28 February 2009
quote of the day
keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. small people always do that but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. --mark twain
27 February 2009
pure, unadulterated, genuine, delight.
something i currently love...
knowing & adoring the men that are marrying my best friends.
for a number of reasons, but here are a few that come to me at the moment...
1. it helps me practice my secret keeping abilities.
2. i get to see the rings & hear about all the pre-proposal jitters, pre-proposal.
3. i get to hear both sides of the story.
4. i get to know and witness and believe in love, which happens to be between TWO people whom i LOVE dearly.
5. i can genuinely delight in knowing that because they are getting married, they are BOTH getting the raddest prize of all....each other.
knowing & adoring the men that are marrying my best friends.
for a number of reasons, but here are a few that come to me at the moment...
1. it helps me practice my secret keeping abilities.
2. i get to see the rings & hear about all the pre-proposal jitters, pre-proposal.
3. i get to hear both sides of the story.
4. i get to know and witness and believe in love, which happens to be between TWO people whom i LOVE dearly.
5. i can genuinely delight in knowing that because they are getting married, they are BOTH getting the raddest prize of all....each other.
25 February 2009
quote of the day
knowledge is happiness, because to have knowledge--broad, deep knowledge---is to know true ends from false, and lofty things from low. --helen keller
24 February 2009
our students? and oh yah, my job?
boo, HUSD, boo. this is what is currently on my plate. key phrase: "...every decision is not in the best interest of the students." thanks a heap vigil. my first thought was this and laugh a little at its current resonation within me. then i realized, i very well may be one of the 130. i kinda stopped laughing. stay tuned for plan b.
Hayward school cuts a grim reality for teachers, students
By Eric Kurhi
The Daily Review
Posted: 02/12/2009 10:15:52 AM PST
Updated: 02/12/2009 09:48:23 PM PST
HAYWARD — Nobody in the crowd that filled the council chamber and two overflow rooms at City Hall left Wednesday night's Hayward school board meeting smiling.
Opponents of eliminating elementary school class-size reduction programs — which were placed on the chopping block at the board's Jan. 28 budget meeting — found no reprieve, despite a rally beforehand and a host of speakers urging the board to re-evaluate the idea. The board voted to eliminate the programs to save $2.7 million, according to district figures. About 130 teachers will lose their jobs.
"I thought they might reconsider if they heard teachers talk about the impacts," said Adrianna Gonzalez, a kindergarten teacher at Cherryland Elementary School who said she's been able to get disadvantaged kids up to speed through intensive one-on-one work. "But they had no desire to reconsider. Their minds were made up."
The board also voted 3-2 to shift its high schools back from the popular "block" schedule to the previously used system, meaning another 25 to 30 teaching positions can be cut, according to the 1,300-member Hayward Education Association. The move will save the district $1 million annually, the board said.
Michael Benjamin, a senior at Mt. Eden High School, echoed the sentiments of many of his peers who had been attending meetings for months in support of the block schedule.
"They said they were going to look over and study (the block schedule)," he said, "but no one actually did. They couldn't have in two weeks." Hayward High math teacher Mary Walsh accused the board of giving people false hope.
"When is a vote not a vote?" she asked. "Apparently when the (Hayward) board takes one. You're losing the faith of the staff, losing the faith of the community, and you certainly lost the faith of the students."
District officials said that trustee Paul Frumkin's Jan. 28 motion to table the block schedule didn't include provisions such as a timetable or informational requirements.
"There was no direction for any of that," district spokeswoman Val Joyner said. "The motion was to remove the item for further study, to give board members the opportunity to get more information."
While Frumkin said he didn't receive any additional material to review, Joyner said all board members were "given the opportunity to ask more questions and talk to the executive leadership team."
She said Frumkin didn't have any further questions, but trustees Maribel Heredia and Sheila Sims — who voted with Frumkin to table the matter — each requested information.
Sims said she'd received enough data to make a decision, and cast the deciding vote to drop the block schedule.
"I kept asking to hear from a cross-section of students (about the block)," she said. "We did not get a cross-section. They were all from Mt. Eden. I was not getting other information that supported the idea that everyone supported the block."
Sims said that in particular, she was looking for evidence that the block schedule is beneficial for English language learners and African-American students. On a block schedule, students take four 90-minute classes per day each semester. Previously, students took six 55-minute courses per day for the whole year.
Before voting, Sims acknowledged that the board had to "make decisions that some are not going to like."
"I know we said we would keep cuts away from students, but if you think about it, our business is students, so all cuts are going to affect students," she said.
Superintendent Dale Vigil said the cuts are necessary because the district — like many others throughout the state — is facing insolvency because of fewer dollars coming from the state. He said the latest figures show the district needs to cut $18 million to $20 million from next year's $120 million budget.
"Every decision is not in the best interest of students, but if we don't make these decisions, the Board of Education will no longer have the responsibility to lead the district," he said.
If a school district cannot demonstrate it has a plan to keep its finances balanced, the county Board of Education will appoint a fiscal adviser, who will have final say to approve or rescind decisions made by the Hayward board.
And if the district is far from making payroll, the state will take over the district, "like a neighboring large district to the north," Vigil said, referring to Oakland.
