So I went to a church function recently where one of the girls was going on and on about some guy- a great catch, she said. In her words, his family was loaded, but she said she would never go out with him because he had "chinky eyes." (yes, this is wrong on sooo many levels) This girl then went on to speculate on the genetic origins of his "chinkiness" (yes, she actually used that hateful word). She wondered out loud, "Maybe his mom is half chink."

W... T... F...

In the light of this event, as well as the recent Racist Spanish Olympic Basketball Team fiasco, I'm going to offer you all a brief tutorial. 

If you are my friend (or "chin-gu," as I call it in my mother-tongue), you can joke with me about the following things:

* my penchant for taking too many photos, especially multiple pictures of the same thing

* my affinity for Korean melon candy and patbingsu (ie: red bean snow cones)

* my love for Pucca stationary products

* my disgustingly amazing ability to achieve a perfect tan in one afternoon

If you suspect someone is Asian, you should probably not do the following things:

* make that disgusting gesture where you hold up the corners of your eyes (ie: the Spanish Olympic Basketball Team).

* call them a "halfie," a "guk," a "jap," or a "chink"

* use a Sharpie to write "Jap GO HOME" on the windshield of their car while they are in a gas station (thanks, random bigot from Cedar City, it was really fun cleaning that off!)

* use a Sharpie to write "Jap GO HOME" on their apartment door (thanks, random bigot in Provo! Seriously peeps, is that a line from a movie or something? Why do random bigots keep writing that on my stuff?!? K, it's only been two people in almost 30 years, but still...)

* refuse to rent them an apartment on the grounds that they "might make Chinese food that stinks up the house" (ahhh, gotta love Provo)

* assume they're from a country that they're not really from, and then gush on about how you served your mission in this country, and gush on and on about how you "love their people"

Oh yah, and did I mention that the forementioned church activity was a thinly veiled attempt at fellowshipping less active members? No, really, it was. Eek.

So I pretty much had the best first day of school ever today. Only 25 kids showed up, which was great, because I was told I'd have 30+ kids. Believe it or not, five kids makes a big difference. (Think about it. Imagine you have NO kids, and then suddenly you have FIVE kids. Big difference, right???) There were no major outbursts, no tears (from me or the kids), and no first graders tried to stab me this year. All in all, it was pretty awesome.

 In the immortal words of Edwin McCain, "I could not ask for more." *

* ...with the exception of more salary, AND more papers/pencils/crayons for my kids. And another teacher in our grade level so that we could actually follow the class size reduction mandate. 

Maybe I'm way out of line here, but my close friend's wedding is coming up in a couple months and I expect my boyfriend to attend the wedding with me. He refuses. Am I really out of line for wanting him to come? Question here...

This one is for my lady friends who are married. So that means pretty much all of you. 

1. When you have a social function, such as a close friend's wedding, high school reunion, mission reunion, etc... Do you expect your husband to attend with you?

2. Does your husband willingly attend or does he act like a mopey poop the whole time?

Wise Words #7

"I don't need to throw around my degree from Northwestern or my juris doctorate to be condescending. I can do just fine being condescending on my own."
- (with love) S.G.

Dear Wendy,

Remember when we used to make up interpretive dances to Britney Spears's songs? AHEM. I mean, remember when our "friends" used to make up interpretive dances to the aforementioned songs?

Well, my college friend Drew made one real humdinger of a video. I can't stop watching it. And so I find myself forcing it on all of you.

Feel free to watch it over and over again. My favorite part comes at about 2:57, and it involves a family of ducks. 

Love, 

Heather

PS: Watch this one by the same artist. Only if you have time, of course. This one is a beautiful rendition of a beloved Primary song. And no, I'm not a heathen. So there.

Can we get a little RESPECT?

Seriously. The Spanish Olympic basketball team released these photos:

What in the name of cultural tolerance were they thinking? How disrespectful and downright disgusting!

"It was something, like, supposed to be funny or something but never offensive in any way," said Spainish center Pau Gasol, who also plays for the LA Lakers, in this article, which contains some real gems. In case you don't have time to read it, here are the highlights:

Frank Zhang (spokesperson from Li Ning, a Spanish clothing brand) said, "...the gesture shows that the Spanish team is so humorous, relaxing and cute. They sat around a dragon pattern, which we think showed respect to the Chinese."
Listen here, Frank. It was humorous and cute until y'all started making hate gestures.

Manuel Calderon, one of the Spanish players (who plays for NBA's Toronto Raptors), said, "We have great respect for the far East and its people. Some of my best friends in Toronto are originally Chinese..."
Ohhhhhh, okay. Some of your "best friends" are Chinese? Like we haven't heard that racially insidious qualifier before. Hmm... George Wallace, the trademark racist governor of Alabama in the 1960's, apologized for his segregationist ways in the documentary George Wallace: Settin' the Woods of Fire (2000). How so? Wallace said, "some of my best friends are black." 

