Megan Dub-Yuh

Unintended Hiatus

2012-02-28T17:49:00.001+09:00

Sorry y'all for my lack of posts. Life has been CRAZY! I am back at school working on my graduate degree... plugging along writing papers on how to teach math. That is WAY harder than learning or even teaching math... let.me.tell.you!

When I am not writing papers about teaching math I am at school teaching math and planning this amazing Pi Day Festival for our school. It is going to kick butt... it is even complete with Pi Day Royalty! I am so excited about it. That day is also Einstein's birthday and we are throwing him a party. LOVE IT!

Then there is the whole getting ready to move back to the home of the brave and making the most of our last few months here in the ROK.

So, since I have been missing let me know what you have been dying to hear from me about. Leave me a comment with a question and I will post the answers to get y'all back in the loop! Can't wait to hear from y'all.

Groundhog Day

2012-02-02T06:41:00.000+09:00

My birthday is February 3rd. It is my favorite holiday and I like to make a big deal out of it. Countdowns and random reminder announcements the whole annoying shebang. This year on my classroom board I have had a countdown.

My student's don't pay complete attention to me most of the time and the other day I was asked, "Teacher, what is your favorite holiday?" I was feeling in a feisty mood so I responded with "Groundhog Day." This caused many issues I did not foresee. The first, my student's are like Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory and they struggle with grasping sarcasm. I don't think it is used much in Korean language and so the ones who have not studied abroad just are not familiar with this style of communication. So, many of them truly believed that Groundhog's day was my fave holiday. This lead to the next question which is really what my post is about. "What is Groundhog Day?"

Have you ever tried to explain this holiday to someone? I started out with this story that felt so fun and whimsical but by the end I felt like I was describing animal torture for no reason. The kids were really confused. Here is what I said-ish.

Groundhog Day is a holiday in the US on February 2nd where everyone gathers in Punxsutawney, PA and the make this old groundhog named Phil wake up from his hibernation and scramble out of his house. When he comes out of his house if he gets scared by his shadow because it is super sunny outside and he is all sleepy-eyed and goes back to sleep and we have 6 more weeks of winter. If it is overcast and he doesn't get scared I don't remember what happens... winter never ends, I guess.

Turns out that if he stays out then we have an Early Spring... I just googled it. Anyway, my students had more questions for me after I told them about this silly tradition then they did before. We didn't have time to talk forever about it since we had an Algebra test to take but I was really perplexed at how I have accepted this as a normal tradition my whole life but now that I have had to explain it to foreigners I can see it really is odd.

They were the most confused on why we choose a Groundhog and what the heck a Groundhog was. I had to explain to them that it look like a HUGE hamster and I figured we used it because it lived in the US.

Have you ever wondered about some of our holidays and customs and what it would be like to explain them to someone from another country?

I was tagged...

2012-01-29T17:09:00.000+09:00

Well, I was tagged and being the slacker that I am it has taken me a minute to get around to it. This is from the ever lovely Erin... and I am supposed to tag others but I am not feeling that so if you wanna do it just go with it and pretend I tagged you, okay? Okay.

The Rules
1. You must post the rules. (and link up who tagged you)
2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4. Tag however many people you want (Janna's says 11 people, but I'm going with Erinn's rules!)
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Facts About Me

1. My birthday is my favorite holiday.

2. I love dark chocolate and think it should be classified as a vegetable.

3. I love being a teacher even when the students, parents or my colleagues frustrate me.

4. I have always loved math. When I was younger I used to ask my mom for long division problems to do in the car.

5. I love to read and find at least 30 minutes a day to relax by reading.

6. My doggies are my babies and I miss them a lot.

7. Living in Korea has been an experience of a lifetime that I am so glad we have been able to have.

8. When I watch semi-historical tv shows or movies I always research the characters, history, etc.

9. I am a uber nerd.

10. I had a minute in college where I doubted my mathematical prowess and switched my major to what I called POP CULTURE.

11. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mexican food but Tex-Mex pisses me off.

Erin's Questions for Me
1. What's the best season/holiday for candy? They all have chocolate so they are all good.

What's your favorite seasonal candy purchase? Mini-Reese's Cups
2. Fill in the blank: "If you go down to the woods today, pick some berries for me."
3. What cartoon character has a personality that is closest to yours? Bubbles on Powder Puff Girls
4. TV series box sets - Waste of money, or do you actually watch the episodes again? Depends on the series... Friends and Big Bang Theory I watch incessantly.
5. Tell me about your most memorable road trip! The summer before I moved to Korea when I drove to WA to move my puppies to their grandparents house with MommyTaco... had some much fun driving from Texas to WA.
6. How do you feel about the statement, "I married my best friend?" I did!
7. Tell me about the most influential/inspirational hostess you've ever known. Huh?
8. If you could only eat at one fast food chain restaurant for the rest of your life, which one would it be? Just one... oh man that is hard... Taco Bell... Cheesy Gordita Crunch all the way.
9. Ice cream or froyo? Froyo
10. Imagine yourself in the following Snoop Dogg video. What kind of dog would you morph into? Yorkie... duh.

11. How are you doing on those new year's resolutions so far? I don't make resolutions... no need to set myself up for failure.

11 Questions for You

1. Favorite Candy from your childhood.

2. Favorite family tradition.

3. Favorite Candy now.

4. The car you would love to own if money were no object.

5. A business venture you would be interested in taking.

6. Someone you underestimated in your life.

7. Do you hit the snooze button? Do you wish you didn't?

8. A habit you have that makes you feel old.

9. Do you think Valentine's Day is a sweet holiday or just a reason for those in love to rub it in single people's faces while Hallmark makes money hand over fist?

10. Do you think vow renewals are bad luck for marriages?

11. What tv show or movie can you quote verbatim?

Cool Things You Find in Korea

2012-01-03T13:30:00.002+09:00

We have been collecting unique Korean items. There are so many fascinating things you can pick up here when you go out and about. Whenever we go to a Temple we always have to get something. Adam usually goes for a figurine or artwork and I go for the bracelets. The markets also hold great findings from clothing to knick knacks and lately I have been snagging up socks with awesome things on them. They are super cheap (about a dollar) and actually really good socks. The other thing I have found I love his Honey lotion, specifically from Etude House, I am going to have to stock up on it before I go back to the States because it is the best! Anyway, here is a picture tour of some of the cool stuff we have picked up here in Korea.

Honey Lotion from Etude House. BEST.LOTION.EVER! Comes in a super cute pot that fits in your purse really well!

I have been looking for Obama socks and they have been elusive... found them today!

We were told that Koreans find piggies to be good luck and the statues on the left and right are seen every where. We need to find the meaning of ours still.

Found this at Manbulsa Temple Gift Shop.

Harrabong from Jeju Island

Anatomically Correct small piggies.

Anatomically correct BIG piggies... when we bought these the shop owner had to point out the girl parts and the boy parts.

From Dorimsa Temple Gift Shop. The bells rid you of evil spirits.

From Dorimsa Temple Gift Shop.

The Buddha on the left is the first Buddha I got in Korea and the piggy is the first piggy we got. The Buddha with the big nipples we got after our grueling hike to the top of Gatbawi because after trudging to the top of a mountain there has to be a gift shop, right? The lantern we got in the back was a gift Adam received for his Change of Command.

Piggy from Jeju Island

Side view of the piggy.

One of my cool bracelets from a temple. This one has a hidden Buddha statue in it. I also have a beautiful turquoise one.

Bracelet with Buddha tucked away.

Happy Anniversary to me and my Sweetie!

2011-12-31T18:15:00.000+09:00

6 years ago we were doing this...

... and tonight we are chilling in front of the TV getting ready to eat steak and shrimp!

Have a Happy New Year!

Best (and worst) of 2011

2011-12-29T15:45:00.001+09:00

Okay this will be short because I'm not feeling great but I have this stuck in my head. Here is what was my best and worst of 2011... And what I'm looking forward to the most in 2012... Bet you can guess.

BEST: Losing 30 pounds easily using the Dukan Diet. I'm in the last phase and finding it just as easy to keep the weight off.

WORST: Coming home from an awesome vacation to Washington to find our refrigerator had had no power for three weeks and smelled like someone had died in it.

What I'm looking forward to in 2012: MOVING BACK TO THE US!! Yeah I know you guessed it. Keep your fingers crossed for us to get somewhere on our top three, aka West Coast!!! Just in case you are asking yourself what our top three are... Portland, Oregon, Spokane, Washington, and San Jose, California... We know what we got in February.

Now you tell me, my beloved readers, what was your best and worst of 2011 AND what are you looking forward to in 2012?

Happy Chrismakwanzakah to you!

2011-12-26T08:42:00.001+09:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. I hope you get to spend a lot of quality time with your loved ones. That is what this time of year means to me. I hold my loved ones, both blood relatives and good friends, very dear. It is already 26 December here in Korea but I know everyone is celebrating away in the US. So, enjoy and cherish every moment of the time you have with family. I am looking forward to next year when we are back in the US and I am spending this time of year with everyone I had to just talk to via Skype this year.

Two Funny Stories...

2011-12-06T11:45:00.001+09:00

Okay, one might be funnier than the other but both of them had me laughing so hard that my stomach hurt. They just might be one of those "you have to be there" sort of things but I thought I would share (especially since I have been MIA lately).

STORY ONE

Background: Last weekend we had friends over for a belated Thanksgiving dinner and I was drinking my go to drink, Skinny Megan Margarita (Fresca and Patron). {I know Margaritas and Turkey dinner don't exactly go together but it is what my hubby made for me and you have to drink a drink once it is in a glass... at least that is the rule at our house.} By the end of the night my husband had made me a drink that I was too full to drink so I poured in in to a water bottle to save for later and put it in the fridge.

Fast Forward to Monday: Early morning hubby leaves for PT and grabs his water bottle from the fridge. {Do you see where this is going?} He goes to the gym, does about an hour of a workout before doing any hydration. He has the end of a sinus infection so he can't smell so well. Opens up his water bottle and takes a big swig... only to choke on the burn of tequila (he had added water to it so it was super diluted). Everyone around him had smelled the liquor though and were looking at him... and his workout buddy pulled him aside in the locker room to talk to him. HA! HA!

STORY TWO

One of my students, who is Korean, was doing Sheldon (from the Big Bang Theory) impersonations all class. Everytime he said something "funny" he would laugh like Sheldon and he would repeat himself three times. No one else in class got it but I was dying because it is one of my fave shows. Just imagine this boy... it was awesome.

Things I Love About Korea

2011-11-29T18:53:00.001+09:00

I know I mostly complain about the culture shocks/differences I have trouble with while living here in Korea but I want to talk about the things I LOVE.

It is safe here. Koreans, in general, are not kleptomaniacs like most Americans. You can leave things laying around and feel safe that they will be there when you get back. At their form of "Walmart" called Home Plus they have pallets of merchandise out on the parking garage ramp unsecured and unmonitored. Also, once my friend left her iPod on a city bus. She rode a few different buses on the same route hoping to catch the same one again and find it but without luck. The next day she had a Korean speaking person from our school call the bus company and sure enough someone had turned it in and she got it back!
They do random acts of kindness. Today I was waiting in traffic in front of a grocery store. Ramen shot off of the table in front of the store. A minute later a man walked by, picked up the ramen and rearranged it on the table and then went back on his way.
They love to give gifts. I have never gotten so many random gifts from students and parents ever in my life. I get gifts at conferences. I get gifts just for helping a student out. It is pretty awesome getting gifts for non-gift giving reasons.
You can drive as fast and as crazy as you like except in front of the traffic cameras. OKAY, this can be kind of annoying sometimes when you are on the receiving end of some crazy driving BUT when you are the one driving like a maniac that is pretty damn awesome. I like to pretend I am a pro car driver.
My students are super affectionate. They are always giving me hugs (they are pre-teens/teens), telling me how pretty I am (and how handsome my husband is) and how much they love me. I am going to miss these kids so bad when I leave.

An Atheist's Holiday Rant

2011-11-21T08:31:00.001+09:00

I am an Atheist, as many of you already know, but I celebrate Christmas. I celebrate it because it has become a sacred tradition of family to me and I cherish my family above all else. I do get irritated at the complete insensitivity that people feel they are entitled to at this time of the year. I just don't get it.

