The Picture Alive

2011 Resolutions

2010-12-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

I didn't use to be, but I'm now a big believer in setting New Year's Resolutions (not that mine always stick). There's something magical about starting fresh, making amends with yourself, and vowing to be a better person one way or another.

Last year, my resolution was to try two new things a month. I did it! Admittedly, some of them were kind of cop-outs (little things that didn't really stretch my comfort zone or teach me much), but I forgive myself for those since it was such a busy year. What was really magical about this year was that I feel like I'm twice the person I was last year (gained weight notwithstanding). Some of my favorite things I've done include:
*bought a house
*acted as principal
*walked on hot coals
*oil paint
*make my own household cleaners

I've learned a whole new world of spirituality, gotten over many of my food qualms, and I can now spend a day in three inch heels. I learned how to give myself the space I need, when to let others stand up for me, and when and how to advocate for myself. I can also shoot a rifle and this year I hope to go hunting for my first time.

I'm not intending to brag, but I do give myself some major props. I think this is the first Resolution I've completed fully, and I might just continue it.

This year's resolution: Give two gifts a month.

The rules are: 1: the gift must be meaningful, 2: birthdays/anniversaries don't count unless the person wouldn't normally get a gift from me, and 3: avoid store-bought at all costs. I also have the option of doing it anonymously, but that's not necessary.

Housewarming

2010-11-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

We finally had a housewarming party! Yay! Here are some shots of the living areas of the house. Considering it's only 1420 square feet and 4 bedrooms, it's not hard to tell where most of the square footage went. But our couches are huge and there is still a ton of room in there. This room is immediately to the right as you come in the door.
Also, the rocking chair is the same one that James' mom used to rock him to sleep as a baby. Awe!!

Dining/kitchen, to the left of the door. The table normally will be in the guest room/art room, and there is a pub table hiding behind James that is normally there.

We also found a baby in our house. Her name is Chucky.

The Boonies

2010-10-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

I like living in the country. I really miss Portland, but there's a pioneer spirit in me that I know I get from my ancestors who settled Utah and Eastern Idaho. Since buying the house in Sheridan, I do feel isolated at times, but then I appreciate the quiet and the land around me. Today I got to make dinner with sage, Cuban oregano, and rosemary from my backyard. I baked bread, one loaf to go to a neighbor who gave us apples, zucchini, and corn from their yard. I get fresh eggs from a coworker. And I've been enjoying cooking homemade dinners lately, even after a long day at work. For some reason it doesn't feel like a chore when it's in my own house.

After I get through this last grocery run, I think I'll try cutting out processed foods entirely. I've been making big enough dinners to freeze leftovers or have them for lunch, so I don't think it would be more difficult in that respect. The biggest challenge I think would be canned soup or pastas. Although, I think I'll buy a pasta machine. Mmmm...

Lots of changes

2010-09-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in so long I don't really know where to start!

The last few months have been a whirlwind. I took classes all summer for my Admin program, then promptly got to work on school stuff during August.

We also bought a house! We're living in a one-stoplight town between McMinnville and the coast. It's quiet, the neighbors are ridiculously nice, and we're just 45 minutes from door to sand on my favorite beach. We're also closer to work, which was one of the purposes of the move. The house is 4 bedrooms with vaulted ceilings and a great backyard. I hope we can keep up with it.

For my Admin program, I need a certain number of hours of time spent doing administrative work. Our old principal got a new job elsewhere, so the district hired a new principal. He's really laid back, straightforward, and easy to work with. He also hasn't ever worked in a high school, so he's got lots of questions. In effect, I've already gotten a ridiculous number of those hours completed. Right now he's out of town for ten days and I've been in charge, which terrified me at first... but I've found that I really like it. Every day I'm faced with new challenges and I'm never bored. By the end of the week, I was totally exhausted - my legs hurt from wearing heels, my back hurts, and I'm sleep-deprived. But I'm really happy. Plus, I get to come home to my own house!

Tomorrow is my last day as administrator before the real principal comes back. I'll be happy to give him back his office, and I'll be happy to be teaching my classes again, but I know I'll be jealous of him too.

2010-06-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

Today I was officially accepted into my Admin program!

2010-06-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

So.

I've been MIA for a while. I'm not even sure if anyone actually visits here anymore. Hello, if you're here!

This year I'm taking my goals/New Year's Rez/myself a little more seriously. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't also recognize that I'm one of the silliest girls in Oregon, but I'm reminding myself that I don't always have to be the silliest.

My latest "new" things include learning how to shoot a rifle and handguns (...You know, just in case I'm being chased by a bear who is also in the Yakuza. What's the appropriate weapon of defense? One must be prepared for these things).

I also walked on hot coals. (I guess this prepares me to run through a forest fire being chased by a Yakuza bear.) Seriously though, I really did walk through a bed of hot coals with bare feet. Twice! Now I feel like I can do absolutely anything.

School's almost out. Thursday is the last day with kids, and Friday is my last day. Tomorrow through Tuesday I'll be in the woods chaperoning Junior Retreat. Actually, the location is even closer to me than the school is, which is pretty convenient since James has to deliver me the season premiere episode of True Blood as soon as he can get it. That means I'll see it Monday if at all possible. I am so addicted to that show. Then, on Wednesday, I have an all-day meeting with the superintendent of the school district, which will be... um... interesting? Scary? I'm unsure at this point. I can't be scared, because I've walked on hot coals and nothing scares me. But she is intimidating. I honestly don't know what to expect. At least there will be four of us and I don't have to do much talking. Oh! And MACA graduated its first Seniors on Wednesday. It was beautiful.

2010-04-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

With the weather getting nice I've been spending a lot of time outdoors. Already I have my balcony looking nice with plants and I've been hiking three times this week already. I've decided that I need to schedule in some weekend (or weekday, depending on when James starts subbing) backpacking trips... let me know if you're in the area and you're interested!

Still on the diet. It's going pretty well, although I'm losing less weight than I theoretically should. At least it's still coming off. But hey! At this rate I'll be 50 lbs lighter in a year. (If I have to starve myself like this for a whole year I'll go crazy.)

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is almost over. I realize that in the last week I've done a ridiculous amount of things (some to relieve stress and some that caused it), but it seems like it's only been a couple of days. I think I'm ready to go back to school, though.

This was before Spring Break, but close enough: Liz and Jason had a baby shower. In this picture, they are practicing holding an infant. I think they're ready!

We also sent to Seattle. I won't share all the details, but we did get to see our friends Michelle and Samantha. James and I took them to breakfast at Portage Bay - the smoked salmon Benedict was so good I had to have it two days in a row.
The skunks have also enjoyed having us around, particularly Tobias. He rarely lets me out of his sight and slept on my head last night. Aroma has been enjoying the sunny weather:

We also had a small party a few days ago. I think we've had more people in our apartment in the last week then the entire time we've lived here put together. This is Kate holding Tobias...

2010-03-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

Today I finally made my way down to Beverly Beach. I've heard there are great concretions there with lots of fossil shells. Indeed! I had expected them to be hard to find, but they were everywhere. Beverly Beach is now my favorite!
It was an awesome day. Windy, like it usually is on the coast, but in the mid-60s. The water was soooo blue.

This past week was pretty horrific for MACA in general and a few staff members in particular. Since James was still teaching my 1st and 2nd periods, I pretty much spent the duration of the week helping out in the office... which meant doing some student management bidniz and going through hours of film to research not one, not two, but three separate incidents. Ugh. The principal referred to it as "The Great Time Suck of 2010", but has since changed it to "Suspendapalooza." It has a nice ring to it, and you can get an idea of what her week was like. I also don't think I've ever been more angry at school. I just have to keep focusing on the really great kids we have an not dwell on the.... other ones.

Last week I piloted a new tardy and attendance policy for the school, along with a few other teachers. (Knock on wood) - it seems to be working! Woo! That, in addition to the aforementioned week events, have pretty much solidified for me our (me and Hubby) decision for me to apply to the Administrative License program. We'll see what happens.

2010-02-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

Nothing like procrastination! It was the last day of the month before I tried my second new thing. First, I tried "Aloe" - a Japanese drink that, surprisingly, is made of aloe. With aloe bits. It was pretty good!
Then, today, for the first time I had my own portrait client! This is one of the MACAdemy's first graduates and we went out pictures taking today. She was a trooper! 250 pictures later, and I have some definite keepers. These immediately were my top favorites.

Progress! ...but a totally boring post.

2010-01-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

The semester's coming to an end. I'll miss my classes, but at least I see all these kids all the time so it won't be like I have to wait for them to come visit me or something. I'll miss Psych, too. But I am looking forward to my World Cultures class!

I'm also feeling pretty great about my diet/exercise program. Not like it's a "program" program; I'm just eating scantily and exercising. Today I only had 1220 calories and I went to the gym. I keep forgetting that I can't just pick up where I left off six months ago; I want to run three miles at once but my body just can't handle it, so I overdid it Sunday and had to take a break yesterday. Boo. I also bought Acai berry drink fortification stuff at Whole Foods and I've been mixing that with OJ every night.

