Dance Scenes

I wasted HOURS this evening watching dance scenes from movies. I'm sick, so I've just been mostly on my bed with the lap-top watching dance scene after dance scene. I watched scenes from Singing in the Rain, to West Side Story, to Can't Buy Me Love, to all those cheesy dance movies and so on. However, there were a few dances that I didn't come across on the lists I used. What about this one? Or how about this, which I'm not really familiar with, but I'm kind of surprised I didn't come across any clips from Swing Kids? Perhaps you know of a better scene in it. And, what about this one? Okay, it's not all that great, but one of the dance scenes I watched earlier made me think of it.

Something that Annoys Me About Me

I think the most annoying thing to me about myself is not living according to how I believe I should be living. When I don't take care of certain things that I believe I ought to take care of one day, I often wake up the next morning pretty irritated at myself. This sometimes affects the way I treat others, which makes it even worse. The really annoying thing is that I am in control of my own actions, so there is no reason for me not to get done the things I know I should be doing each day. I show a lack of integrity to myself - no wonder it puts me out of sorts!

Dear Founding Fathers,

First off, I just want to say thank you so much for all of your efforts to set up a one-of-a-kind nation run by the people. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for your debates. Thank you for your research. Thank you for not all feeling the same way about how to establish and run a great nation. Thank you for compromising. Thank you for trying (and succeeding) to do something great.

I have a few questions for you. How do you feel about what has become of what you set up? How do you feel about taxation in the United States of America today? Would you stand for it? Do you think they are worth it? How do you feel about the direction we are headed? Do you think Europe is a good model for us? Do you think it's good that the government plays such a heavy role in affairs today?

I am sorry that most of us do not study what you did for us. I am sorry that many of us seem to have forgotten the republic part of our government. I am sorry that we do not learn the Constitution and take certain rights for granted that are nowhere to be found therein. I am sorry that we forget that it is our Constitution and founding ideals that allow us to continue to direct the destiny of our country. And I am sorry that many have forgotten that we are a Christian nation.

Once again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Me

Nick Knocking

Australian (maybe it's called that in other countries - I don't know) for "doorbell-ditching." I recommend looking it up on Wikipedia. They have some interesting game variations of this listed, along with what nick knocking is called in other countries.

Books and a Movie

I have not seen New Moon yet. However, you already know that I have read the book. I am waiting for my little sister to tell me if I want to see it or not. I'm hoping she says that I do, and then I will go and watch it sometime, I think. Anyway, although I have not seen the movie adaptation yet, I have read Eric D. Snyder's "rejected screenplay" for it. He has a great one for Twilight as well.

Speaking of books, I just finished reading The Actor and the Housewife, by Shannon Hale. Don't do it!! I started it, and it was lame, but I wanted to finish anyway. So I read it to the end. I did because, like Twilight (although it is so not like Twilight - I probably shouldn't compare) it contains one of those silly girl fantasies in it. Uggh! Anyway, I say stay away. You won't be missing anything. Just because I am ridiculous and just because I have to admit that part of me did like it (against my better judgement), doesn't mean that you have to be.

Current Events

So, I guess now I really lost Nablopomo because I didn't post last night - oops! I went to bed way too late, so I guess I just forgot or didn't have the capacity to think clearly or something. This morning I woke up feeling pretty icky, and I seriously considered staying home from work. I went and made it through the day, though. My students were so cool, too - the counselor was also sick today. I told my kids that we weren't feeling well, and I asked them to keep things mellow - and they did! It doesn't work all the time, but as long as you don't overuse it, they will respond favorably to such requests sometimes. Maybe they were just all tired today, too. Whatever it was, I'm glad it was a mellow day.

