quote of the day

you must do things you think you cannot do. --eleanor roosevelt

quote of the day

kristin: im pretty sure this is what your hell would be like.
dad: what do you mean?
kristin: a minivan full of women singing michael buble at the top of their lungs. come on.

quotes of the day

Dr. Sloan: So why not tell O’Malley?
Lexi: You really are the last person who should be giving romantic advice.
Dr. Sloan: Hey, when I like somebody I make sure they know it. Life’s too short to live any other way.
Lexi: What if he doesn’t like me back?
Dr. Sloan: Then he’s an idiot.
(thank you, greys anatomy.)

and

if you judge people, you have no time to love them. --mother theresa

giants game

sf + baseball + stadium food + good friends = good times.

remember that roundhouse kick to the face??

double, maybe even triple that. times infinity.

quotes of the day

"don't be trashy. recycle." --silk screened on one of my students purses.

and

i think about it like this. all moms are missionaries. all babies that come into this world are non-members. its a moms job to teach them how to live the gospel. then they can grow up and be good baby missionaries.
--my sister kristin

quote of the day

thats a wrap!--my mom

family photos

yes these poses are the same as last time, but hey, creativity took a back seat to the need for speed. apparently so did lighting basics. boo. but at least we pulled this off in like 10 minutes. =) go us.

so rad

i liked this song before i saw this performance, but now i like it even more. yah yah yah...i know this was a few months ago, but i still love it. the energy and emotion is unbelievable. i wish it wasn't so pixelated, but oh well. its worth another watch, pixels and all.

quotes of the day

i like my cobra the best. --little boy at layton ihop (speaking about his balloon animal)

and

ahhh! snail alert! -my mom

home.

few surprises could have made me happier than an impromptu reunion in a minivan full my cackling sisters, their "remember whens" and my dear, sweet parents.

quote of the day

"how to B a master pimp. rule #1: stop snitching. rule #2 keep clockin dollaz." --back of smiley's shirt

lucky me.

i just remembered ive got my whole life ahead me. yay.

quote of the day

the more you do for kids, the less they do for themselves. by enabling them you empower them.

and

you can't grow in isolation.

quote of the day

this isn't the beach. its the coast littered with sharks & hippies.
--my morning radio show

their letters...

excerpts from their letters from the first day of school...

but sometimes we (her family) get into arguments, well thats all of the time and we use physical violence sometimes to resolve the problem. we do it like that. --10th grade girl

my friends gang bang and i try not to kick it with them. --11th grade boy

i want to be a j-pop singer in japan. j-pop means japanese pop. i've already got people who know me in japan, so thats a start. --10 grade girl

yes i have something to tell you. i will try to do all my work. --10th grade girl

i like to write love poems because i am in love. --10th grade girl

well actually this year we became closer than friends and i never expected that to happen but i am really happy it happened because i couldn't be happier. --10th grade girl

my family are happy people they like to be oweys tegether and cook mexican food. --10th grade boy

the goals that i have are to be a success in life, loose weight, stop being lazy, and not waste the chance of doing the thing i want to do. --10th grade boy

this is my first time in culinary skills and i thought this was a cooking class so why do i have to wright a fol page about my family and friends. --10th grade boy

at home when i got nothing to do i go and workout because i want to be in shape and try to have a sicpack before my birthday which is in a month. --11th grade boy

i'm not super religious, but i do have morals! --11grade girl

i am putting the right work into it, so it can come true one day i knwo that if i keep tryin git will come true one day, i just know that. that is all about me. i have faith in myself and i know that ll my dreams will come true one day if i keep trying. --10th grade blessing

if you had a million dollars how would you spend it? i'll buy a house and limo for my family.
who is one of your heroes, why? my mom because she helped me to find my way to cebome someone. --10th grade boy

honesty is my policy. i'm not much for liars who are just fake. --11th grade girl

my hobbies are to write, swim, tag & talk! --10th grade girl

i have a goal, that sometime in my life, i wish to make enough money so i can let my parents retire and live a normal easy life. --12th grade boy