Sure they are. Sure they are...

This was shared today by a friend. Thanks Amanda E.!!!

warning: there is some mild language (ie: d***a**) and one questionable image.

This Land! | Funny Jokes at JibJab

So if you know any men in their, um, nineties, who are looking for a very superior wife of the 1930's, tell them to give me call. Did they even have phones back then?

93 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

I am so excited about Girls Rock Camp!!!!!!!! Steve took me to see the documentary about the camp at the Tower Theater back in June, and I can't stop thinking it. In case you didn't click on my hyperlink, Girls Rock is a summer camp based in Portland, Oregon. Basically, they take girls at all levels of music experience, help them choose groups ("rock bands"), give them private lessons, and  help them write an original song. Then, at the end of the week, the campers participate in a showcase concert, performing for their friends, family, and the community. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!??!?!?!

Also, they are 501(c)3 non-profit organization with lots of scholarship assistance for girls who can't afford tuition. 

From their website:
We want to eradicate all the limiting myths about music and gender that make girls afraid to speak up, sing out, and make noise. We want to abolish all the obsolete traditions that restrict many girls' and women's free musical expression and obstruct their access to the world of music. We seek to demonstrate—through lessons, mentorship, positive examples, and the shared experiences of the staff and volunteers—that every genre of music from the heaviest to the most delicate, and every technical job and creative endeavor in the music industry, is available to any girl or woman who wants to explore it.

I had a really strong emotional connection to this film. Not so long ago, I was one of those girls who played the drums and sometimes felt out-of-place making music. I often felt intimidated by jerky boys who didn't want to "play with a girl." I eventually found solace with Brickle, my girl band from college. I made music with two amazing women (Briana and Minda) and one incredible, enlightened, opened-minded male bass player (Dave). I can't begin to describe how empowering it is to make music, to play the drums in a rock band, and to play shows in front of big (and semi-big) crowds. 

The camp has locations in other cities around the world, all organized by woman rockers who are dedicated to empowering the next generation of female musicians. There are camps in Washington DC, Portland, Brooklyn... 

Can anyone guess what city still needs a branch of Girls Rock Camp? I am seriously considering organizing a Las Vegas chapter. I have one colleague who is willing to collaborate on this. Anyone else willing to lend a hand for next summer?

Wise Words #6

There's such divinity in not being what people expect.

-Darci L.

K, so in case I haven't made it already clear, I have been out of town for nearly a month. I arrived home to find that there were zero groceries in the fridge (surprise!). And since I'm really hurting for money, I thought I could scrape together a few meals until my next paycheck on the 25th. Last night, I made a delectable meal of spaghetti noodles, a pat of butter, and pepper. Exciting, I know.

So tonight, I was feeling pretty good about my culinary skills. Plus, I was hungry and had ZERO dollars. I thought I'd branch out and make migas, using a recipe from the Rachel Ray website. Heck, I saw Rachel Ray herself make these on t.v. a few days ago. Plus, Steve and I made them a few months ago for dinner, so I didn't feel like I was exactly flying solo on this one.

However, remember that I had an empty fridge and zero cash. So I had to substitute a few ingredients.  And the ingredients that I HAD were ALL borderline moldy. To be fair, none of the expiration dates had been expired for longer than two weeks. But still...  

Tonight I learned an important lesson. If you cook with disgusting, near-moldy ingredients, your dinner will be a soggy foul-tasting mess. 

I can't even bring myself to throw it out because today was trash day, and I don't want this mess hanging around until Friday (the next trash day). I'm contemplating putting it all in a plastic bag and driving to the nearest public garbage can, preferably a garbage can in front of a 711 where I can splurge $2 on a slurpee to help get the taste of rancid bacon, eggs, and onion out of my mouth. After tonight, I think I could start a whole new fad diet based on taste aversion.

We had the second annual Scarlet Something camping reunion over Fourth of July weekend (FYI: "Scarlet Something" was my rock band in college, the predecessor to "Brickle," another college band). 

It was really fun to go camping, and even better to be with such awesome friends. You guys are like family- I love you all! It was so much fun to get together again, along with our spouses/children/significant others.

PS: 

This was my first attempt at "digital scrapbooking." Be sure to click on the "play" buttons at the bottom of the picture so you can see the rest of the pages.  There are five pages. My favorite is the "then and now" page. It's funny to see how much (and how little!) the four of us have changed in the last six years! 

I bet y'all are wondering about those last couple of posts. 