The suggestion next on the list for posts is a current event. I think that foremost in my mind, currently, is one of those hot topics - the health care bill. I think that most of you are on my side with this one, but there may be a few exceptions. Instead of going into all of that, though, I'd like to focus on one part of this bill and many other current legislation issues that have passed or are in the works. One glaring problem I see with a lot that has been going on under the current administration (I'm not saying it hasn't gone on with past ones, but you've got to admit that this one seems to be taking the cake) is the monetary cost associated with everything. We are in a recession/depression/you-pick-what-you-want-to-call-it. I am familiar with the business adage that you have to spend money to make money, but aren't we taking things a bit far? Our country already has an enormous debt - a debt I don't think we even comprehend. Why are we making it worse and worse? The "We're increasing our debt to lower our debt" thing isn't flying with me. I prefer the more conservative thought that if you can't afford it, don't buy it. Not to say that I'm great at following that in my personal life - I don't want to be more of a hypocrite than I already am - but I REALLY DON'T LIKE the amount of money we're spending to "decrease" our national debt and pull us out of a recession. Aren't we in a recession because individually we have been spending more money than we actually have in our pockets for a number of years, and it's finally caught up with us? And so now we're promoting a government that's doing the same thing with our entire country?? I don't get it. And I don't agree with it. And I'm not going to be happy with the consequences that are going to come from it.

Enthusiasm

Right now I am listening to one of those people who is so enthusiastic about life. Aren't those people amazing? How do they become like that? Do you think they are born that way, or do they develop that enthusiasm? Can anyone be like that? How can I do that? Maybe it's good that not everyone is like that because it's a little tiring - in fact, how do those people not drain themselves? It is also kind of exciting, though, to be someone like me, who is not like that because it's really amusing to observe such a person sometimes. I just think about it the whole time I listen to such people.

What's the Matter with Kid's These Days

Buffalo, buffalo! Sorry, inside joke. The latter half of this week I have found out that several of my students were involved in marijuana-related activities and that another student is having problems that may possibly be related to sex. These are teenagers!! Okay, maybe you think, "Duh!" I know, but it doesn't stop me from being appalled and saddened and a bit beside myself. I love my kids. I love them! I don't want them to do stupid things that can really impact their lives for the worse. And the sad thing is, I don't think they realize that the things they are doing now will impact them later. I told my roommate that maybe my colleagues and I need to lock them up (one room for the girls, one room for the boys) until they mature and can make sane decisions. Since I can't do that, I guess I just need to try to e the best example to them that I can be.

Rooms and Millions

Even thought I've lost Nablopomo, I am still pressing on and writing the rest of the month. I can't get into my idea list right now, but I think I had better write now - no more repeats of last night, I'm hoping. I have two thoughts right now:

1) Don't you love it when you actually have an evening at home? My room is so messy that it's gotten to the point that it's usually on my mind, regardless of what else is going on. I think it's always there - at least in the back, even if pushed out of the way while I take care of various other things. On my way home from work, I had hopeful, though not very confident, thoughts that I would come home and spend a little time areglando things before I had an appointment tonight. Thankfully, the appointment ended up being rescheduled, and I found myself with an evening at home. I've been in my pajamas for hours - *sigh! More importantly, I actually worked on my room. Don't think it's actually clean and orderly yet - it's far from it, but I spent quite a bit of time listening to/watching music videos and working on my room. Some of my floor is actually visible, and I have hopes that this Saturday will be fruitful, as well.

2) Speaking of music videos, I chose a playlist that came up under "upbeat songs," and one of the videos that came on was this one. As soon as it came on, I was taken to a movie that I haven't seen; however, I have seen the clip with the song. Remember? Anyway, post-cleaning tonight, I have been listening to it over and over - I think there's something wrong with my hormonal levels at the moment, given my song fixations lately. I even almost cried with it. Haha! I tried to purchase it on Itunes, but it is one of those songs that is not available on Itunes - what??!!! I hate it when that happens. I guess it saved me a dollar, right? I could have bought the Karaoke version, but that would just be lame and so not worth a dollar. I looked him up on Wikipedia and found out his ethnicity, the reason he wrote the song, etc. Hmmm . . . maybe I should have spent more time cleaning my room.

Three Strikes

At this very moment I am rather misty-eyed over the fact that I have not reached even one of my three November goals. I knew that the first two were failures, but I thought I could handle this one - and then I got home late tonight, and the internet wouldn't work until 12:04. I think this blog thing might still show me as posting on Wednesday, because I think it's an hour behind me, but it's technically Thursday, and I have therefore lost. How aggravating is that. Even when you're really trying, you sometimes fail. Sorry for the lame post, but I'm kind of upset at the moment. If you want something quirky to lighten the mood (although I can't promise you're going to like it - it's pretty strange) go here. My brother showed me this earlier tonight.