i like to have a challenging schedule in school so that i can keep myself from doing anything i wouldn't want to be doing. --11th grade boy

i love football b/c i love the feeling of catching the ball. i dont even got to make a touchdown to feel good about it. --12th grade girl

what is one of your hobbies? collecting CDs of spanish genre. --12th grade boy

what are your goals after high school? some college and work my butt off. --12th grade boy

list 3 words that describe your family. broken, sad & big --11th grade girl

one of my goals is to be a chef or/and a break dancer. --10th grade boy

here at school i have plenty of friends with whom i love to mess aroud with. most of the time, however, you will probably see me walking aorund with my lady friend amalia. --11th grade boy

my sisters name is erika. she is a sophomore and is pretty smart when she thinks. sometimes she hates to think, so some people don't think she's very smart. --12th grade girl

a lot of people know that I am mexican, so i'm going to have a big party this year. --10th grade girl

i have two pets, one is actually mine, like im the only one that takes care of it. its name is sobe. its a bearded gradon (lizard). at first it was peach because i thought it was a girl, your probably wondering how i didn't know...well you can only tell if its a guy or a girl after it is 6 months old. --11th grade boy

quotes of the day

"...along with the illuminating revelation that points us toward a righteous purpose or duty, God will also provide the means and power to achieve that purpose. Trust in that eternal truth. If God has told you something is right, if something is indeed true for you, he will provide the way for you to accomplish it." jeffrey r holland

(from the talk, "Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence." For the full text click here.

and

"character is the ability to follow through with a goal, a commitment or a contract long after the excitement is gone or the money you earned has been spent." billy cox

grrrr.

dear bratty hoodlums who bashed in my windshield for the 2nd time this year,




i hear pogo sticks are climbing the popularity charts once again. so, lets trade...if you promise to stay away from me and my car, ill give you a pogo stick. you can also leave me 2 sick days wrapped in the $1000 worth deductibles i have had to fork over on behalf of you and your nighttime shenanigans.



let me know what you think.


all my best,
ms booth

chihuly exhibit

Dale Chihuly's glass exhibit was in town at the de young museum in SF. reminiscent of a lot of the stuff we saw in venice & murano specifically, george & I took a day to check it out. i was really excited for it, but it turned out to be even cooler than I expected. check out his website, and if you get a chance, tour his exhibit. until then, here are a few glimpses to tide you over...

quote of the day

student: da--, this sh-- is he--- hot.
me: what?
student: this sh-- he--- hot.
me: eyebrows raised.
student: da--. i mean...

Five Important Lessons...

i got these in an email. i've heard them before, but they're always good to read again.


1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read
the last one:

'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?' Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.'Absolutely,' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.



2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:3 0 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s'.. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..

It read:
'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away.. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.



3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked.
'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. 'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. 'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. 'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.


4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.



5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will save her.' As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away'. Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.

quote of the day

a mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled. --plutarch

and

where my su chef at? --one of my students

the moments that win.

i just had a moment. one of those moments where i am standing at the front of my classroom, arms crossed & eyebrows raised, where i feel that any second i might absolutely explode with aggravation at the immature, disrespectful and inconsiderate behavior of my kids. it was one of those moments where i truly believed that that specific morning, it would have been better for me & my students not to know one another. that it would have been better for me to roll over, stay in my pajamas, eat ice cream in my bed all day, and just to let them fend for themselves and do whatever they want. it is also in those moments that i understand that if i dont immediately contain whatever the most recent spectacle may be, it will more than likely spiral into a chaotic circus of vulgarity & impudence. in that moment, still longing for the comfort of my covers and a substantial tub of ben & jerrys, i am almost completely convinced that the heated, volatile cloud that is hanging over us will not dissipate. not ever. that the undermining current of disregard will continue to rear his ugly head, and that as a class, we will never be able to get settled and function as we ought to. and while i hate to admit it, for a second, i wonder how on earth i came to the conclusion that this, or any other job for that matter, would be a good fit for me.