Update on my New Year's Rez! I'm happy to announce I completed January's "two new things" last week. This month I used homemade laundry detergent and I also ate antelope for the first time. Oh man, it was good! Thanks to Laurie, who supplied the roast, and Hubby for cooking it up.

The gym I work out at has mini personal TVs on all the treadmills. Today I (a little ironically) watched The Food Network - it made the time totally fly by. I heart Duff.

2010-01-19T20:12:00.001-08:00

Woo!
Today I received an awesome surprise - and one that teachers rarely get.
On the master schedule, I had no class listed for my 3rd period. I figured that since my colleague is leaving before the end of the quarter, and that I was taking over her class the next quarter, that I was going to be given special assignments until she goes on maternity leave. Turns out, they really just didn't know what class to have me teach. Now there's a group of students (mostly freshman and sophomore, I guess) that need an elective. "Make it fun!", they said. So I asked my current Psych class what I should teach, and got everything from Oceanography, Astronomy and Psychology, to Home Economics. I suggested maybe a World Cultures class, and they totally jumped at that. And since I'm Social Studies endorsed, I can offer a "Cultural Anthropology" class and it will count toward their Social Studies credits! Woo!

So now I'm brainstorming all the things I can do with it. I've been tossing ideas for this class around for a couple of years, and now I get to teach it! We'll learn different cultures' dress, dance, music, food, and social norms. I know it sounds kinda boring but I'm super psyched to teach it.

2010-01-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

Today Hubby and I went to MACA to get a little work done. He was working on his Work Sample and I got a lot of repotting done. As a Biology teacher, I find it necessary that I have fossils and live plants everywhere in my classroom. It's kind of a requirement. I even have plans next Saturday to acquire more fossils. Possibly more plants, you never know. Hint: if you ever feel like getting me a present, the nerdiest/most amazing thing I'd love is a fossilized Ginkgo leaf. My birthday's in April. Thanks in advance!

I found out a couple weeks ago that I weigh more now than I ever have ever ever ever in my whole life. So, needless to say, I'm trying to fix that... but I've got to do something different, as the last time I cut calories/killed myself exercising, I actually gained two pounds. Grr.

I'm adopting a super simple/non processed foods "diet", along with cutting calories slowly down to 1200 or 1300 a day. Next month I'll start up at the gym that's two blocks away. It should be said that I do not abhor exercise. I actually really like running, which is what I did over the summer/fall, until I injured my foot and knee and had to give it a rest - and by then, the weather had turned. I've missed it. I was up to four miles a day.

Other news: there was a plumbing emergency in the complex and they surprised us by shutting the water off to all the apartments yesterday. We spent the day at James' parents place, which was kind of nice.

It's been nice to live simply. No money = simple homemade meals and much fewer choices to make during the day. Today we splurged and went to Sushi Land. It was pure heaven. A quick trip to Whole Foods got me a wedge of some delicious Irish aged cheese which I'll have with figs and whole wheat wafers for lunch. Mmmm....

2010-01-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited about this year. My New Year's Resolution is to try at least two new things a month... I wanted to do one new thing a week, but since I'm a teacher, weeks fly by and I'm super busy, and didn't want to feel like a failure if I let a week or two slip by. So, I figured two a month is reasonable.

I've already got my first one! I used my home-made laundry detergent for the first time today. Sheets are in the dryer, so I'll see in a bit how it did. It was super easy to make, but I think I'll make the liquid kind next.

This resolution stems from my enjoyment over trying new things in the last few months. I just keep stumbling upon good opportunities. Last week, for instance, I ate goat for the first time ever. Hubby and I went to our favorite Indian place for lunch (they have the world's best Indian buffet), and they had goat curry. It was super good and I kinda wish I had gotten more (it was just a little taste). Ah well.

Future "new" things to try:
*Possibly an Administrative License program
*Again, different sushi every time I go
*Making my own pasta (Mom, can I have the chicken noodle soup recipe?)

Any suggestions?

Sneak preview

2009-12-27T20:09:00.001-08:00

Here's a sneak preview of what will be a very belated Christmas present to my family. It's in the works - let's hope your patience pays off. :)

Yay, holiday cheer!

2009-12-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

This year, James and I are doing the holidays more casually. By that, I mean that I've put up no decorations, we didn't have turkey for Thanksgiving (although Hubby cooked an awesome meal), and neither one of us has done a lick of shopping. It's liberating, I tell you.

Thanks to Paul for hosting an awesome Thanksgiving for friends! We were packed in there, man. And I learned that Paul is frightfully talented at foosball. It's the years at NBHS. ;)

Usually, we try to give hand-made gifts, but fail to successfully do so for everyone - I think this year we'll succeed! I've been super busy getting things ready, but they still won't make it for Christmas, unfortunately. The majority of them have been extremely time consuming. But honestly, this year, I'm more looking forward to giving presents than I am at receiving them - there's nothing I've had my eye on, which really is frustrating to Hubby, I'm sure... and I think I did an awesome job with James' present this year so the process of creating it is making me super excited for Christmas morning!

Steve and Sara Wedding Preview

2009-12-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

My friend Steve got married! I went to Phoenix for a few days to meet the bride and spend some quality time with my college friends.

Here are just a couple of the pics I took. I'll post the rest on flickr as soon as I have some editing time!

Happy 4th Anniversary!

2009-11-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

I love you, Hubby!

2009-11-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

6:50 - 7:20: Drive to work. No time for coffee.
7:30 - 8:10: Staff meeting. Present a 20-minute lesson based on Marzano's work.
8:25-10:30: 1st period, then Advisory. Set up a few more conference appointments.
10:30 - 11:30: Write referral, contact parent(s) x 5. Attempt to work, only to get pulled into other drama. Get nothing of my own done. (Sorta my fault. Sorta.)
11:30 - 11:55: Get pizza for lunch meeting. Set up room.
11:55 - 12:27: Lunchtime "Student Voice Seminar" in my room. Chow down on pizza while leading meeting. No time to sit. Thankfully, students cleaned up so room was ready for third period.
12:27 - 3:20: 3rd and 4th period. Emailing back and forth with parents.
3:20 - 3:45: Find out I'm double-booked for conferences. Debrief with principal and student per referral from earlier. Eat one more piece of pizza. Leave the other one for my one and only scheduled break in conferences at 6:45. Cherish the thought of that one last piece of cold, cheesy Hot-n-Ready Little Caesar's. Get ready for conferences.
3:45: Student-led conferences start (20 minute appointments each). I had 13 scheduled; one no-show. Due to double-scheduling, extra time spent with kid who plagiarized, and talking shop with freshman parents, no break was had!
4:00: Realize I have to go to the bathroom.
4:15: Voice totally lost due to several coughing fits and fear of collapsed lung. Drinking plenty of water to help cough is not helping my need to pee.
6:30: Only break scheduled disappeared due to double-booking. Tried to escape to pee but crowd of parents clogged my escape route. Student finds small number of ants in middle of classroom floor; an uncommon site in my classroom. I'm surprised but think nothing of it.
6:45: Behind schedule. Hands dry from washing them so many times. Hope I don't give too many germs away.
8:15: Last family leaves. Finally can go pee. ...
Throat is throbbing, headache from coughing. My stomach had been growling for two hours. Oh yeah! The pizza! Turn off all lights, grab my stuff, chug some cough syrup, and make my way via cell phone glow to my back door. Grab that piece of pizza in the dark and take a bite. Doesn't taste right. Turn on back light to discover that ants beat me to it. Ah! Ants in my mouth! Now I'm almost puking AND coughing. Wash my mouth out a dozen times. Still starving but now imagining ant parts stuck in my teeth.

Call Hubby and find out that a school that a couple friends work at halfway burned down. No one was hurt, but much of the school was lost.

At least, at the end of the day, I can say that I'd rather have ants in my mouth.

(Side note: still horribly sick, as many of us are. And still can't talk. Hubby has been praying for this day for years.)

2009-11-07T19:52:00.001-08:00

No offense intended for any of my vegan or vegetarian friends. :)

2009-10-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

The past few days were spent at McMenamin's Grand Lodge at a LFEE conference. I won't go into details, but I will say this: it was an interesting mix of really fantastic discussion about equity (concerning race, SES, and culture) and really uncomfortable "sharing of feelings"-type group hug stuff. And yes, there really was a group hug at the end. My discomfort with personal contact alone were enough to make me cringe, but add in H1N1 and I was practically having a panic attack. However, it was very validating to see how far along MACA is, especially considering we're only in our third year. Basically, we rock. Go Hellbenders!

In other news, and partially sparked by discussions at LFEE, I'm having issues dealing with my past culture and the culture I belong to now. And issues deciding what/who I want to leave behind and what I want to continue dealing with. Am I a coward/weak if I go one way? Do I have an obligation to make a certain choice over another? Am I part of the problem or the solution? What am I doing to better myself and other people - and is it doing any good? *sigh*

2009-10-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hi!
The weather has turned a little colder. I'm so happy!