Jesus isn't the original reason for this season - although for modern Christians it certainly is now. Just for some general history of the holiday, though, read on: Jesus' birth has actually been estimated by Christian scholars to be anywhere between September to March. December 25th was chosen as "Christ's Mass" in the 4th century when the Roman Catholics were trying to convert the Roman Pagans. They used the Pagans popular celebrations incorporated with Mass to help transition them to Catholicism. December 25th is the end of the Pagan celebration of Saturnalia. If you think about it it really makes sense but that doesn't make it Christ's birthday anymore than it is mine. To this day many of the Saturnalia customs are still upheld as Christmas customs. For example, The Christmas Tree is a symbol of paganism and it's ties to nature. Pagans brought trees in to their homes long to decorate them long before Christmas. Gift giving also has ties to Saturnalia because the Roman Empire used to force the people to "gift" them during this holiday.

What I ask of you this holiday season is to remember that this time of year means different things to different people so while you are celebrating your traditions and your beliefs take time to consider those around you and that they probably don't believe/feel the same as you. Be considerate when your coworker says "Happy Holidays" to you instead of "Merry Christmas." Most people aren't doing it to be personally insulting but to hold to their own personal beliefs. I am not asking that you sterilize your own celebrations/traditions to be more PC but that you consider the feelings of those around you.

Just a little taste

2011-11-17T06:27:00.001+09:00

I know I have been a SLACKER... do you forgive me? If not, oh freaking well, right?

Here is something for you to remember I still exist in the real world despite my absence here in Blogger world.

FIVE THINGS I AM LOVING!

Leggings and sweater dresses... they are just so damn comfortable I feel like I am cheating my school's dress code plus they are damn sexy with my favorite things of all time - BOOTS!!
Egg Nog Creamer - especially since my espresso machine broke and I have been having to drink drip coffee again.
Gold Bond Ultimate Healing body lotion... winter here in the 'Gu brings some nasty dry skin and I will unconsciously scratch till I bleed. Got to nip that in the bud now before I scar myself.
ZUMBA - I know I am jumping on this fad train really late but I am enjoying channeling my former life as a high school cheerleader.
My students. I have the best group this year. Many of them have great personalities, senses of humor, work ethic, potential and they are so affectionate. I don't a day without one of them telling me they love me and giving me hugs. I really miss this part of my time here in Korea.

What makes your top five right now?

ChristmaKwanzaakah Winter Holiday Wishlist 2011

2011-10-31T18:37:00.001+09:00

For anyone who isn't sure what to get me for Christmas here are some suggestions...

One Trip Grocery Bag Handle

Progressive International Set of 5 Stainless-Steel Magnetic Measuring Spoons

Joseph Joseph "Nest 8 ™" Preparation Bowl Set

Joseph Joseph "Elevate" Utensil Set

English Baker's Stoneware Canister Set

Fresh Valley Canisters -Onion

Fresh Valley Canisters - Garlic

Silver Hoops - fave pair got destroyed by the shop vac. Actually any earrings would be awesome!

iTunes Gift Card

Vandals Gear

PJ Pants and slippers are always great to receive too... OH! And anything sparkly will thrill me!
BODY BUTTER!

The Best Adventure EVER!

2011-10-29T22:50:00.000+09:00

Today started out as any Saturday does. I headed to the commissary when it opened to avoid having to drive in the CRAZY Saturday traffic. (Side note: Everyone here runs red lights and speeds. Being American I know this is wrong and don't do it. Today on my way home from Post, though, I was feeling like taking a risk, so I ran a red light that wasn't protecting an intersection, just a crosswalk, that had no one in it. Just as I get in to the crosswalk, under the light, I notice a cop flipping a U-turn and I think "shit!" Well, the cop didn't blink an eye and crossed three lanes of traffic illegally and parked. Only in Korea, right?)

Then after putting our groceries away I took my Calculus I pre-test, that I have been procrastinating for like a month... and passed it. CAKE!

While I was taking the test Adam packed our camera and we headed out to Mt. Palgong. The leaves are in their peak foliage color and we were told that there was a festival PLUS the other day when I took a drive up there I had seen a sign for a temple we hadn't been to, Dorimsa (도림사).

We drove up the rode to the temple and found a haven in the mountains. It was beautiful up there and even better is it wasn't full of tourists... there was just us, the monks and a few worshipers. It was so serene. We wandered around the temple taking pictures and then about 30 minutes in to our exploring a man started yelling at us in Korean. At first, I thought he wanted us to go away and stop taking pictures and then it dawned on us that he wanted us to come in to his office. We realized he was monk. He spoke very little English (he called his computer guy in who spoke a lot more English in to help for a few minutes) and we speak even less Korean but we sat, drank tea, ate persimmons and attempted to communicate. We came to find out that he was 57 years old. He paints amazing pictures and he gave Adam one because the man in it had round eyes like Adam. He also plays the drums and took my phone number and email so that his assistant can call us when they schedule the next time he plays the drums. We also found out that he had served in the Korean Marines for 3 years 2 months. It was quite fascinating to sit in there with him drinking tea. One of the best experiences of my life.

Here are a few of our pictures from the temple and our tea with the monk.

Each stack of stones represent a wish someone made.

Adam and our new friend, the monk, 스님 (Seh Neem).

Here is a BIG version of the wishing rock stacks.

스님 (Seh Neem) plays this drum.

Thanks for reading!!

MFF Catchup (a couple of weeks worth)

2011-10-29T08:37:00.002+09:00

Last week was a chaotic week for me so I didn't get the blogging done like I wanted not even my old standby MFF. So, if you enjoy this go check out Wife of a Sailor and play along... or just find more pages to lurk on.

#62

I want to know where we are going after Korea so I can start looking for a new job at, hopefully, a good school.

I have the most amazing family, including my amazing hubby who bought me a bunch of North Face gear that he knew I would never splurge on for myself since it is getting to be the bitter cold time here in the 'Gu.

I wish I could take some of my students home with me sometimes... they are just so cute and endearing when you see how they react to your kindness and attention.

I hope we get more snow here than last year... I hate how dry it is.

I wonder what I should get for my hubby for our anniversary... it is a couple of months away and he is hard to shop for... on that same note I don't know what to get him for Christmas either and his 30th birthday coming up he wants a Rolex... SMH.

#63
The best part of October was the end of first quarter and Spirit Week - it was so fun to be fun at school.

The worst part of October was the days getting shorter.

For Halloween, I’ll be Thing 1 from the Cat in the Hat at school and something less PG at home for hubby *wink*.

I hope that in November I wrap up this terms classes... I have been procrastinating HARD on taking my final in Calculus but I need to put my big girl panties on and get it done before I run in to the deadline.

Wifey has posted MilSpouse Secret Santa. I will not be participating. Trust me this is in everyone's best interest... I suck at gift giving and I suck at getting things to the PO in a timely manner even when it isn't over an hour drive away from me. I would be great if it only had to do with me getting gifts... I do that WELL! Have fun though!

Unique Things In Korea

2011-10-24T06:47:00.001+09:00

Korea is a very unique place. Some of that uniqueness grates on my very American beliefs but some of them are hilarious.

Honestly, I need to capture most of these on film because they are not to believed until seen.

My Top Five Unique Things in Korea
1. All men and some of the women seem to be "issued" these white gloves that they wear whenever they may have to get their hands dirty. Saw a man the other day who was having to look under the hood of his car in the rain. He was standing in the rain (it was pouring too) and he stopped to take time to put his gloves on before lifting the hood.

2. Men will pee anywhere at anytime of the day. You may be driving down the street or highway even and there will be a man with his junk out relieving himself on the side of the road.

3. The elderly work hard here. I have been told, and I have never confirmed its validity, that as part of the country's retirement program you have to continue to work. This means that the elderly do service type jobs around their community. So, this translates to old ladies in large groups weeding parks and the side of the road by hand. Or old men picking up garbage every morning. You will also see the construction crews for the road, etc, is made up mostly of old men.

4. When people get tired they squat to rest. Just pop a squat wherever you may be. We have this old lady in our neighborhood who will walk down to the corner produce stand and she gets tired about halfway there and will just squat holding on to her big walking stick. Sometimes she will be in the middle of the road and if you come down the road in your car she gives you a look like, "either wait or go around me cuz I am not getting up." The other fascinating thing about the squatting is taxi drivers will pull over on the side of the road, pop a squat and have a cigarette. Not sure why they don't just smoke in their cars but they don't.

5. They are very superstitious people. There is the whole red pen thing (they believe that if their name is written in red ink then they will die) but they also believe something about if a fan blows on you in your sleep then you will die because it steal your breath. There is an extension of that with sitting in cars with the engine off. They also believe that Magpies who sing for you are telling you that you will have a visitor. There are more but I can't remember them.

Well, it is Monday here. I am getting ready for Spirit Week at school and am super excited. Pictures soon.

A Couple of Thoughts On...

2011-10-23T10:57:00.001+09:00

Sons of Anarchy

Adam has been watching Sons of Anarchy lately and he LOVES it. Me on the other hand start thinking of random things and can not get in to the show... but again, I haven't watched it from the start just randomly jump in to it. Anyway, here are a couple of my thoughts while watching SOA:

Do they follow Robert's Rules of Order during their meetings?
Are they required to buy their own leather vest or does the club give it to them?
Is it in their bylaws that they all have to have really gross facial hair? I mean, hello, Jacks you would be HOTT if you didn't have that nappy teenager beard.
Do they have a club approved tailor to do their patches and vest tailoring?
When they buy their patches do they buy them in bulk so that they get a discount?

Anyone else wonder these things?

The Story of a Slacker

2011-10-22T09:16:00.001+09:00

Well, if you are reading this it is because you have weathered my hiatus. I have noticed I have lost some followers but oh well. Let me tell you what I have been up to since, oh, about August.

The school year started off with a BANG! I am teaching four different subjects (Grade 6 Math, Algebra 1, Geometry and PreCalculus) over six periods. I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off to keep on top of everything. Plus, most of my students are the type of students who want to be inspired and challenged and that in itself is enough to keep a good teacher on their toes. I have also been running the "math department" as I like to call it. This consists of me and another teacher at the MS/HS level. She is a brand new teacher and has great insight and motivation. It has been great to work with her. I have also been offering assistance to the Elementary school teachers for math. Our school is a Pre-K-12 (even though we only have up to the 10th grade right now since it is only our second year in operation) in one building school.

This week was the end of the quarter, too, so it has been a rush of students trying to squeeze a couple of more points out of me, get their late work in, and parents wanting to talk to me about their students progress. Yesterday alone was CRAZY. I had 2 parents want to talk to me and then EIGHT students in my room for various reasons during my tutoring time. Last weekend I had a math work catch up session and only one little student showed up (I called his mom and essentially made him come)... these eight students yesterday were really kicking themselves for not coming in like they should have... let me tell you. BUT one did bring me a piece of chocolate cake!

What else? Oh yeah, I am a student again, too. I am getting my Master's in Math Education at Western Governors University. I have taken a good amount of credits this term and the last couple of months sort of slacked. I am telling you the theme of this post is STRESS. The program is awesome and CHEAP so anyone who is looking to get a Master's online should ABSOLUTELY look at this school to do it. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND them. I should have my degree by next winter and that is so great!

Adam left command last July and has been doing a new job that has him at home a whole lot more than before. This is great but we have had to transition our home routines and roles once again which (I am hoping happens for everyone) is a source of friction between us at times. But it is great having him around when I get home from work and when I go to bed at night. Can't really complain. Along with Adam's job we are winding down our time here in Korea. If you look to the right of my blog you can see how many days I have left here on the Peninsula. Adam has thrown around many different scenarios for where we may be headed next: Germany, Fort Richardson, Alaska, Fort Lewis, Washington, Washington DC. We get to submit OUR choices at the beginning of 2012 and then we will know hopefully by EARLY spring where we are going. I really don't care where we go next as long as it is in the US! I am not too fond of the idea of moving to another country and having Adam deploy from there. If he is going to deploy again I want to be sitting in the land of the free and the home of the brave thank you very much. Out of those choices, though, obviously Alaska and Washington are my top top because that is where I am from and where my family live. How much better could you get? Especially since we are talking about starting a family (read as having ONE kid) after we leave Korea.

