Macaroni and Cheese

I need to start by saying that I hate to cook. (sorry Dave)

If you have never seen this website, you really need to check it out. Food Gawker has links to some amazing recipes and ideas.

Tonight I tried a macaroni and cheese recipe with some pepper for a bite. I didn't have chipotle so I used cayenne pepper instead. I must say that this dish is a keeper.

Yummy- get your energy up because tomorrow the rest of the siding comes down.

I'm sitting at the computer burning DVD after DVD for the yearbook signing tomorrow. Since it's a no thought job, I was reading as I collect and insert DVD's. Hurray for me, I finished my most recent book. I read Stormchaser by Paul Stewart. This is the second in a series called The Edge Chronicles and it took way too long to get into the first book. They are quite different from a lot of books I read, and now that I'm done with two in the series, I can say they get a solid 4 stars (out of five... it kills me when people rate something without a comprehensible scale). My book club is reading Chaim Potok books so I am now going to go upstairs to collect my borrowed copy of I am the Clay and get to it. I need to have it read by Thursday night (that's two evening away for all who are calendarless.... don't think it's gunna happen). Well, sorry to leave you sans photos, but i do not have any at this computer...

Farewell and good night, tender readers... ciao

Haircuts....

So we saw Star Trek and I never realized how big of a nerd Davey is- here are his "Star Trek" sideburns. Please excuse the first photo- Dave was acting like Sasquatch. Dodge and weave...




Here's my haircut pre color

my many times self dyed hair


And post dyeing

April's book

So I read Wicked and I gotta say I was left wanting... there were some not so cool parts and the characters weren't my favorite. I have to say I wanted so much more from it. A friend of mine told me that the play uses only the best parts and improves on the "wanting" plot issues. I enjoy some of the music and hopr to see the play- maybe I can see the plot from a different perspective.

Next up: the new Charlie Bone, a Chaim Potok for book club, then Wuthering Heights.

Time to straighten my hair and here's a random picture from my files:

(k- not so random- tea party birthday party and my rocking new jacket)

This Never Happens

I WON!!! I WON!!!

So I read this blog call Droolicious. A few weeks ago, they had a contest to win a book, and I had just not won a contest on a different blog.... maybe I'm a blog-contest-aholic.... but I won this one. I won a signed copy of a book.





If I Stay by Gayle Forman


Well, I've never heard of it but it's free. I'll let you know what I think when I get it.

Just for fun

We have about 18 days left this year, and learning is hard to convince the loverlies to do. One of the wee ones brought in an "art project" (he's very technically minded) and as a class we had a blast. I won't put up any pictures with the young ones for privacy reasons, but here I am...

John's low rider bike

physics in action.... ????

And....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DalB-CvO7Qc

believe me- it's worth it!!

Conferencer Smonference

I am 2 days into a conference where I am supposed to be getting an ed-ji-mi-ca-tion. And I am, but not in the things I am supposed to. Two days and here are 10 things I have learned:



1. do not... I repeat DO NOT give a crazy person a microphone and an audience of over 1000 people

2. you may want to screen your keynote speakers before you give them six hours of classes

3. no matter how much someone busts their behind to create a cohesive presentation for a group of 9 very different women to present, someone will criticize your hard work

4. eastern idaho's mall is a pitiful specimen

5. keep your reciepts

6. you can always glean one item from any presentation if you go in with a positive attitude and a (very) open mind

7. one friendly person can make any situation bearable

8. puppies can brighten any day

9. a few deep, mediative breaths and a quiet room can repair a damaged spirit

10. hard work pays off.... $20,000 is our precise amount!!!!



Explanation:

here is beginning of the short, editted version. last year, a group of us were asked by the school to help implement this program called SIOP. we did and a year later, we were recogined by the State Board of Education as a school of excellence. We were invited to come to this conference (the one I am currently at the hotel for) and present our grant and SIOP and how we addressed Title 1 concerns and all that sha-bang. I love conferences, they have been such a wonderful way for me in the past to rejuvinate and re-evaluate myself. This one has not been the shining example of "wonderfulness" I would have hoped. Our first presenter was an author who told amazing stories and was very inspirational. So i went to his class and the 3 hours there were a perpexing maze of the odd and odder with sanity sprinkled through. This was the beginning of an interesting experience.
TBC... (dum dum dum.....!!!)