My shoulder froze up again, sadly. The in-laws have definitely come in handy yet again... I had run out of Valium.

Total drama with some kids at school is keeping me busy. Whilst snooping this afternoon Liz and I ran into some students downtown (totally skipping) - and instead of avoiding us they came by to say hi. Sometimes, after having such a fun and kooky conversation with students outside school, I feel guilty when I turn them in later... but something tells me they knew it would happen anyway. Plus, I don't think they could hate me.

Did a lot of talking again about condoms and sex and douching and all sorts of nastiness today. Taught the kids how to roll a condom. As one friend puts it, "You're definitely not teaching in a Utah school." No doubt, thank goodness. Studies show that kids will start having sex at the same age regardless, but that if they've had decent education about it they'll have lower pregnancy/STD rates. It's a tricky subject to teach, so I give plenty of disclaimers and I choose my words carefully... but it's nice to feel I might actually be doing a service to humanity in some small way.

Hubby makes the best dinners!

I'm terrified of swine flu. I need to get both the shots. There's kids at school whose family members are being diagnosed. It's totally hitting us. I'm terrified. !!!

Last week I went to see my grandparents. I also saw my aunt and took a day trip to Yellowstone. It was such a nice trip, regardless of the 30 hours I spent in the car (hence my shoulder). Also, I saw one of my oldest friends, Ariane, in Boise. Such great times were had by all! I posted pics to my flickr account. :)

2009-09-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

They've begun bringing me apples. Anonymously.

I have a cold, and I thought about calling in sick today, but the biggest thing holding me back? I wanted to go to school. Because I'm enjoying it.

This is Sex Ed week in Science. I might extend it through next week as well. My original intent was to try to embarrass them as much as possible, but not only are they unflappable, but they also ask really good questions. We spend an entire hour Monday discussing sex and sex myths. I get the feeling that they know they need to know this stuff, but no one's really talking to them about it. It's kinda sad. Fortunately for me, I'm enjoying it immensely and I'm going to take the Praxis to add a Health endorsement.

Usually I have my iPod playing music either when they're coming in the door at the start of class, during work time, or during their break. I realized that I should take note of Heather's class and have a specific song I play during class clean-up at the end of the period. Lately, especially because of the number of illnesses going around (60% of the staff are stricken), I've had them clean all the surfaces in the room. So, to make it more interesting, I brought in the Benny Hill theme, "Yakety Sax." Hilarity ensued. Not only are my students awesome enough that they immediately knew where the music was from ("This sounds like the Benny Hill theme!"), but a few of them began mock-chasing each other around the desks in appropriate style - even making it look like sped-up film. Ah, MACA kids. They're the best.

So, for your viewing pleasure:

2009-09-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

Poor Hubby. He seems to have caught a wicked cold - not an easy feat for a man whose immune system fights a hard battle. What's more amazing is that I am not sick - a testament of how unpredictable my own system is. Granted, I've been teaching for a few years now, so it's had plenty of time to build itself up, but usually it's a safe assumption that my first month of school will be filled with orange juice, cough suppressant, and snot. This year it seems it's Hubby's turn. I guess it's his first real exposure to the petri dish that is public education. Poor Hubby.

Speaking of Hubby - his student teaching placement fell through at Newberg. I quickly made some arrangements with Laurie, and about a week later James was starting his practicum at MACA. Since he started about a week and a half ago, I've seen him very little during the day... lunch, usually, and maybe we see each other in the hall once or twice. What's great is that he's pretty much just taken over Paul's first three periods already - he was antsy to start teaching and he's getting some really good experience. Most days I forget that he's in the building until I walk by his door and have some momentary confusion. At first, I thought it might be weird, but it hasn't been at all. Students pretty much all know that we're married, but still whenever a student asks, it's become customary to rotate through relations. "He's my uncle." "He's my first cousin once removed." "He's my P. O." They get mad every time but they should really just learn to stop asking if they already know the answer.

School is still going remarkably well. It seems that the critical mass has finally figured out what the school's about, and now we just need to focus on the really tough kids. Every day I'm pleasantly surprised by something new.

Yesterday was the most treacherous day at work, however... One kid tried to pierce his ear and mangled it pretty good (which, in my opinion, you deserve if you're stupid enough to do that), two more kids cut themselves, one kid puked in the other science room, Liz's movers had not one, but two vans break down, a staff member had her wallet stolen, and Courtney (math teacher) sliced her finger open and had to go to Urgent Care so they can stitch her up. She knicked an artery in her finger, which needed to be tied off itself before they put six more stitches on top. The trooper even came back to school for the last period!

New year!

2009-09-13T13:38:00.001-07:00

Okay, I think I'm back.

School started last week, eerily stress-free and easy-going. James says he's not surprised all the kiddos are behaving well, polite, and doing their work without complaint - after all, this is the third year and we've spent two years working on developing that culture. However, it's about two years early by my calculations (based on other new school start-ups). Not sure how long this will last. Usually the kids are worse at the beginning of the year and you force them into submission by late October. It's really creeping me out.

I forced James to pose for some pictures a few weeks ago, as we have only a handful of us and most of those were taken sometime around when we got married. It's close to four years now so I figured it was time for an update.

I also got a car, finally... It had everything on my list, plus a few bonuses! The old one actually sold for $600, so really, we only spent $200 for that car for 2 years. Nice.

New favorites: Dutch Bro.s Skinny Carmel Lattes, hair straightener, True Blood, 30 Rock, Kozy Shack chocolate pudding, and my hand-held steam cleaner. Dragging Hubby to Lincoln City to eat at Mo's.

Send To Phone

2009-07-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

For the four people who check this: I think I'll take a hiatus from the blog for a while.

2009-07-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day for food.

Cow tongue... venison pâté... fresh sheep's milk cheese on freshly baked Asiago bread... grilled Salmon marinated in soy sauce, Sriracha sauce, ginger and agave nectar... brown and wild rice with butter-toasted almonds and raisins soaked in Sherry...

Sorry, no pictures. Alas.

A big thank-you to Jeff for much of that, and for Hubby for coming to the farmer's market and also for coercing me to try the tongue.

New York/Boston/Maine '09

2009-07-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Finally I got around to editing/uploading all my pictures from my trip onto Flickr. This link will take you to the set if you're interested.
To sum up:
The last day of school for me was June 19 (Friday). On Monday, James and I moved, and on Tuesday morning I flew out to New York to see my parents. I spent two days in the city: highlights include the MoMA (never been before!), sushi, the old guy in Chinatown that was eager to pose for the camera, and my bagel (Liz, pay special attention).

With my parents, I went up to Portland, Maine to visit my sister and her family. On the way, we stopped in Boston so I could have lunch with Brent and Danika. Woot! They are so fabulous I can hardly stand it. Also: I got to add New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont to my list of states. I really liked Maine and Vermont. But New Hampshire? Really? C'mon.

We spent a few days in Maine. Highlights include making dinner with my sister, the beach (surprisingly warm), spending time with my niece and nephew (who remembers me! Yay! It's been a few years), and again, sushi (with Maine lobster).

2009-07-07T00:32:00.001-07:00

2009-07-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Cheese.
As a child, I could only tolerate mild cheddar in a casserole or macaroni. When I saw siblings nonchalantly slicing off a chunk and popping it straight I grimaced; who would want that stinky piece of squish in their mouth? Maybe I just didn't like the taste of strong/pungent food, or maybe I had aversion to dairy in general (it took me 25 years to enjoy cottage cheese), but it wasn't until a few years ago that I really started to appreciate cheese. I have to hand it to my sister, Ginny, for introducing me to gouda - one of the first cheeses I could eat simply by itself, an added bonus being that it's a goat cheese so I favored those varieties earlier on. Then, years later, came the Pixton's - with their sharp Irish cheddars and awesome devotion to cheese plates, I was able to safely explore the realm and wonder that is fine cheese.

And now I must say I'm becoming a stalwart fan of dropping a little dough on a fine cheese. Gruyere, Brie, Stilton, simple locally-produced Farmers goat cheese... I look forward to these treats more than I do chocolate these days. (I know! Shocker! I used to be such a chocolate snob I'd travel 20 minutes out of my way just for a truffle sold at one particular shop. One truffle.) This week's selection: a goat cheese crafted in Bend, OR., Brie, blueberry Stilton and lemon peel Stilton. The farmers cheese I actually had a few days ago and had to go back for more.

2009-06-26T20:56:00.001-07:00

So, I'm in Maine! I added two states today (up to 27) - Maine and New Hampshire.

New York has totally kicked my butt - I can barely walk.

I went to the MoMA yesterday, which was so good I almost cried.

I've had sushi twice so far this week and both times it was super delicious.

...and I've gotten to see my sister and her family for the first time in years!!

2009-06-22T00:49:00.000-07:00

So, tomorrow we move, and then the next morning I'm off to the east coast.
On the to-do list before I go:
*finish packing for moving (I type this at 1 am)
*um, move all the junk (we did hire movers)
*finish up things at school
*update my iPod. This is the most important on the list.

