My Music Choices...Crazy!

Recently I have fallen into a music purchasing frenzy. I have bought four new albums as well as two songs that I've really wanted for a while. The first is Anyone Else But You from the movie soundtrack to Juno. I really liked this movie. Working in a high school, I have to say that this is exactly how teenagers act. I also bought the song Superman by Lazlo Bane - most of you will recognize it as the theme song to Scrubs - which Jared and I have gotten into a pattern of watching together. When I couldn't sleep the other night, I decided that I needed some nice, relaxing music and felt entirely in the mood for England Dan & John Ford Coley. They're a duo from the late seventies, and you guys probably know a lot of their songs even though you're currently going "Who the heck are they?" Next, I decided that I really liked the Fray songs that Jennie had given me, so I bought How To Save A Life. I really like the CD and it reminds me of fun times with my sister, too. It's also a departure for me, but I'm not too interested in new country anymore; they are all beginning to sound the same and even some older artists are changing their styles to be more like the new pop/crossover bands. Weezer's blue album was on sale at FYE, so I got it. This is the album that has those great songs such as Buddy Holly, Say it Ain't So, The Sweater Song, and My Name is Jonas. The CD reminds me a little of high school and a lot of Mandy, who used to sing and play several of these songs when we were just messing around on our guitars - fun times. Finally, you will all be shocked, but I bought Corrine Baily Rae's self titled album. Her voice is so beautiful and she doesn't overdo it. Her songs are sultry and moody, which fits her R&B genre, but they're also fun and in a few places really cute. I love them! Yes, I'm eclectic, and yes, I'm crazy. No, I don't know what generation I'm from, but I just thought I'd share some of my eccentricity with y'all.

And Now a Review:

Jared and I went to dinner and a movie last night. I have to say that we had so much fun! We went to see Iron Man (mainly because we were in the mood for a not-too-serious movie and because we both love superhero movies). I really enjoyed it. I have to say that having a husband who read the comics as a kid and knows the background story of different heroes helps whenever I have questions. However, Iron Man was very close (I'm told) to the way Stan Lee wrote the story. I for one thought it was just a good movie about redemption with lots of good special effects and some great acting (especially by Gwyneth Paltrow in a very understated role). Overall, I will definitely buy this one and I recommend it to anyone who liked Spiderman One or Two.
Before the movie we went to Ottavio's Restaurant. I would have put this first but I am saving the best for last. For quite a while Jared's and my favorite Italian restaurant has been the Macaroni Grill. However, last night's dinner puts in a bid to be considered. It was AMAZING! The price was comparable to Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill; the food was a lot better. Each table was given several pieces of very good, moist, crumbly bread and the traditional olive oil and vinegar dipping. Jared ordered Chicken Pasta Caprese which had chicken topped with gobs of mozzerella and topped with several fresh tomato chunks. The pasta part was cheese-filled tortellini. I had tomato soup (Jared liked it better than Zupa's; I thought it was good but not that good) and then ordered Ravioli Pescatora. It was BEAUTIFUL! It had ravioli stuffed with cheese, lobster and shrimp. When they say lobster and shrimp, I mean it. You can taste it. All of this was covered in a creamy lobster butter sauce (and by covered I mean swimming). It was so good. I literally took a bite and thought, "this is one of the best things I've eaten in a long long time." I also think it safe to tell you that I don't in general like Italian food - especially marinara sauce. So the fact that I'm raving about this restaurant means that you all should try it. Like I said, the price was a little on the higher end of the medium scale restaurants, but it was well worth it! The only thing I was disappointed about was the fact that I didn't have room for dessert.

What were you thinking?

I really like fins on the back of little cute cars. Really, I do. However, Jared and I were coming home from dinner last night and saw THIS parked on the road by our house. Seriously? Isn't it a bit much?

From a Silverwolf to a Jaguar

Some of you know that I have been looking for a different job closer to home. With gas prices climbing, the 45 minute commute to Riverton each day is just not feasible any more. Jared and I talked it over, and even though it would be hard to start again at a new school, we feel that Alpine District is the place for me next year. After interviewing at several different schools throughout the district, I was offered a teaching position at Orem Jr. High School. You can view pictures of the school on their website. I have loved working at Riverton and I will miss my friends and the supportive administration that I have found there. I will especially dearly miss my students. I hope that I will be able to return next Spring to see Kali, Nic, Camille, and Jalissa graduate. I will also miss my stubborn little sophomore, Brandi. Josh, Treasure, and Scott will also be missed, but I would be missing them next year anyway as they are graduating and will be going on to South Valley next year. I am excited, though, to start at a new school. It will be interesting getting to know a new faculty and staff, as well as getting used to the new demographic of Jr. High students. More info will follow, but right now I'm just very excited to have a job in a great district and a great school that is only 10-15 minutes away from home.

Are You There God? It's Me, Sam...

So I recently read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret? by Judy Blume. I liked this book a lot. It was so cute! My favorite part, however, was the way Margaret talked with God. She was raised in a house where neither of her parents believed in one particular religion, and to her Sundays were for going on vacation or working on the house with her family. Margaret, however, believes that God is there and that he talks to her. She always just tells him what is in her heart. It reminds me of the scripture that talks about being childlike in our faith: "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19). Margaret talks to God about everything, from how grateful she is for her loving family to how much she wishes to grow up and hit puberty. I think it would be wonderful if everyone had such a personal and faithful belief in Heavenly Father. If we were all able to just sit down and say, "Hey Father, my day really sucked, let me tell you about it..." it wouldn't improve how much He knows us, but how much more would we know Him. Quite a bit, I'm willing to say. Maybe we should stop focusing on the things we need and start just having a conversation with our Father in Heaven. I'm not suggesting that we begin to be too familiar to the point of irreverence, but I think that making our prayers more like a conversation rather than a list of bullet points could boost not only our relationship with our Heavenly Father, but also our testimony of prayer and communication with the Eternal God of Heaven.

Addendum

I would like to add to my previous post that this is not during school time. We have a few periods throughout the day where my aids and I work one on one with students. At this time, we quite often have students who are waiting for peer tutors to go to mainstream classes, students who are waiting for a bus to go to vocational training, and students who aren't able to go to mainstream classes due to illnesses, absence of peer tutors, or tests in mainstream. I really do make lesson plans and have scheduled activities. I just don't perform for students who are just sitting around waiting for things, especially when I am working with other students on actual academic pursuits.

I'm Bored...

If I have to hear the words "I'm bored" one more time this week I think I'm going to scream. When did I become an entertainer? I have several students who will just sit and tell me they're bored. I then suggest several different activities, but they shoot all of them down. Less than a minute after I tell them to find something to do, they tell me they are bored again! I have puzzles, a basket of possible art projects/word searches/etc; computer games, books to read, games to play. Why do kids these days need to be entertained? My job is to teach, but if kids aren't willing to get off their butts to go get a puzzle (which they can do once they have returned to their butts) then why should I be the one who has to come up with something for them to do? AAAAAAARGH!