Friday, December 31, 2010

2010 Top Ten

In no particular order... and with a few bonuses as well...

1.  Going to Harry Potter 7 part 1 @ 12:00 midnight (well, 12:20... 11:59 was sold out!)... then teaching and being a functional person the next day!  But the movie, and the crowd, was great!
Me and Harry and our tickets... we got them a few weeks early.

2.  Library of Congress teacher institute - I had such a great time and learned so much about teaching with primary source documents.  
Library of Congress
The card catalog back in the stacks

3.  Getting to spend nearly two weeks in Washington DC was amazing!  I loved so many things - Lincoln's Cottage, Monticello, Mount Vernon, monuments, museums, shopping, and eating.  I can't wait to go back!
Lincoln's Cottage
Monticello
4.  Having season football tickets to the U of U!  It was a great season, minus a few games...  Holly went with me to 5 games, and Mom came with me to the only one we lost at home (oh, the luck!).  Besides enjoying great games, I also love hot dogs and nachos, and watching people climb all the way up the stairs to their nosebleed seats!
Two Utes after a victory!
5.  Going to the Las Vegas Bowl - Utah vs. Boise State
It's a good thing there are other exciting things to do in Vegas, because the game really died out after the first quarter!  The pep rally on Freemont Street was fun, the tailgating party was fun, and being in Vegas was fun.  The game - well, 3 out of 4 isn't bad odds for Vegas!
Two Utes ready for football action!
6.  Getting a new car!  I loved, loved my old car.  We had some good times together.  But it was time to part ways.  It was getting too many miles on it, and I need to make sure that I have something that's going to get me reliably over the point of the mountain each day.  I love the features of my Escape, the Sync system especially.  It almost makes it exciting to go to work every day!
new car
7.  Midvale Days - and winning at Bingo!
Me and my Bingo winnings!  Go 8-C!
8.  Michael Buble concert - Dad got us tickets for Christmas.  It was so fun!  Love that man!
Ahhhhh!  Michael!
9.  Eclipse @ 12:00 midnight... and getting to watch Twilight and New Moon in the theater before Eclipse started.  I love those midnight crowds!  They are so rowdy - so fun!
Team Charlie!
10.  Taking pics with my Canon Rebel and my nifty-fifty lens.  I got my new lens before going to DC, and I'm glad I did!  It's fantastic!  After I got used to how close and far I could be away from the subject and still get a good picture, it worked wonders.  Low light, lots of light, close up - love it!
Temple Square
11.  Going to lots and lots and lots of parades!
Holly on the Midvale float
12.  Las Vegas - 3 times!  Spring break... fall break... winter break...  Yeah, we're not casino rats or anything...  We don't gamble much, but we certainly do see a lot, take a lot of pictures, and eat a lot!
Dolphins at the Seigfried and Roy (not Jensen) Gardens at the Mirage
Love the Bellagio Atrium!
The fountain show at the Bellagio is a must-see - every time we're there!
Frankie Moreno - looks exactly the same as when Joee and I saw him 5 years ago in Primm...
Just goes to show how much alcohol is a preservative!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Beehive Book Awards 2011

Every year, the Children's Literature Association of Utah nominates children's books for the Beehive Book Awards. According to their website, the CLAU's purposes are: to encourage the reading, study and writing of children's literature; to provide a forum for all points of view and levels of experience in children's books; and to gather and share information about children's literature.
The winners of the book award are chosen by the kids of Utah, who vote on their favorite books via their school or local library.
Every year since I've been teaching, I've read a few books off the list. This year, my goal is to read them all before the winners are announced, some time in April 2011. You'll be able to see my progress on the page linked at the top.
I've been inspired by some book blogs I've started following, and enjoy reading their reviews and learning about new books. I also admire their dedication to reading, and the enjoyment they get both from reading and blogging about it.
Join me in reading them all, or just a few!

Monday, November 8, 2010

No!

No!
 No sun--no moon!  
No morn--no noon!  
No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--  
No sky--no earthly view--  
No distance looking blue--  
No road--no street--no "t'other side this way"--  
No end to any Row--  
No indications where the Crescents go--  
No top to any steeple--  
No recognitions of familiar people--  
No courtesies for showing 'em--  
No knowing 'em!  
No traveling at all--no locomotion--  
No inkling of the way--no notion--  
"No go" by land or ocean--  
No mail--no post--  
No news from any foreign coast--  
No Park, no Ring, no afternoon gentility--  
No company--no nobility--  
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,  
No comfortable feel in any member--  
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,  
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds--  
November!
- Thomas Hood



Thanks, Mrs. Yates. I have this poem on my mind during every November since about the 8th grade. I can't remember my line... though in my head I can hear the expression, and lack thereof, of my classmates as we read it every day for roll-call. No knowing 'em!