On the to-do list this week:
*sushi!
*MoMA!
*new sandals in Chinatown. I can't resist $5 sandals.
*NY bagel. My friend Liz went to NY and neglected this delight. I mourn for her.
*drive to Maine with my parents to see my sister and her family.
*study for the Praxis. Guh!!!
*take lots of pictures

I will miss my guys and my little girl. The boy skunk has needed lots of comforting lately, and will need even more after tomorrow. I worry that they'll think James moved without me, since I'll be gone for a week the day after we move. I would feel guilty, even, leaving now (due to the moving) if it weren't that I planned the trip before we knew we were moving.

2009-06-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Ah, school's out. This year flew by.

Looking forward to next year: teaching psych, NOT teaching math (maybe), staying in the same room, Liz just one door down (dance, magic, dance!), more photography, being a 3rd year teacher.

Within seven days, I will do the following: finish up the school year (two more days of inservice left), pack up and move to a new apartment, fly to New York. I'm afraid the skunks will think I didn't move with them to the new place, as I'm flying out the day after our stuff gets moved, and I'll be gone for a week. I'll miss the snuggles.

In other news: I gained back all the weight I lost this winter. I totally suck.

Emily P's dances

2009-06-11T20:18:00.001-07:00

"Dance Move Burglar" by EUROMOTION

I worked too hard to create these moves
I won't sit back and watch you take them away
Report you to the dance police
They're going to make you pay

Hard labor
On the dance floor
It's the least that you deserve
Everybody work it hard labor style
I want to see it burn

Chorus
Stay away
I did not work this hard for you
Stay away
Dance move bur-g-lar
Repeat 3x

The twisted logic of a criminal mind
It is a victimless crime
To plagiarize my moves
The dance floor ultimately pays the price
Unless you innovate
Nothing will improve

The Ants in the Pants
and the Epileptic Twist
Everybody knows I made them what they are
You can try to emulate my Electric Crocodile
But you'll never be a star
Repeat chorus 3x

2009-06-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Yay for the weekend!
First, James and I went with some friends to a house right off the beach in Seaside. The weather was just right, and we took the beach cruiser. Riding that bike on the beach is perhaps one of the greatest joys ever. I also took my camera (of course), got a new tattoo (Ginkgo leaf/covert nerdiness warning!), and had tons of fun getting to know a few more friends. Although exhausted, it was a really fantastic way to spend a weekend.
When I got back I spent the night at home, then went on the MACA Junior's retreat in Magness Tree Farm, just up the road from Newberg. I opted not to take my camera but those at the school will see the video footage - woot!

Daniel

2009-05-28T20:25:00.001-07:00

Bat for Lashes - New Music - More Music Videos

This song is like Robert Smith and Stevie Nicks had a baby, then hired a very sad Michel Gondry to direct it.

close your eyes...

2009-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Bat for Lashes - New Music - More Music Videos

Before you actually watch the video, may I suggest you listen to the song with your eyes closed? It's marvelous.
Then, watch the video - and Pow! Your life will never be the same!

2009-05-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

A student made me this skunk hat.

It's the most glorious hat ever. The tail can also be worn down - it's held up in place by velcro. The ears are so cute! And the ear flaps are little skunk paws, even though you can't tell that well from this picture. I wore it all day!

Liz got a frog that is also la awesome.

Weekends with Hubby

2009-05-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

The weather's been nice, and Hubby and I have spent more time both outside and reading - not necessarily at the same time. I took these last weekend when we went to the park to read, and the sun set just as we were driving home.

2009-05-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

For sale: 1 skunk, descented. Eats a lot. FREE SHIPPING!

Just kidding, he's my little guy. See his milk mustache? This is his post-dinner nap.

And little girl. She's in her bathroom-cabinet hidey. I'm just glad I got this shot... I've never seen her so contorted!

2009-05-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love thee!

2009-05-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

Upsetting news!

Okay, I realize this is actually old news. But I don't really pay attention to celebrity gossip and latest fashions. Still, I am horrified that I inadvertently did something that is now a new "Hollywood must-have."

Fact: My own tat is 5 years old. LiLo is WAAAY behind me.

Fact: I didn't do mine as a reminder of an asthma attack I had. That is weird.

Opinion: White tats of letters really don't look good. White ink is too difficult to work with for you to get the preciseness you need when doing lettering. Many tattoo artists won't even do white tattoos (fact).

Fact: taking this picture by myself was extremely difficult with a bulky and large camera. Also, I realized that this is the first time I've seen my own tattoo the correct way (i.e., not reversed in a mirror). This is the first picture I've taken of it.

Skipping school!

2009-05-01T10:30:00.001-07:00

So, I skipped Thursday and Friday to come up to CdA for Janneke's wedding! Here are some pics to satiate the CdA crowd:

I "helped" with the flowers the night before, and took a bunch of pictures of the festivities. Also, I stayed with a family friend (thanks Paula and Jim!) and had the opportunity to see a turkey... well, it's best for my squeamish/vegetarian friends to not look at the bottom picture.

2009-04-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

So: Finally got the little backyard-patio area fixed up. I knew it had potential. James built the planter boxes last fall and I planted a fern, three hostas, pansies, and a few mystery plants in there. Everything that should have survived, did! Hoorah for me. Also, I added more pansies, some petunias, a whole bunch of strawberries, and a whole bunch of nasturtium seeds. Those will come in about two weeks, and I even got pink ones. Yay! Also, I have peppermint, rosemary, honeysuckle, carrots, some flowering groundcover, and a whole bunch of mystery bulbs that haven't bloomed yet. Not pictured: bbq and several spiders.

For my birthday James took me to Crate and Barrel to pick out a vase. The first moment we walked in the door I caught site of this cool 60's looking blue one that I could swear my great-grandmother or somebody in my family once owned. I needed it immediately.

I picked some of the flowers that I had planted a few years ago at my in-laws. The pink tulips are the largest I have ever seen, and I took this picture for comparison: that's my camera lens cap. The tulip is almost as big as my hand. Ginormous!

And the yellow and red ones are some of the prettiest I've ever seen. I got lucky with those bulbs.

2009-04-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

Hilarity. And music.

2009-04-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

Springtime! Hoorah!
Friday we had a half day at school. It was great, especially since my prep period was one of the two classes scheduled. Most of us on staff went to Golden Valley Brewery afterward and enjoyed some foods and drinks. Hilarity ensued.
Then, after school, Liz and I did some gardening. We found curry plants, which we found fascinating, as you normally don't find curry in the gardening section - it smells so strongly! Our fingers even smelled like curry long after we'd touched it. I found this super weird succulent that feels like worms. I got some carrot seeds, and nasturtium (pink?!), and more strawberries, and another hosta.

Enjoy some Postal Service!

2009-04-16T20:40:00.001-07:00

If you haven't seen "Lazy Sunday," well, here it is.

do yourself a favor

2009-04-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

...and listen to Heavy Metal Drummer, by Wilco. Actually, listen to this whole album. Several times. I've had it for years, and I've never gotten sick of it, not once. Also, become familiar with the song "Jesus, etc." Video below.

...and I link this next one for two reasons: first, you get to listen to "Heavy Metal Drummer." Second, this was clearly made by five punk teenage boys, but it has good production value for highschoolers. Seriously, I can only hope my kids will be able to pull something like this off. I genuinely enjoyed watching it. Also, we at the school have already begun discussions about some sort of music-video contest. This is an exemplar.

2009-04-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

Still super sick. My voice is slowly coming back, but my throat still kills me... and I've a pretty bad cough at night, and I'm running out of my precious Vicodin. :( I did manage to escape bedrest for a couple of hours on Saturday to take some pictures with Liz - we went to Bald Peak State Park outside town and took some shots. It was pretty hazy, unfortunately, but here are a couple 180 degree views - one looking south/southwest, the color one looking northwest. You can't see very well, but the color one was a shot of Mt. Saint Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and Mount Jefferson. You could see all four, it was awesome.

I'm going to crawl back into bed.

PS: Happy birthday, Dad! I hope you had sushi.

2009-04-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

Guh, I'm totally sick again (worse than ever this time), and miserable, and out of it. A few days ago I even dug out my stash of Vicodin from last year because my sore throat/coughing was keeping me and Hubby up... only five left, but the doctor gave me a new prescription today (I was also glad that I had made the right call with the Vidocin, considering she wanted me to continue it. Oh, Vicodin, my best friend!). I did luck out, though - after I went in to work and realized that I can't effictively teach with zero voice (hardly a whisper), I managed to find a sub for the afternoon. Then, my doctor just happened to have an opening at 11. Good news: not strep, but definitely something nasty, and she says if it continues to get worse I need to go to the ER. Gah!

Side note: it's embarrassing running around in public with no voice. Trying to get someone's attention? Forget it. Filling a prescription? They think you're a junkie. This checkout lady at Fred Meyer's self-check-out was so incredibly rude/condescending to me, and I really wanted to tell her off, but I couldn't! Torture, I tell you.

The kids are being super sweet about it though. I love my kids.

