Wednesday, October 25, 2006

It will soon be here!



Ikea is rising from the soil of nearby Draper. We can hardly wait to stroll by the many aisles of real cool Swedish stuff. No longer will we covet the riches of fellow Californian's, Arizonan's and the like who have constant access to this treasure.

Oh boy, here is local newspaper article:

IKEA is looking for 350 good people.
The wildly popular home furnishings retailer said Tuesday it has launched an employee recruitment program for its Draper store, which is slated to open next year.
"Things are proceeding on schedule, and we are still looking forward to opening the store in spring 2007," said IKEA spokesman Joseph Roth.
Workers have laid the foundation and are in the process of raising the walls and framing the second floor of the 310,000-square-foot store, Roth said.
The store is located on 22.5 acres along Pony Express Drive at the northwest corner of I-15 and Bangerter Highway.
While construction on the store proceeds, Roth said a variety of leadership positions are available. Later, the company will begin accepting applications for positions in sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, maintenance, goods receiving and stocking, warehouse work and food service, he said.
Information is available on the company's Web site, www.IKEA-usa.com, listing the positions available and when the company will begin accepting applications. Candidates also may submit their applications via the Web site, Roth said.
IKEA provides full medical/dental insurance to employees who work 20 hours or more per week. Other benefits include vacation time, paid maternity/paternity leave, paid time off for child adoption, tuition assistance, 401(k) retirement contribution matches and discounts on IKEA merchandise.
The Draper store will be IKEA's first in the Intermountain West and its 30th in the United States.
Founded in 1934 in Sweden, IKEA has more than 240 stores in 34 countries, employing 90,000 people worldwide.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Hey Corn Man


Sarah Aaron and Dadoo visited a corn maize in West Jordan, http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/ . Yes it was cold, yes it was dark and yes it was fun. Only since we last frequented a maize maze, this one seems almost, well, easy. Aaron led the way and we moved through the first part, past some munchkins, which I mistakenly identified as Hobbits. Then on to the Scary part, past the trolls, corn men, and chainsaw-toting dudes (they were out of gas or so we heard them mention) and from there to the exit. The real challenge came in the parking lot finding the Astro!

The evening came to a close with a treat of Hot Chocolate and Spicy Chicken Sandwich for the Aaro and all in tow!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

LOTR




I just finished watching the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy; the last two episodes were extended editions. I had forgotten so much it was almost like wathcing it for the first time. And yes I can tell the difference from Merry/Pippen and Sam/Frodo. Althought I still have a hard time distinguishing between Merry and Pippen.

I have some questions...

Was Gollum/Smeagal a hobbit? I've had some tell me he was and others say he was a "River People"

Why is the area called Middle Earth, it seems to be set above ground?

What's the deal with the Dwarfs, we only get to see one, Gimli in the movie. Are they all dead?

What happens to Frodo, Bilbo and others when they are given a ride on the elf boat to elf heaven? Do they ever return?

Other than the Hobbit, did Tolken ever write more involving these characters?

I have more ??’s however this is a good start. And yes I will read the books, starting with the Hobbit..

Monday, October 16, 2006

Magic Mountain - Tell me it ain't so!



Word is out that the days of Magic Mountain are numbered, I was told last week that it will close in 2007, however it seems that they are selling season tickets for next year, so it's demise may be a wee premature. Sad indeed if this is true, Darien Lake near Buffalo is definitely gone. Six Flags has been losing money for the past few years and they will need to sell some properties to stay out of bankruptcy.

Here is an article describing the situation:

Good-bye Magic Mountain? Six Flags puts six parks up for sale or closure
2006-06-22

By Robert Niles: Six Flags announced plans Thursday to sell or close six of its properties, including the chain's once-flagship park, Magic Mountain, in Valencia, Calif.

In a press release issued after the U.S. stock market closed Thursday, Six Flags announced that it would sell the properties, to either a single buyer or multiple buyers, or that it might sell or redeploy the properties' attractions, to clear the land for real estate sale.

The six parks on the block are Magic Mountain, Elitch Gardens in downtown Denver, Colorado, Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York, Wild Waves and Enchanted Village outside Seattle, Washington and the waterparks Six Flags Waterworld in Concord and Six Flags Splashdown in Houston.

Long-time TPI readers are familiar with our coverage of Six Flags' financial struggles, and we predicted some of the parks would be going back in January. With Paramount Parks already selling out to Cedar Fair, one wonders what company will be able and willing to mount a bid to purchase the Six Flags parks. Real estate sales, alas, seem the most likely result for most of the parks. Magic Mountain, obviously, is the most viable park among the six, but Cedar Fair already has a Southern California park, in Buena Park's Knott's Berry Farm. The land underneath Magic Mountain would be worth many millions, even in SoCal's stalled real estate market, if no theme park company is willing to add this roller coaster haven to its portfolio.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

More Pan! Tell me it's no so!



It seems that we are to punished once again. A new book titled "Peter Pan in Scarlet" is hitting the bookshelves today! Tell me it's not true, MORE PAN, oooohhhhhh nooooooo!

Here's quote from the website http://www.peterpaninscarlet.com

"We've waited a hundred years for this. On 5 October 2006 the biggest children's book publishing event of the century will take place when Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean - the official sequel to JM Barrie's much loved Peter Pan - hits bookshelves across the globe."

We've been waiting! Who in there right mind has been waiting for another PAN!

I feel ill, and think I'm going to ......

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

I'm Lost



Henry sees the plane crash, a Stephen King book, where are Sawyer, in a monkey cage? and Jack, can he swim?

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Welcome to Zermatt



We had great time at the Zermatt Resort & Spa in beautiful Midway Utah.
With our anniversary date on the horizon I saw an article about Zermatt, we found it to be as advertised. My cold kept us from a planned kayak adventure however the indoor pool, hot tub, restaurants and gorgeous views of the fall colors provided a memorable weekend.