Hayward school cuts a grim reality for teachers, students
By Eric Kurhi
The Daily Review
Posted: 02/12/2009 10:15:52 AM PST
Updated: 02/12/2009 09:48:23 PM PST
HAYWARD — Nobody in the crowd that filled the council chamber and two overflow rooms at City Hall left Wednesday night's Hayward school board meeting smiling.
Opponents of eliminating elementary school class-size reduction programs — which were placed on the chopping block at the board's Jan. 28 budget meeting — found no reprieve, despite a rally beforehand and a host of speakers urging the board to re-evaluate the idea. The board voted to eliminate the programs to save $2.7 million, according to district figures. About 130 teachers will lose their jobs.
"I thought they might reconsider if they heard teachers talk about the impacts," said Adrianna Gonzalez, a kindergarten teacher at Cherryland Elementary School who said she's been able to get disadvantaged kids up to speed through intensive one-on-one work. "But they had no desire to reconsider. Their minds were made up."
The board also voted 3-2 to shift its high schools back from the popular "block" schedule to the previously used system, meaning another 25 to 30 teaching positions can be cut, according to the 1,300-member Hayward Education Association. The move will save the district $1 million annually, the board said.
Michael Benjamin, a senior at Mt. Eden High School, echoed the sentiments of many of his peers who had been attending meetings for months in support of the block schedule.
"They said they were going to look over and study (the block schedule)," he said, "but no one actually did. They couldn't have in two weeks." Hayward High math teacher Mary Walsh accused the board of giving people false hope.
"When is a vote not a vote?" she asked. "Apparently when the (Hayward) board takes one. You're losing the faith of the staff, losing the faith of the community, and you certainly lost the faith of the students."
District officials said that trustee Paul Frumkin's Jan. 28 motion to table the block schedule didn't include provisions such as a timetable or informational requirements.
"There was no direction for any of that," district spokeswoman Val Joyner said. "The motion was to remove the item for further study, to give board members the opportunity to get more information."
While Frumkin said he didn't receive any additional material to review, Joyner said all board members were "given the opportunity to ask more questions and talk to the executive leadership team."
She said Frumkin didn't have any further questions, but trustees Maribel Heredia and Sheila Sims — who voted with Frumkin to table the matter — each requested information.
Sims said she'd received enough data to make a decision, and cast the deciding vote to drop the block schedule.
"I kept asking to hear from a cross-section of students (about the block)," she said. "We did not get a cross-section. They were all from Mt. Eden. I was not getting other information that supported the idea that everyone supported the block."
Sims said that in particular, she was looking for evidence that the block schedule is beneficial for English language learners and African-American students. On a block schedule, students take four 90-minute classes per day each semester. Previously, students took six 55-minute courses per day for the whole year.
Before voting, Sims acknowledged that the board had to "make decisions that some are not going to like."
"I know we said we would keep cuts away from students, but if you think about it, our business is students, so all cuts are going to affect students," she said.
Superintendent Dale Vigil said the cuts are necessary because the district — like many others throughout the state — is facing insolvency because of fewer dollars coming from the state. He said the latest figures show the district needs to cut $18 million to $20 million from next year's $120 million budget.
"Every decision is not in the best interest of students, but if we don't make these decisions, the Board of Education will no longer have the responsibility to lead the district," he said.
If a school district cannot demonstrate it has a plan to keep its finances balanced, the county Board of Education will appoint a fiscal adviser, who will have final say to approve or rescind decisions made by the Hayward board.
And if the district is far from making payroll, the state will take over the district, "like a neighboring large district to the north," Vigil said, referring to Oakland.
quote of the day
me: where are you supposed to be? (to a past student, now "visiting" my classroom)
student: ummm... here. i don't got a class.
me: really? you dont have class right now?
student: nope.
me: then why do you have a pass hanging out of your pocket? (hahahah. go me)
student: ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. ms booth!
me: i would love to keep you here, but you know that i need you to go to class.
student: just let me stay. i have a sub. i done all my work.
me: ok, thats great. bring me a pass or have your sub call me and tell me its OK, and i will let you stay.
student: ms booooooooooth. (in the most mock whiney an 18 year old football player can muster)
student: ummm... here. i don't got a class.
me: really? you dont have class right now?
student: nope.
me: then why do you have a pass hanging out of your pocket? (hahahah. go me)
student: ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. ms booth!
me: i would love to keep you here, but you know that i need you to go to class.
student: just let me stay. i have a sub. i done all my work.
me: ok, thats great. bring me a pass or have your sub call me and tell me its OK, and i will let you stay.
student: ms booooooooooth. (in the most mock whiney an 18 year old football player can muster)
23 February 2009
weekends home.
this weekend i left UT with a greater appreciation for modern medicine, megan follows, the FBI and my family.
my weekend...
-snuggling up late night/early morning to watch burn notice in a california king with my mom, sometimes snoring dad & 15 year old, newly permitted to drive sister, michelle
-hanging out with my mom watching all the interviews and specials on larry h. miller and organizing her sewing.