Spring Break

2009-03-26T16:42:00.001-07:00

Hubby and I went to Lincoln City for the night, and had an awesome time - it was totally relaxing having a room right off the beach. This is the view from our room's doorway:

Here are a few pictures. Not a drop of rain fell (regardless of forecast), and even though it was mostly overcast, it was still pretty warm.

On our way back, we stopped at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. Hubby got to see the Sruce Goose (among other cool aircraft) and I got to take some pictures.

The skunks were overjoyed when we came home. Within five minutes we both had skunks snuggling. This one's Aroma.

2009-03-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

2009-03-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

I must say that I was a little concerned that after Obama took office, my excitement and interest over the presidency would wane.

However, I still heart Obama. Very much. I'm not expecting perfection, and I'm sick of people knit-picking every little thing he does... and I'm just so happy that he's chosen the things he has to focus on first. (Esp. stem-cell research. Holla!)

I can't wait to see what he has in store for education!

2009-03-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Sick again, ugh. Looking forward to spring break - only one more week of school, yay.

Found new guilty pleasure: Tough Love. Oh man. This series premiered today, only two days after I read my college diary and realized how pathetic I was at BYU - and how many jerks I hung out with. Seriously. Jerks. All boys I ever went on a date with at BYU, hear this: You are a jerk! Also, one of the girls on the show had total lip implants and squishes them together all the time, which I hate. I hate her.

Maybe the Sudafed is talking too much today.

2009-02-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a bit better. I love love love my doctor and as long as I'm living in the same state I'm going to her.

The skunks have been super extra cuddly lately.

I shampooed the stairs today.

Three weeks of school before Spring Break! Hubby and I might be going out of town, which makes me a little excited. Sometimes I feel exiled out here in Newberg.

Oh, and I've lost another couple of pounds. I took a hiatus from the Bod Blog for a couple of weeks because A) I plateaued and was bitter about it, B) a whole bunch of school + social stuff made it really hard to stick to, and even if I didn't cheat horrendously I still didn't feel like writing about it, and C) I've been busy with other stuff. Oh and also I lost my calorie binder for a couple of weeks so I wasn't writing calories down - which is total diet suicide for me. Being sick this past week has been the best boost to my diet ever. Can't taste food? Not as appealing.

A couple weekends ago I went with Liz and Jason out to Champoeg (sham-poo-ey) State Park and shot some pics. These haven't been through Photoshop and I'm planning some funky stuff for them.

2009-02-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

Screw you, Kulongoski!

ugh

2009-02-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

So I'm sick. This is the first real cold I've had this entire school year, so I can't complain that much, but I still feel horrible.

Also, I only went to school on Tuesday this week - the rest of it I had a tech conference downtown that was, unfortunately, pretty lame. Mostly for people who don't already integrate technology and/or don't know what a computer is. And two of the sessions that were NOT convincing you that technology is good was teaching you basics of neuropsychology + education... which I already know forwards and backwards, as I learned it my second year of undergrad. Annoying. But I did get to each sushi two days in a row for lunch which made me happy.

Oh, and one other bonus from the conference: I created this website for my class. Still a work in progress, obviously, but I don't know if it would be blocked by our school. (crossing fingers)

2009-02-16T13:07:00.000-08:00

Valentine's

2009-02-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Before we were married, James and I made an agreement about Valentine's Day: it's really about consumerism, and they jack the prices up on everything because you feel obligated to buy candy and flowers and cards - thereby increasing profit the more they make you feel like that is appropriate Valentine's behavior. So we decided not to purchase anything Valentine's-y. And anyway, you should be doing nice things for each other year-round, not just in mid-February, right?

So it came as a surprise when, a few weeks ago, James asked, "Mind if I plan Valentine's this year?" (We don't normally do anything besides make each other a card or something, so of course I wouldn't be planning anything anyway.)

We first met downtown around 1:00 (he came from class), got some Escape from New York Pizza, then had dessert at Papa Haydn's. We went on a little architectural tour of some parts of NW PDX, then went for a drive out to Sauvie Island. It was gorgeous, and we had perfect weather. Then, we went on a tour of some of the landmark places in our relationship: the Pearl, where we spent much time while dating, the Art House on Haig (along with Sanborn's, where our reception was), our place on Gaines, the church where we were married. After that, we headed back downtown to eat at the East India Co., a really great Indian place that had a special Valentine's menu. It was sooooo good!

Thank you, Hubby, for the best Valentine's I've ever had!

Chinese New Year

2009-02-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

...Not my best work but at least you get the idea of what the Chinese New Year's Lantern festival was like.

Last Week...

2009-02-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't written in a while. Sorry. Many things are going on at work and I'm uber busy!
One of those things is hosting a Valentine's Day party for the PTA. Saturday, Liz helped me make ads for it. There was much pink and red.

We also spent some time walking around our own neighborhood with our cameras.

On Sunday, James and I spent some time with Bryce and Kadra. We first went to the Chinese Gardens for their New Year's lantern festival. It was beautiful and I'll be adjusting some images to post later. This is just a teaser.

Night photos

2009-02-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to take more photographs. Last Thursday evening I went with Hubby to his class, dropped him off, then went downtown to try to get pics of PDX from the Ross Island Bridge. Everything went fine until the fog rolled in - about 10 minutes before I got set up. Still, I managed to get a few that I'm happy with. The bridge was freaky, though, with a tripod.

A new semester starts tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about how my classes with turn out, but I had a few doozies last semester and I pulled through it just fine. All in all, I enjoy even my tough classes. And this semester we're starting cellular biology and genetics, which are my favorites, so I'll be uber happy with what I'm teaching.

Oh! And today was a Ghost Hunters marathon.

2009-01-24T22:43:00.000-08:00

I think some students have found my blog. Not that I'm freaking out or anything, and I can't lie and say I'm not curious about who it is, but it's a strange feeling having my two very different worlds clashing. So, if you're a student, this is my message to you: I don't blame you for your curiosity, and I'm sure I'm not nearly as interesting as you were hoping, but it weirds me out just a little that you're here. That being said, please don't tell me who you are, and please don't tell other students where my site is. It's not that I don't welcome you into my personal life, but I like to keep things separate, you know?

It was funny, though, after I made this discovery I had Liz try to "find" me on the interwebs. She's one of the more capable people with technology (duh, she's our tech/art teacher) so I figure if she couldn't do it, then I don't know how other people are. Also, my personal info is hidden on Facebook, so that's not the avenue. Who knows.

In other news, I had an exhausting/great week. It started at the beach with a hike, the most perfect weather, fresh clam chowder and ice cream. Then we had Exhibition, which was awesome and I've never been more proud of our students ever ever ever, then I did a little shopping and a little cooking and I'm feeling great and totally happy. On the other hand, my kitchen is a total mess and I need to work on that. But my life can't be 100% awesome, can it?
Also, in science we've been constructing Rube Goldberg machines. I am in total awe at what some of the kids have done. We've had fire, electric guitars + amps, boats, and dangerous flinging bungees. I like a little chaos in the classroom but this week was really trying! I had to just let it all go. 95% of them were totally on task and into the assignment so I had little to do while they worked. Pictures to come later!

...went on a walk today...

2009-01-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

Check out my flickr page to see what I saw today!

Bodblog

2009-01-07T18:35:00.000-08:00

It has arisen again!

And I'm totally 100% serious this time. I know this because I've already started but didn't want to jinx myself by blogging about it first. I will post weekly updates with weight gain/loss, how many days I went over my caloric intake, how many minutes I exercised, and other boring statistics.

New Year!

2009-01-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I went to Jared and Skye's on New Year's Eve. It was delightful! We spent some time pre-party cooking our favorite party foods. I made sushi and James made Gougeres (delightful French cheese puffs) with Fontina and Gruyere. We also brought Aroma, who quickly made friends with Jared and Kaarina.

Before we went to the party, I gave Hubby a haircut and he sculpted his fine man-face-hair into a stylish 70's fu and sideburns. He even parted his hair for a true sleezy-70's 'do. Sexy!

We were really happy to see our friends. Aroma enjoyed cuddling with Kaarina!

Skye and Jared always have the most delightful food at their place. This cheese was divine.

It's an Apricot Stilton. I decided to do a bit of reading about it, and found that it must be made in one of three counties in England to actually be called a Stilton. Also, a study in 2005 found that 85% of women had weird/bizarre dreams after going eating it and then going to bed. Oddly enough, I had two really freaky dreams last night - freaky enough that they woke me up and demanded snuggles from Hubby. We had a good laugh about blaming the cheese for my terrible night sleep.

Toby (on bottom) and Aroma snuggle with Hubby and I. This is a usual sight in the evenings after their dinner time.

2008-12-26T17:03:00.000-08:00

2008-12-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Liz, Hubby and I went for a walk tonight and Liz taught me some tricks for nighttime photography! It was cold and wet but it made my heart happy.

2008-12-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures I took today.

My Christmas Wishes!