Well, I've been out and about for the last few weeks... I went to Washington D.C. with a group of teachers from the Clark County School District, thanks to the Teaching American History Grant. After six fun-filled days in D.C., I flew to San Antonio to co-present a session at the 2008 NECC Conference with Dr. Keeler. Click here for our fun and exciting presentation, and download the presentation, complete with my extra fun slide design! It'll feel just like you were there in person! Really!

Anyway, when I'm at a conference, I like to take notes on my laptop, but I found that if I post the notes from the sessions on my blog, I'm more likely to review them. So yah, sorry about that.

Fun-filled photos from D.C. and San Antonio will follow soon. It was my first time to visit both places and I had a great time. The trips included the following:

• 4 hotels in two weeks
• 6 airplane rides in two weeks
• 3 DC Metro tickets
• 2 fun outings with Natalie!
• 1 visit with Steve and his family!
• 12 hours in Colonial Williamsburg
• 4 hours at the Holocaust Museum
• 1 pair of crocs, with soles worn COMPLETELY through
• 2 Texas-shaped waffles
• 11-13 trips on San Antonio public transportation

But don't worry. Apparently, Steve was very busy while I was away...

Therese Laux
From iPods to MIDI: Transform Learning through Music Technology

North High Magnet School in Omaha, Nebraska, Vikings

READ: Technology STrategies for Music Education, Thomas E. Ralph, Floyd Richmond, David Mash, David Williams

Focus on 21st century learning
Where do you see:

• engaged students
• scial nd emotional connections
• sensitivity to cultural differences

• Have you noticed?
• students working collaboratively and creatively
• self-direction
• adaptability and accountbility
• What is it about music?
• engaged students- they like being in school and have positive experiences
• emotional and social connections
• collaborative and creative
• When business leaders ask what is needed today, they often say:
• people who think with creative sides of their brain
• people that have played in a band bc it enhances symbiotic capabilities
• http://ti-me.org
• the technology insitute for music educators
• non-profit organization devoted to helping music teachers learn how to integrate the tools of technology into the music curriculum
• 7 Areas
• electronic musical instruments
• MalletKAT
• MIDI wind controller
• keytar, Justin Timberlake, Herbie Hancock's recent CD
• electric violin from Yamaha
• Roland V Session electronic drumset
  
• MIDI sequencing
• music notation software
• Finale or Sevalius
  
• kids have to "own" music, it's a tremendous creative outlet
• teach kids to play happy birthday, let them figure it out
• in their music media tech, they have a piano recital every year for EVERYONE- this is true differentiated instruction
  
• computer-assisted instruction
• multimieda and digitized media
• internet and telecommunications
• information processing, computer systems, & lab management
• What are they so engaged in???
• Garageband!!! kept kids in school and out of trouble
• beginners and pros are able to do it
• tracks, loops, instruments, oh my!
• they find a way to communicate their ideas!!! They can express themselves
• podcasts: fellows night out, fellas night out
• What can we learn from the world of business? Do they have answers?
• at first this sounds insulting, but they might have some answers!
• Winning the Answers, by Jack & Suzy Welch
• Daniel Pink book
• seeing difference_ pay attenetion to differences that matter
• understanding difference: gain knowledge about those differences matter
• value difference: experiment with changes in how you operate as a result
• martin davidson, Darden School of Business
• What's the next big thing?
• www.sltib.com, Earth Harp, Bill Close
• Japanese Tenori-ON, blending the beauty of shape and sound, 16x16 led panel
  
• REactable, collaborative electronic
  
• therese.laux@ops.org
• web.mac.com/omahanorth
• andy crozier ipod ade
• apple learning interchange
• music and the mac, join this group at the apple learning interchange, form a ning group
  

Reasons why our students will benefit from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "On the Road" programs:

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has video conferencing about history and significance of rock & roll music
• "On the Road," Distance Learning Program, "on the road: Opening Act"
  
• just finished 3rd full year, connected to 28 states and 4 countries, over 10,000 students!
  
• Overview of course offerings:
• offer classes for grades 3-12
• interactive & interdisciplinary
• explore popular music and its social meanigns while meeting academic content standards
• analyze historical performances, images, and documents
• view behind-the-scenes clips (curatorial, oral, historical)
• engage in question and answer segments
  
• Course Offerings:
• Rock & Roll Reactions: records, radio and the birth of teen culture in 1950's
• how Rock & Roll helped break down racial barriers
  
• Ball of Confusion: music and social change in the 1960's and 1970's
• most popular class, fits in well with variety of classroom settings
• Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, counter culture, Women's Rights
• how musicians reflected these concerns in their music
• compare and contrast performances
• Dylan vs. Hendrix versions of "All Along the Watchtower"
• Hip Hop Technology: from turntables to computers
• trace the origins of hip hop, 1973 in the Bronx, NY
• at the end of class students can act as producers creating a hip-hop act live in studio
• Ambassador to the Orchestra: the arranger in rock & roll
• focused more on music, how rock & roll and classicl
  
