Nasty Butler Strikes Back

Quick Note about Rioting

2011-08-09T05:42:00.002-06:00

First, just in case people wondered, I'm fine. I'm not anywhere near the stuff that's going on, I live in a good neighborhood and I don't hang around the city center at night. Things are much worse in London, but there have been rioting/looting in some of the larger cities throughout the country (Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham).

I have a different perspective on all of this, being an 'outsider' as it were. I have not seen a riot occur in the States, but my history classes taught me precisely what happened after such riots. The police came in and subdued things. Obviously there were some times in the history of the U.S. where 'rioting' was called for. I'm thinking specifically of the Civil Rights movement. It wasn't rioting in the same sense, but violence did occur and the police were called in. The police were trained to deal with situations such as that and the police had the authority to take action.

My understanding of how things work in the UK tells me that the police here are under-trained and their hands are tied by government BS. People do not fear the police here. They are not an authority. I had a classmate at Uni who always bragged about how he could get away with things in front of the police because they basically just said "go on home" and that was the end of it. CCTV, which I'll admit I initially felt very paranoid about (Big Brother anyone), is helpful in tracking immediate problems but when all it's used for is to tell some drunk guys on the way home from the pub that they shouldn't be changing the traffic light bulbs, it's lost some of its effectiveness. (That was one of the stories my friend told, by the way).

Now CCTV is being used to try and identify many of the rioters/looters involved in recent events. Good, that's helpful. And getting the public to help identify them is another good thing. But the fact remains that the police are rendered more or less impotent

I love living in England, don't get me wrong. But seeing these recent events makes me more convinced that there are some serious problems with the government (That is not to say that they aren't serious problems with the US government either). Slapping ASBOs on kids doesn't help them to get better, it only perpetuates the problem. I read a brilliant article about community and if you feel a part of your community, you would be unwilling to let something bad happen to it. You wouldn't contribute to its downfall. You wouldn't delight in its suffering. I love the community of England and it just makes me sick to see people using this moment of confusion to try and get ahead, however meager the perceived benefit.

I see videos of people taking armloads of items from stores like Game and I wonder, how do they expect to get any money off of that? Surely they can't be so naive to think that it won't be traceable?

The worst I've seen so far is of a young man, sat bleeding and a group of people approach him. They help him up, then start going through his backpack and stealing whatever he has. The only bright spot in that entire scene is that he wasn't injured further, that he didn't resist and end up getting hurt for it.

A friend of mine here is a police officer for Nottingham. Her fiance as well, who is trained in riot control. They are both waiting to be called up to help. Part of me wants them to get in there and help get this sorted. I know she feels that way too. But part of me wants her to stay away, to not get called up, so she doesn't have to deal with this.

My thoughts and my prayers are with all the members of the UK Metropolitan Police Force. They are not the enemies.

I'm Racing For Cancer Research UK!

2011-06-04T09:39:00.003-06:00

In one week I am going to be participating in my first 10k race! Granted, I am not so interested in a time as much as I am in having a laugh with some friends and doing it while in support of a good cause.

That being said, I could use some help. I have been hesitant to use my blog for such a thing but would still like to raise more money and a week is all I have left. So please, if you can spare even the smallest amount, that would be awesome.

I'm participating in the Cancer Research UK's Race for Life at Clumber Park. The people I have in mind for this are Thom's Nan, Stella, (on mother's side) and his Grandad, John, (on father's side) who have only recently passed (Stella two years ago and John in April). My boyfriend's mother and cousin will be doing the 5k the next day.

My time will be bad but my spirits will be high because I know I am helping people in desperate need.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/mollybailey2508

Art Teachers

2011-05-26T12:54:00.003-06:00

I realize that I had a failing as an art teacher. Okay, a lot of failings, but I'm glad I realized them early on so that I could change directions to keep me happy.

However, I know that I wouldn't be the artist I am without the help and encouragement of my own art teachers. I never had an art teacher I didn't like and that's pretty amazing because I've had a lot. (To clarify, I'm talking about actual hands-on production teaching instructors. Art history teachers are a whole different breed and I have some issues with them I won't go into).

It makes me supremely proud and excited to know there are art teachers out there who are intrinsically invested in the students they teach and the subject they are teaching. These two, in particular, are really cool. And it's awesome that they are being showcased.

Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Andrus, Mr. Barney, Mr. Ostraff, Mr. Seegmiller, Ms. Allen, Ms. Coates, Mr. Lester, and Mrs. Gray...you have all had an impact on my career. Thank you.

Buggers

2011-02-27T13:15:00.003-07:00

I was discussing the book with Thom, bouncing ideas off of him and working through sketches with him and realized that there's probably a distinct reason why this book hasn't really caught on in the UK. Buggers just means something entirely different, still derogatory, but yeah.

At any rate, I came up with a really cool formic design that I'm really pleased with. I'll still have to tweak some things but I like it. :)

More Sketches

2011-02-22T10:30:00.002-07:00

I realize the proportions are a bit off on these, and hardly consistent, but I'll probably edit them in Photoshop. My but I love this digital age. I'll also be 'coloring' the corridor in Photoshop, when I can get proper scans of the images instead of photos off my phone.

Quick Paint

2011-02-02T08:24:00.003-07:00

A quick computer paint of Jack as Ender. I was practicing with my tablet, I haven't used it in a long time. I like the color of his shirt.

Note to Nadine: I'm sorry that you feel left out. That wasn't my intention. I actually have an image of Megan that I've been wanting to make into a faerie. I may do that now, just for some more practice, and some therapy. :)

Initial Sketches

2011-01-28T08:26:00.002-07:00

Just a couple images so far of 'Ender.' I've been researching the Fantasy Game and intend to do some intensive images of that sequence next, just 'cause it's a very visual reference amidst otherwise sparse descriptions.

BTW: The call for images is still open, particularly for older kids. Livermore Bailey's and Gray's, I'm looking at you.

Call for Images

2011-01-16T12:44:00.003-07:00

Anyone still out there? Sorry I've not posted for a while. I will put up a Christmas post as well, but not right now. The pictures are up on facebook anyway.

I've changed the focus of my project from celtic to Ender's Game. BIG change, I know, but I feel that if I want to be marketable as a concept artist I need to be focused more on honing those specific skills. Fake it till I make it, as it were.

So I'm going to make the concept art for Ender's Game. One of my favorite books, I've read it several times, and it's still in the pipeline toward becoming a movie but never quite getting there.

The images I need are fairly straightforward; children. I know a lot of my friends and cousins have started their own families and that in this digital age it's really simple to get quick snapshots and send them off. That's what I want, essentially.

The caveat is that they need to be older children. At the beginning of the book, Ender is 6. Most everyone else in the book is older than him. So if your kids don't fit into that category, it won't really be useful to me.

On the other hand, anyone who wants to lend me their images, when they were little, I'm okay with that too. I know this is a huge favor but thought it might be fun in the long run. Anyway, if anyone is interested, just email it to me. My email is on my profile. :D

Cheers!

It's Snowing in Nottingham

2010-11-30T08:00:00.003-07:00

This is not a view of my house but rather from my house at the neighbors across the way. I feel like I'm in a snowglobe...and very happy I don't have to go out in it. Yet.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Part 2)

2010-11-16T14:04:00.013-07:00

Sorry this took me so long to get up. Blogger is being particularly difficult now...I had to upload all of these images one at a time and backwards. Oh well, here they are.

Watch the storm come rolling towards us...

And now it's gone...off in the distance.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Part 1)

2010-11-14T17:34:00.009-07:00

Last Thursday we (MA Graphic Students) went on a field trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Wouldn't you know it, it was the one day that week that the weather just did not cooperate. One minute it would be sunny, the next rainy, the next both, then sleety, then sunny again and all through that. Very bizarre. And just like Utah...ha ha.

I took pictures for most of the trip, though I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the two main galleries. Overall it was a really good trip, though I got home tired, damp and sore.

This is my friend Emma. She's also a co-student rep with me.
This is Deirdre. She's got one of those lovely Irish accents that you just want to listen to all day.
These three pictures were from an exhibit that was opening that day (but was surprisingly not open yet) and dealt with laser cutters and vinyl on the walls and windows. It reminded me of what I'd been doing with vinyl when I decorated my apartment with a huge vinyl tree and also showed some potential for my project. Maybe not anything that will work in the long run, but who knows? Definitely something to experiment with and explore.