-taking the aforementioned little sister on a half hour driving excursion in west kaysville. driving skills practiced?-- parking on a curb, using a blinker, NOT cutting a right turn so wide you side swipe oncoming traffic and effectively maneuvering a roundabout. (and secretly wishing she would speed so that the incessant dinging of the seatbelt/ajar door sensor would stop, as it rings regardless, as long as you are travelling under 15 mph)
-loads and loads and loads of laundry. oh how glad i am that we dont use washboards and clothes lines any longer. (although, sidenote, i do love pictures of clothes hanging out to dry. there is just something lovely & quieting about this. should i ever have a laundry room of my own, i will probably find a picture of such loveliness to hang in there.)
-grocery shopping at midnight on a saturday night.
-completely reorganizing one of the linen closets. (i love folding & stacking linens, towels, sheets, pillowcases....ah im not sure why, but i love opening a closet and seeing things all lined up, ready to be dispursed.)
-boarding my CA bound plane with 5 bandaids, one of which was of the charlie brown variety, all of which were put in place by a medical professional)
-a completed hepatitis vaccine...(i have mixed feelings about lots of vaccines, but i figured with all the blood splattering fights breaking out in my hallway outside my classroom, not getting one was a little too risky.)
-cringing, squinting and fist & jaw clenching during the "ow ow ow ow OWWWWWW owie.....it really really hurt......ok, yah, this is DEFINITELY worse than a #3!" cyst aspiration. (bleh. it even SOUNDS nasty)
-texting my dear bethany about my orange hair, shoulda-tried harder-to-book-you-earlier woes..and then having her come to my complete & total rescue. (seriously, this gal is a miracle working hairdresser. call her. salon 0 in slc on 4th south. (801) 746-1010. she rocks my world.) had she not been the rockstar she was i may have had to succumb to a blackboard breaking CARROTS!!!!! exclamation.
i love weekends home.
my weekend...
-snuggling up late night/early morning to watch burn notice in a california king with my mom, sometimes snoring dad & 15 year old, newly permitted to drive sister, michelle
-hanging out with my mom watching all the interviews and specials on larry h. miller and organizing her sewing.
-taking the aforementioned little sister on a half hour driving excursion in west kaysville. driving skills practiced?-- parking on a curb, using a blinker, NOT cutting a right turn so wide you side swipe oncoming traffic and effectively maneuvering a roundabout. (and secretly wishing she would speed so that the incessant dinging of the seatbelt/ajar door sensor would stop, as it rings regardless, as long as you are travelling under 15 mph)
-loads and loads and loads of laundry. oh how glad i am that we dont use washboards and clothes lines any longer. (although, sidenote, i do love pictures of clothes hanging out to dry. there is just something lovely & quieting about this. should i ever have a laundry room of my own, i will probably find a picture of such loveliness to hang in there.)
-grocery shopping at midnight on a saturday night.
-completely reorganizing one of the linen closets. (i love folding & stacking linens, towels, sheets, pillowcases....ah im not sure why, but i love opening a closet and seeing things all lined up, ready to be dispursed.)
-boarding my CA bound plane with 5 bandaids, one of which was of the charlie brown variety, all of which were put in place by a medical professional)
-a completed hepatitis vaccine...(i have mixed feelings about lots of vaccines, but i figured with all the blood splattering fights breaking out in my hallway outside my classroom, not getting one was a little too risky.)
-cringing, squinting and fist & jaw clenching during the "ow ow ow ow OWWWWWW owie.....it really really hurt......ok, yah, this is DEFINITELY worse than a #3!" cyst aspiration. (bleh. it even SOUNDS nasty)
-texting my dear bethany about my orange hair, shoulda-tried harder-to-book-you-earlier woes..and then having her come to my complete & total rescue. (seriously, this gal is a miracle working hairdresser. call her. salon 0 in slc on 4th south. (801) 746-1010. she rocks my world.) had she not been the rockstar she was i may have had to succumb to a blackboard breaking CARROTS!!!!! exclamation.
i love weekends home.
22 February 2009
quote of the day
god is not always practical. some of the greatest gifts of god are impractical. --dgl
epic find.
this blog entry popped up on my google reader. i dont know who she is, but she made me laugh. so im sharing it. my favorite hilariously shocking quotes:
"I came home and told GH that if he ever gets a call that I've been arrested, it'll be because I was out with our children and somebody talked smack to me. And then I stabbed them."
yes, this blog has been added to the google reader folder "stalked."
"I came home and told GH that if he ever gets a call that I've been arrested, it'll be because I was out with our children and somebody talked smack to me. And then I stabbed them."
yes, this blog has been added to the google reader folder "stalked."
21 February 2009
quote of the day
the way a team plays as a whole determines its success. you may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they dont play together, the club wont be worth a dime. --babe ruth
20 February 2009
quote of the day
please, make sure you sign the seniority list and validate your hire date.... --my principal at the faculty meeting today
aka
new teachers, pack your bags... =(
aka
new teachers, pack your bags... =(
chopping block
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_11689287?source=rss
my options...