• Inductee Spotlight: Frank Zappa
• Planet Rock: Global Perspectives on Popular Music
• Inductee Spotlight: The Dors
• Ball of Confusion II
  
• gasgag
  
• influences
• Great Moments in Rock and Roll: popular music through the decades
• how rock & roll connects with society
• show classic moments
• Chuck Barry live performance of "You Can't Catch Me,"
  
• ask students "why is this a great moment in rock & roll history?"
• ask, "how is this breaking down racial barriers?"
  
• during live performances, a rope would separate black and white audience members, but during the performances, the rope would fall and teenagers would just enjoy themselves

SCHEDULING
John Goehrke
jgoehrke@rockhall.org
(216) 515-1202
rock and roll hall of fame distance education

INFO:

• $100
• online access to pre and post connection packets with lesson outlines, supporting materials, and classroom activities
• pre-connection call
• the class!
• offered 9-5 eastern time
  
• at least 3 weeks notice, usually sold out by March
• 30 students per class
• talk to tech coordinator for video conferencing equipment
• polycom, tanbergh
  

I don't know why, but I freaking love these commercials.

"They say a man should always dress for the job he wants.
Then why am I dressed like a pirate in this restaurant?
It's all because some hacker stole my identity,
Now I'm in here every evening serving chowder and iced tea."

I keep looking at my checking account and credit card statements. Part of me impishly hopes that some wacky identity thieves spent all my money and racked up this astronomical debt. Also, I keep getting these letters telling me that my student loans are about to go into repayment. Could it be that an identity thief funded an expensive graduate degree using my identity to take out massive student loans?

Sadly, no. It was me. =(

But really, as far as student loans go, it's not that bad.  Can you really put a price on education?

****************************************************

SIDENOTE:

I was all excited about these commercials, hoping this trio was a real band- a quirky fun band reminscent of Chris & Tad, writing  spunky jingles and wearing cardigan sweaters. But no, it's all lies, lies, lies. Read about it here. 

Apparently, the lead "singer," Eric Violette, is a French actor. According to this demo real, he is also an astronaut, horrible coffee house singer, interpretive-dancer, super violent Chuck Norris fan, and above all, a mediocre lip-syncer. 

Sigh. You think you know someone...

Miami 2008

Steve and I visited Miami and spent time with our long-time friends, the Archer family. We visited Miami Beach and saw a Marlins game. Amie and I took her two sons on a rousing trip to Build-a-Bear. Steve and Diego went fishing and brought home a fish! All in all, it was an excellent trip! 

Even though Amie and I haven't seen each other since our crazy days at BYU, it felt like just yesterday that we were rocking out in Provo.  We promised not to let so many years go by without seeing each other again.

It's not like I'm a huge fan of Sex and the City or anything, but what's up with Kim Cattrall's voice? Why does she talk in that syrupy condescending voice? It's like the voice of a really horrible babysitter or kindergarten teacher. 

Wise Words #5

"Just because you're lactating doesn't mean you're the shiz."

-Briana to Minda

...and a sidenote: the Scarlet Something/Brickle reunion is in just a couple weeks!!! I never thought I'd look forward to going to Wyoming!

It's official!

I'm teaching third grade next year! As a kid, though, I hated third grade. My teacher was frightening, but luckily, she was absent most of the year. She told us that she saved up all of her sick days and was going on a trip to Hawaii. She blatantly favored certain kids, screamed a lot, and was generally very sarcastic and cold. In fact, I can't think of any favorite projects or events from that entire year. I really wanted to please my teacher, but I just remember being stressed out a lot and always being afraid of her. Scary, I know. (Incidentally, CCSD recently named a new school after this lady- further proof that I have no idea what it takes to make it in this school district.) 

Can any of you supplement my memories of third grade with happy fun stories? I'd really like to know what made your third grade year special.

No more children, no more books,
No more parents' dirty looks!

haha... see, it's funny because I'm a teacher, but I'm still singing an irritating song expressing excitement about the end of the school year. haha, see guys, I'm still funny... really...

I won't lie, the thought of sleeping in and leisurely going to the gym at 11am is a real treat. I don't even feel guilty, because I make so little money while working 10-12 hour days for most of the year, and spend thousands of dollars of my own money on school supplies for the kids. And we really only get 9 weeks off... and I'm spending several weeks out of town for work-related conferences anyway, which I have to pay for out of my own pocket with very little reimbursement. So basically, it boils down to the normal time-off that everyone else in a salaried job gets... except I still don't make very much money.

