfriend, Stop Desire and U-Turn.

It’s the most fun day of the year here in Utah, and this year did not disappoint.  From the energetic parade, to the fair with friends, followed by the awesome after parties— this was definitely one Pride for the memory books.   


With the Vietnam War, the British Invasion, Woodstock, the Civil Rights Movement, and JFK's assassination, the 1960s represent, perhaps, the most consequential decade in U.S. history. It was a period of monumental social and political change, altering virtually every aspect of American life for future generations. The Sixties, a 10-episode documentary  explores the people, events and discoveries that defined how citizens came to think about their government, their place in the world, and themselves.” Personally, I’ve heard about many of the events in name alone that occurred over the 60’s, but this brought a deeper understanding and knowledge of exactly what went down.  Thus, how it shaped this country in the generations to come. Fascinating stuff. I can’t wait to check out The 70's and The 80's next!


Anyone know where I could get a good drink around here!?  C.C. Attles, The Eagle, Diesel and The Cuff showed me a good time while I was in Seattle!  And Cheers to double pours! (Outside of Utah, those do exist!)  Can’t wait to come back and visit again. 

The Chenbot and Summer’s Guiltiest Pleasure are back.  And I’m #TeamSexyBeard all the way! 

In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy. The brilliantly well-rounded Zootopia offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that's as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animation. -RT 

I stumbled upon Tom Odell’s sophomore album around the same time of the tragic events in Orlando.  It was really timely and really spoke to me.  Especially the single, Sparrow.  Favorite Tracks Include:  Sparrow (as mentioned), Magnetised, Here I Am and She Don’t Belong To Me. 

Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight is a tense investigative dramatic-thriller, tracing the steps to one of the biggest cover-ups in modern times. It’s the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would rock the city and cause a crisis in one of the world's oldest and most trusted institutions. Whe reporters delves into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church, their year-long investigation uncovers a decades-long cover-up at the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world.  

When Doris meets her company's hip new art director, sparks fly-at least one-sidedly. In the cluttered house she shared with her late mother, Doris mines the Internet for information on her one-and-only.  When Doris begins showing up at his regular haunts, she wins over his Williamsburg friends. Her new life brings Doris a thrilling perspective, but also creates a rift between her and her longtime friends and family, who believe she's making a fool of herself over a guy half her age. Eager for all the experiences she has missed out on, Doris throws caution to the wind and follows her heart for the very first time.  Sally Field’s remarkable performance is worth checking out Hello, My Name is Doris, alone. She is phenomenal.  It’s just a sweet, funny and lovely film.