1. go back to school to get a masters in educational administration or school counseling. (soonest would be fall of '10)
2. go back to school and get an undergrad degree in photography (soonest would be fall '10)
3. move to UT and enter the training program to become a full time seminary teacher
4. serve a full time mission. (soonest would be spring of '10)
5. stay at tennyson and teach foods on the 6 period day.
6. stay at tennyson and teach foods and yearbook on the 6 period day. (not desireable)
7. find another teaching job in the bay area.
8. find another teaching job anywhere.
more later.
my options...
1. go back to school to get a masters in educational administration or school counseling. (soonest would be fall of '10)
2. go back to school and get an undergrad degree in photography (soonest would be fall '10)
3. move to UT and enter the training program to become a full time seminary teacher
4. serve a full time mission. (soonest would be spring of '10)
5. stay at tennyson and teach foods on the 6 period day.
6. stay at tennyson and teach foods and yearbook on the 6 period day. (not desireable)
7. find another teaching job in the bay area.
8. find another teaching job anywhere.
more later.
quote of the day
those who don't read good books have no advantage over those who can't read them - mark twain
this one really hit home when i thought about a specific "good book"--the book of mormon. when thinking of the word "can't" i automatically associated it with illiteracy...but when you think about "can't" in terms of just simply not knowing or being aware of or having access to something as good and real and true as the book of mormon, it made me feel entirely ungrateful for NOT reading it as much as i should. the advantage, as noted above, being not only a good read, but the life changing principles and character refining doctrine as well. thank you, mr. clemens, for the reminder,
this one really hit home when i thought about a specific "good book"--the book of mormon. when thinking of the word "can't" i automatically associated it with illiteracy...but when you think about "can't" in terms of just simply not knowing or being aware of or having access to something as good and real and true as the book of mormon, it made me feel entirely ungrateful for NOT reading it as much as i should. the advantage, as noted above, being not only a good read, but the life changing principles and character refining doctrine as well. thank you, mr. clemens, for the reminder,
dear student and the battle of wills.
me: i need you to get to work.
dear student proceeds to keep talking to his neighbors and not start his classwork three more times after asking him to get to work.
me: you need to come sit back here
ds: why? i dont want to sit over there.
me: ok, well if you want you can come sit right by me instead. here, ill clear a spot for you. (knowing that he absolutely LOATHED this idea)
ds: no, i dont like tha idea.
me: thank you, (insert dear students name) for moving over there.
ds: miss, why? (still not moving)
me: thank you, for moving. i appreciate it.
ds: i dont want to (still not moving, except to try and dodge my eye contact)
me: ok, (dear student) i need to see you out side for a moment.
(we move our conversation outside)
me: ok, this is not going to work. if we are going to do this every time you come to class, then we should go talk to your counselor and get you switched to a class you want to participate in
ds: i dont e'en care about all that. you just need to not be on my case.
me: ok well you've missed 3 weeks of school. and so im going to be on your case. and im going to be on your case every single day until you get all your makeup work turned in.
ds: why can't i just sit where i want?
me: because you dont work and you talk and you distract others and make it hard for them to get their work done.
ds: you just need to not be on my case.
me: you have 500 points of work to make up, and if you dont make it up then you will fail my class.
ds: ill get it done, you just need to not be on my case.
me: ok. here is your choice. you can sit where i asked you, or i can move you to another classroom, or we can go down to the counselors office and switch your classes.
ds: im just gon sleep.
me: thats your choice. do you want to sleep in the seat i asked you to, in the other classroom or in the counselors office?
ds: ill sleep in that chair.
(move back inside)
ds: hey, lemme have some paper....(as he moved back up to a seat by his friends)
me: oh, here you go (dear student) i've got some for you right here.
ds: miss...why you gotta answer for EVERYTHING.
(takes the paper and moves to go sit in slightly isolated seat)
despite having a completely free period to get caught up on all his work, dear student laid his head down and doodled on the blank paper i gave him.
some days, it is just a battle of wills. and some days my stubbornness outshines my patience, or lack thereof.
dear student, happy friday.
dear student proceeds to keep talking to his neighbors and not start his classwork three more times after asking him to get to work.
me: you need to come sit back here
ds: why? i dont want to sit over there.
me: ok, well if you want you can come sit right by me instead. here, ill clear a spot for you. (knowing that he absolutely LOATHED this idea)
ds: no, i dont like tha idea.
me: thank you, (insert dear students name) for moving over there.
ds: miss, why? (still not moving)
me: thank you, for moving. i appreciate it.
ds: i dont want to (still not moving, except to try and dodge my eye contact)
me: ok, (dear student) i need to see you out side for a moment.
(we move our conversation outside)
me: ok, this is not going to work. if we are going to do this every time you come to class, then we should go talk to your counselor and get you switched to a class you want to participate in
ds: i dont e'en care about all that. you just need to not be on my case.
me: ok well you've missed 3 weeks of school. and so im going to be on your case. and im going to be on your case every single day until you get all your makeup work turned in.
ds: why can't i just sit where i want?
me: because you dont work and you talk and you distract others and make it hard for them to get their work done.
ds: you just need to not be on my case.
me: you have 500 points of work to make up, and if you dont make it up then you will fail my class.
ds: ill get it done, you just need to not be on my case.
me: ok. here is your choice. you can sit where i asked you, or i can move you to another classroom, or we can go down to the counselors office and switch your classes.
ds: im just gon sleep.
me: thats your choice. do you want to sleep in the seat i asked you to, in the other classroom or in the counselors office?
ds: ill sleep in that chair.