I'm excited for the super busy summer I have planned. No, I'm not jetsetting off to Germany again this year. But I do have several professional conferences planned this summer, as well as a nice spur-of-the-moment trip to Utah. I'm visiting Washington D.C., Lake Tahoe, aaaand San Antonio, Texas. It should be lots of fun.

I've also been substituting at (gasp!) other schools to make a little extra cash. So far, I've taught P.E. and elementary school music. Gotta' love year-round schools!

Steve and I visited Hofbrauhaus and it was super! They had a great band, awesome atmosphere, and excellent German food. We've felt the need to enjoy a meal there ever since Steve found that $100 bill in their parking lot a few months ago.

Some unnamed family members visited Vegas this weekend. They were staying with my grandparents. They didn't inform my mom and I that they were coming, well, until they got here. I was at a work-related conference, and certain family members threw a great big noisy fuss until I left the conference early... something about my "priorities" being out of whack.

So we went over to my grandparents' house to visit with them, and this was the conversation:

THEM:

Hey, can you come with us to the Shark Reef and buy us the locals-reduced-price tickets?

ME:

Sure! I have nothing else going on today because I'm single and have no children and no spouse! I'm soooo excited to totally cancel all of my weekend plans at the last minute for you!!!

THEM:

(whispering to each other right in front of me)

uh oh. There's no room for her in the car, between the car seat and all of our kid's slobbery, crumb-covered toys that he can't travel without for three blocks because we've completely spoiled him.

ME:

You know what? I've actually had a drivers' license for over ten years now! I can drive my own car and meet you there.

THEM:

Um, well, actually, we don't want to go through the trouble of actually meeting you at Mandalay Bay. It's a big place, after all. It might take us a long time to find each other.

(This portion of the conversation was actually quoted as said. For crying out loud, it's not like I offered to meet them in the middle of the Oregon Trail. Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef has a ticket counter. It's a central easy-to-find location.)

Later that same day...

THEM:

Do you want to come to dinner with us?

ME:

Sure. Where should I meet you?

THEM:

It's going to be all the way over on this side of town. It will cost you a lot of gas to get all the way over on this side of town.

("this side of town" is actually the SAME side of town where I live.)

ME:

Okay. Where should I meet you?

THEM:

Well, actually, dinner should probably just be a family-only thing. So never mind.

(this is what they ACTUALLY SAID)

...ouch. 

I plead with you, family-minded blog community, to please be sensitive to the needs of your single friends. And I don't mean be "sensitive" by feeling sorry for us. Please remember that we have schedules, commitments, and feelings, too. Being single just means that we have managed to avoid walking down the aisle and procreating. We don't need your pity. It is quite possible for us (and by "us" I mean "me") to lead full and meaningful lives. Don't you worry.

Everyone's your friend in Salt Lake City...

Here are some ultra-cheesy photos from Temple Square. For the record, Steve and I are not the kind of people who take ultra-cheesy Temple Square photos. So that makes it ironic, which makes it cool... right?

I'm so happy that we ran into Miss Kris that day. LOVE her.

Temple Square wouldn't be the same without the protesters. 

I wish I felt passionate enough about something to protest it.

We rounded out the day by enjoying a lovely lunch with Ryan, my brother-from-another-mother (I've never used that phrase before; it makes me feel like white people who say the word "phat" and mean it.). We went to the Blue Plate Dinner and enjoyed good company, as well as a kickin' almond malt.

From the looks of this juice label, the television writers weren't the only type of writers on strike.

Seriously. "Flavored juice cocktail in a blend with another juice." No kidding, really?

P.S. This is Steve's favorite juice beverage and we've been drinking it since February, but didn't notice the ridiculous label until a few weeks ago.

I cannot find the USB cable for my camera- tragedy, I know. My camera is currently holding captive the following gems:

* my sentimental journey to Provo

* Steve being disgruntled on BYU campus

* colorful (in more ways than one) murals painted by elementary school children

* a delightful incident involving the wearing of matching Crocs

Have you ever lost your camera cable for a seemingly indefinite amount of time?

Easily one of my favorite songs in the whole world.

And the lovely video reminds me of the things I miss about Europe:
1. narrow cobblestone streets
2. outdoor cafes
3. adorably tiny cars
4. rivers that run through cities, with their associated riverwalks and bridges
5. expansive fields to walk/jog near

Dear Wendeleeza and the BSC,

Does this look familiar?

Sometimes I love Saturday Night Live. I tried, oh how I tried, to find the entire sketch on youtube, but I was unlucky.

Love,
H.