77 Item Bucket List

I used this website to write this VERY LONG bucket list. I don't expect you to read my whole list. Maybe I will cut it down to something realistic someday, but I'm not sure if bucket lists are supposed to be realistic.

1. Write a screenplay.
2. Write a novel as good as Jane Eyre and get it published.
3. Visit every continent (except Antarctica - I'm okay skipping that one).
4. Ride a gondola.
5. Visit the Louvre.
6. Visit all 50 states.
7. Learn how to ride a horse.
8. Learn to fence.
9. Get to my ideal weight.
10. Learn to figure skate.
11. Learn the Romantic languages, as well as Arabic, Hebrew, Swahili, Mandarin, and Sign Language.
12. Learn to play the guitar.
13. Learn to play the drums.
14. Compose a song.
15. Take voice lessons.
16. Learn to dance better (i.e. Salsa and Ballroom).
17. See Les Miserables.
18. See Swan Lake.
19. Attend an opera.
20. Pet a dolphin.
21. Visit Victoria Falls.
22. Visit P.E.I.
23. See The David.
24. Visit the Basilica di San Marco.
25. Visit St. Peter's Basilica.
26. Visit the Acropolis.
27. Visit the Alhambra.
28. Visit the Statues of Easter Island.
29. Visit the Hagia Sophia.
30. Visit Jerusalem.
31. Visit the Pyramids of Giza.
32. Visit Stonehenge.
33. Visit El Prado.
34. Visit Washington, D.C.
35. Go to Disney World.
36. See Mount Rushmore.
37. Visit the Statue of Liberty.
38. Learn astronomy.
39. Maintain a successful vegetable garden.
40. Maintain a successful flower garden.
41. Learn to make divinity.
42. Learn to sew.
43. Learn to scrapbook.
44. Learn to embroider.
45. Read Dracula, Wuthering Heights, Pilgrim's Progress, The Count of Monte Cristo, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia.
46. Read every Newbery Award novel.
47. Develop charity.
48. Be without pride (as close to it as I can get).
49. Earn a Masters or Doctorate degree (or both).
50. Meet the president of the United States (which really means, be an involved citizen to the extent that I could end up at something with the president)
51. Work publicly for a moral/political cause.
52. Make loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.
53. Make a movie (just my own - it doesn't have to be out there).
54. Write a play.
55. Win Nanowrimo.
56. Be an extra in a movie.
57. Stick to a budget.
58. Have a year's supply of food and necessities.
59. Watch my movie list (which I haven't written yet, and I'm getting bored and not going to write it out now).
60. Have a boyfriend.
61. Get married in the temple.
62. Raise children.
63. Make my home a harbor.
64. Learn to keep my room clean.
65. Put a video on Youtube.
66. Go on safari.
67. Ride a camel.
68. Live in the country.
69. Live by the ocean.
70. Consistently meditate.
71. Exercise regularly.
72. Attend a show on Broadway.
73. Visit the Olympics.
74. Attend a curling match.
75. Ride on a Zamboni.
76. Have a personal library.
77. Have a personal library of family history.

Work Story

So, a few of the students at my school give orientation tours to new students. Because of the structure of the school I work at, we get new students all throughout the school year. Part of the orientation consists of the new students being brought through the two classrooms. Somehow, (I don't remember if I started it or if it was This One Student) This One Student started introducing students to my classroom and me something like this:

"This is Jamie's classroom. She is the queen, and this [and he pauses] is her kingdom." There are a few other things he sometimes says, but that's the main part. I kind of like it.

Today, one of my other students was giving her first orientation, and I was very gratified when she did the same sort of thing. I hope that doesn't mean that I have a huge ego, I just think it's kind of funny, and the kids kind of enjoy it, too, I think. I was supposed to knight one of the boys a long time ago, but we're still waiting on the counselor to bring us a plastic sword . . .