I think that about sums up what I have been doing. I have also been trying to destress myself by relaxing in the morning with my coffee and not doing ANYTHING teacher or student related. About a month ago I ran completely out of steam though. Thought I might be anemic or something so I went to the doctor. After doing some tests and keeping a sleep/activity journal he told me he thought I was just overstressed. He has prescribed for me to take Celexa to chemically help with the stress and also for me to workout regularly. I have been struggling to fit the "working out" part of the prescription in to my daily routine something that Adam has given me a lot of grief over because he feels I have taken the easy way out by only taking the pills. Next week I plan on fitting that part in to my routine... just gonna shove it in there and MAKE it fit, dammit!

Now that I have gotten caught up on my life hopefully I can stay on top of my blog. I miss y'all!! How the hell have y'all been anyway? Catch up with me here by leaving me a comment (I am a comment WHORE and love, love them... I even reply to you via email if you have one left in the comment) or catch up with me on twitter... I have been back there even!!

To end this post I have included a picture of myself from yesterday... it was picture day and I looked GOOD!

I'm Pretty!

MFF #61

2011-10-14T18:05:00.000+09:00

GO SEE WIFEY about some questions...

A word that always makes me laugh is BOX. Tee Hee... I have the maturity of a 12 year old boy.
If you looked in my refrigerator right now, the oldest thin you’d find would be week old taco meat. Since our power went out on us during our WA vacay and we have been dieting nothing has stuck around long.
If I were written about in the newspaper today, on the front page, the headline would say "One BAMF-ing TEACHER" . Cuz I am!!
The last movie I saw was... I have no freaking clue... I don't watch movies like I would if I were in the US.
The best thing that happened to me in the last few weeks was SURVIVING. Being stressed out is hard... yo!

Keep Your Thinly Veiled Disgust To Yourself

2011-10-05T06:10:00.001+09:00

I have lost 30 pounds. {WOO HOO!}

Yes, I did it using a method with the word "diet" in it, but will be eating in this new healthier way for the rest of my life.

No, I didn't do hours of cardio to lose the weight.

But WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE ME!

My clothes fit! Hell! I look GOOD in clothes now... not all lumpy bumpy... and I have no need for Spanx.

My self confidence is THROUGH THE ROOF. I feel better than I have in over 10 years! {I will be singing my praises for a long time.}

You aren't a doctor. You aren't an expert. So, keep your jealousy and thinly veiled disgust to yourself because the word "diet" coming from my mouth doesn't mean I want you to tell me what you think you know.

</rant>

MFF #60

2011-09-30T06:33:00.001+09:00

Wow! How is it Friday? The fact that the days are flying by so fast doesn't help with me needing to destress ONE BIT! Also, they are going too damn fast to find some "me" time to go to the gym... my doc prescribed it to help me with my stress levels, which was causing my fatigue. I guess my body's natural defense to stress is to just go to bed.... and doc wants me to get myself high on good hormones through exercise but there is just not enough hours in the day... I have to figure it out somehow. Anyway, here is some fun stuff. Check out wifeofasailor.com for more.

I always feel like I’m 12 years old, but in reality, I’m 32. I have a mind in the gutter although my mind apparently is dirtier than my students because I thought that when they were giggling at the perpendicular symbol in geometry it was because it looks like male anatomy but instead, I find out, that it is the same as the symbol for the F-word in Korean. Yesterday, I also walked around singing the Scooby Doo theme song (I know all the words, who knew?) and put on a blue wig for no damn reason.

I wish my family understood better when I tell them I am stressed. This is mostly my husband. He doesn't understand stress affecting you. He thrives in it. So, when the doc put me on an anti-stress regime including drugs my husband felt I had keeping it to myself and not confiding in him, which I sort of was because everytime I tried to talk to him he would say, "how are you stressed?" We are working on this though. Communication is something we do not do well at our house and we know it.

If you saw me when I am at a formal function, you’d think I was a total girly-girl, but if you saw me when I am hanging in the house, you’d think I was a tomboy through-and-through. Even though, I am not even close to a tomboy at all.

I feel like I’m in a totally different universe when I am around a bunch of people who only have their kids to talk about, so I randomly start talking about my dogs.

In honor of this being MFF #60… 60 months ago (exactly 5 years ago, so September 30, 2006) I lived in Killeen, Texas and my life was totally different because I was brand new at my job at Time Mfg. in Waco, TX as an Installation Engineer - I hadn't switched to teaching yet.

My Song

2011-09-30T06:20:00.000+09:00

My song this week just happened to come on my iPod as I was thinking about this post. I hated the Cold Play version of this song but love this cover from the show The Voice's winner Javier Colon.

Words From the Students' Mouths...

2011-09-28T06:26:00.003+09:00

Here are a few winners from the last week. In case you are needing a Megan Dub-Yuh fix. Hopefully, there will be time soon for a real blog... we'll just have to wait and see.

Story 1
Student: "Teacher, look." He holds up his hand where he has a WICKED hangnail on his thumb. "Do you have a knife?"
Me: "Why do you need a knife?"
Student: "Because it hurts."
Me: "I don't have a knife but you can go to the nurse so you don't hurt yourself."
Student: "No, that's okay." Sticks his thumb in his mouth and rips the skin with his teeth. "Ow! That would have hurt less if you would've just given me a knife."

Story 2
I use a website to deliver information and homework assignments to the class. While the students were working on their classwork I had the website on the board and it has a picture of me on it. One student kept looking at the board and then back at me and so I said, "What are you doing?"
He told me, "Are you sure that is you up there?"
"Yes, I took the picture, it is me."
"Yeah, but it doesn't look like you. You were FAT."

The picture on the left is the picture on the website from a year ago. The picture on the left I took yesterday.

Story 3
"Teacher, can I go the nurse when he comes back?"
"Why what is wrong with you?"
"My stomach hurts."
"That's what is wrong with him..."
"Yeah, but I went to the park for art class and I am allergic to mosquitoes and I got bit a lot and my eye was swollen this morning... and there was this cream..."
"What does that have to do with your stomach?"
She shrugged.
"Well, can you wait till the Lesson is over at least."
"Yeah."

Sorry...

2011-09-26T06:41:00.001+09:00

I have been a bad blogger. I have been super busy with being a teacher and a student and... the excuses go on and on. The biggest reason is I have writer's block and keep vetoing my own topics. I am my own worst editor. So... what would you like to read about? You ask and you may just receive.

MFF #59

2011-09-24T07:27:00.000+09:00

My favorite thing that happened this week was _________________.
Find a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have a damn penny jingling around in your pocket that isn't even enough to buy a piece of candy.
Autumn is officially here and my favorite part of the season is being able to wear sweaters and boots and feel comfortable.
One of the things I’d like to do before winter arrives is not be too hot or too hot.
I would not be willing to participate in MilSpouse Secret Santa. I am just not a good Secret Santa. I can admit this and I am okay with it. You don't want to have me as a Secret Santa, trust me.

My Song

2011-09-23T07:29:00.002+09:00

Okay, here is my song for the week... go link up at Goodnight Moon to play.

Today 8 Years Ago...

2011-09-21T06:44:00.000+09:00

Today is a memorable day in my life. Back in 2003 on went on a date with this super cute guy. We had already hung out once but then he didn't call me for two weeks after that. Then one day, out of the blue, he did call again and I decided to give him a second chance.

Our first date went a little like this...

Applebees for dinner (it was the only nice sit down place in the town where we went to school and I had actually been on a few dates there). I remember what we each ate for dinner but I will spare you. He opened doors for me, being a good ROTC cadet and all. I didn't know how to act and at one point, in the car, I leaned out to grab the door to close it as he was shutting it and about shut my head in the car door. He was super nervous from then on.

After that we were going to go to a movie but nothing good was playing at the theaters around town so we went to Hastings to rent a movie and got Gangs of New York. We went back to my house to watch it in my room where my three roommates were all home. On the way to my apartment he almost ran the red light listening to me yammer on and on about something. Back at my place, we "watched" the movie even though I couldn't tell you what it is about. *wink*

It was also my roommate's 22nd birthday and there was cake to celebrate!

So, anyway, there is the quick and dirty of my first day with the love of my life 8 years ago. It seems like only yesterday. Funny how that works, eh?

Just for the Hay of It

2011-09-20T17:17:00.000+09:00

I stole this from someone who stole it from someone but here is a time suck to get to know me!

1. What time did you get up this morning?
5:40 am. I go to work around 7am so I can be prepared for the students who roll in a little before 8am and so I like to be awake and full of coffee before I get out of the house.

2. How do you like your steak?
medium rare! It has to have some blood in it or else it just tastes like a hockey puck.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
um... I have no clue what it was... Source Code, I think.

4. What is your favourite TV show?
What TV show isn't my favorite? I LOVE TV. Friends is my all-time fave though and The Big Bang Theory is always a great one to put on when you don't know what else to watch.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
WASHINGTON STATE. I love that place plus it is where my fam is.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Nada... I know, I know. Bad Megan.

7. What is your favorite food?
Chile Rellenos especially the ones Tino makes at El Caporal

8. Foods you dislike?
Most veggies... unless they go in a salad. Intestine looks pretty nasty too.

9. Favorite place to eat?
El Caporal for sure!

10. Favorite dressing?
Honey Mustard or Blue Cheese.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Usually I am pimping the beater car since I have the smallest distance to commute and it is a for real Korean Hyundai Elantra... but MY car is still my Nissan Sentra I bought myself for my birthday almost 5 years ago.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Yoga Pants and a Tank Top

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Right now I would go to the US in a heartbeat but if I had just gone to the US then I REALLY want to go to Europe or Africa.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
1/2 empty waiting for it to be topped off with Tequila... although I am an optimistic person I just like Tequila.

15. Where would you want to retire?
WASHINGTON STATE... preferably on a body of water... I don't care if it is a lake, pond, ocean, sound, river... whatever.

16. Favorite time of day?
Morning... I can't believe I just wrote that... but the day is so full of promise when you are barely awake and still in your pjs drinking your coffee.

17. Where were you born?
You know this is a question to many security checks for the internets so I will just say that I was born in Kansas and leave it at that.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
HOCKEY!! GO PENS! Although, I love College Football, too.

19. What is your favorite fragrance?
I am really loving Express Love that my husband bought me. It is nummy.

20. What is your favorite face cream?
I am bad and don't wear any... makes my face feel greasy.

21. Favorite baby/kids products?
Um... None since I don't have any kids.

22. People watcher?
Uh, yeah, that is the best part about being out in public.

23. Are you a morning or night person?
Didn't I already answer this??

24. Do you have any pets?
Three Yorkies... again this is a security question... silly Phishers.

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
Not a damn thing.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
An Architect... until I went to college and an Art TA made me cry so I switched to something with more math, Mechanical Engineering.

27. What is your favorite memory?
Really don't know.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dog... cats are such little bitches.

29. Are you married?
Yep! I <3 My Husband, too.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
ALWAYS... most accidents occur within 7 blocks of home. So, short trips are the most dangerous. Buckle up Someone Loves You!

31. Been in a car accident?
Yeah, I have been a few fender benders... a couple were my fault.

32. Any pet peeves?
LOTS... I am a pretty picky person. Here are a few: People sharing ultrasound pictures (I don't want to see your alien baby in utero), Baby Bump pictures, rude people, people who have bad grammar/spelling, people who don't follow posted signs, people who cut in line, people who don't follow directions, When the toilet paper isn't going OVER the roll, when the toothpaste is squeezed in the middle, people who pronounce words wrong, people who correct you when they have no clue what they are talking about (get your facts straight before you open your mouth... or at least do a quick google search)... I could go on but I will stop.

33. Favorite pizza toppings?
ham, mushroom and pineapple OR pepperoni and green pepper

34. Favorite flower?
Calla Lily

35. Favorite ice cream?
HD Dulce de Leche

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Taco Bell - Cheesy Gordita Crunch is my downfall.

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
NONE... Really if you fail you shouldn't be allowed to drive. Period.

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Our Business Manager at work about tickets to the Opera

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Any one right now... I miss American Malls.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Never... I am a planner.

