31... and 4 cakes!

I must preface this by saying there have been years in the past when I haven't had ANY birthday cakes. Last year, for example. No cake, but I did go to an Aerosmith concert. This year? 4 cakes. Yep. F-O-U-R cakes, one brownie, and one chocolate chip cookie.

Cake #1- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake
(from my amazing visiting teacher, Jessica)

Cake #2- A GIGANTIC cake from Costco with TONS of frosting.
(The tutors in my classroom got this one for my 6th period class. They obviously like 6th period more than 8th period, since this cake was the more delicious of the two.)

Cake #3- Von's chocolate cake marketed as "the moistest cake ever"
(The second cake presented by the AVID tutors., Very moist.)

Cake #4- Albertson's white cake with strawberry filling
(From Merissa, one of my AVID juniors. Delicious. My friend's pretty much devoured this one last night.)

Brownie- Some type of weird fat free brownie that tasted... fat free AND
Chocolate chip cookie- Baked fresh by a loving CCSD lunch lady
(Thanks to C'Lee and Sadi. This was obviously the only type of cake-like substances the girls could find during their lunch hour, but the thought was very sincere.

So, yes. Lots of cake this year. Good birthday, overall.

p.s. Oh yeah, I also had dinner at one of my favorite sushi places with some of my favorite friends, got flowers (awww...) and balloons, cards from students, tons of texts, and heard from people I haven't talked to in a while. It really was a good day. 31 is seeming better all the time.

100 things you didn't know about me!

Fine. I couldn't quite come up with 100 things, so instead, I came up with 7. (That number is more lucky, anyway.)

1. I used to tell people my favorite color was silver because it sounds exciting, but deep down inside, I think it’s always been brown.
2. I agree with my students. White people really can’t dance.
3. I like to make up random lies to fool people.
4. I’ve always regretted not staying in Ukraine and working for the embassy.
5. I worry about my high school students almost constantly.
6. I Love Hip Hop! (I don’t entirely love Triple E or Weezy, but I can listen to a few songs if it helps me build my street cred.)
7. When I was in fourth grade I won $100 by saving Captain Crunch from the Soggies. (You can thank me for helping you all retain such delicious, crunchy cereal.)


That's it. I quit. It's hard to come up 100 things that nobody knows. Maybe that means I should start keeping more secrets...

Vote, please.

Help. I'm getting a new car this week.
I've finally narrowed it down to TWO.
Vote, please.




Can you tell which one I prefer, based on the size of the photo? Please don't let that influence YOUR vote.


(Jetta = cute. Accord = practical.)
Which is more important? And should I go with the shiny white or the dark gray? Please. Somebody help.

He says/ She says

So, I took a three of my former students to dinner after a recent visit to a college fair. The kids are all seniors at C-Springs, so of course they were asking about my new school. Curtis, the only guy in our group, was curious to hear if there were any "real fine" girls who attend the new school I work at. Next thing I know, he'd started reciting his list of qualities he looks for in a girl.

I'm posting a photo of the official list, which I wrote on my styrofoam box for leftovers, as official proof of the conversation. He came up with cute face, body, and long hair by himself. The idea about a girl who has a car was suggested by his friend, who always has to give him rides places. I kind of helped the part about a girl who has not committed any serious crimes. I just felt that was important.
Kehau, a girl, had entirely different things on her list. Funny. Smart. College bound. Financially secure. (She didn't say rich, just "secure", so I'm in total agreement here.)

I've alwasy known there is a difference between boys and girl, but really now... Shouldn't guys at least pretend they are looking for girls who are funny and smart? And really, who cares if a girl has a cute face, body, and long hair if she's a killer. "Not a killer/ drug dealer, etc." should definitely have been in the top 3 on Curtis' list.

UNLV?

I've been a Rebel for the past year and a half. I kept thinking I'd get used to it, but somehow I just can't. I'm working on my Masters (and definitely have a better GPA than I did in real college), but I still don't really like to tell people I'm taking classes at UNLV.

I feel like I'm betraying my real school. I mean, growing up, I've always been an Aggie. We always had season tickets to basketball and football games. I remember screaming mean things about Tark's Sharks from the stands. I was taught from childhood to hate BYZoo first and UNLV second.

I am an Aggie. Real BLUE. True blue. The only blue that really matters. I have an official "True Aggie Card" in my scrapbook to prove it.

So, even after I graduate in May and FINALLY have my Masters, I probably won't tell people about that. I think I'll just continue to tell people I'm an Aggie.

Loyalty?

So, when Canyon Springs plays Sierra Vista for Homecoming, who am I supposed to cheer for? Canyon, right? That's still where my heart is. Can I sit on the Canyon side? Will I be welcome or scorned? So many questions. So frustrating.

Lubov

There are a lot of things I love in life, but Ukraine is one of the "things" I love most. Why?











The history is incredible. Nature. Museums. I love the people. I love the food.










I love the pace life moves at, whether in the city or in the countryside. I love the old traditions of the people and the superstitions that people still pay attention to, even though they don't really believe them.










Somehow, even just walking through the streets doing absolutely nothing is entertaining. On the weekends, a big square in the center of town, Kreshatik, shuts down completely. People through walk the streets talking, listening to music, and watching street performers. Somehow, there is always something to do.

I also love that Ukraine is finally getting a temple.
The temple was announced in 1998, while I was a missionary in Dnepropetrovsk. After nearly ten years, ground was finally broke last month. This temple, which is scheduled to be completed in September 2009, will be the first LDS temple in the former Soviet Union.