This is a sampling of about half the pictures I took. I'll put up the rest on another post.

Things I Underappreciated...until now

2010-11-06T05:00:00.009-06:00

This list is by no means exhaustive. These are just some things I've been missing (something fierce) for the last few weeks.

Pumpkin Bread- I found the recipe my mom uses and was getting very excited to make this for myself. I've been craving it for weeks now and seeing Halloween decorations and thinking about Thanksgiving hasn't helped matters. But as I began my search for the necessary ingredients, I came to a horrifying conclusion. The UK just doesn't have pumpkin.

Chili- Okay, they do have chilli here and for some bizarre reason, they insist on having two l's in the word, but it's just not my mom's. And frankly, it's not Halloween without chili. I tried to make up for it by cooking some canned chili and eating it out of a bread bowl but, well...I couldn't find bread bowls either. I made do with a crusty roll, even made a jack-o-lantern out of it, but it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. Odd thing to say about beans, I know.

Peach Dessert- or peaches in general for that matter. Apricots? Sure. Nectarines, why not? But peaches are harder to find for some reason. I think I've had one the entire time I've been here. I can, at least, console myself in the fact that they have peach flavored squash (squash being a fruit concentrate drink, not the mistaken gourd) that is pretty close. But it's just not the same as digging my teeth into it and having the juice dribble down my chin.

Megatron- and the freedom that came from driving. Public transport is definitely a winning thing, I will not say otherwise. It is quite nice not having to worry about where to park. But whenever I've felt a little overwhelmed or in need of time to think, I couldn't turn to a drive. That's actually been a harder adjustment than I thought, just for the comfort it afforded. It doesn't help that whilst on the bus, I see plenty of Ravs driving around. There's even an older black one parked around the corner from my house.

Outlets in Bathrooms- It's nice having that little switch on the plugs to keep me from using extra electricity. But being unable to use a bathroom appliance in the bathroom is dumb. I end up with hair all over my bedroom. Granted, with laminate flooring that's easy to clean up, but still.

A Good Haircut- This one is particularly pressing because my hair is in a rebellious stage and basically looks horrible most of the time. I'm sure I could find someone around here to help me out, but for the time being I'm just frustrated with the heap on my head of varying levels of split ends. Not cool.

PLAY!

2010-11-03T06:14:00.003-06:00

My tutor said on Monday that I should be playing. In fact, she was surprised that our little meager group of 4 (3 present) hadn't been drawing yet. Instead we'd locked ourselves up in the library, confused by what we should be researching.

We have a month to go before we present to the exam board for our Post Graduate Certificate. ACK! I feel so overwhelmed suddenly.

Please don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE this program and feel such an amazing amount of support from my instructors. It was just a wonderful blessing for her to say, "PLAY!"

I'm headed to school today with a few things to do. Firstly, induction for my new job. Secondly, induction for being a course representative. Thirdly, getting materials so I can PLAY!

Nottingham

2010-10-21T13:42:00.010-06:00

First to last: Waverley Building at NTU where I spend most of my days. The former Council building which is too small for current needs. Paul Smith shop, famous fashion designer based out of Nottingham. Nottingham Contemporary Museum. Robin Hood statue outside Nottingham Castle. Nottingham Castle, not the original building...that one burned down. Opposite view of Nottingham Castle. View from the top of Nottingham Castle grounds. Old Bailey at Nottingham castle.

First Two Months

2010-10-21T09:39:00.002-06:00

Let me first say this is NOT how I envisioned my first blog post after arriving in England for school. I had grandiose visions of weekly updates with oodles of pictures and lots of description. What you get will be a rather compressed rundown of all the wonderful, stressful, exciting, exhilarating, and bizarre happenings since I've been here.

Thom's mum, Karen, and his sister, Kate, picked me up from the airport and I spent a few days with them in Retford while I waited for things I'd shipped over. Mostly I was waiting for my computer to arrive because it was the main thing I was worried about.

In that time, I got a weird spider bite or something on my right eyebrow. It basically swelled up that entire area until I couldn't really see out of my eye. Needless to say, this is why there are no pictures of my birthday celebration. That and I'm lazy. And I tend not to take pictures of myself on my birthday...my mom has generally done that...lol!