41. Like your job?
LOVE IT! Being a teacher is AMAZING... exhausting and frustrating but OH SO WORTH IT.

42. Broccoli?
YUM YUM... one of the few veggies I like.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Going to WA last summer with Adam and chilling with him and my fam.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with? Adam and some of our Korean friends to eat Dakgalbi

Dakgalbi

45. What are you listening to right now?
The Korean Jets flying over.

46. What is your favorite color?
Pink, or Blue

47. How many tattoos do you have?
1 on my back

48. Coffee drinker?
COFFEE ADDICT is more like it.

49. Nicknames?
Yep, I have them but no you can not call me by anything but Megan unless you are my husband, bestie or family.

50. What are you doing next?
Gonna figure out what to eat for dinner... the fridge is looking pretty bare... but after that I will watch some of the new Monday TV (even though it is Tuesday here) and revise my calculus paper.

You Have To Make This: Coffee Cup Choco Cake

2011-09-19T18:55:00.001+09:00

Okay, I am a total Pinterest Junkie. I have hundreds of Dessert recipes but usually I don't have all the ingredients or the time/energy to make any of the stuff... until tonight. I saw a recipe for a Coffee Cup Choco Cake. Guaranteed to have warm chocolately goodness in FIVE MINUTES. I had all but the chocolate chips so I thought I would give it a try... and it was sooo sooo good!

Here is the recipe as I made it (The pinterest recipe adds chocolate chips).

4T flour
2T sugar (I used Splenda)
2T cocoa
1 egg
3T Milk
3T Butter, melted
1/4tsp Vanilla

Mix Dry then Wet Ingredients in your coffee cup.
Put in the microwave and cook on High for 3 Minutes.
When the 3 minutes is up DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR... give it a minute or so to finish cooking and set. Otherwise your cake will go from big puffy souffle like to dead... mine was dead.

Here is my "dead" cake in the cup. It was dense and chocolatey and good. I can't wait to add the chocolate chips and make it gooey too. (Oh I had Dove Chocolate... next time.)

I have no clue why my picture imported sideways... it is so weird.

Something I Do

2011-09-18T20:07:00.001+09:00

So whenever I see two people on the street talking to each other I make up their conversation to entertain myself. Today there were two old ladies and this is what I heard in my own head.

Old lady 1 (ol1): hey, what's up?
Ol2: your pants! Wow could you have pulled them up any higher?
Ol1: well yeah I could've. They have like another 2.54 cm to go. Do you like my shirt? It's bright, and yellow...
Ol2: ...and see through
Ol1: hey!
Ol2: well I thought you ought to know.

I know. I should write for tv. Back to work tomorrow after my week off for Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving like holiday). :(

Blogger App

2011-09-18T20:04:00.001+09:00

Wow! This is great. I have wanted to have a good blogger app for a while now and here is an official one. Woo! So here is my first post from my blogger official app.

MFF #58

2011-09-16T09:11:00.003+09:00

WOW! How is it Friday here already? Oh yeah I slept through Sunday and Monday and part of Tuesday. Good thing we had this week off from school because I would not have been a very good teacher this week with as little energy as I have had. Plus, it is nice to nap whenever I want. I am really going to miss having this week in September off next year. Do you think I could convince my future school district that they need to have Chuseok Week off? Okay, I have a doctor appointment to get ready for so here is my fill in for this week.

Right now, our weather is hot and humid, but what I’d really like is it to cool off enough to wear sweaters and boots and cute jeans but not so cold you have to cover all your cute clothes up with big coats.
I like to let my hair down and shake my booty whenever a good song comes on.
Mommy Rambles made a post about heroes… my hero is anyone who endures against the odds, because I am always amazed at the strength and resiliency of the human spirit.
It’s a weird combination, but I swear Wendy's Frosties and French Fries are a perfect pair! (Okay, maybe not that weird but my mind was drawing a blank.)
Some may see the glass half empty and others may see it half full, but I see it as more room for Tequila. (I seem to be ending all of these lately with Tequila... I am a teacher after all.)

My Song

2011-09-16T08:36:00.002+09:00

Here's my song for the week. I love old school Good Charlotte when they harmonized and were... different. This song always reminds me of Fall... not really sure why. Enjoy.

Link up at Good Night Moon.

Things Students Say Friday Edition

2011-09-09T14:33:00.002+09:00

Student 1: "Teacher, when are we having our P test?"
Student 2: "PE test? We did the mile run today."
Student 3: "No, she wants to know when we are having our Parking Lot test?"
Student 1: "Yeah our P test!"
Student 4: "Wait, we are being tested over parking cars?"
The confusion continued for another minute.
When I was able to finally stop laughing I said, "We are having a test over Chapter P on Sept 22. No parking or urine analysis will be on the test."

MFF #57

2011-09-09T06:33:00.003+09:00

Okay, I don't know how it got to be Friday already but being that I have all next week off I AM NOT COMPLAINING.

I do have to say that teaching 6 classes in 4 different subjects is exhausting and I feel like I have barely enough time to stay sort of caught up with prepping, grading, etc. I have yet to really touch any of my own classes that I am taking and I am so thankful I was able to get so much of it completed before school started so that I do have some lee room and don't have to stress over that, too.

Now here is some fun (hopefully) for your eyes to read. My installment of MFF:

My plans for Labor Day included having to go to work, but what really happened was I went to work and didn't even realize that the rest of the US was having a grand ole BBQ while I taught Algebra, Geometry and Precalculus (GO ME!).

Call me crazy, but sometimes I just need to scream and curse, which usually gets directed at my husband for something stupidly irritating.

One of the funniest things I’ve seen lately is the look on my students' faces when I locked the door and made them wait til I was ready to come talk to them when they showed up TARDY to my class.

It’s strange, but dirty dishes stacked in the sink drives me crazy while dirty dishes stacked next to the sink is perfectly fine with me! There is a difference okay!

One, two, buckle my shoe… three, four drink a little tequila and have some more.

My Song

2011-09-09T06:22:00.002+09:00

This video was made to celebrate the 4th of July but I wanted to have something patriotic to commemorate the coming Day of Remembrance on 9/11. I know the title says "This is Funny" but watching the video brought tears to my eyes.

Link up at Goodnight Moon for more songs.

Come On Summer GIVE IT UP!

2011-09-03T16:19:00.000+09:00

I am in need of some jeans, boots and sweater weather. I am sick of Korea's humid heat. I am ready to cuddle on the couch and watch new TV with a hot latte. One of everyone's favorite lattes seem to be Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Here in Korea I have yet to find it available in the Fall... even on Post... SO, on the advice of Ashley Amazing I Google'd the recipe. Here is what I made (I tweaked this recipe):

Ingredients

2 cups milk (I used fat free 'cause I am cutting back on the f-a-t)
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Puree
2 Tbsp Splenda
2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2-4 shots of espresso (I went with four - I read you can also sub 1/2c of extra strong brewed coffee for espresso in recipes if you don't have espresso)

Directions

Mix milk, pumpkin, and splenda together while slowly heating the milk to the magic latte temp of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the vanilla and spice last. Whisk (or take it for a spin in your blender) to make it frothy.
Pour mixture over the espresso and enjoy. (If you are feeling frisky add some whipped cream with nutmeg or cinnamon on top.)

Just in case you are wondering as I type this it is 85F outside. Not quite fall yet. :(

MFF #56

2011-09-02T16:34:00.001+09:00

Another week down... go to Wife of a Sailor to play along.

My plans for this weekend include writing at least one calculus paper, but what I’d really like to do is play on pinterest.
I consider the Labor Day holiday just another Monday since I have to go to work.
My favorite meal for cookouts is hot dogs, but my diet wouldn’t agree.
So far, my favorite part of summer has been going home to WA and going whale watching with my whole family.
When it comes to deployments, my philosophy is not to try to make life different or to sit around thinking "oh woe is me."

Sorry it is so boring... I am tired.

My Song Thursday

2011-09-01T12:46:00.004+09:00

Here is a catchy song for you this week. It is a new single from Del Rio, a fellow CHS Warrior! Enjoy! I walked around all night singing, "Woo!"

Now go link up with your song at goodnight moon.

Things Students Say SY2011-12 EXTRAS

2011-08-29T17:22:00.000+09:00

Today I had two very great conversations that I have to share.

Story 1 (In Class)
Student 1: "Teacher, I learned how to do this using my a-back-us. Can I use my a-back-us to do the work?"
Me: "Yes, you can use any tool you want to solve the problem as long as you write down the steps. Unless it says you HAVE to use a calculator."
Student 1: "So, can I bring my a-back-us to class?"
Me: "If it isn't big."

In case you aren't sure what he is talking about it is an abacus.

Story 2
Walking down the hall I encountered a student and when I asked how they were doing I got this response:
Student 2: "I am really disappointed in Abe."
Me (trying to think of a student named Abe: "Abe who?"
Student 2: "Abraham Lincoln."
Me: "Oh! Why are you disappointed in him?"
Student 2: "Because he is a racist."
Me (keeping a blank face): "Why do you say that?"
Student 2: "Because he may have fought for the abolishment of slavery he didn't feel they were equal people."
Me: "Oh."

Things Students Say SY2011-12 #1

2011-08-28T17:37:00.001+09:00

Since we have had a week of school I am going to start back up Things Students Say... now on Sunday. Hopefully, when USNSis gets backs she will get back in to the swing of things, too. No linky (yet) but if you have a Student story because you are a teacher or you are a parent then leave a comment.

My entry for this week is a picture.

"Teacher, you said you like math jokes. Here is one for you."

On a side note it reminded me of this:

Daegu International Bodypainting Festival

2011-08-27T20:56:00.000+09:00

Here in Korea they are constantly having a festival for something: Learning, Arts, etc. This weekend I got invited to go to the International Bodypainting Festival. I had wanted to go last year because I had been told it was a must see but it had been too miserably hot to actually get out and go. This year the weather was still warm but a lot more tolerable. Since the IAAF track championships are also in town right now traffic has been crazy so not only did I get to experience this festival but I also got to experience the bus and subway system of the city. Anyway, there isn't much to write about for the festival so I will just show you the pictures. We got there during "fantasy makeup" where they wear clothes and we walked around while they were painting for the bodypainting portion which is without clothes. Overall it IS a must see festival if you are in town.

MFF #55

2011-08-26T00:00:00.012+09:00

First week of school with students is in the BAG! WOO HOO! Very exciting. Overall, we have had a much better start to this year than we did this year and the atmosphere is so much more positive and professional... p words that I love to have at my place of work.

Anyway, that's not why you are here... so read on my for my fill in answers for this week and go see wife of a sailor if you are wanting to play along, too.

The first thing I think of when I get up in the morning is "I have got to pee". {I drink lots of water.}
Lately, I’ve been craving chocolate because being a teacher is stressful and chocolate is bliss.
Whenever anyone says the word Warshington (Washington pronounces with a midwestern twang), it reminds me of my childhood because that's how my mom pronounces it since she is from Kansas.
The happiest word I know is cheesecake, but it makes me even happier to consume it.
My spouse may hate it, but I absolutely love Reality TV. {I just had a good friend send me this website that does a fantasy reality tv draft/league... awesomeness!}

Booty Shakin' Thursday

2011-08-25T17:09:00.003+09:00

Here is my song for Goodnight Moon's link up.

I love this song... it always makes me want to get up and shake my booty. (This is the clean version... I have never heard it before.)

Back to School Days

2011-08-24T07:05:00.002+09:00

Every year around August 23rd I am reminded of all the years I headed back to class at the University of Idaho.

College, as cliche as this sounds, was the best time of my life. There is a freedom to becoming an adult and finding out what type of adult you want to be without all of the adult responsibilities. It was a great time and I wouldn't be the person I am now if I hadn't had the experiences in college that I had.

Here are things that I fully recommend all college students should experience...

Find yourself a sidekick.

Mine was Kate and we were inseparable for most of our college years. We bonded over our love of Frank Sinatra and we were different enough to bond us. We have matching tattoos on our necks and are still great friends despite not seeing each other often (she is a costumer in Hollywood - busy busy - and y'all know about me). But the Kate and Megan years of my life were some of my most defining ones.

Kate and I used to go on drives around the Palouse when we really should have been in class but we would find cool things... like teepees and Buffalo farms.

Have an unrequited love.

Did this and it hurts like hell but it makes you appreciate the next one all the more. I think having my heart broken like this helped me be the girlfriend and now wife to my husband that I wouldn't have been if I hadn't had this experience.

Have close friends of the opposite sex.