2008-12-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

Three things I wished for:
*extra time off to make up for last year
*good health
*lots of snow

I got them all! I even went to the doctor to get my first ever comprehensive physical. Even though I still have the weird heart arrhythmia, I'm in pretty good shape. And since we had the entirety of last week called off from school due to weather, I got an extra 50% Winter Break! That's a great deal. (It's not free, however - in mid-June I will be cursing the snow when we have five extra days, I'm sure.)

It's been many years since I've seen this much glorious snow. Most of you know I'm an Idaho girl so winter isn't winter without a nice thick layer of it. That's one of the few things I actually miss from Idaho/Utah. I really really love the snow. Really. So the last few years I've put up with the rain and appreciated the dusting we've gotten. But this week! Right now, there's a good 6+ inches on the ground - in Newberg. There's much more in McMinnville. I'm tempted to fetch a sled and head down there but I'm afraid Hubby will chain me to the house if I try to drive out there. My argument is always that I got my driver's license in December in northern Idaho, so I'm a pro, right?

Unfortunately, Newberg does lie in a valley and the only way out to civilization (i.e., away from Newberg or McMinnville) is up a big hill and that thing is pretty icy and I don't trust other drivers, so we've been pretty much holed up down here.

In other news, the skunkies have been delighted to have James and I at home this week. This is Toby sleeping in. He's a bedhog.

And Aroma likes to squeeze herself down the front of our shirts. She just dives in there and she'll wiggle her way in regardless if you want her there or not. One time I tried to give her to James and she dived inbetween the buttons on the front of my shirt, and clung on when I tried to pull her out. It's hilarious and adorable.

And since it's been snowing nonstop, I haven't taken my camera out for fear of it getting wet. So these were taken from the stoop this afternoon, when we still only had about 3-4 inches.

2008-12-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Oh, I put my paintings up at 3rd Street Pizza, and the manager bought one on the spot for $130. Sweet! I is happy. Oh and also there are only six days of school left until Christmas break! And one of my students brought in his python. It's still a baby, so it's just about two feet long, but he was adorable.

2008-12-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

This week is our art auction to fund raise for the New York Trip - which, coincidentally, I have put on indefinite hold, as I was doing 10 times as much work as the kids, who have totally dropped the ball. At any rate, we already had announced the art auction, and I'd already painted four paintings and printed 60 pictures for it, so we're doing it anyway, and holding on to the money for another year or so until the kids decide that they'll do the fundraising.

I was out dropping fliers by businesses on 3rd street in McMinnville, and I ran into one of our most fantastic parents. She was going the same place I was - 3rd street pizza. (3rd St Pizza is a fah-bulous pizzaria that has a movie theater with tables so you can take your food in there. LOVE it.) She got the manager out, who happens to be a friend of hers, and the manager said she could put the fliers out, and then mentioned how her walls were bare because the artist who was supposed to drop paintings by flaked on her. "Oh, you need paintings?" I asked. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I will bring some paintings by!" I replied. And so, tomorrow after school I'll be taking her some of my work, and some of Liz's work (hopefully), and I'll be praying that the other artist doesn't drop off his paintings too soon. How much should I put them up for? Just last week, James and I were pondering the ridiculously high price some of them were asking for. $275 for a painting of a clown holding a pig? Scary! Wish me luck.

Custom Camera Strap GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-11-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Custom Camera Strap GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am thankful for...

2008-11-27T23:41:00.001-08:00

...delicious food that Hubby made! He pampered me with awesome turkey, homemade pumpkin pie (and crust made by scratch!), stuffing made from scratch, and the best gravy I've ever ever had. I contributed the cranberry sauce, sweet potato pie, and the mashed potatoes. Oh, how delightful! I'm stuffed!

I am also thankful for good weather last weekend. It was so sunny and warm that I went to the beach. Not only wasn't it windy (like it always seems to be), but I didn't even really need a jacket. Many pictures were taken.

Those are sea lions out there! Unfortunately, it was back-lit, so I didn't get a lot of quality pictures. At least, none that I don't have to correct in Photoshop. None of these have gotten the treatment yet.

It's that time of year again...

2008-11-20T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I are hoping I don't get sick again this holiday season. I'm jinxed, I tell you. Help!

So far, though, I'm feeling pretty good, and I even avoided a nasty cold that Hubby had. How I avoid such things when I'm the one with the compromised immune system is beyond me, especially with the number of students who have been ill. That place is a Petri dish.

School's going great though. I mean, the students are getting antsi (sp?), but that usually happens around the holidays anyway. We also just got done with our first quarter. In another two weeks we'll be 1/3 the way through this school year. Man, is it flying by.

I have a silly friend at school this year, too. Liz is the technology/art teacher, and we both strongly believe in being absurd. There is much absurdity that is keeping me sane this year.

Speaking of absurd: yesterday, in one of my science classes, I gave the kids a 5 minute break between two activities. One of the particularly understated kids walked out of the classroom, and 30 seconds later walked back in... with a taco. A perfectly formed, un-bitten taco. Mind you, my classroom is rather isolated from the rest of the school, and there's only one other class nearby, and few students. He just walked back in holding the taco, looked at me, looked at the taco, then said, "If Stephani didn't want her taco stolen she shouldn't have given me her locker combination." Then he ate it. ...Tomorrow when he's in class again, I'm hiding a taco in my classroom to procure at just the right moment. ...And I guess you guys might not think that was such a funny story, and maybe it's just one of those you-have-to-know-the-kid-and-you-had-to-have-been-there situations, but that incident has kept me going now for two days.

The Edgefield

2008-11-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I will be celebrating our 3-year anniversary this Wednesday! Since it's the middle of the week, we did the bulk of our celebrating this weekend. Neither one of us had been to McMenamin's Edgefield, we thought it would be a nice place to check out.

It used to be a workhouse for the poor; at one time it employed and housed 600 people! The facilities were beautiful, and of course they've given it the McMenamin's touch - everything is painted with murals, quirky and beautiful details, and fun little niches. It's quite a large complex - there's a vinery, a brewery (of course), a few restaurants, a theater (we saw The Dark Knight again for $3), a venue for music - the works.

I would have taken more pictures, but a) it was a little rainy, and b) I got food poisoning. I don't want this to taint anyone's opinion of McMenamin's, because they make all their stuff from scratch (not processed), so there's a bit higher chance that that could happen. It just sucked that it did. So, we had to cut our trip a little short. Sadness.

creativity

2008-11-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling a surge of creativity lately, probably because school isn't stressing me out as much. I need to do some painting this weekend for sure, since we have the art auction coming up, but for right now photography is doing a pretty good job of keeping me busy. I just love how everywhere I go now, I look for things that I wouldn't normally notice - how can I make the most everyday, mundane things exciting or beautiful? It's helping me be optimistic about the whole world around me. :)

America, I believe in you!

2008-11-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Yay!!!!

It's been a while since I've had a healthy faith in America. Thank you, voters, for resurrecting my faith and hope!!!!

I feel:
hope
joy
relief

2008-11-02T20:57:00.001-08:00

*I was excited this morning when I discovered it wasn't too cloudy out to take pictures. I finished the book I was reading, then headed out - only to realize I'd forgotten to take my medicine, and before I'd taken 10 shots I was too sick to continue and had to come home. Then, it got cloudy. I was upset.

*Last Friday helped confirm Laurie and I's suspicions that I am a magnet for student trouble. A fight was in the midst of breaking out (shoving but no punches yet) a few yards from my classroom, so I broke it up. It's funny how my mind goes directly to my de-escalation and restraint training from Northwest. Sounds totally cheesy, but if you play mind tricks on them it works. I broke this particular one up by telling the bigger kid just how much I care about him.

*James and I have had a totally relaxing weekend. I read my books, and he got a new game. Also, we watched Interview With a Vampire, which neither of us had seen in a while. Funny, because I just finished the Twilight series again, and I realize how much of Interview Stephenie Meyers ripped off. I'm a little disappointed.

*Totally not ready for school this week, but I keep reminding myself that I have a four-day weekend after that. Woot! James and I have anniversary plans, which pleases me immensely.

Halloween, MACA style

2008-10-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

So, to raise funds for the kids going to New York in the Spring, we hosted the MACA Halloween party. This meant that I did most of the planning, but I was impressed by how much the kids did. Fun times were had by all! It was a really great turnout, we made lots of moolah, and we all got to see the principal play Guitar Hero.

As a tech arts school, we of course had to do some techy things. We have a covered outdoor area, and we projected The Ring on one of its walls. I forgot how creepy that movie is. And yes, it's only PG-13! Also, we hooked a Wii up to one of the projectors in the Media Lab, and also had two PS2's playing with Karaoke and Guitar Hero. We did it arcade-style - 25 cents per turn. Also, we had purchased a fusball table the weekend before at the Rummage Sale (what a nightmare last week was - definitely not worth the $250 we got out of it), and we set up a Ping Pong table in there as well. In my classroom, the kids decked it out with two strobe lights (thank goodness no one had a seizure), four black lights, a lazer light, and some good dance music. We also sold homemade goodies (cookies and almond roca), soda, candy, and even had a smoothie station! We sold out of many items.
For legal reasons, I can't post pictures of some students, so to play it safe, I only included one. This is Tiffany, the Smoothie Guru.