(move back inside)
ds: hey, lemme have some paper....(as he moved back up to a seat by his friends)
me: oh, here you go (dear student) i've got some for you right here.
ds: miss...why you gotta answer for EVERYTHING.
(takes the paper and moves to go sit in slightly isolated seat)
despite having a completely free period to get caught up on all his work, dear student laid his head down and doodled on the blank paper i gave him.
some days, it is just a battle of wills. and some days my stubbornness outshines my patience, or lack thereof.
dear student, happy friday.
19 February 2009
18 February 2009
quote of the day
i love to hear a choir. i love the humanity...to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. i like the teamwork. it makes me feel potimistic about the human race when i see them cooperating like that. --paul mccartney
cookie bribe? HELP ME.
i will bake ANYONE some PBOCC (peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies) and mail them RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR if you can figure out how to get my blog to update in google reader. it is getting some sort of rss feed fetch error, and so it will never show when it is updated, and for some reason that drives me bonkers. anyways, if you have any blog slash feed-fetch-error-know-how, and you can help me fix this problem so that it updates all by itself homemade cookies will be ALL YOURS.
17 February 2009
quote of the day
someone got killed by my house. --one of my students upon entering my classroom after the weekend
16 February 2009
quote of the day
you'll discover that real love is millions of miles past falling in love with anyone or anything. when you make that one effort to feel compassion instead of blame or self-blame, the heart opens again and continues opening.--sara paddison
15 February 2009
quote of the day
we can not change the cards we've been dealt but have control only over how we play the hand. --ysa sacrament speaker
13 February 2009
quote of the day
I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.--Michael Jordan
and
i don know about this crazy talk.-- my student in response to my giving him an assignment
and
i don know about this crazy talk.-- my student in response to my giving him an assignment
10 February 2009
shazaaaaaam....
as of one week ago i really wanted to go to guatamala. there is a group of about 150 individuals going down there in august for about 10 days, eight of which will be helping a small village community in the Polochic Region of guatamala become more self sufficient through instructional workshops on health, nutrition, agriculture, construction, finance, etc. as well as helping construct a medical facility. the other two days would be spent touring the ruins in tikal. it fit into my summer plans perfectly, and i could manage it financially. sounds awesome, right?
right.
however, upon mentioning such to my parents, while not downplaying the coolness of such an opportunity, my dad was less than thrilled with the idea. now please remember my dad is the father of 5 girls, and is fairly protective. while i dont believe he has ever told me NOT to do something, he has counseled to be be "SO careful" not only about making decisions but also considering the type of environment i put myself into. he has said, "you are going to have to be SO careful," a number of times in my life, the most recent being when i travelled to europe. when he cautioned me about the "bands of marauding theives," and said, "you are NOT going to italy, are you?" i told him that i was. he followed with, "you are going to have to be SO careful..." anyways, you get the point. i did go to italy and aside from chrissy getting robbed on a bus in naples and the disgusting sicko on the neighboring balcony, it was fantastic.
anyways, back to guatamala. he talked about tourists getting killed by guerillas, and things even happening to LDS tourists on the book of mormon tours down there. so, i told him i'd look into it further and i would do anything stupid or terribly unsafe. so today i visited the us embassy's website and looked at their cautions about this country. this is what i found. dear old dad. yikes. so, i forwarded him the url and this is the email i got in response:
"Hi Jack,
Shazaaaam. Shades of Gadianton. Pity ... I hear the ruins are cool and landscape is breathtaking.
Dad"
oh how i love this man.
now, truth be told, im sure guatamala has a lot to offer, and the service program i was talking about earlier would be an awesome experience. but all the other stuff really scares me. a lot. and lets be real, from what i understand, a six foot, blond american wouldn't really blend in around there.
right.
however, upon mentioning such to my parents, while not downplaying the coolness of such an opportunity, my dad was less than thrilled with the idea. now please remember my dad is the father of 5 girls, and is fairly protective. while i dont believe he has ever told me NOT to do something, he has counseled to be be "SO careful" not only about making decisions but also considering the type of environment i put myself into. he has said, "you are going to have to be SO careful," a number of times in my life, the most recent being when i travelled to europe. when he cautioned me about the "bands of marauding theives," and said, "you are NOT going to italy, are you?" i told him that i was. he followed with, "you are going to have to be SO careful..." anyways, you get the point. i did go to italy and aside from chrissy getting robbed on a bus in naples and the disgusting sicko on the neighboring balcony, it was fantastic.
anyways, back to guatamala. he talked about tourists getting killed by guerillas, and things even happening to LDS tourists on the book of mormon tours down there. so, i told him i'd look into it further and i would do anything stupid or terribly unsafe. so today i visited the us embassy's website and looked at their cautions about this country. this is what i found. dear old dad. yikes. so, i forwarded him the url and this is the email i got in response:
"Hi Jack,
Shazaaaam. Shades of Gadianton. Pity ... I hear the ruins are cool and landscape is breathtaking.