Besides Kate my other bestie in college was Danny and we are still friends to this day who can talk about everything from sports to reality tv. Guy friends are awesome because they add a dimension to your life that you just don't get with girl friends.

This is from a photo booth at an arcade. I love that it is a polaroid and not a strip.

Do things that are outside your comfort zone.

I spent my first semester of college in my dorm room studying and being sad. I wasn't making friends, I was homesick and I almost gave up. But at Christmas I made a promise to myself that I was going to try something new when I got back to school. I was going to get out, make friends and see if I still hated college. Turns out I didn't and that was when I met Kate and did lots of (crazy) fun things. Sometimes you can't wait for things to come to you. You just have to get up, go out and take yourself to the good things.

Indulge in some debauchery.

This is the only time in your life when it is socially acceptable and later on you will be able to laugh about the stupid things you and your friends did. The craziest thing I did was play a game called Bumper. I will not share anymore details but I still grin and shake my head thinking about it.

What is something you would add to a list of must experience things in college?

Check Me Out

2011-08-22T05:40:00.002+09:00

I am featured today over at Military Word of Mouth. So go on over there and re-read my guest post about Korea and leave some love about me.

A Picture of Friday

2011-08-19T15:18:00.000+09:00

THE STUDENTS ARE COMING!! Just a weekend stands between me AND the school year.

This is one of my favorite quotes and works so well for MS/HS age students... Yeah I don't care about things being level or spaced evenly.

MFF #54

2011-08-19T06:49:00.001+09:00

It's my last Friday of the summer, y'all. On Monday my classroom will be filled with students eager for me to share my vast knowledge of Mathematics. Boo!

Go see Wife of a Sailor if you wanna play. But here are my answers.

My spouse and I rarely agree on what to watch on tv, but always agree on Mexican food - it's what's for dinner (or breakfast; or lunch).

If I could use one word to sum up the way I feel right now, it would be exhausted (and I haven't even had students in my class yet so next week I will be even more so).

One of the things my spouse does that grosses me out is not rinse his dishes and puts them in the sink with food on them... ack.

My readers may think I’m crazy for doing this, but I really love to watch crappy mind numbing reality tv... I think it is essential to switch your brain off sometimes.

Frankly, my dear, I don’t like ignorant people.

A Picture of Thursday

2011-08-18T16:44:00.000+09:00

"Smile long enough and eventually you will feel it on the inside." ~Ancient Cheerleader Wisdom

My Song

2011-08-18T12:52:00.001+09:00

How the hay is it Thursday already? I am not ready (mentally) for the students on Monday. But they are coming none the less and we will be off!

Here is my song for this week - one of my favorites of all time. Go link up at Goodnight Moon for more songs.

My Teacher Bag (and Classroom, too)

2011-08-17T11:12:00.000+09:00

This morning I was looking at my teacher bag and decided to blog about it. Just for the fun here is what is in my teacher bag. The only thing that hasn't been replaced in the bag for this year is a bottle of Excedrin and some chocolate (aka My Sanity). Enjoy.

A good movie... you never know.

A healthy lunch... this is only 250 calories and so num.

Random stuff... these are containers for the art teacher.

Avon's Anti-Rub stick... my feet are not in teacher mode yet and I hate blisters.

An USB hard drive

Pens, Pencils, Highlighters... and chapstick.

Hair accoutrement... and scentsy smell I am trying out to stimulate minds in my room.

I am a math teacher. This baby got me through college!

This is at the bottom of the bag... one googly eye.

My iPad... I take notes at meetings on it and sometimes I need a break to read one chapter of my book and take my mind off.

My work keys con whistle.

My camera... this one was given to the whole staff by a parent last year.

Top view... aren't my shoes cute?

From the side. I love this bag... cute and durable.

And if you are curious here is what my class looks like 2.5 days before students.

I Have Sponsored a Woman from a War-Torn Region

2011-08-13T15:24:00.001+09:00

A while back a friend of mine had posted that she had sponsored her second woman from Afghanistan on Women for Women International. I was intrigued. I only had a second to glance around at the site but it never left my mind. I wanted to look in to this more.

Today, I had some time while researching vacations to finally take a look at the site. I felt it calling to me. I think being a spouse of a soldier made this even more important to me. I began looking around the site. To sponsor a woman it costs a $30 one time admin fee and then $30 a month will go to your "sister" that you sponsor. This money will be used by your "sister" to pay for necessities for herself and her family (with some of the money going to rights awareness, education and training).

Once you are paired with your "sister" you will receive a packet about her and you can begin corresponding with her, via snail mail or through the website's portal. There were many letters on the site from sponsors and their "sisters" and this is what got me. These women need moral support and inspiration almost, if not more, than they need the monetary support. Women's rights and struggles always pull at my heart. My aunt is part of Soroptomist International which is a philanthropic group who supports (and sponsors) women and I have always wanted to be a part of that group but have never lived in an area that had it.

If you are interested check out their website. You can sponsor a woman from Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan. I simply chose "where it is need most" so it will be a surprise when I get my packet. I know, by doing this, I will not only be helping a "sister" in the world but she will help me too.

Book Discussions {The Help by Kathryn Stockett}

2011-08-13T11:52:00.000+09:00

As y'all know I have started reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I am really enjoying it. It even made Adam chuckle when I was telling him about it and he NEVER wants to hear about books I am reading. I am only about a 1/3 of the way in but I want to TALK about it.

I have been throwing around the idea of starting a book discussion/club type thing for a while and I think I may have found the medium, we will see. Anyway, I have started a discussion forum for books (see the tabs at the top of the blog) and there are now questions on there for The Help. Let's get a-talking about this book. I went and got some questions from a website that has book club suggestions and added a question of my own. Feel free to add questions you want to add and any of your two cents.

The only thing I ask is that you be respectful to others opinions and if you put any information that could be considered a SPOILER then to mark your post as such. Thanks!

It is Friday, yo! {MFF #53}

2011-08-12T12:58:00.001+09:00

Well, we have one week left before I have a room full of Pre-Teens/Teens attempting to entertain them while teaching them math. woo. I've been working hard to get ready this week working 1/2 days. Getting ready to go take my last Friday afternoon nap of the summer even. Anyway, here are the questions from wifeofasailor.com this week.

The best thing my parents taught me to do when I was a child was to be responsible, honest, independent and strong.
However, one thing I wish they did differently was nothing honestly... my parents are awesome.
One thing I’ve always wanted to try but haven’t is fly an airplane... the one opportunity I had I got scared and wouldn't take the controls... one day maybe I will take some lessons and get my license.
One thing I never thought I’d try but I have is living in Asia... and even though it is frustrating at times it is great to have the stories.
If I could give my 16-year-old self one piece of advice I’d tell myself that being a grown up isn't all that it seems so relax and enjoy being a teenager.

The Cool Thing To Do

2011-08-10T08:22:00.000+09:00

I am going to read The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It seems what EVERYONE is reading or recommending to read so I am going to jump on the train. I will let y'all know how it turns out. By the way, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novel Smokin' Seventeen was really funny and a quick read... just finished it.

In case you are the last person to hear about this book here is the summary below.

Picture from GoodReads.com

Summary (from GoodReads.com)
Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

Curiosity...

2011-08-09T17:05:00.002+09:00

If you read this then leave a comment... just want to see something.

KISSES!

Just Saying Hi

2011-08-08T16:51:00.000+09:00

I am, and will be for the near future, super busy. It is back to school time and I am back in my teacher mode getting things ready. I am also a student myself working towards getting my Master of Art's in Mathematics Education through Western Governors University. So, just to remind you of my amazingness here are a couple pictures from today.

Here is the lovely Cicada who greeted me when I got home. Koreans call them "big loud bugs."

These are my YORKIES. Bubbles, the one with his back to you, got a bad owie from Cheat Grass piercing his paw so mom wants to ensure they don't have another Cheat Grass experience... hence the lack of hair for it to get stuck.

It's FRIDAY! {MFF #52 - Oh that is a year's worth}

2011-08-05T13:37:00.000+09:00

Go see Wifey about some questions and the rules... DO IT!

NOW READ MY STUFF!

Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and HE WILL GET SICK OF EATING FISH REALLY QUICK.
It is amazing what you can accomplish if YOU MAKE A TO DO LIST.
If you can’t stand the heat TURN ON THE AC.{This is my motto lately... it is SCHWEATY here.}
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to WHAT TO WATCH ON TV TONIGHT.
Well behaved women seldom TELL THE TRUTH. {You know there are no such things as Well Behaved Women so if one says they are then they are lying between their teeth.}

Easy Peasy Tomato-y Chicken

2011-08-04T18:20:00.000+09:00

Here is the recipe I made today by throwing stuff together... it turned out REALLY good and I wish I could have some pasta and garlic toast to go with it. (Sorry no picture it gotten eaten too fast.)

Ingredients

8 chicken breast tenders (I bought the kind that you cook from frozen).
1 can Tomato Soup
1 can Stewed Tomatoes, Italian Recipe
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/3 tomato soup can water (rinse the can out while you fill)

Mix everything together in your crockpot and cook until the chicken is cooked through.

My Song

2011-08-04T15:42:00.000+09:00

Here is my song for the link up at Goodnight Moon. I have been watching Friends and so I was going to post the video of the theme song but came across this instead... Very Funny! Enjoy!

Giveaway by Canines and Cadences

2011-08-04T10:02:00.000+09:00

Two in one day! WOO HOO! Go check out Bethany's blog for the awesomeness!

Canines and Cadences: Bravo Tango Tees Giveaway

GIVEAWAY over at Welcome to the Blog of an Army Wife

2011-08-04T07:34:00.000+09:00

Have you checked out Bravo Tango Tees? They are awesome and I love to give them as gifts to my sisterhood of Army Wives. Now here's your chance to win something from them!! Click on over to Sara's blog and read the details.

Welcome to the Blog of an Army Wife: Bravo Tango Tees Giveaway!!!

Ranchero Sauce ala Casa Dub-Yuh

2011-08-02T10:22:00.001+09:00

This is super easy if you have a food processor... and easy if you don't (just more knife skills are needed).

Most of my ingredients.

Ingredients:

Bunch of cilantro (start with a handful and add more to taste)
4 large tomatoes
2 large red peppers (although any chile pepper will work)
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
jalapenos (the amount will depend on the spice level you want)
1 cup chicken broth (I use Better Than Bouillon mixed with water)
Cumin (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

Use the food processor to puree all of the veggie ingredients above. Add to the crockpot or stockpot with the chicken broth and then season to your taste preference. Bring to a boil with the lid off to reduce the sauce (couple of hours) and then simmer. Use right away on eggs or in hamburger for taco meat or freeze for later.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

2011-08-01T11:25:00.000+09:00

I appreciate everyone's help to collect data for my Stats Project. Now it is time for me to crunch some numbers!!

Vacation Update: The Rest of it All

2011-07-31T08:24:00.004+09:00

Sorry to take so long in between Vacation Update posts. I am trying to take advantage of the last few weeks of summer before I switch in to Teacher Mode to get as much of my grad work done as possible. Speaking of if you haven't done so please help me out with my stats project by filling out this survey.

Now on to the rest of my vacation recap:

After whale watching vacation was unscripted... and Adam got sick. We spent a lot of time just hanging out on my parents couch relaxing. It was divine.

Our last weekend the weather perked up (it became partly cloudy) and we headed out to take a hike. Cle Elum affords any outdoor enthusiast multitudes of places to explore. There are lots of lakes with trails wandering off in every direction. Adam had never been to Cle Elum in the summer time (we usually only go there during Christmas) and so we had to show off it's beauty to him. Mom and I decided to take him out to Thorp falls. It's a bit of a drive on some roads that in reality are probably dry creek beds but it is worth it. This time the dry creek bed was blocked by downed trees (there is a moth epidemic right now pulling trees down in groves) and landslid/avalanched rocks so we had to walk in a lot more than planned but it was worth it because the huckleberries were RIPE.

Mom and Adam walking down to the river.

Huckleberry on the bush.

Picture does not do the falls justice.

I picked my way through the path when we had to detour around downed trees.

Mom teaching Adam about huckleberries.

Me above the falls.

Mom and I

To end our last weekend we borrowed my mom's truck and roadtripped to the Palouse to visit our college alma maters. It was great to see how things had changed as well as reminisce of our days on campus.