So I broke down today and went back to my old flame. Oh Franklin, how did I make it through the days without you? I tried using a Palm Pilot, I tried using my fancy-schmancy cell phone, but it just wasn't the same. I missed planning out every hour of my life. I missed your weekly compass bookmarks. I missed making lofty goals and writing cheesy personal mission statements.

Franklin and I first became "involved" when I was a freshmen at BYU. Like many new cougars, I went to some kind of training seminar and, thanks to Dr. Brough (a fellow Franklin-devotee), I used Franklin to plan every hour of my college existence. I was promised that my posterity would cherish these very detailed records. As far as I know, none of the people at my table kept our silly goals for the semester. I never trained for a marathon. To the best of my knowledge, Brandon didn't practice the piano daily. And group members and I never did start that evening jogging group/book club we planned...

Franklin was my faithful (although sometimes absent) sidekick until I finally got sick of carrying around a gigantic zip-up leather binder... those suckers are heavy! Plus, I got irritated with the over-planning. I felt so cheesy. Would anyone really care who I went to lunch with on October 13, 1999? Probably not.

But my life is falling apart. Or at least is very poorly planned. I'm forgetting passwords and assignments left and right, and I totally forgot that I had a field trip scheduled for this Tuesday with my 1st and 2nd graders. Oops.

So after much thought, I stopped by the Franklin Covey store today and rekindled that old flame. I went with the smaller and more convenient "compact" size, and with weekly rather than daily planning system. They had some new darling contemporary designs and I even bought an adorably saucy blue binder that matches my favorite Coach wallet.

Since I subscribed to Netflix, my DVD purchasing has substantially decreased. This was part of my secret plan to stop buying garbage. So it's been quite awhile since I've actually wanted to purchase a DVD... but lately I've been pining away for these beauties:
1) Juno

Every other line in this movie was hilariously quotable. Plus, the soundtrack was lovely.

2) Dan in Real Life

"You are a murderer of love!" This movie provided much fodder for inside jokes. The Dane Cook/Juliet Binoche pairing was odd, but I guess it was supposed to be unnatural and not mean-to-be. This was the first time I saw Steve Carrell in a feature-length film and I was surprised that he wasn't annoying and Jim-Carrey-ish.

3) BBC's Planet Earth

I just really really want to see this, and I get irritated with multi-disc rentals on Netflix because I get totally into something and then have to wait days and days to get the next disc. Plus, I think that installments of it might be nice to show in my classroom.

A few days out of town provided a lot of perspective...Interestingly enough, the song that used to be my "Provo Anthem" is now my "Vegas Anthem." I think it's about time to think about leaving Vegas.

If Winter Ends, by Bright Eyes

I dreamt of a fever,
one that would cure me of this cold winter-set heart,
with heat to melt these frozen tears, and burned with reasons
as to carry on.
Into these twisted months I plunge without a light to follow
but I swear that I would follow anything,
just get me out of here.

But I fell for the promise of a life with a purpose,
but I know that that's impossible now.
And so I drink to stay warm,
and to kill selected memories,
cause I just can’t think anymore about that or about her tonight.

and I give myself three days to feel better,
or else I swear I'll drive right off a cliff,
cause if I can’t learn to make myself feel better,
how can I expect anyone else to give a sh**?

and I scream for the sunlight or a car to take me anywhere,
just get me past this dead and eternal snow,
cause I swear that I'm dying, slowly but its happening,
and if the perfect spring is waiting somewhere,
just take me there,
and lie to me and say,
it’s gonna be alright,
Yeah, you worry too much kid,
it's gonna be alright.

I know you all have adorable photos of your adorable families celebrating holidays. Well, I don't have that, but here is how we celebrated Easter.
Love, Heather


Cocoa is all dressed up for Easter!


Mom and Steve toil over a hot stove.


Apparently, Ty is very super excited for Easter dinner.


Aww, aren't we cute? Look at Cocoa smiling!

Spring Break Photos!!!
Exciting, I know!

Steve found this $100 bill in the empty Hofbrauhaus parking lot.


We made this quiche for the St. Patrick's Day breakfast at Natalie's house.


St. Paddy's Day with the girls @ Natalie's house


St. George Temple


with Shannon & Clark in St. George


Valley of Fire

Ah, Spring Break (yes, it's great and mighty magnitude warrants capitalization) has come and gone. Steve and I had some excellent adventures, including trips to Lake Mead, St. George, and Valley of Fire. We also spent more time than was necessary playing Guitar Hero, which came with rave reviews from the second grade boys in my class. We also cleaned a disgusting oven, made an impromptu Easter dinner, and discovered a dead bird under the tires of my boat trailer.

So even though I didn't have a "gone wild" adventure, I still had a productive and relaxing week off from work. If anything, it was a delightful preview for summer vacation.