Andrea the dinosaur, and Liz the nerd. Liz and I drove all the way to Fry's on Wednesday evening, JUST to pick up the pocket protectors.

Laurie (the Principal) also gave me a Walkie Talkie so we could be in constant communication.
Percentage of real communication: 22%. The rest was just playing. Felt like old times (NBHC), only I got one of those real heavy-duty industrial Walkies, so I felt even cooler.
It was a desperate hope of mine to be out of the building by 10:00 (party ended at 9). I was more than pleased that all the cleaning was done by 9:45! It was marvelous.

Here I go with the sensitive topics...

2008-10-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

I've been having roughly the same conversation with different people for the last month or so, and I finally just decided to blog about it, because what better way is there for me to make my opinions publicly known without the risk of actual face-to-face conversation? Also, I can delete comments, which makes me feel like a wizard. So, that said...

I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I learned a lot of important lessons going to church, and that upbringing definitely had a great influence on who I am today. My parents, also, taught me that I should a) think for myself, and b) value education. They also taught me that I should be compassionate. So I went to BYU, and I read my scriptures, and I went to church, all the while fighting against some of the ignorance that is present when any ethical or religious group congregates. I could accept that - people are people, and entitled to their own opinions. And I was okay with the Church's position that homosexuality is morally wrong, but that it's not okay to persecute or insult or tell other people what to do or how to vote. I felt okay affiliating with it because the Church leaders themselves had always encouraged its members to "search, ponder, and pray" about what is right, and to act on that - instead of telling its members what to believe and leaving no room for personal meditation.

That changed a couple years ago, when the Church publicly - and from the pulpit - began getting political. It is now the practice of its leaders to tell its members how to vote on an issue, not that they should get involved in what they believe is right. And instead of choosing a side on, oh, really important, valid, and urgent issues like health care or poverty or mental health or child abuse or education - you know, things that affect every single person in this country - they choose an issue regarding the rights of a person to make a personal decision. A decision that has no impact on me or my family whatsoever. An issue that very nearly crosses the line from "morality" to simply "hate". Who cares if two men in Connecticut love each other enough to want to make a legally binding committment to each other? Really?

And I've heard the "preservation of family" argument as well - but you know what? Show me a perfect family. Show me any statistics at all the provide evidence that gay marriage a) adversely affects other families, or b) gay couples divorce more often, or c) children being raised by gay couples more often grow up to be totally messed up, or God forbid, homosexual themselves. Show me any evidence of that at all and I will agree to listen to your case. The "One-Man-One-Woman" argument also leaves out families with one parent, or step-parents, or grandparents raising kids, etc. etc. Um, Jesus had a stepdad. Who remembers that? There are all sorts of families in this world, and what makes one successful and another not is compassion, love, and patience, not who Daddy is attracted to. Studies show that if a child sees love and compassion between his parents (gay or not), that child will continue those positive habits (gay or not). There are plenty of problems between "traditional" families - why not start programs to improve those relationships? Oh, I dunno, improve healthcare so counseling is more available? Parenting lessons? Improving the welfare system to support one-parent families while not enabling those that take advantage of it?

Phew. That was difficult to write. And, I'm sure, difficult to read, for some that know me well but were not aware of my thoughts.

That being said, I present you with this list by Facebook's group: "Gay Marriage Killed the Dinosaurs"

Top 17 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

17. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

16. Gay culture is a new fad created by the liberal media to undermine long-standing traditions. We know this is true because gay sex did not exist in ancient Greece and Rome.

15. There are plenty of straight families looking to adopt, and every unwanted child already has a loving family. This is why foster care does not exist.

14. Conservatives know best how to create strong families. That is why it is not true that Texas and Mississippi have the highest teen birthrates, and Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire have the lowest. This is a myth spread by the liberal media.

13. Marriage is a religious institution, defined by churches. This is why atheists do not marry. Christians also never get a divorce.

12. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why our society has no single parents.

11. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

10. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

9. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

8. Gay marriage should be decided by the people and their elected representatives, not the courts. The framers checked the courts, which represent mainstream public opinion, with legislatures created to protect the rights of minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Interference by courts in this matter is inappropriate, just as it has been every time the courts have tried to hold back legislatures pushing for civil rights.

7. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because "separate but equal" institutions are a good way to satisfy the demands of uppity minority groups.

5. Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

4. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

3. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

2. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

1. METEORS and VOLCANOES.

Help!

2008-10-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am planning a trip with 12ish students to New York City this upcoming Spring. I will be teaching an Art History and Appreciation class, and it's those students who will be coming with me to tour the Met, the American Museum of Natural History, Wall Street, Chinatown/Little Italy, NBC, Ellis Island, and other places in the city. Most of these students come from less-privileged families, and especially since the economic crisis has developed, these families have no funds to spare. So, we're doing a lot of fundraising. Some of the things we have in the works:
*Online silent auction of artwork. Right now, there are just photographs, but there will be student artwork in the coming weeks. Check it out!
*HUGE rummage sale, benefiting both the MSD After School Program and the New York City trip. We've got SO much good stuff so far! It will be the weekend of the 17th/18th at the MACA campus, if you're a local and want to check it out.
*Halloween party! Outdoor movie, video games, bake sale, costume contest, the whole works. Oct 24th for MACA and MHS students.
*Donations and sponsorships. If you or your company would like to become an official sponsor, drop me a line! We're begging for any and all donations. The Merri Artist in McMinnville became our first official sponsor on Friday, with a large donation of paint and canvases. Woot!

2008-09-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

So, James and I headed up to Bremerton, Washington to attend his grandmother's memorial service. It was a beautiful service and I feel like I really got to know his grandmother, even though I'd only met her twice.

For those of you who don't know me well, I have few cousins. On my Mom's side, I have seven first cousins, all female. If I ran into them on the street I bet only four of them would recognize me. (I know this, because one of them actually introduced herself to me before. In college. I'm not naming names.) On my Dad's side I think I have two - again, both girls, but don't ask me names. I've never met them before, and I've only met my Uncle Dennis once. (I've heard it's probably better that way.) Anyway, since I only have female cousins that I hardly spend time with, the idea of male cousins seems foreign to me. A lot of James' cousins are guys, and a lot of them are around our age. I kept thinking, "which one of their wives is James' cousin?" Also, keep in mind that James doesn't look a lot like his family, so I can't rely on THAT comparison. So, I studied a cheat sheet in the car ride up, doing my best to remember names. I think I did pretty well!

Even though it was a sad occasion, I had a wonderful time getting to know many of his cousins and aunts and uncles that I previously hadn't met. I really enjoyed spending time with people who adore James almost as much as I do, and it's no wonder that he is as fond of his family as he is. Really, there's a lot of love in the Wright family... and it was so nice to feel like a part of that. His cousins and aunts and uncles embrace me as their own, but not in an awkward cultish kind of way - they are real people with genuine hearts, and I'm so grateful that I'm a part of that!

In other news, I've been spending some quality time watching CMT. That's "Country Music Television," for all them fancy folks out there. No, it's not because I've developed a strange obsession with Brad Paisley or something. Or even Kid Rock. (I am NOT making that up, Kid Rock has a video getting airtime on CMT. Parallel universe?) CMT now airs Nanny 911, a show where proper English nannies (one is Welsh, though) sweep in, spend a week with a horrifically disfunctional family, and try to minimize their problems. It's always the parent's fault, of course, and it raises my blood pressure every time I watch that show, but I can't turn away! And usually one of the parents does a really great job, and the other one is totally clueless and gives in to their kids' every whim, and all hell breaks loose. Then Nanny establishes rules and the parents are always SO SURPRISED when little Johnny responds to them. "Golly-gee, Molly Sue fell asleep when we turned the tv off in her room and made her sleep in her own bed! Imagine that!" It gives me hope that I'd be a good parent, 'cause I'm pretty sure this teaching gig is hammering in the basics.

2008-09-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

I did get a request to post more pictures of Michelle and Samantha's wedding. Click here to go to my Flickr page, and browse away!

Please Vote!

2008-09-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

I need some feedback, so please vote on which picture either: sucks the least, or that you like best. The poll is on the right-hand side. And please, give some constructive criticism (you may comment anonymously!). (I do sometimes adjust lighting/color in Photoshop so if you'd like any of that to change, please say so!

2008-09-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Wow! Someone from Dubai visited my blog today.

Welcome! Welcome to my blog!

You probably just did a Google search on skunk+picture+alive, searching for a picture of a live skunk instead of a dead one.

Try it. You'll see.

I also thought maybe they looked up "chill out" (since it was in the previous post) and "skunk" (since it's in half of all others) and I was shocked by what Google turned up. A type of bud specifically designed for... well, maybe you don't want to know. It's not PG.

In other news, I love love love melatonin. Love it. I've been taking it for about 10 days now, and I'm sleeping so much better, having/remembering some crazy dreams, and I'm virtually stress-free. Ask James: I'm in a much better mood and I'm not so tired during the day. If you click on the melatonin link, pay special attention to the "Immune System" and "Dreaming" sections. Very interesting. I heart you, melatonin!

