ROMAN NUMERALS???

A student listed this as their birthday on an info sheet today: IV/XXVIII

I LOVE HAVING SMRT FRIENDS

This post can go one of two ways, 1) my friend looks smart or 2) I look dumb. But here it is anyway.

I really have some of the smartest friends on the block. Their accomplishments include but are not limited to: college diplomas, graduate school, careers, interns, living in real cities, etc. I can count on anyone of them to have an answer or well thought out opinion on any topic.

Case in point: Heather. She had a wonderful "vacation" here in the Provo last week. While we enjoyed our nightly read-ourselves-to-sleep-in-silence-but-loving-each-others'- company, I experienced a wonderful moment. While reading Undaunted, there was a word that I recognized but never knew how to pronounce it. I could infer from the text what it meant but I asked her, "Heather, what does the word E-N-N-U-I mean and how do you say it?" She knew. Didn't even bat a lash. Didn't fluster. Didn't brain fart. Spit it out like any brilliant human would. It made me super happy. I will continue to be happy that I managed to get smart people to befriend me, especially because I hate dumb people.

DADDY MADE MY DAY

It is neat to have parents again. To be honest, sometimes I forget that they are around. I kind of got used to orphan-dom the past three years. Since president and sister's return, our fam has done fabulous things like Kaysville 4th of July, Staycation, Lake Powell, Midway reunion, etc. Well today was the greatest day of all of those and let me tell you why.

School started this week and we had a faculty lunch in the OJH cafeteria. I was up adding some delicious chips from Cafe Rio to my plate when I hear someone whisper my name. I looked around and it was my daddy. He came to say hi and take me to lunch, just because he was near OJH and could! I had already eaten and he had to get back to his meetings so he just gave me a hug and left. By far the best surprise ever. Best visit ever. Best dad ever. As he walked away I started crying because it was absolutely the nicest thing in the world and I just didn't want him to go.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE...SCHOOL

'Twas the night before school, when all through the house
not a teacher was sleeping, just clicking the mouse

The school bag was packed by the door with great care
In hopes that tomorrow the kids would be fair

The students were home all worried with fright
That I, their teacher, would put up a fight

When all of a sudden there arose such a clatter
Because the Principal said school that doesn't matter!

Yep, I wrote this poem the night before the first day of school instead of: sleeping, planning, showering, reading, preparing, working, etc. It was worth it.

FOR THE LOVE OF UTAH

I might be obsessed with the state of Utah. It's not my fault though, blame it on my dad and my career. Because I love this state so darn much I paid tribute to it in the delicious dessert I made for Pioneer Day.

FYI: the cake actually was freaking delicious.

• Layer ice cream sandwiches (the long, skinny ones) in a cake pan
  
• Layer of cool whip
• Second layer of ice cream sandwiches
• Top with cool whip and chocolate and caramel sauce
• Freeze for 2 hours
  

AMAZING!

BAD COMBO

4,000 sheets of loose paper + wind.

That was my life today as I tried to be a good human and recycle a shiz load of old worksheets from 30 years of past Geography lesson plans at Orem Junior. All was great until the wind picked up. For 57 minutes I chased after every single stupid paper blowing everywhere in the effing parking lot. Did I end up recycling them? No. They went in the regular garbage can.

Worst. Day. Ever.

ASHTON'S BIRTHDAY

The first person I met at college was Ashton. She was my roommate freshman year and her favorite holiday is her Birthday! Yes, to her, its a holiday! We (Ashton, Jessica, Shanna, and I) had dinner tonight and played a "questions from the past" game. This brought up Ashton's birthday/holiday (and it was just last week so happy birthday). She told us the most adorable thing I have ever heard. She forgets that stores are open on her birthday. Last Thursday she needed to go somewhere but realized it would be closed...until she realized of course it would not be closed. Hilarious. Cute. Stupendous. Loved hearing it. Loved dinner. Love her.

NO LIFE JACKETS ON THE NILE

It just hit me that while I spent 2 days sailing on the Nile River, there were no life jackets (life preservers, PFD, whatever you want to call them). Nothing! Not really shocking because I never wore a seat belt during my excursions in Egypt either. Can you imagine a western cruise line not doing the muster drill or having life boats? No. Well the cruise ships in Egypt only have 6 life boats. Egypt does things their way. Just a thought that came to me that kind of exemplified Egypt. Jessica and Lani will understand. I will say that our time on the Felucca boat was by far my favorite part of the entire trip. "More than seeing the pyramids," you ask? Absolutely! In the above picture we see Kristen, Lani, Sophie, Jessica, and myself enjoying ourselves. In the picture below you see the Felucca (just a strange type of sailboat).

NO PICTURES AND INCEPTION

This blog has no logical ties or connections. I just wanted to post some pictures from Egypt and Amsterdam and talk about the movie I saw last night. The thing is I am not going to put any pictures up. I have tried, unsuccessfully, three times to post some pictures and my blog rejects them. Oh well. I went, I had fun, it was hot. That's the most you are going to get until I start figuring out what stories from my travels I want to tell.

Onto Inception. Go see it, I think. If you have seen it, tell me what you thought. I knew the minute it was over I would 100% be dreaming about it that night. I did. Boy do I know myself. It was a trippy concept with an ending that you kind of have to decide about. I hate that. I love movies to tell me what to think, how to love, who to hate, how to date, and so on. Inception left it up to the viewer (again, I think). Another thing about this movie and movies like it is that they make me feel stupid. My brain can hardly comprehend the story, how do people have the intelligence and creativity to create the story??? Hmmm...drugs? Maybe. All I know is that I liked it. It bugged me. It challenged me. It made me dream crazy ace things. Was I the only one out there that had all these thoughts and feelings?