Dad"
oh how i love this man.
now, truth be told, im sure guatamala has a lot to offer, and the service program i was talking about earlier would be an awesome experience. but all the other stuff really scares me. a lot. and lets be real, from what i understand, a six foot, blond american wouldn't really blend in around there.
quotes of the day
it's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.--tom brokaw
and
the wonderful thing about love is that it is contagious. the more you receive, usually the more you give. if I had my way, there would be an epidemic of this vibrant virus. --dgl
and
the wonderful thing about love is that it is contagious. the more you receive, usually the more you give. if I had my way, there would be an epidemic of this vibrant virus. --dgl
25 things about me.
i was tagged.
1. my closet is full of solid colors.
2. i took piano lessons for 8 years, but didn't practice as much as i should and botched my last recital terribly.
3. i have major social anxiety. in large groups of people that i am not familiar with, i forget how to act...i dont know who to look at, who to talk to what to say, what to ask or what to do, and am terrified someone is going to think im stuck up, so sometimes i make up an excuse to go hide in my car or empty bathroom) i like being in charge of things because it gives me a way to interact with people without any pressure.
4. i want to build my own house. i already have parts of it completely and meticulously designed. outlined in my head and on restaurant napkins.
5. i have never been in a car accident, but have only narrowly escaped about 20 fairly decent collisions. most of which would have been caused by my texting while driving.
6. i cried all day when i had to put my kitty, louie to sleep. i still cant talk about it without getting choked up.
7. i poured my heart out about my high school hero and secretly hoped somehow he would read it. i'm still not sure what would be worse, if he read it & didn't care or if he never read it at all.
8. one of my biggest fears about teaching was that i was going to sleep in and be late to school and all my kids would be waiting for me. one day i woke up at 10:30 am. school starts at 8:05 am. i panicked, then felt extremely irresponsible, but in the end, it wasn't that big of a deal.
9. despite having taken tap, ballet and jazz lessons between the ages of 4 and 16 years old, now even the thought of any type dancing makes me EXTREMELY self conscious and uncomfortable unless it involves oldies or the standards.
10. the fact that i am almost 6 ft tall makes me a little sheepish at times. i usually only wear heels if i am going somewhere by myself or i am sure that most male company i will be around will be taller than me.
11. when a student acts out, some times i give them "the look," in hopes of leading them to believe that I know exactly how to handle them. most of the time i give them "the look" because i have no idea what i'm going to do next.
12. since i turned 16, i have been on less than 10 first dates. the majority of which have been people that i met on the internet.
13. i am terrified of guns, large bodies of water and heights.
14. i have nightmares with recurring themes...of being chased or held against my will or overpowered. some of the most noteworthy dreams of this type was when i dreamt that my family & i were the some of the people in bondage in the movie "The 10 commandments," as well as a dream where were were all being held in an insane asylum against our will. I kept trying to tell the guard that we didn't belong there, and just kept nodding and saying, "sure you dont...." it was awful. i also have repeatedly dreamt about waking up, going to brush my teeth and having all my teeth fall out right there on the spot. it is not cute.
15. i used to have to kiss my parents and tell them i loved them every night or i wouldn't be able to sleep.
16. i have some sort of personal narration or monologue running at all times in my brain. sometimes its in first person, sometimes its in third person.
17. sometimes when i dont want to try things on at the store i just buy an item in 2 different sizes and 3 different colors. i usually return all of it.
18. i dream about becoming a professional photographer, travelling & photographing the world, but i dont know if i ever will because of my fear of being considered "impractical."
19. if you were to look in the trunk of my car you would most likely find: my 72 hour kit, a case of water, a case of granola bars (yes a case, not a box) and various articles of clothing that i need to return...
20. while extremely embarassing, the "dear jamie"" letter giving experience did not scar me. and kind of still makes me laugh. and blush.
21. i can hold conversations in my sleep. i do not remember them the next day.
22. sometimes i believe i am a compulsive overeater. i fear the day my metabolism slows down.
23. i sing and dance when im in my car by myself.
24. despite being more than a quarter century old, i have not mastered the art of keeping a tidy bedroom. BUT, i am getting better.
25. i usually drive at least 15 mph OVER the speed limit at any given time, and in my 8 years as a driver i have received only ONE speeding ticket.
if you read this, you are now tagged. please make sure you comment when you finish your 25 things so i can read yours, too.
1. my closet is full of solid colors.
2. i took piano lessons for 8 years, but didn't practice as much as i should and botched my last recital terribly.
3. i have major social anxiety. in large groups of people that i am not familiar with, i forget how to act...i dont know who to look at, who to talk to what to say, what to ask or what to do, and am terrified someone is going to think im stuck up, so sometimes i make up an excuse to go hide in my car or empty bathroom) i like being in charge of things because it gives me a way to interact with people without any pressure.
4. i want to build my own house. i already have parts of it completely and meticulously designed. outlined in my head and on restaurant napkins.
5. i have never been in a car accident, but have only narrowly escaped about 20 fairly decent collisions. most of which would have been caused by my texting while driving.