This was a somber moment on our trip. 4 names from the "war on terror" and all friends and also knowing that more should be on there but have yet to be added.

Me on the I bench.

Admin clocktower.

That's the tower I lived there my Freshman year (as did Sarah Palin) but the biggest thing is that there used to be a big building in front of it where I was an RA and it is gone. *tear*

Engineering/Physics building... spent some time here.

Iconic

Me with the Bookman in front of WSU library.

Eventually, our trip came to an end and we had to head back to Seattle Tacoma International Airport. This turned out to be harder to do because there was a 14 car pile up being cleared RIGHT AT OUR EXIT and it was stressful to watch the clock tick past the time we were planning on being at the airport but we made it with plenty of time. The flight was miserable because we were surrounded by unattended babies who's parents ignored them allowing them to BAWL for 10 hours. It sounded like a McDonald's play land. The kid in front of me kept putting my window shade up and waking me with a burst of sun to the face. I wanted to shake their seats. We needed to sleep to stave off jet lag... didn't these people know this? When we arrived at Seoul we still had a 4 hour drive to our home in the dark. We arrived home to a house with no power. There had been a few Tropical Storms blow by while we were gone and apparently one had flipped our breaker. What this really meant is that our fridge had been HOT for weeks... and it was nasty. It smelled so bad. BUT it was 2 am so we saved the smell/mess for the morning. It was disgusting... did you know that hamburger will liquify? Anyway, we tried to deoderize the fridge in everyway we possibly could without any luck and last week we had to go to Housing on Post and ask for a replacement, which they gave us. What a horrible way to end our wonderful vacation though.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed my recap. I have a couple of more weeks till I turn back in to Mrs. W and I am really dragging my feet.

Please Help

2011-07-30T10:40:00.004+09:00

I need data for a Statistics Project. So please fill out this survey for me. It is open until ~~Aug. 1 at midnight Pacific Time~~ I get enough data.

Recipe Update

2011-07-29T18:20:00.000+09:00

I posted my recipe for my attempt to create Chili Colorado. I just wanted to update you on how it went.

My bowl of goodness with 0% Cheddar Cheese

IT WAS DELICIOSO! I really wish I wasn't abstaining from carbs because what it really needed was a tortilla (rolled up like a burrito) and some guacamole. My only change would be to cut the meat in to smaller pieces especially if it does get rolled in to a burrito. The meat and sauce were flavorful and the meat melted in my mouth.

Political Philosophy Quiz

2011-07-29T13:35:00.003+09:00

I took a political philosophy quiz at Political Quiz Dot Net. I am procrastinating on doing my school work and reading news about Congress so I thought I would see if my political views/affiliations have changed much. I have never used this quiz before but it "seems" to have employed some science to it. Here are my results (which were about what I thought, except the Libertarian part):

The Quiz

The following are your scores. They are based on a gradual range of 0 to 12. For instance, a Conservative/Progressive score of 3 and 0 will both yield a result of social conservative, yet 0 would be an extreme conservative and 3 a moderate conservative

Conservative/Progressive score: 9
You are a social progressive. You generally consider yourself a humanist first. You probably think that religion and patriotism go too far in society. You probably consider yourself to be a citizen of Earth first rather than a citizen of your country.

Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score: 10
You're a Social Capitalist, you think that, left to its own, Capitalism leaves a lot of people behind. You think that Health Care should be free to all, that the minimum wage should be raised, and that the government should provide jobs to all that are capable of having them. You likely hated the Bush tax cuts, and believe that the middle class has gotten poorer, and the rich have gotten richer over the past several years. The far extreme of social capitalism is socialism.

Libertarian/Authoritarian score: 2
You are libertarian. You think that the government is making way too many unnecessary laws that are taking away our innate rights. You believe that the government's job is primarily to protect people from harming other people, but after that they should mind their own business, and if we give the government too much power in controlling our lives, it can lead to fascism.

Pacifist/Militarist score: 1
You're a Pacifist. You are angered that the United States thinks it should dominate the world through its military force. You think that the only time war is necessary is when we are in direct danger of being attacked. You also believe the US spends way too much of its money on defense, as we can practically cut it in half and still easily defend ourselves, and use that money to fix all our economic problems.

Overall, you would most likely fit into the category of Democrat

MFF #51

2011-07-29T12:23:00.000+09:00

How is it Friday already? The days seem to come faster here in Korea... maybe because America is almost a day behind me. Ugh! Anyway, it is the last Friday in July, which SUCKS, I am not ready to return to the classroom. One more week and then I put back on my teacher hat (part-time) to get ready for the new school year that starts for us on the 22nd. Go see Wife of a Sailor to read more answers an to play, too.

Facebook or Twitter?

I use them both equally and have different sets of "friends" on both.

Hard Tacos or Soft Tacos?

Oh it really depends on my mood. I love them both. I especially love Double Decker tacos and my ABSOLUTE fave is Cheesy Gordita Crunch.

Gardening or crafting?

If I HAD to choose I would say crafting because I am a knitter but I am NOT crafty. I have a BLACK thumb so never in a million years could I be a gardener.

Fruit or vegetables?

Bacon. Oh that isn't a choice? Huh. I really don't know because I am picky about both fruits and vegetables but I guess I like more fruits than vegetables.

Motorcycle or bicycle?

Bicycle. Motorcycles scare me because they kill people. Plus, bicycles are a good workout and one of the best "dates" I have ever been on had a nice bike ride on the Coastal Trail in Anchorage.

{My attempt to make} Chili Colorado in the Crockpot

2011-07-29T12:05:00.001+09:00

Okay, I have been wanting to make Chili Colorado and have yet to find a good recipe and all the ones I have read have been so different from each other I have no clue. So, I just started cooking. Here is what I did. I will update after we eat tonight and let you know how it tastes.

Ingredients

2 pounds beef, cut in 1" pieces
1 can RoTel
16 oz Tomato Sauce
1 - 4.5 oz can green chiles, chopped
1 small onion diced
3 cloves garlic, diced (I like to smash them and then dice them)
1 cup beef stock, broth, whatever you have
Chili Powder, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Flour
Oil

What I Did:

Sweat the onion and garlic and put to the side.
In a gallon baggie put flour and garlic powder to coat the beef cubes.
Use oil to brown the beef, put in to the crockpot when browned.
Use the beef broth (I used bouillon) to boil out the golden bits on the bottom of the pain from browning the meat. Use a spoon to sort of scrape and get them off the pan. The broth will boil and steam (don't burn yourself) and then thicken a little.
Add all of the other ingredients to the thickened liquid, mix thoroughly and then season with Chili Powder and Cumin
Add sauce to the meat in the crockpot and stew on low. (I am cooking it for about 5 hours).

I will let you know how it tastes later since I just made it.

My Song

2011-07-28T17:10:00.000+09:00

Now that I am back from vacation here is this week's song from me.
I <3 Simple Plan and this song has Weezer's River Cuomo on it which just helps to be that much more catchy!

Full Tummy Chicken Soup

2011-07-28T16:58:00.001+09:00

If you have been reading you know we have been dieting using the Dukan Diet. Here is one of the things that Adam LOVES to make on Protein/Vegetable days. It keeps you SUPER full for a long, long time, which is why the name.

Sorry about the REALLY bad iPhone photo.

I made in the crockpot this time but Adam always makes it in a stockpot on the stove. It was just too hot to have a flame going today.

Ingredients: (like all my recipes I don't measure so I am guessing on the measurements)
This makes A LOT of soup!

3 large chicken breasts, chopped in 1" chunks
5-6 celery stalks, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
20 baby carrots
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
3 Bay Leaves
8 cups chicken stock, broth, whatever you have
Chicken Seasoning (to taste on the chicken)
Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning, to taste

Add everything but the cabbage to the crockpot. Cook until the chicken is cooked (in my crackpot I cook on keep warm for about 4 hours but my keep warm is other peoples HIGH) but the longer it simmers the better the flavor. Add the cabbage (and the broccoli if you like it crisp) to the soup about 30 minutes before you plan to eat so that it is warm and cooked but not mushy.

Adam likes to add cayenne pepper before eating (he adds it to literally EVERYTHING he eats) and I have to agree it brightens up the flavors.

I know this pain...

2011-07-27T10:01:00.000+09:00

Got this from one of my good friends from my time in TexASS... there really is "more truth than humor in this."

Dear Diary, I just moved to Texas ! Really heating up. Got to 100 today. Nota problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car.What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I'm turning into a sunworshipper.

June 30th:Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus androcks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing the lawn for me. Anotherscorcher today, but I love it here.

July 10th:The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used tothis kind of heat? At least, it's kind of windy though. But getting used tothe heat is taking longer than I expected.

July 15th:Fell asleep by the community pool. Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of mybody. Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lessonthough. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 20th:I missed Lomita (my cat) sneaking into the car when I left this morning. Bythe time I got to the hot car at noon, Lomita had died and swollen up tothe size of a shopping bag, then popped like a water balloon. The car nowsmells like Kibbles and Shits. I learned my lesson though. No more pets inthis heat. Good ol' Mr. Sun strikes again.

July 25th:The wind sucks. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's hot ashell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC repairman charged$200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts.

July 30th:Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights now, $225,000 house and Ican't even go inside. Lomita is the lucky one. Why did I ever come here?

Aug. 4th:Its 115 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500and gets the temperature down to 85. I hate this stupid state.

Aug. 8th:If another wise ass cracks, 'Hot enough for you today?' I'm going tostrangle him. Damn heat. By the time I get to work, the radiator is boilingover, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!

Aug. 9th:Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts, and when I sat on theseats in the car, I thought my ass was on fire. My skin melted to the seat.I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs andass . . . Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried ass, and baked cat.

Aug 10th:The weather report might as well be a damn recording. Hot and sunny. Hotand sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do shit for 2 damn months andthe weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Doesn't it ever rainin this damn state? Water rationing will be next, so my $1700 worth ofcactus will just dry up and blow over. Even the cactus can't live in thisdamn heat.

Aug. 14th:Welcome to HELL! Temperature got to 115 today. Cactus are dead. Forgot tocrack the window and blew the damn windshield out of the car. The installercame to fix it and guess what he asked me??? "Hot enough for you today?" Mysister had to spend $1,500 to bail me out of jail. Freaking Texas . Whatkind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?? Will write later tolet you know how the trial goes...

Vacation Update: Whale Watching in the San Juans

2011-07-25T19:36:00.000+09:00

I grew up in Washington State and lived there until I got an Engineering job in New Mexico and moved away (with the exception of a couple summers in Alaska and college in Idaho). Until a few years ago when my parents went with my aunt and uncle whale watching I had never thought about going out myself. But since then I couldn't wait till I had an opportunity to go myself. This lead to the perfect idea when planning this trip to WA - go whale watching! My mom loved the idea and immediately went online to book us our trip. She also talked my brother and his wife in to going who then got us a couple of nights in my sister in law's aunt's cabin on Whidbey Island. It was planning out to be a great family trip!

When my parents went the first time they were able to see all three of the residential Orca pods that summer in the San Juan Islands (Residential for Orcas doesn't mean "local" but that they eat fish as opposed to sea mammals - just a little something I learned. I thought all Orcas ate sea mammals but it isn't so.) Because of their luck we decided to use the same company, Island Adventures, who they had went with before and who guarantees whales. Despite all the Debbie Downers telling me about how they went out and didn't see a single whale I was optimistic... They did have a guarantee after all. We had to go up in to Canadian water to meet the whales but we caught up with them on the south side of Saturna Island and they were in the mood to show off for us. We saw two pods, J & K, which is about 45 whales all of which were busy jumping and slapping for our ohs and ahs.

Besides the Whale Watching we also got to explore and enjoy Whidbey Island, which is fantastic! I had never been to the San Juan Islands before and I totally want to go back and it would be even better to have a cabin like the one we stayed in. Plus, there are all sorts of Lighthouses which my mom just dies to go visit. We went to Fort Casey on Whidbey Island and barely missed being able to tour the inside of the lighthouse... mom was very sad. We also explored the quaint little town of Coupeville which had quite the ecclectic street of shoppes... and I busted my butt on the street. One minute I was on my feet the next I wasn't and I had tears in my eyes... it really hurt.