Unrequited Love Songs

I spent a few bucks downloading songs to sympathize with me when I'm feeling down about guys. These are the songs I downloaded:

1. The Man Who Can't Be Moved (The Script)
2. Catch the Wind (Donovan)
3. I Don't Want to Let You Go (Weezer)
4. You Belong with Me (Taylor Swift)

Anymore that I should have?

Really Bad Poem

Napped for too long today,
Time to go to sleep.
Napped for too long today,
Think I'll have to count a lot of sheep.

Napped for too long today,
It felt so good.
Napped for too long today,
Longer than I really should.

Crack Yourself Up

That's what the next blog suggestion is - but what does that mean? I'm not quite sure how to do that on my blog. If I did know, it would probably be a lot more interesting. As it is, today has been one of those quiet, melancholy ones for me. Not that there wasn't anything to do. I spent many hours helping a roommate prepare food for her birthday party that was this evening. While chopping food or running errands, one has time to think, so I guess that's kind of what I did. And I missed having one of my kindred spirits around to talk to. If they were around in my life all the time, however, I probably wouldn't appreciate them nearly as much as I do, so it's probably a good thing that there are dry spells sometimes. I am sending out affectionate thoughts to those special friends tonight.

Embarrassing Moments

That's today's topic. I have so many - which should I share? The one that I usually tell people about occurred during my college years. There was a boy I was in love with. I really wanted to ask him to the girl's choice dance, but I didn't want him to feel like he had to go with me, so I debated asking him for a long time. It irritated my roommate so much that I just wouldn't ask him out that she even swore at me. Anyway, I finally asked him, and he didn't respond. He couldn't respond the moment I asked him because I did one of those silly creative invitations, so I wasn't even there. However, he didn't get back to me, and he didn't get back to me, and he didn't . . . I think one of my roommates finally suggested that he let me know his answer and he responded that the fact that he hadn't answered yet showed that he obviously would go with me, or he would have let me know sooner. Anyway, he responded creatively, pretty close to the dance. My roommate and I planned it all out. We doubled.

I was so excited to go with said boy to the dance. I really liked him. When we got to the dance, we found a table to sit at. It was pretty close to one of the refreshment tables, so close that I couldn't pull my chair out very far. When I sat down, the fabric from my pants caught the table-cloth and pulled it. The drinks on the table flew towards me (and my roommate, too, I think), and spilled all over me - the horror! I think I actually took it pretty calmly. The boys ran and got napkins pretty quickly. My date offered to wait to dance until the wet spots were gone. I remember thinking, "It doesn't matter. The only person I care about seeing me like this has already seen me." Anyway, like I said before, I don't think I really felt too embarrassed, but it could have been quite devastating, given how I felt about him and given my agony in getting up the nerve to ask him out.

Fashion Obsession

That is the topic suggested next in my line-up. Too bad I don't have one. Well, maybe that's a good thing. I was looking through a photo album on Facebook last night (?), and I discovered that the girlfriend of an adopted brother of mine has the largest shoe obsession ever. I don't believe I have ever met someone who owns anywhere near as many shoes as she does. I think she commented that she thinks she owns around 250 pairs!! There were some pictures in this album of all of her shoes. It was amazing. Or something.

These are some things that I have been obsessed with over the years:

Anastasia
Blue eyes
Height (in guys)
Muppets
3 particular boys
Oh! Silly Jamie - Twilight, of course (shameful, but I've blogged about it plenty before, so it's not like it's a secret here)

What about you?

Veteran's Day

What a great day - I spent awhile cleaning my room (you wouldn't be able to tell, though. It's not clean yet, and I've still got a long way to go. More accurate would probably be "organizing my closet."), visiting with a great-uncle and great-aunt, getting a massage (heavenly!), watching part of a war movie until it stopped working, etc. However, there is a reason that today was a holiday, and that is what I wish to address. Actually, I mostly want to thank my grandpa. He was a pilot in the Pacific theater of World War II. I don't know much about his service, but he has told me a few things, and I can't imagine what it would feel like to be in the middle of a war. Nor do I ever care to find out how that feels. I'm so thankful to my grandpa and many, many other men, as well as women, who have served in the military to help protect and preserve freedom. Thank you, Grandpa!