whats funny, is that that desperate moment ends. i survive. my nerves are soothed without flannel pajamas or ice cream. i don't cry or scream or throw things at my students. and usually, its only takes a few minutes for another definitive moment to present itself. and while its usually punctuated with foul language and some sort of ridiculous shenanigans, the connection is there. there is some small connection that reminds me how i ever thought this could work. because while sometimes i think i am going to be driven clear outside my mind, i love them. and i want them to be happier, kinder, more responsible, more appropriate, more respectful, more excited, more optimistic and more prepared because of our time together. luckily, however few and far between they may be, THOSE are the moments that win.

quote of the day

a successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." --mignon mclaughlin

and

the home is the most important place in the world. --cover of the ikea catalog

quote of the day

"Therefore I befriend that elephant in the room, and am guaranteed safety from flying pee, poo, and feet. Not to mention derrieres. Homies don't crush each other with their giant butts." - Kristin

quote of the day

bad days come to an end, faith always triumphs and heavenly promises are always kept. --jeffrey r. holland

(PS-if you missed the CES fireside, please click here to read the text or listen to the audio from the broadcast. it was that excellent.)

good times.

thai food & bowling. yay.

take some advice from SWK and change your life...

on my flight from heathrow to SFO i, i found myself wrapped in a blanket of various emotions. i was tired, but i felt ready for anything. having just experienced the raddest trip of my life, i found myself alone for the first time in 35 days, and a bit reflective. my mind was going a million miles an hour, so the siesta that i so desperately needed was out of the question. i was also not ready to delve back into the impassioned longing between bella & edward, and so i picked up the magazine left in the seat back in front of me. the cover story was an article titled, "50 ways to change your life." hmmmm....excellent. it reminded me of the research paper i wrote at BYU based on the quote by bob dylan, "if you're not busy being born every day, you're busy dying." (i can't help it. stuff like that just gets me going.) its optimistic & positive, which is usually enough to medicate the wounds inflicted upon my ego when my most recent attempt at a life improving behavior does not succeed. if i had a penny for every time i had the resolve for getting up earlier, working out more, eating healthier, learning a new skill, i'd be a rich, rich. girl. anyways, as i read, i started to write too, so as to preserve their excellent selections.

get a pay raise

declutter

volunteer

re-evaluate your personal brand

read Eat That Frog by brian tracy

take a lunch break

get up earlier
--you have to want to do something enough," he says. "everyone complains about not having enough time, whether its to go to the gym or to do something they really want to do. you just have to take control and overcome your inbuilt sloth.
be spontaneous

-there is something delicious about spur of the moment decisions, realizing they are going to have consequences and not knowing what they are going to be--roz savage

complain less-if you're sick of the sound of your own voice, set yourselfe a complaint quota for each day, count to 10 and ask yourself if the person you're complaining to actually has the power to make things better?

say yes more.

take a chance. who knows where it may lead.

get to the gym.

eat breakfast.
-never leave the house without breakfast. try to eat regularly and make sure every meal or snack you eat include at least one portion of fruit or vegetables. think about what you are eating and why you're eating it and before you put anything into your mouth ask yourself two questions: "am i really hungry?" and "what is this food doing to my body?"

sort your home out

get spiritual

get a hobby

smile more

train your brain

dont be a slave to email

make money from your passion

unleash your creative juices
-keep fresh, get stimulated, be curious, listen to your intuition

spend more QUALITY time with loved ones

get some decent shut eye. it is impossible to get more sleep than you need

cook for yourself

JUST DO IT.

no there's not 50. i didn't even count how many out of the 50 actually struck me as note slash blog-worthy. just do it. that sums it up. and like SWK usta say (or so im told) ...DO IT NOW.

quotes of the day

ms booth. MS BOOTH. excuse me, ms booth...um, what is that one thing you were saying? where yo doo doo is bleeding? --one of my dear concerned students after discussing food borne illnesses and all the disgustingly terrifying reasons to WASH YOUR HANDS.

and

bill clinton dismisses his grammy loss to obama. --the laughable subject line of an email that wound up in my SPAM folder.

quote of the day

there will be none of this nonsense...we a peaceful classroom. (one of my students addressing classmate horseplay.)