Here are some pics from our trip to the San Juan Islands and Whale Watching. Between Adam and I we took about 2000 pictures and after editing had about 200 good photos. I HIGHLY recommend, if you are in WA, to head up to Anacortes and get on an Island Adventures boat to find some whales because it is an amazing experience!

Adam and I at Mukilteo Lighthouse Park killing time before getting in the Ferry Queue.

Map of Fort Casey State Park

I <3 Washington State Ferries

The lighthouse at Fort Casey

Fort Casey fortifications

The family on the deck at the cabin. It faces Admiralty Straight.

View from the deck (above) of Admiralty Straight.

Bubbles had an infected paw from a piece of Cheat Grass (EVIL STUFF) that had him confined to the cone.

Our theme song all day long: "I'm on a Boat!"

There is a Bald Eagle in the tree... my camera was set to Small pictures and I didn't catch it till Upload. Oops.

Saturna Island in the background.

Me and my souvenirs.

Okay, there are more Vacation Updates coming including Huckleberry Picking at the Thorp Falls and visiting our Alma Maters... and of course the evil return trip back.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2011-07-25T13:50:00.000+09:00

At the end of June I won a giveaway hosted by Britt at Tales of a Sailor's Soul Mate. She was promoting her new Facebook page, Soul Mate's Treasures, where she sells her handmade military oriented jewelry. If you haven't visited her sites you should. Here is what I won. It is so cute... the necklace says "My Soldier makes My <3 go BOOM!" and the bracelet that has matching beads has a tag that says "Army Wife."

Vacation Update: Attempting the Patriot Express

2011-07-24T10:55:00.000+09:00

We had a lot going on during our vacation so I am going to break it all up in to small, hopefully, bite-sized pieces. For the first update I am going to start at the beginning with trying to get out of Korea.

Catching a plane has never been more stressful. I have never flown Space Available (SpaceA) before and Korea has a special version from Korea through Japan to Seattle called Patriot Express (You can fly this in reverse from Seattle). This is how we were trying to get to WA. We knew the chances were slim because it is PCS season here in Korea (I have no clue why they insist on PCS-ing EVERYONE in the summer but they do) but we tried anyway. Unfortunately, it is a first come first served basis if you are traveling for leisure and if you are active duty you can't get your name on the list until you have signed out on leave. Anyway, here is what happened and what we experienced in our attempt to ride the Patriot Express.

July 4th we packed our excited selves up and headed to Osan AFB. We had a 3 hour drive and since it was the beginning of our vacation we were super excited. I had never been to Osan before and everyone talks about how it is a shopping mecca so I figured there would be a lot to kill our time till our flight.

Once we got to Osan we checked in to our Air Force Inn, that apparently only has double beds (so small for two people - I felt like I was in college again cuddling in a small bed), and walked to the Space A terminal. {I just have to mention that the Space A terminal at Osan is NICE. Being that my husband is Army, I am well accustomed to all things on an AFB being WAY NICER than on an Army post but this was nicer than most commercial terminals. I was impressed.} At the Space A terminal, we gave the airman our paperwork and got our names on the list for the flight the next day. He told us that we had a pretty bad chance of getting on but at least he was able to bump us to Cat 2 (we had to get a special form to do this) because they haven't been on to Cat 3 in 6 months.

Side Note: Patriot Express works on a 6 Category system. I don't know the specifics of all the categories but this is what I could glean from hanging out in the terminal:
Cat 1: Anyone flying on PCS orders (there are a ton of them in the summer - PCS season - and they may not even be considered a category, I don't really know). I think anyone on Emergency Leave with a Red Cross message is in this category, too, but not sure.
Cat 2: Active Duty and their dependents on leave with a special form filled out by their command. {This is where we were.}
Cat 3: People who could have been in Cat 2 if they didn't have the form from their command.
Cat 4-6: Not sure who gets put in these categories but they don't make the planes.

The rest of our Fourth of July was spent hanging out in our room getting ready to fly out the next day. It was super hot and humid outside so we didn't want to go out to the Freedom Fest and sweat ourselves to misery. I told Adam to visualize us on the plane and the positive thinking will help us get on the plane (yeah, that didn't work as you will see). We had to put our car in the long term parking garage which was in a remote corner of the base and then we treated ourselves to a meal at Chili's (Chile Lime Shrimp Fajitas - Num!). The airman had told us to show up at the terminal about 7am since roll call was at 8am so we planned on getting their earlier at 6:30am instead.

We arrive at the terminal and it is PACKED already. Apparently the information the airman had given us was not completely right because those in the know had gotten there to check in when the terminal opened at 5:30am. All we had to do after we checked in was to wait until roll call. When the time came the people on PCS orders started moving through security since they had boarding passes and everyone else got to wait until they called your name. The TVs around the terminal had been displaying how many Space A seats were available for the flight. For Patriot Express there were a certain number available to go only to Japan and a different amount (a lot lower) to go all the way to Seattle. For our first try there were 13 seats available to Seattle and a family of 5 had checked in right before us... their named got called as the last ones to get seats to Seattle. The next name called was ours but it was if we wanted to claim a seat to Japan since all the Seattle seats were taken. My heart broke a little but I knew there was one more flight this week and I wanted to stay optimistic.

The next flight was in two days so we had to hang out in Osan and wait. Our names automatically got bumped to the next flight roster to start over again when the time came. We hung around our room and went out to the market that everyone raves about. I just want to say I was disappointed with the shopping. Yeah, it was a HUGE market but everything was knock off Coach and Affliction. I can afford to buy a REAL Coach purse so I have no reason to buy a fake one and as far as Affliction goes... I think only douches wear it. I was expecting awesomeness and got a whole lot of lame.

Fast forward to Thursday and our last attempt to get on this plane. We arrived as early as possible and waited. Roll Call came and there were 10 Seattle seats. Our name was called for the 11th seat... to Japan. My heart shattered. I managed not to cry, though, but I was formulating a plan. I wasn't not going to WA... I wanted to see my parents and puppies too badly... but I had had my heart set on Adam coming with me. He deserved to be surrounded by family just as much as I did and I wanted him to be with me. We had plans to go whale watching and do other things together that I just didn't want to cancel or do without him. As soon as we got to a place with WiFi I hopped on my iPad and found tickets from Seoul to Seattle for TWO. Amazingly, the round trip tickets for THAT DAY didn't cost more than usual (the planes were super empty, too, but the seats did have a lot of crying babies with parents who ignored them but that is another story). So, I booked them and off we were to Incheon airport for a 6PM flight. The excitement was back and the heartache a figment of our imagination.

Although, the trip cost a lot more than we had hoped (Patriot Express from Osan to Seattle is about $30 per person per way and a Commercial International Flight is magnitudes more) I am so glad it worked out. We have learned some important lessons about Patriot Express. The most important one is don't even try to fly for leisure to the US during PCS season on the Patriot Express (I imagine December is pretty bad too) but if you want to go to Japan that is always doable.

More to come from my Vacation Update including some amazing Orca pictures from our whale watching experience. We were busy in our home state of WASHINGTON!

MFF Catchup to #50

2011-07-22T21:23:00.001+09:00

Okay, I have been on Vacation so not keeping caught up... here are my answers from the last three weeks. WOW! Go to wifeofasailor.com to play or read more.

#48
Does your Significant Other read your blog? Why is this a good or a bad thing? submitted byMrs. Alana’s Miscellany

Nope, he thinks it's stupid and frequently mocks me for wanting to post things about my life. Thinks no one would want to read it. HA!

What is one item in your house that holds the most sentimental value and why? submitted byThe Albrecht Squad

The watercolor of my childhood home my mom gave us for a Christmas gift one year. My aunt had it commissioned while she was visiting during my wedding... my dad, aunt and uncle grew up in the same house.

When it comes to water fun in the summer do you prefer the beach, the pool, a lake, or the sprinklers? submitted by The Turvo Times

Pools... I hate swimming in places with critters.

What is the one special thing that you do for yourself to get you through the first week of a deployment/separation? submitted by A Creed and a Psalm

Go to the movies and have dinner often with friends... I like to keep myself busy and surrounded by loved ones.

What is your biggest guilty pleasure website? submitted by Christine’s Little Blog

I spend way too much money on oldnavy.com now that I am in Korea but I spend a lot of time on Social Media sites.

#49
If you could have a private concert with any singer, who would it be? submitted by An Air Force Wife’s Blog

L O V E this question! I think I would go with SIMPLE PLAN because the lead singer is HOTT... or Maroon 5 maybe. If my fave band of all time LIVE got back together then without question them.

Is there anything you do to supplement your family’s income? submitted by Our Life, One Adventure at a Time

I am not sure if this means do you work or do you do more outside of a job... I am guessing the former... I am a Math Teacher so yes, I do work.

During your pregnancy (whether past, present, or future), what did you nickname your unborn baby before you knew the sex? submitted by Explosions of Love

I have never been preggo and may not ever.

Have you ever won a blog giveaway? If so what did you win? submitted by Mrs. O’s Life

Yeah, I have won a few: Scentsy, jewelry, Voice Library gift card, and more. The key is to be one of the first people to enter. Most people use Random.Org and it is not so random. I have noticed it has a HUGE algorithm flaw so that the majority of the selections are below 10... so if you are one of the first people to enter you have the best chance of winning.

If I looked into your refrigerator right now, what would I find? submitted by Married to the Army

HA! Since the breaker flipped while we were on vacation and all of our food rotted we have spent today cleaning and deodorizing it. Tomorrow is grocery day so currently the ONLY thing in it is Baking Soda and canned sodas (Fresca, Diet Root Beer and Diet Coke).

AND without further adieu... #50

Do you eat raw cookie dough?

ABSOLUTELY NOT, I don't want to risk the salmonella thing... even with pasteurized eggs I am not taking chances. And since I have conditioned myself to think it is bad for me I don't even want the egg-less kind. I don't eat snow because of the air pollution in it. I am a little weird like that.

When you get online for the first time of the day… what site do you immediately head to?

My Gmail then I go to Facebook and Twitter... all from bed with my iPad while I wake up.

What was your favorite pet as a child and why?

I only had one pet growing up. A silver tabby named Mau Mau (pronounced Mow Mow).

If you had a snail that could magically grant wishes, what would you name it?

I probably wouldn't ever have a snail cuz they are nasty slimy but if he granted wishes I may put up with that... I would name him Sammy the Snail.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?

Just a couple because I can't just suck on candy I ALWAYS end up chewing.

Back From Vacay!

2011-07-22T12:45:00.001+09:00

Just wanted to let everyone know there is an update coming about all of our Vacation adventures: whale watching, huckleberry picking, trips to our alma maters and coming home to a stinky refrigerator.

I know you are holding your breath in anticipation but exhale and be patient (it is a virtue)!

Day 30: A Song I Wish I Knew The Words To

2011-07-12T00:00:00.001+09:00

I honestly don't know... I have a knack for memorizing words... especially song lyrics.

Day 29: Something that inspires you

2011-07-11T00:00:00.001+09:00

My Students

Day 28: A Picture Of What You Wore Today

2011-07-10T00:00:00.002+09:00

Old Navy Jersey Tiered Dress - in Black

Colin Stuart T-Strap Espadrilles in Blue from VS

Day 27: Favorite Television Program

2011-07-09T00:00:00.000+09:00

Favorite of all time is FRIENDS.

From IMDB page

Favorite right now is The Big Bang Theory.

From IMDB page.

Day 26: Favorite Form Of Exercise

2011-07-08T00:00:00.001+09:00

Yoga

It is so calming and yet so challenging all at the same time.

Day 25: Guilty Food Pleasure

2011-07-07T00:00:00.000+09:00

BACON, aka "Meat Candy"

Source

Guest Post from Navy Wife Chronicles

2011-07-06T17:34:00.003+09:00

We are still in our hotel room waiting on the next Space A showtime. Tomorrow we *will* be on the plane. Don't worry I'm going to write about it when I get back. Until then I am enjoying my time with my hubby in this AF Lodge with the tiny bed watching "Boston Legal" and playing Civ V.

While you wait for my vacay to end enjoy this post donated to me from Navy Wife Chronicles.