6. i cried all day when i had to put my kitty, louie to sleep. i still cant talk about it without getting choked up.
7. i poured my heart out about my high school hero and secretly hoped somehow he would read it. i'm still not sure what would be worse, if he read it & didn't care or if he never read it at all.
8. one of my biggest fears about teaching was that i was going to sleep in and be late to school and all my kids would be waiting for me. one day i woke up at 10:30 am. school starts at 8:05 am. i panicked, then felt extremely irresponsible, but in the end, it wasn't that big of a deal.
9. despite having taken tap, ballet and jazz lessons between the ages of 4 and 16 years old, now even the thought of any type dancing makes me EXTREMELY self conscious and uncomfortable unless it involves oldies or the standards.
10. the fact that i am almost 6 ft tall makes me a little sheepish at times. i usually only wear heels if i am going somewhere by myself or i am sure that most male company i will be around will be taller than me.
11. when a student acts out, some times i give them "the look," in hopes of leading them to believe that I know exactly how to handle them. most of the time i give them "the look" because i have no idea what i'm going to do next.
12. since i turned 16, i have been on less than 10 first dates. the majority of which have been people that i met on the internet.
13. i am terrified of guns, large bodies of water and heights.
14. i have nightmares with recurring themes...of being chased or held against my will or overpowered. some of the most noteworthy dreams of this type was when i dreamt that my family & i were the some of the people in bondage in the movie "The 10 commandments," as well as a dream where were were all being held in an insane asylum against our will. I kept trying to tell the guard that we didn't belong there, and just kept nodding and saying, "sure you dont...." it was awful. i also have repeatedly dreamt about waking up, going to brush my teeth and having all my teeth fall out right there on the spot. it is not cute.
15. i used to have to kiss my parents and tell them i loved them every night or i wouldn't be able to sleep.
16. i have some sort of personal narration or monologue running at all times in my brain. sometimes its in first person, sometimes its in third person.
17. sometimes when i dont want to try things on at the store i just buy an item in 2 different sizes and 3 different colors. i usually return all of it.
18. i dream about becoming a professional photographer, travelling & photographing the world, but i dont know if i ever will because of my fear of being considered "impractical."
19. if you were to look in the trunk of my car you would most likely find: my 72 hour kit, a case of water, a case of granola bars (yes a case, not a box) and various articles of clothing that i need to return...
20. while extremely embarassing, the "dear jamie"" letter giving experience did not scar me. and kind of still makes me laugh. and blush.
21. i can hold conversations in my sleep. i do not remember them the next day.
22. sometimes i believe i am a compulsive overeater. i fear the day my metabolism slows down.
23. i sing and dance when im in my car by myself.
24. despite being more than a quarter century old, i have not mastered the art of keeping a tidy bedroom. BUT, i am getting better.
25. i usually drive at least 15 mph OVER the speed limit at any given time, and in my 8 years as a driver i have received only ONE speeding ticket.
if you read this, you are now tagged. please make sure you comment when you finish your 25 things so i can read yours, too.
09 February 2009
discouragement
a member of george's bishopric shared this in priesthood on sunday, and he passed it on to me. enjoy. =)
It was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection; each tool being marked with its sale price.
They were a treacherous lot of implements ... Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Deceit, Lying, Pride, and so on. Laid apart from the rest was a harmless looking tool, that appeared to have been heavily used, and was priced very high.
"What is the name of this tool?" asked one of the purchasers, pointing to it.
"That is Discouragement," replied the devil.
"Why have you priced it so high?"
"Because it is more useful to me than all the others. I can pry open and get inside people's hearts with that when I cannot get near them with my other tools. Once I get inside, I can make them do what I choose. It is badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since very few people know that it belongs to me."
Never get discouraged! Keep your head up keep the faith!
It was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection; each tool being marked with its sale price.
They were a treacherous lot of implements ... Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Deceit, Lying, Pride, and so on. Laid apart from the rest was a harmless looking tool, that appeared to have been heavily used, and was priced very high.
"What is the name of this tool?" asked one of the purchasers, pointing to it.
"That is Discouragement," replied the devil.
"Why have you priced it so high?"
"Because it is more useful to me than all the others. I can pry open and get inside people's hearts with that when I cannot get near them with my other tools. Once I get inside, I can make them do what I choose. It is badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since very few people know that it belongs to me."
Never get discouraged! Keep your head up keep the faith!
08 February 2009
quote of the day
I have a testimony gained from pondering and studying the scriptures of a plan of happiness given to us by our Father in Heaven. That plan has a part for His daughters. We have the female half to take care of, and if we don't do our part, no one else is going to do it for us. The half of our Father's plan that creates life, that nurtures souls, that promotes growth, that influences everything else was given to us. We can't delegate it. We can't pass it off to anyone. It's ours. We can refuse it, we can deny it, but it's still our part, and we're accountable for it. There will come a day when we will all remember what we knew before we were born. We will remember that we fought in a great conflict for this privilege. How do we meet this responsibility? We daily put our energies into the work that is uniquely ours to do. --Julie B. Beck
chapped in mistake-me-for-jammies jeans.
so today i pulled my jeans on and there was something different. i didn't have to shimmy into them (as much) and the aforementioned shimmy was not the chapping experience it normally is. "SWEET" i thought. "when i was sicky, i must have lost a little." i kept walking around, revelling in the mistake-me-for-jammies comfort of my jeans when i realized something; i didn't lose a few. i just used fabric softener. rats.