My birthday was spent at The White Houses in Retford with many friends, including Thom. It's a favorite restaurant of ours because of the fantastic food and that night was no exception. I also got balloons. :D And my friends sang to me against my wishes but it made me laugh.

First few nights in the flat by myself were hard. I guess what made it particularly difficult was not having a vehicle. Everything is so close here it really wouldn't have been hard for me to just drive up to Retford and see friends if I'd had a car myself. That's the biggest adjustment I've had to overcome so far, which surprised me. I really thought it would be the money but that came quickly enough. I'm still adjusting to that and while it's not hard to ride the bus and walking has been really enjoyable, it's just when I'm sat at home by myself that it gets a bit difficult.

School is awesome. I am absolutely convinced that this is the school where I am supposed to be studying. I've become much more assertive and proactive in my every day decisions. And I'm feeling much more confident in my overall ideas and that I can speak to my instructors about them without fear of being turned away or ridiculed or whatever. That's a weird thing to say, I know, because I haven't really been ridiculed in the past but I guess I was just more hesitant in sharing my ideas. Now I feel like I have a proper sounding board for everything that I want to do and that I will be given the guidance that will push me in the right direction.

It is a different system here. Much of what I will be 'learning' is based on my own research and kind of figuring it out for myself. I don't have tutorials or classes on "how to use filters in photoshop" or "figure drawing" or whatever. Right now, I'm tasked with writing up a Learning Agreement which is essentially the blueprint for what research I want to do in order to create my final project. I also need to have a reflective journal about all my research and it was suggested that this could be a blog. w00t! I'm definitely going to be doing that.

We had a getting-to-know-you group project at the start of the term and that went really well. I don't think it was assessed, even though they made it sound like it would be. Our group did a little video and we created paperdolls of ourselves as a way of showing us as products that have come to the UK. The whole project had a theme of Journeys and Destinations so it seemed like a suitable idea. Anyway, the video is on Facebook but I don't know who will be able to see it. You can try the link here:

This is hard trying to condense all that's happened as well as recalling everything.

Last Monday, one of the heaters in my flat fell over so I've been cold for about a week waiting for it to be fixed. Tuesday an electrician came and installed new heaters and so my flat has been smelling like something is burning but I've been warm!

Back at the beginning of September, I had ordered internet, phone and TV to be hooked up. The company I went with, Sky, informed me that my broadband would not be set up until the 27th of the month, while TV would be much faster (the next week). Fine, I don't have school until the 20th so I can deal with a week of not having the internet.

Well the 27th rolled around and no one showed up and I'd not heard anything about it being sorted. On the 30th my phone line was installed and still nothing. That's when I finally noticed a little paragraph on some paperwork regarding my phone line saying that my broadband would not be installed until a working phone line was in place for 2 weeks, but I would start receiving information after my phone line was in.

A week passed and nothing so I called them up. Apparently they had rejected my broadband order because I didn't have a working phone line but couldn't possibly look over my entire order, see that I was getting a phone line from them, and then put two and two together. So it put me out another two weeks.

So what I've learned is this: English people are quite happy to leave well enough alone if no one complains about it. I am willing to complain when I feel I'm getting charged for a service I'm not receiving, nor going to receive because no one decided to tell me.

I don't want to end on a disparaging note either. I really am enjoying my time here. It's just life I've had to deal with. But thankfully now, things will run just a bit smoother because I have internet at home.

What does this mean for you, my loyal readers? More regular updates, more pictures, Skypeing capabilities and access to another blog that will be a direct result of my research and schooling at Nottingham Trent University. I'll upload a bunch of pictures in another post just so you can all see what I'm seeing and then I'll get into a regular flow of things.

Thank you all for waiting patiently as well as supporting me through all of this. Loves to all! x x x

Bai bai!

2010-08-13T12:48:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! This is the official announcement! I have my visa in hand and I will be leaving for England on August 20th. Wow...that's in a week! Scariness!

Some might be wondering why I am leaving this early. My course doesn't start until the 20th of September so I'm getting an entire month in. Well...this is the first time I'll be on my own...and in a foreign country. Yes I've been several times before but the money still confuses me. And I need to figure out how to get around on my own. And it would go a long way in soothing my now jittery nerves to get settled in before the tough work begins. There you have it.