Thank You For Not Leaving Me

{I would love more contributors wanting to share about the summer, hot weather recipes, vacations, whatever - email me.}

Day 24: Favorite Athlete From Your Favorite Sport

2011-07-06T00:00:00.000+09:00

SIDNEY CROSBY

Photo from The Sidney Crosby Show

Guest Post from Poekitten

2011-07-05T00:01:00.002+09:00

Megan's gone on vacation and asked for guest bloggers, so here I am! I'm Poekitten and I blog at Many Waters. She gave me free reign about my topic. It's finally summer here in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) so I'm going to share with you some of my favorite things about summer!

Warmth
I hate to be cold. I'm not a lover of A/C (unless it's in the 90+ with high humidity!) I love the sun and the warmth it brings. PNW summers start a little late for me but once the heat arrives I'm happy. I still have my winter clothes out cause you never know when we're going to get a chilly rainy day!

Longer Days
I love that the days are longer. There are times when it still throws me that it's light at 9pm. I love it. Dinner tends to be later in the summer since I usually have no idea what time it is. I don't love the early time the sun comes up since we don't have curtains on our windows. We're planning on fixing that but until then...I'm up with the birds.

Grilling
Winter can be pretty mild here so we can grill all year long, but there's nothing like grilling in the summertime. We love grilling and then enjoying it outside on our deck. We love grilled chicken, hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, asparagus...I could go on. I love having the windows & sliding door open and having the deliciousness wafting in. Potato salad makes an appearance as a side dish pretty frequently around here.

Dinner at Ocean Shores

The Great Outdoors
Living in WA, we are surrounded by beauty. We love spending as much time as we can outside. We partial to the beach, especially Fort Worden and Point No Point. We love going down the coast and spending time at Ruby Beach or Ocean Shores. Campfires on the beach...life doesn't get any better than that!

Flowers and Gardens
I love the smell of lilacs and roses. We have both around our house, along with St. John's wort and whatever I plant in the flower box. We also just put in a garden this year. We're loving watching things grow though I'm getting impatient cause the only thing growing is sugar snap peas. I can't wait till we have more zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes and carrots than we know what to do with! Oh...don't forget about the blackberries! We have tons of blackberry bushes around us and we love picking them! We go on "berry walks" and we'll both bring along mixing bowls and fill them up. We can eat them all in one night while playing Mario Kart. I did freeze some last year and I'm hoping to make jam this summer.

Those are just a few of the things I love about summer.

What do you love about summer?

Megan, thanks so much for letting me take over your blog for the day. Hope you're having a great time!

Day 23: Favorite Boy Name

2011-07-05T00:00:00.000+09:00

I have always loved the name Aiden... I think it is my Celtic heritage coming out. I love when children are named after family members also and love naming traditions (except I just found out that in Korean families the Paternal Grandfather names the baby - seems too overbearing to me). One time when we thought I might be preggo Adam said he wanted to name the baby and when I asked him what the name would be he said it if is a boy he would name him after our brothers, Stephen Nicholas, sounds good to me.

Day 22: Favorite Website

2011-07-04T00:00:00.001+09:00

Favorite website lately is Tumblr. There is just so much stuff on there to get lost in... check me out on it. Megan Dub-Yuh

Our Grand Ole Flag

2011-07-03T08:57:00.000+09:00

Happy 4th of July! Happy 235th Birthday to our Independence and Freedom! Everyone will want to be showing their US pride and patriotism by flying the flag and displaying the flag. BUT have you ever taken the time to properly display the flag and give it the respect that it deserves? I can honestly thought that I really haven't. I know sometime in Elementary school we were told about rules regarding the flag, like not letting it touch the ground, but overall I take the symbol of our nation for granted. To give it the proper respect that it deserves take some time on this holiday to review the advisories for respect regarding our flag in Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the US Code ("The Flag Code"). These are advisories set forth by the code to give the flag its proper respect but there are no penalties for not following these advisories.

The flag my parents (and grandmother before them) fly on flag holidays.

The following information is from the Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the US Code, adopted June 14, 1923 (Flag Day), amended and made public law December 22, 1942 (USFlag.org):

During the playing of the National Anthem or reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance your body should face the flag with your right hand over your heart. Men wearing hats should remove their hat, hold it in their right hand with the hat resting on their left shoulder so that their hand is still over their heart.
If a flag passes you in a parade you should give it the same attention as during the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance.
Flags displayed on flagstaffs should be on display from sunrise to sunset and never during inclement weather. If left on display during the night it should be illuminated (My employer in Texas NEVER took their flag down and NEVER turned the display lights on... it bothered me and I made a couple complaints).
When in procession the flag should be on the right or in front and center of other flags.
In a parade the flag should not be draped over or hanging from a vehicle or float but displayed on a flagstaff.
When displayed horizontally or vertically the Union should be on the viewer's left.

Respecting the Flag:

"No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor."

Never display the flag with the Union down.
The flag should not touch anything below it while displayed, i.e. the ground, a table, the water.
The flag should always be aloft and free, never carried horizontally.
THIS ONE IS A BIGGIE DURING THIS HOLIDAY: "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free."
The flag should never be mounted or displayed in a manner in which it could be torn or soiled.
The flag should never be used as a covering of a ceiling.
The flag should never be used as a background with letters or images in front of it.
The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Images found by Googling "Flag Clothes"

Hope you have found this informative and take the time to read up on the Flag customs more.

Day 21: A Place You See Yourself In 5 Years

2011-07-03T00:00:00.000+09:00

Being that Adam is in the Army there is no way to even begin to guess... so I am going to be anywhere where he is. AWW! I know!

MFF #47

2011-07-02T14:07:00.000+09:00

Ah, June is over. I finished my summer SAT prep course, Adam has ceremoniously moved on to the next step in his Army career, we took a quick overnight trip to the ocean, I have started my graduate degree classes at WGU and we are getting ready to try our luck on the Patriot Express to go back to our home state, Washington, for a couple of weeks.

If you likey then link up with WIFEY.

Here are the questions for the week:

Have you (spouse) ever considered joining the military and what do you think of dual military couples? submitted by Project Army Wife

I really haven't ever considered... I did chat with a navy recruiter once about joining their nuclear engineering program because I had amazing ASVAB scores (our school required us to take the test) and I liked the attention. BUT when it came down to it I knew I wouldn't do well. I like setting my own rules and I don't do well being told what to do. I have to question everything and I know that wouldn't go over well with the military... hell, it doesn't go over with my husband most of the time. :D Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean that it isn't for others and so I don't have any thoughts about dual military couples. They choice their life because it is what is best for them so who am I to have any opinion about that?

What is your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon? submitted by A Few of My Favorite Things

Lounging in bed watching tv... checking the news, email, social media on the iPad occasionally while languorously sipping coffee. Eventually getting up to laze around in pjs all day.

What do you usually do for the 4th of July holiday? submitted by Anchor’s Away

When we lived in Texas we lived close enough to FH to sit in our front yard and watch the firework display with our neighbors. Usually it is a restful day with the grill going and ice cold beer. Nothing fancy.

If they could make an Olympic event JUST for you that you know you’d medal in, what would it be? submitted by Pants are Confusing

Random Pop Culture knowledge... random knowledge in general. I would kick ass at Rock n Roll Jeopardy and Jeopardy simultaneously!

What have you been doing to get yourself bathing suit ready for the summer? submitted byNot Just an Army Wife

The Dukan Diet... I have been doing it for 7 weeks and I have lost 16 pounds. Also, I have inspired others to give it a try. The book is a great resource BUT if you want more info feel free to email me. Wifey and I have been supporting each other with recipes and research on the forums.

Day 20: Someone Who Shares The Same Birthday As You

2011-07-02T09:46:00.000+09:00

I had no idea so I had to Wikipedia it. This is the person I picked... I like her she is super cute.

Isla Fisher

My Song

2011-06-30T14:00:00.000+09:00

Here is my song for the link-up over at Goodnight Moon:

I like to do a budget project in my class where the kids compare a couple that has one person who goes to college and one doesn't and where they are in 10 years. The people are named Jack & Diane and I like to start the project lip syncing this song for the kids.

Day 19: The First Wedding You Were In

2011-06-30T07:47:00.001+09:00

The first wedding I was in was my BFF's, who got married the summer before I did.

Me, Tasha and Little Sis, Dana.

Day 18: A Place You’ve Never Visited But Want To

2011-06-29T07:49:00.000+09:00

Source: www.one-name.org

My ancestors are Scottish (mostly - being American there is A LOT more to my blood than that) but my maiden name is of that decent. This is the clan seat of my ancestors. My aunt has been here and I would love to go some day.

Losing My Weight

2011-06-28T17:08:00.003+09:00

As most of you know I have been doing the Dukan Diet. It has been easy and so successful. I have been on it for about 7 weeks or so and I have lost 16 pounds. I have cheated a few times (I really need to work on my willpower but Taco Bell wears me down) so I probably could've been at my target weight (which is about 7 pounds away). Anyway, to keep me motivated even as I go on to a vacation back home I wanted to do a side by side comparison. (I may be back on the Attack Phase if I am super bad at home).

Me on June 24, 2011 (-15 pounds)

Me on December 8, 2010

Day 17: A Hobby Of Yours

2011-06-28T05:58:00.000+09:00

I am a knitter. I also love to teach others to knit (just ask MommyTaco). I taught myself how to knit using Lion Brand's "How to Knit" book during an especially snowy three month house sitting gig in AK. I figured if I could keep my hands busy then I couldn't use them to stuff my face and get fat!

I am not a big fan of patterns because I have to pay attention to what I am doing. I like to just knit while watching tv... use it to keep my hands busy while I zone out. My favorite needles are Clover Bamboo Circular needles... I love the big chunky ones (like size 18) the best because they make such airy knits. My favorite yarns are fun, glittery or the softest baby yarns.

I go through phases where I don't knit but I am currently working on a baby blanket for a friend. It is a pattern I made up myself!

Day 16: Your Best Friend

2011-06-27T07:08:00.000+09:00

My Hubby

My Mom

Mom with her grandpuppies.

and My oldest friend, Tasha (we have been BFFs since the 7th grade and friends since the 1st - that is 25 years of friendhsip).

T and I at the DQ about 1999.

Day 15: Favorite American Idol Winner

2011-06-26T12:59:00.000+09:00

Kelly Clarkson.

She won and is still going plus that was back when AI was fresh and inspiring and not a big joke.

Day 14: Your Day, In Great Detail

2011-06-25T07:35:00.000+09:00

My Day (probably not in Great Detail) - This is for yesterday which was a Friday. You are going to know what a lame, old married lady I am.

Wake at 5:30 AM: This seems to be my summer wake time and it is infuriating me but it seems that this diet that i am on has given me a ton more energy.
I spent the next 3 hours on the computer: reading blogs, cnn.com, huffingtonpost.com and playing on facebook, twitter and tumblr. I had to purchase an American phone number from Skype because the school that I am going to get my Master's from has NO ONE who can figure out how to call internationally (so now anyone in the US can call me for US rates!!). Around 8 am, I got dressed in my new clothes that came in the mail from the Express clearance sale... I love new clothes. Then at 8:30 just as I am about to walk out the door to go to work my new Skype phone rings and I am finally going to have my scholarship interview. It went well but I got teary-eyed while talking about my passion to inspire in At-Risk kids the confidence to do math. How can you not love someone who does that? I think that is definitely worth $800 every term, don't you?

After the interview I was off to school to teach SAT test skills for 2.5 hours. We wrapped up the first practice test and although the kids are NOT getting the concept of skipping questions they don't know the answer to, since you lose points for incorrect answers, the scores were pretty okay (average of 560 - everyone is under 10th grade).

Back at home, I cleaned up a little, cooked some eggs for lunch and then caught up on my TV. You know the stuff that the husband bitches about me watching: Teen Wolf, So You Think You Can Dance to be specific. I also spent more time on the internet (I am an addict) and then played Royal Envoy on my iPad and read a couple chapters of Night Star by Alyson Noel while it Monsooned outside.

Just as I was about to go relax in the tub when the Water Filter service lady showed up. She serviced our water dispenser and chatted my ear off in Korean (I had no idea what she was saying). She then did the couple of dishes in my sink (while giggling) and then demanded that I make her Coffee. While she was sipping her Americano I made her Adam came home.

The rest of the night was spent with us chatting about our days and our plans for our trip to WA, eating sugar free pudding and then going to bed around 9pm (we stayed up late) and falling asleep to Good Eats.

There is my day in detail. Just a peek in to my fabulous life. HA!