It's finally here! SPRING BREAK!!!!!!

I can't believe it's March already. Right now- at this VERY moment- my high school reunion is going on. Too bad it costs $80. I'm a little sad, but I can't really justify spending $80 to make small talk with people a.) I still speak regularly with, b.) I keep in touch with via myspace/facebook/blogs, or c.) don't remember at all.

When I make it to the 20 year reunion, hopefully it will go something like this...

So you know how you're supposed to be there 45 minutes early before a flight? Well, I was there 43 minutes early. And that JUST WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH, was it, Delta?

They would not let me on the flight. "Seriously?" Yes, seriously, because I was a whopping ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SECONDS late.

"Surely they must have been joking."
No, Delta does not joke. Not only would they not allow me on the flight, they refused to send my luggage on a later flight, they refused to book me on a later flight, they refused to book me on a flight the next day, and they refused to give me a credit. I wasn't even asking for a refund, just a credit. A credit to be used at a later date, for crying out loud!

What really ticked me off was the way the ticketing people snickered at me when they said I couldn't get on the flight. They were downright guffawing. It was just rude. And when I asked if I could get on the flight without my luggage, sending my luggage on a later flight, they accused me of being a terrorist. I could have been trying to make it home for a funeral, for all they knew. Who's the real terrorist here?



This is practically unheard of on Southwest. I've leisurely rolled up to the gate thirty minutes early. No luggage? No problem! If my luggage didn't make the flight, they'd deliver it later or let me pick it up myself. If I had to reschedule, no worries. My Southwest flights easily translate into credits.

Oh Delta, you and your expensive flights, your oily pleather headrests, snooty flight crews, and HOSTILE ground crew. Why do you have to be like this?

PS:
Apparently I'm not the only one boycotting Delta. A simple google search turned up this gem: www.boycottdelta.org. Delta seems to enjoy performing uninvited credit checks and arbitrarily terror-rating it's customers. Not me, Delta, I've learned my lesson.

PPS:
"Did I make it to my destination?" Why, thank you for asking. I ran through the airport like a crazy person (but not like a terrorist), and I called Southwest Airlines on my cellphone. Not only did they make me first on the standby list on their next flight out, they were incredibly nice and said they would "take care of me." Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, like a member of the mafia. Thank you Ingred, kind customer service employee from Southwest Air. Thank you!!!

I love my job.


This is the flier for the unit I designed for this next science rotation:


I love being a teacher and I am so grateful for those of you who have helped shaped my beliefs and practices:
Amanda, Aunt Dianne, Bethany, Jenni, Pam, Patric, Colleen, Ruth, Kim
and many, many more...

Haircut 2.0: or Diana is Genius, pt. 2



K, so I know that there are more important things in the world besides my haircut. But this is the updated version that Diana did today. I feared that the long layers kinda made me look like Uncle Jesse from Full House. So Diana did her magic again by cutting off the mullet-y bottom. She is awesome.

Thank you to the three of you who participated in the official Spur of the Moment 24 Hour Haircut Election. I went with #1, but kept it a little longer on the bottom and had the bangs a bit shorter. Amanda, I am glad you found a possible winner for yourself.

Here are the results:



PS:
If anyone is looking for a hair stylist, I can wholeheartedly recommend Diana, who will not only wash your hair with delightfully minty products, she is a sparkling conversationalist and a talented stylist.

Heather needs a haircut...
votes are welcome...

#1


#2


#3


#4


#5

Don't Cry For Me, John Krasinksi



Despite my love for The Office, I'm not afraid to say that License to Wed royally sucked. I'm not even all the way through the movie, and I'm thinking about just popping it out of the DVD player and sticking it back in it's little red envelope so it can begin its journey back to the Netflix warehouse.

Pretty much, John (or "Jim" as I prefer to call him) gets into awkward situation after awkward situation, to which he consistently responds by making his trademark "Jim" face... a shrug, raised eyebrows, etc...




At less than an hour into the movie, it is very clear that our friend Jim is about to get trapped into a marriage with a controlling shrew purely because he finds her HOT. Uh oh! Lesson learned.

Also, those mechanical babies were super creepy. We had those in Anatomy class in high school, and they weren't nearly as horrifying. That "mini me" version of Robin Williams was also super creepy. I wanted to call CPS on that kid's parents for allowing him to be in this movie. The ending- don't worry, I won't ruin it- was possibly the tackiest and worst movie ending I've ever seen. And that's bad.

No amount of cameos from the cast of The Office could cure this horrid movie.

One last thing. I think I'm entirely cured of my crush on Jim. Perhaps it was just his shaggy haircut that I've loved all this time. It's interesting to note that Ellen Degeneres also has this same haircut. My hypothesis is that this particular haircut is a magnet for women. After all, Ellen is dating Portia De Rossi.