The Graveyard Book

I read The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, over the summer, and I don't think I ever reviewed it, which is quite neglectful on my part. My youngest brother actually read the first part of it while I was driving some of the family up to Utah. I really liked the book, so much so that I had to finish it on my own before the rest of the family returned home earlier than I (with the book). I'm not super familiar with Gaiman, but my brother likes him. He wrote Stardust, of which you may have seen the movie adaptation. He also wrote this great poem.

Anyway, about the book. It won the Newbery Award, as you can see, and I know why. It's great! It is a rather dark tale, which is not surprising from the title or cover. The book is about a boy who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. As my brother says (and he knows better than I do), it is obvious that Gaiman is familiar with much folklore and legend. If you're in to that kind of thing, you will love this book! It's a young reader book, so it doesn't take long to read. It's pretty fascinating with many characters who have their own stories. I have to admit that part of it was almost too twisted for me, but I still love the story, and I'm so glad my little bro shared it with me. By the way, it's a great story to have read to you, too; I don't think all stories work that way.

Disclaimer: if you decide you want to try out Gaiman, his children's books are the safest place to go. My brother says his adult books are very "adult" in content, so be careful.

Washer

I almost forgot to blog again - I'm going to have to do better at remembering or I might lose this year. Guess what happened to my roommates and me tonight? Whether you want to know or not, I will tell you. One of my roommates was trying to do laundry when she noticed water coming out from beneath the washing machine - oops! I had an experience with a washing machine once-upon-a-time that led me get on top of the washer, so I could look at the drain hose behind it. Well, that wasn't the problem. The girls and I ended up pulling the washer out far enough that one of them could get behind it, which was quite brave, seeing as how the floor beneath where the washer normally is was filthy. Another roommate and I tipped the washer forward while she examined the bottom of the washer. After three of us had examined it, we determined where the leak is, or at least where the water is coming out at. That didn't really do us much good, seeing as how we don't know how to fix it. Close to two full rolls of paper towels later, I am in my room, getting ready for bed much later than I wanted to be. But, at least the floor should be pretty clean now, right? To try to keep as much water from the floor as possible, my roommate removed the wet clothes from the washer. Then I got a hose, and she tried to get a suction thing going, but that didn't work. I ended up scooping out about as much water as I could with a cup. Fun times!

10 Year Reunion

This weekend was my 10 year high school reunion - I'm old! I wasn't sure if I wanted to attend or not because it meant the annoying drive, it was more money than I wanted to pay, and I was only going to make it to one of three days of events. In the end, I decided to go for two reasons: 1) I didn't want to regret NOT going, down the road, and 2) I didn't want to bail on one of my friends, whose twin sister told him that he WAS going, I believe.

Well, the drive wasn't as bad as it might have been because my little brother went home with me. The event did cost more than I wanted to pay, but I guess that's how it goes. I am glad, however, that I went, even though it was for only one event. I went to last night's dinner at a local casino. My friend had told me that there were many people who were supposed to be attending, and I wasn't too disappointed. I got to see several old friends/acquaintances and say hello to them. One of my very best high school friends, who I haven't been in touch with for years, was there, and it was really nice to catch up with her. She's the only girl in the few pictures I took. There were several people who I wish had attended that didn't, like my other high school best friends, the valedictorian, and others. However, it was fun to catch up with the people I did. It brought back some memories, and makes me a little melancholy for the old days, not that I would necessarily go back - one just misses the good times of yore.

Creation

Today's topic suggestion was something I have created - um, I don't really do much of that, so I decided to put this picture up. Then I remembered that I put this picture up before. I guess I'm repeating, but I created some of these pies for last year's Pi Day. I think I made three. You will also notice some red balls in the upper-left side of the picture. They may or may not be mine. My roommate made most of them, but I think I helped make a few for Chinese New Year. I'm not much of a "project" girl, so that's what I've got.