...and so it begins again

2008-09-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

First week of Year Two: awesome.

Total amount of time in the past week feeling stressed out: ~3 minutes.

Total number of requests for basic school supplies because they forgot theirs: 1.

Total number of screw-ups I've made: 0?

Percentage of classes voting to have "Chill Out!" be an official class rule: 33%.

A Day in the Life of Two Skunks

2008-09-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Usually the skunks sleep with us at night. Aroma is especially cuddlesome. (Is that a word? It is now.) Then, after they hang out with us in the morning, they go back to sleep... either under the bathroom sink or wedged on top of each other between the toilet and the shower. Maybe it's cooler back there? I dunno, but they love it. Note the sock in the lower left corner, stolen from James. There's also a shirt under there somewhere.

As soon as James and I aren't looking/leave the house, they go about their normal business of destroying/getting around whatever security measures or childlocks we've put up to prevent them from getting onto the kitchen counter. We've had Toby 2.5 years and we still haven't figured something out. And once a skunk gets it into his head that he wants to do something, nothing stops him.

Then, of course, after we've punished them for misbehavior and fed them, we all come back for some quality snuggles. This picture is of Aroma - I was at my computer and she wanted so badly to snuggle, and once I showed her how she could burrow into my shirt, she loved it!

Notice the nose protruding from sleeve:

When one skunk is doing something, the other skunk usually follows. Soon, both skunkies demand attention.

Mmm, snuggles!

Weekend in Seattle

2008-08-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the immense fortune to attend Michelle's wedding in Seattle. James and I carpooled with Paul, and we all picked Emily up from Sea-Tac. It was the perfect end to a great summer, and a terrific reunion of old friends.

There was great food, fresh air, and stimulating conversation.

The brides were so beautiful. Michelle was glowing the whole time, and even though this was only the second time I've met Samantha, she is so easy to get to know and love.

They got married in a breathtaking park north of downtown and overlooking the city and the water. Of course, I was having too much fun with my camera. :)
I must also add what a beautiful ceremony it was. A concentration of good friends, lousy weather, and (not to sound too cheesy, but there isn't another word for it) love made everything perfect. I even liked the rain, and how it stopped the second the ceremony was over. Hallelujah!

Fun times were had all around. The reception was held at the World Trade Center, also overlooking the water.

Thank you thank you thank you Pat and Libby for letting us stay with you! It was unfortunate that we really only had one night to talk. James and I both loved your house and we are so thankful we got to spend time with you both.

*Many many more pictures to come (I took almost 600! No sign of running out of room on my memory card!). I will be upgrading my Flickr account so I can add endless amounts of pictures. Some things to look forward to: Emily dancing, Paul as Silent Bob, and James and I singing Karaoke . Any guesses as to what song we would have sung? Also, that was a horrific moment for me.

More pictures

2008-08-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

Not sure why I love my macro as much as I do, but I am sure having fun with it. Only the ivy and the rose was shot with the macro filter, but man, I would NOT have been able to do that with my old camera, as nice as it was. Woot! Don't you just love the light in the second ivy picture? I got lucky today. :)

New Hotness

2008-08-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

I've jumped on the SLR bandwagon and splurged on a NikonD40. Today was my first day trying out my new scary and complicated camera. I have much to learn.

These are my first pictures. The slugs were taken with a high-power zoom lens with a Macro filter. The depth of focus is extremely narrow, and I was laying on the ground with my head in a shrub and not able to see through the viewfinder, so if you take a look at the full-size image you'll notice they aren't 100% in focus, which annoys me, but I guess that's okay because I was manually focusing anyway. But then, you can see the veins in this slug, and that's pretty awesome.

I was really just thankful that I found the slowest-moving wildlife possible to practice on.
Also, I haven't been able to color/light correct these, as I don't have Photoshop anymore since my computer crashed. :( So these are all 100% un-retouched.

After going to the nature preserve, I went to Winco. Then there was a car on fire! I offered my camera services to the owner in case she wanted them for insurance or something, and I whipped my new baby out and pretended like I was a real photographer. It was a little scary, though, because at one point things were exploding in the engine. I was as far away as I could be with my zoom lens, but the images aren't 100% focused because I don't have an image stabilizer and no tri-pod, either. Pooh. And again with the manual focus.

Skunk Update

2008-08-19T17:31:00.001-07:00

Aroma is fitting in very well in her new home. We think that Toby, actually, has had the hardest time adjusting - he sulked for a few days, then they had hidey-hole wars, and now they've reached a compromise and both share the prime hidey spot (under the bathroom sink). When it's time for bed, Toby takes his usual spot next to me, and Aroma usually climbs around the bed for a minute or two, unwilling to commit to snuggles - until last night, when she flopped down across my feet. Then, little by little, she wiggled her way up through the blankets until she was wedged between Toby and I, and promptly fell asleep. It was adorable. She follows us all around the house and steals Toby's food. This house definitely needed another female!

**Addendum:
Aroma slept with us last night, too. And again, she started at my feet, then wiggled her way up the blankets until she not only was wedged between Toby and I, but she smooshed her little head in between my cheek and the pillow. Not just a little bit, either - her whole head. Eventually, she kicked Toby out of his place under the covers, upside down, sprawled out and taking up as much room as possible.

2008-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

2008-08-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that Hubby has posted. :)

2008-08-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you looking for a new hobby....

Poll!

2008-07-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

In the last two years, my hubby's blog has suffered great neglect. At first, it was happy and thankful to deliver a post every week or so. Then, it started dwindling to once a month. Now, it's almost once a year. Now, I may be the only one who cares that he hasn't posted (he's claiming as such; he says I say everything for the both of us - but really, we ARE two different people, and I definitely don't speak for the "family"), but that's why I'm taking a poll.

Please take a moment to vote! It's just in the right-hand column.

2008-07-27T09:54:00.001-07:00

So, we're pretty much all moved in to Newberg. We still have a few things to wrap up at our old place (since we had paid through the month, that allowed the luxury of taking things a little more slowly), but I'm feeling pretty much at home. My initial reaction to Newberg:

*Totally small town. I'm feeling a little isolated.
*I really like Oregon's wine country (Newberg is considered its "capital"). It's gorgeous. Gas prices have limited our adventuring, though. But I bet I'd like it more if I actually drank wine, not just looked at the vines.
*My commute has been shortened to 20 minutes, versus 50 a'la Tualatin. Woot!
*I miss my Old Navy, Target, Best Buy, Carl's Jr, and Claim Jumper. There aren't many food choices here, unless you're a big wine bar fan. This place is crawling with them.

Grr.

2008-07-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

This week, I've been attending the Coalition for Essential Schools (CES) conference here in PDX. I'm lucky, because it IS in PDX, but it's the national conference so I'm able to "network" with some big whopadeedahs on the national scene. Also, I've been able to take two students along with me (and Caan, the counselor, who is also attending with us). The conference has more than lived up to my expectations (which were admittedly low to begin with), what with the high level of professional dialogue occurring and also the fantastic food (thank you, Sheraton!)
But even though I've had this really fantastic week to be one representative of MACA on a national level, at a relatively small workshop, and learn some really intense things (think discussions on race, equity, social justice; one of my workshops was entitled "The Unexamined Whiteness of Teaching"), I've been distracted. Poor Hubby, I've neglected him for days. All I've been doing is reading the blasted Twilight series. I started the first book on Sunday afternoon, and dangit if I haven't just finished the second. And I'm thoroughly into the third. Harry Potter didn't even keep me reading for so many hours on end. I blame my in-laws for encouraging this.
On one level I'm a little embarassed that a teen romance about vampires has hooked me so intently. So, I tell myself that I'm reading so I can connect with my students. And I tell myself that it's a New York Times best-seller so I'm not the only adult who has appreciated it. And I tell myself that it has more than 500 pages so that counts as real grown-up reading. But I can't lie to myself any longer; I've finally found a non-Austin romance that I can let myself get carried away by.
*sigh*
And now I have to wait until August 2nd for the fourth book to come out.

2008-07-01T10:41:00.001-07:00

My friend Laura posted these videos, and I just had to pass them along. She's got really terrific things on her blog, btw, and I highly recommend a browse. I imagine her sitting on YouTube for hours, finding all the old randomness it has to offer, then sharing with us. Kind of like a filter with holes only big enough for these little gems of delight to fall through.

Anyway, the first is the original "Space Oddity" video. Notice how young Bowie looks, and how low-budget it is.

I think this second video used even less money. Most of it, I imagine, went toward David's hair dye. I can picture the director saying, "Well, our budget went toward sequins and hair dye... let's get some shots of the soundboard and pretend it's in space!"

The Right Stuff

2008-06-29T10:36:00.001-07:00

You know you've married an awesome guy when you're sitting around your apartment and he says, "Want to go to Pottery Barn?", and once you're there you split up to browse, and you haven't told him your secret agenda to find a vase, and then you meet up again and he says, "I was looking at the bud vases over there, because I know you need more, and I think you should pick a few out."