Oh Jim, if you're reading this: the side part is just not a good look for you. It is unnatural for a man at that age to have the same haircut as a 19-year-old Mormon missionary.

Gotta Love Office Space
and
some unfortunate last names

Samir: No one in this country can ever pronounce my name right. It's not that hard: Samir Na-gheen-an-a-jar. Nagheenanajar.
Michael Bolton: Yeah, well at least your name isn't Michael Bolton.
Samir: You know there's nothing wrong with that name.
Michael Bolton: There was nothing wrong with it... until I was about 12 years old and that no-talent clown became famous and started winning Grammys.
Samir: Hmm... well why don't you just go by Mike instead of Michael?
Michael Bolton: No way. Why should I change? He's the one who sucks.



There really are some unfortunate last names out there. As a teacher and former Mormon missionary, I sympathize with unfortunately surnamed people. What's the most unfortunate name you've encountered?

Wise Words #5

This is from my beloved Paul Rudd's character in the movie 200 Cigarettes.

It's inevitable, you know? You make all these little compromises to smooth things along, and the next thing you know, you're on some macrobiotic diet and you're listening to Joni Mitchell... and you know what they say? They tell you, "you've changed," and "you're not the same person I fell in love with." And then they dump you!

and a special bonus:

PAUL RUDD: Look, I'm just going to go home and kill myself. Do you want to share a cab?
COURTNEY LOVE: So I can pass out and wake up alone on New Year's Day? No way, man.

Wise Words #4
This was submitted by Deanna. This is one of the many reasons I love her so.

Major Life Decisions
(or: If You Hold Hands with Mentally Retarded Children, They'll Never Learn to Make Their Own Decisions)

I have a M.R. (mentally retarded) kid in my class. At the beginning of the year, he would always try to hold my hand whenever we were going anywhere. Then, the special ed teacher told me not to hold the kid's hand anymore because then the kid wasn't thinking about where to go for himself. He was just coasting along without thinking.

Once in awhile I wish I could just coast along with someone else making my decisions for me. Driving is one of those times. Its so much easier to just follow someone else, whether it's a friend driving ahead of me or a friend navigating in the passenger seat. If I had a newfangled GPS, I could totally see myself accidentally driving off a bridge or something (it said "turn left NOW!").



It would also be much easier if someone else could make financial decisions for me. Buying a house has my head spinning; it blows my mind that I could feasibly be a homeowner... to own something so big and expensive and to have THAT much debt... wow. I'm also contemplating what to do about retirement. These two cute reps from some union-approved retirement agency keep coming around our school every couple weeks, and I have to keep turning them away because I don't want to accidentally sign up for something I don't understand just because the salesmen are hot.

I wonder sometimes if marriage appealed to me partly because it would have been sooo easy to allow someone else to make a major life decision once in awhile. But then I remember to have faith in myself and my ability to make intelligent choices. After all, I haven't signed up for a retirement plan... yet.

Heather loves Cocoa.
Seriously. Is anything cuter?

Man, facebook is running slowly right now. Don't they know I need to upload like, infinity number of photos from our super fun post-New Year's travels? That's okay, I'll post some here.

Wise Words #3

"We would have brought you some peanut brittle, except we didn't know if you had any food allergies... because YOU NEVER CALLED ME BACK!"
- Tyree

The moral of this story: Always call people back.

"Landed," by Ben Folds.
best. song. ever.


Here are the lyrics, provided for your enjoyment.

We'd hit the bottom,
I thought it was my fault
And in a way I guess it was
I'm just now finding out
What it was all about

Moved to the west coast away from everyone
She never told me that you called
Back when I was still, I was still in love

Till I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's bye-bye, goodbye, I tried
And I twisted it wrong just to make it right
Had to leave myself behind
I've been flying high all night
So come pick me up...I've landed

The daily dramas she made from nothing
So nothing ever made them right
She liked to push me and talk me back down
Until I believed I was the crazy one,
and in a way
I guess I was...

But I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's bye-bye, goodbye I tried
Treading a sea of a troubled mind
Had to leave myself behind
Singing bye-bye, goodbye I tried

If you wrote me off I'd understand it
Because I've been on some other planet
So come pick me up...
I've landed

And you will be so
happy to know
I've come alone,
it's over

But I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's by my goodbye I tried
Down comes the reign of the telephone czar
It's OK to call
Now I'll answer for myself

Come pick me up,...I've landed

Wise Words #2

"Um, just so you know, next time a homeless person asks for a handout, it's not a good idea to say, 'I only carry large bills.' And don't ask them if they have change for a twenty."
-Eric