Contest Giveaway

Rules: Answer the following trivia questions, and I will send you a prize. Question: How can bats hang upside down on a wall and sleep without falling off the wall? Do they need to be upside down or could they sleep right-side up? If they do have to be upside down, why do they have to be upside down? The prize will be determined when you fulfill the requirement to win. At that point I will contact you and we will discuss what I send/give to you. I'm sorry this is not very thought-out, but I just realized I hadn't posted yet, and I'm about out of time. Good night!

The Good Stuff

Ingredients:

Chicken (cubed)
Bacon
Onion (sliced)
Carrots (sliced)
Potatoes (cut up however you want them)
Cheese (grated)
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning Salt

Directions:

1. Fry the bacon until it's pretty crispy. Set it aside.
2. Pour some of the bacon grease into a large pot.
3. Cook the chicken in the bacon grease (Mmmmm!)
4. When the chicken is cooked, add layers of the onion, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and seasoning salt onto each layer.
5. Add about a cup of water to the pot, cover the pot, and let it cook for 20 min. or until the potatoes and carrots are soft.
6. While the food is cooking, tear the bacon into bits.
7. Cover the top of the meal with cheese.
8. Sprinkle bacon on top of the cheese.
9. Eat it! It's good!

*This recipe comes from a former roommate of mine. Its name is very appropriate, and I have seen many happy people upon consumption of The Good Stuff.

A Favorite Photo

I know I have posted this photo before, but I love it. The prompt I looked at suggested posting a great photo I have taken. I don't know if this is great as far as the art of photography goes, but this is such a happy picture! I mean, look at that expression. Look at those beautiful eyes and those cute bottom teeth! This is for sure one of my favorite pictures that I have taken.

The David

Today's topic is a beautiful piece of art. The David is what came to my mind first. I have never seen it in person, but it is absolutely beautiful even without being in Italy to look at it. Michelangelo was definitely blessed with a lot of talent, and I'm glad we are able to appreciate many of his art pieces today. The body truly is amazing, and I think The David captures that. What piece of art would you add to my post?

Not Standing Up

Tonight I did something for which I am totally ashamed. I didn't stand up to the Mormons. I have always felt, I think, that it was easier to stand up to those not of my faith because they were always so respectful of things that were "against my religion." When people who have the same beliefs as you want to do something you are not comfortable with, however, it seems a little harder to me because I don't want them to think I am self-righteous or that I think I am better than them, etc.

I am 29 years old, though, so I think I should be able to live my life the way I feel I should without giving in to peer pressure. Tonight I gave in. We didn't do anything illegal, we didn't hurt anyone. It could have be so much worse; but I could have been so much better. I feel even worse because I am a teacher; I shudder to think of any of my students finding out. Teachers are some of those people who should be above reproach, I think. I was not a good example tonight, and in not standing up and being a good example - in being passive - I acted as a bad example.

Pet Peeves

• Not leaving the door to a room I am in the way you found it. I HATE that. If I am in a room with the door closed, that's probably the way I want it. Likewise, if I am in a room with the door opened, that it also probably the way I want it at the moment. Lately, I seem to have many opportunities to overcome this, as there is a door between my classroom and the neighbor teacher's classroom that keeps getting opened and left that way. It's not to be born, I tell you!!
• Toilet paper roll upside down. One of my mission companions used to leave it that way, and I didn't want to be a jerk, so I decided to compliment her when she left it right side up. When I did that, she called me on it, but it all worked out okay for us from then on. (By the way, her thing was ticking clocks - she moved it/them out of our sleeping area and into the other room.)
• Open cupboards and drawers - please close them.
• Incorrect grammar or word-usage, like your and you're.
• I have some more, but I will refrain.

Nablopomo - Year 2

Well, friends, today begins another November of Nablopomo (National Blog Posting Month) for me. You can actually participate any month, but November is when it all started, I believe, so here I go. I found a list of things to blog about from another blog (hurrah for Google!), and I think I will mostly use that for my posting prompts. I will be posting everyday this month as long as I don't forget. I am also trying Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) again. I won Nablopomo last year; I failed Nanowrimo. I'm hoping for two wins this year. Actually, I'm hoping for three wins, but the third is my own more private goal. So, wish me luck, please, especially with the third, unnamed goal - it is the most important one, and have a terrific month yourself!