Friday, November 5, 2010

4

4 Things In My Handbag/Backpack/Briefcase:

geology teaching notebook
emergency Diet Coke money
USB drive from the LoC
Post-it notes

4 Favorite Things In My Bedroom:

lamp from Ikea
bookcases from Ikea
new pillow
jewelry rack

4 Things On My Desk:

papers I need to grade
papers I need to file
papers I need to trash
photos

4 Things I've Always Wanted To Do (but haven't yet):

go on an African safari
buy a house
visit all 50 states
be caught up on all my scrapbooking

4 Things I Enjoy Very Much At The Moment:

being crafty
sleeping
reading The Help
listening to HP 7!

4 Songs I Can't Get Out of My Head:

Whip My Hair
Bad Romance
America Rocks
Hey, Soul Sister

4 Things You Don't Know About Me:

I have a terrible habit of staying up way too late...
pickles - ick!
Pretzel M&Ms are my recently new-found favorite treat!
I have a way-overdue book that needs to go back to the library

4 Bloggers I'm Tagging:

I think I probably only have 4 readers, so... tag - you're it!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

22 again...

Today is the something-th anniversary of my 22nd birthday!

Memorable birthdays of years gone by...

One year ago... October 2009
I spent my birthday at the school carnival. Not too shabby of a time, either! My family came down south for dinner, and we ended up at JCW's in Lehi. Perhaps the most memorable thing about last year's birthday was that Dad got me a present, rather than money, like usual. He got me a 'cat mom' necklace for my little 'daughter', Tippy. Pretty thoughtful of him. Not that he wasn't normally thoughtful, he was, but not like he was during his last year. It was bittersweet to see all the catalogs he'd been saving for Christmas with pages dog-eared and items starred.

Six years ago... October 2004
Joee and I somehow convinced our mothers that Las Vegas would be a great place to spend our birthdays! They were sold on the fact the other mother had said yes, so certainly it must be okay. What were they thinking?!? We started out right, at the Scrapbook Expo, then had dinner at the Mayan. Then off to a night's stay in St. George, and on to Vegas in the morning. What a whirlwind trip! Piano dancing boys at FAO Schwartz, lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, shopping at the outlets in Primm, the huge ginormous rollercoaster, and, of course, gambling. Then the best part - Frankie Moreno at the lounge at Whiskey Pete's! Ah, Frankie! Good thing we were sober, because we got a lesson in what it looks like when you're drunk and try to dance!

Many years ago... October late 1980s/early 1990s
I always had a party at home with my friends. Year after year, one of my friends down the street, Missy, would spill her red punch on the living room carpet. Year after year, after the party, as my mom cleaned it up with at-home carpet cleaner, she'd declare that Missy wasn't invited for next year's party. And yet, year after year, she came. And my mom kept cleaning the carpet!

Not as many years ago... October mid 1990s
Looking back, I can't believe that I had such great friend birthday parties, thanks all to my mom. She'd always bake a cake, have fun games for us to play, and make goodie bags. There are so many pictures of these parties, but, alas, none digital (yet). I don't know how she did it - I'm exhausted from teaching now! I can't imagine doing this gig with kids and then spending good time with them. I guess I still have time (about 11 years or so) to get it figured out.

Fourteen years ago... October 1996
My family went out to eat at the Galaxy Diner, on 5900 So. and State Street (it was so sad when it was taken down - for a bank!). After singing by the waiters and waitresses (Happy birthday from the Galaxy crew!), I got KISSED! By the waiter! On the top of the head! Ahhhh! Enough said about that birthday!

Ten years ago... October 2000
This birthday doesn't qualify in the 'best of' category, but still memorable. It was the birthday when I grew up a bit. I was a freshman at the U. While I wasn't the only person I knew going there, I didn't often see people that I knew around campus. In my head, I figured that no one would know it was my birthday, and not being a person to announce it, no one, all day long, said anything. No emails from friends, either. My last hope was institute, where I was pretty sure they have a list of birthdays, and surely that great teacher would see that it was my birthday and say something. No. Not a thing. So much for people remembering your birthday and making it a 'deal'. Welcome to the real world of adult birthdays!

This year! October 2010
Going to the U game to have a Cowboy Corndog! Woo!

Monday, September 20, 2010

New Car!

Love, love, LOVE my new car!


I got a new Ford Escape a few weeks ago and I love it! Love the Sync system, love the han
ds-free calling and almost-hands-free texting (when the car is safely stopped, of course!). Love the seats, the ride, and the trunk. Love the cap-free gas tank, the mileage, and the way it tells me how many more miles I can drive before I need to fuel up. Love that new car smell! Love it! I can't wait to have some great adventures in it! Its first Vegas trip is in the works!



But of course, I loved my old, er, former car too! We had a lot of good memories together. 90,000+ miles of memories!
2 trips to Cumorah (and beyond!)
1 trip to Vegas with Joee, 2 more with Holly
6 years worth of driving every day to work in sleet, snow, rain, wind and sunshine
3 years worth of driving to the U for grad school

It was kind of sad to leave my car behind, but it was time.

Huzzah for new cars!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

First Fun Fantastic Friday

This is what I'm doing tomorrow at school. Except without the Coke in the eye.