07 February 2009
quote of the day
it is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.
06 February 2009
quotes of the day
by learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn. --latin proverb.
and
I was so naive as a kid I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing.--johnny carson
and
me: a. its not the end of the world. b. dont call her trash. it makes you sound jealous and crazy.
nicole: well i am.
and
I was so naive as a kid I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing.--johnny carson
and
me: a. its not the end of the world. b. dont call her trash. it makes you sound jealous and crazy.
nicole: well i am.
05 February 2009
quotes of the day
what separates man from beast is knowledge thats why dogs & cats dont go to college. --a dear student's poem about education
and
i look in the streets and see the bums and i dont want to be one of them. education is the key. --a dear student's thoughts on what being educated means
and
i look in the streets and see the bums and i dont want to be one of them. education is the key. --a dear student's thoughts on what being educated means
04 February 2009
awesome vs. not awesome
you know what is not awesome? realizing that someone just drew a fat black line down the side of your car with a thick tipped sharpie.
exhibit A:
you know what IS awesome? freaking out about it, and THEN being shown the wonders of an off brand "magic eraser," and removing the aforementioned non-awesome, mindless vandalism with a little elbow grease and a highly underrated household cleaner.
exhibit B:
awesome.
exhibit A:
you know what IS awesome? freaking out about it, and THEN being shown the wonders of an off brand "magic eraser," and removing the aforementioned non-awesome, mindless vandalism with a little elbow grease and a highly underrated household cleaner.
exhibit B:
awesome.
03 February 2009
blog crossover.
your shows. everyone has them. you know, those shows you watch and become semi emotionally attached to the characters, that you NEED your FIX for? how you need remain updated on all the antics the writers strategically place to make you need it that much more? and when something causes you to miss an episode or two, you actually MISS the "interaction" with the characters you have grown so fond of? yah, that used to me. greys anatomy. i couldn't even manage to wait 15 minutes past 9 pm on thursdays, for the sake of utilizing the blessed DVR and fast forwarding through the commercials to get back to seattle grace and all its mcdreamyness.
then, addison left seattle & the mer-der drama (and while i hated her at first, i had grown a bit fond of her and her feisty-ness) and in TV world started a new life in southern california, hence the beginning of "PRIVATE PRACTICE." how could i NOT like this show? smart, powerful, successful women pouring their hearts into their medical careers in a so cal clinic, that happened to also employ equally smart and sucessfull (not to mention extremely good looking) doctors...(sigh)
now, i haven't watched either this season. i thinked i watched the first few episodes of greys, but amongst other things, thursday night flights made getting my fix that much more difficult. but, do i suscribe to their blogs? of course i do. (bless you, google reader, bless you) do i read them? no. because i still have a hope that i will catch up on both of these mcdreamy seasons.
while i refuse to settle on reading the blogs as my fix, i do look at pictures, and i do skim headlines. and the other day, it happened. A CROSSOVER? where some of my seattle grace peeps were making appearances in this hot so cal office?
this made me feel a little funny. similar to the way i felt yesterday when i read THIS...
two people's blogs that i stalk running into one another in real life? on accident? in a hospital? weird.
then, addison left seattle & the mer-der drama (and while i hated her at first, i had grown a bit fond of her and her feisty-ness) and in TV world started a new life in southern california, hence the beginning of "PRIVATE PRACTICE." how could i NOT like this show? smart, powerful, successful women pouring their hearts into their medical careers in a so cal clinic, that happened to also employ equally smart and sucessfull (not to mention extremely good looking) doctors...(sigh)
now, i haven't watched either this season. i thinked i watched the first few episodes of greys, but amongst other things, thursday night flights made getting my fix that much more difficult. but, do i suscribe to their blogs? of course i do. (bless you, google reader, bless you) do i read them? no. because i still have a hope that i will catch up on both of these mcdreamy seasons.
while i refuse to settle on reading the blogs as my fix, i do look at pictures, and i do skim headlines. and the other day, it happened. A CROSSOVER? where some of my seattle grace peeps were making appearances in this hot so cal office?
this made me feel a little funny. similar to the way i felt yesterday when i read THIS...
two people's blogs that i stalk running into one another in real life? on accident? in a hospital? weird.
02 February 2009
quote of the day
i done more reading in da last two weeks then i did my entire four years of high school! --one of my former students who came to visit and report on the differences between high school and community college.
01 February 2009
bluetooth bathing.
good idea: using the weekend as a time to wash, dry and fold the piles of laundry that have been accumuating throughout the week.
bad idea: allowing my bluetooth headset (curse CA's new laws) and laundry to share bath water. the bluetooth does not win. nor do i.
bad idea: allowing my bluetooth headset (curse CA's new laws) and laundry to share bath water. the bluetooth does not win. nor do i.
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