I will miss you all but I will make a valiant effort in getting back to blogging so you can keep up to date on whatever is happening. Thank you so so much for the support that has gone out. I have been overwhelmed by kindness, encouragement and excitement from just about everyone, which certainly helps with such an adventure. I love you all!

And hey, if you are ever in the neighborhood, stop on by. :D

Whew! Where Does The Time Go?

2010-07-09T17:10:00.005-06:00

Okay so...a lot has happened since I last updated my blog. I think most people who read my blog actually hear about things through other means but if not, here goes. Well, actually this may be a list of things that have happened...which may not be in chronological order. My apologies...

1. Decided on Nottingham Trent University. I start September 20th.

2. Spent all of June in England visiting Thom while looking for a place to live. Came home without a firm offer but with a good feeling.

3. Found out the place I wanted I will have. Oodelally!
(It's the bottom floor there...not the entire place.)

4. Finished the school year amidst severe drama and an overwhelming feeling that I wouldn't be missed...at least not by the students. The faculty I worked with was AWESOME!

5. Re-learned how to crochet. Currently working on a monster. Here's what I have so far...
That's it's bum and legs. :D

Hrmm...I think that just about covers it.

Two Conditional Offers

2010-03-08T19:35:00.002-07:00

Birmingham City University (more specifically BIAD) and Coventry University have both offered me conditional offers to study there. The condition is that of a portfolio review.

I'm super super nervous about it and all-together fatalistic about the whole thing but everyone else seems to think I'm a shoe-in. Or is it shoo-in?

Anyway, I'm trying to post up the images of my portfolio on this pages thing that blogger has got going on but it doesn't seem to be doing what I'd like. My project proposal is up though if you care to take a gander at that.

I LOVED Nottingham Trent's facilities. Everything appeals to my ever-so-slightly minimalistic aesthetic and hey, any place that lets the MA students play around with screen printing, dark rooms and Mac labs...yeah, that can't be a bad thing.

The drawback to this school is that Nottingham is apparently the gun crime capital of the UK and so not the most ideal place for me to be (though the school is in a better part of town).

The perks of Birmingham and Coventry is that they are in a place where I know people. Coventry is a short distance from Birmingham where I have 5 friends. It's also a much safer city than Nottingham.

The school that interests me the most is Falmouth, though it's a great ways away from anything familiar. Still, the program is specific about Authorial Practice in conjunction with Illustration and that's a major thrust of my project proposal. I got an email from them today informing me that they'd received all my application paperwork so it's wait and see now.

Wait and see.

Never one of my strong points.

Grim Angus and School

2010-02-25T20:43:00.002-07:00

Finished some lineart in my spare time. Ha ha ha...whatever that is.

Actually, this week has been remarkably productive. I finished up my teaching Portfolio on Tuesday and got that sent off so I can get my Level 2 teaching license. I really hope I don't need it though.

Grad school applications are in and the art portfolio is complete. Some of the pictures I put up earlier have been removed and I've put in others. Eventually I will post what I have on the blog but that's not tonight.

No, tonight I'm packing up because tomorrow I'm headed to England again. Going to some open days for schools over there. Did you know that an MA over there only takes a year? Truly. And hey, I LOVE England.

I'm so excited I haven't been sleeping well at night. You know when a dog is so excited that not only it's tail is wagging, but it's bum?

Yeah. I'm at THAT level of excitement.

Etsy Rocks

2010-02-16T22:03:00.005-07:00

My sister-in-law has started an Etsy shop and wants some publicity so I figured I'd help her out. She makes these really handy baby-changing kits that are quite cute. All you friends of mine with little kids should definitely have a look.

CuteCousins

Along those same lines, I have another friend, Elicia, who makes really awesome magnetic jewelry. I got one of her necklaces and bracelets for my mom for her birthday. Her etsy shop is still in process but it should definitely be bookmarked for future reference.

Purple Trees

For those looking for more fine art, have a look at my friend Kacey's shop. Kacey has been a life saver this year and subbed for me on numerous occasions. She's got a really fun style.

KaceyWagner

Not So Far Far Away

2010-02-15T10:42:00.002-07:00

Stumbled across this on Neatorama and thought I'd share. It's quite interesting combining the two...seems very natural. Click the link for more.

2010-02-01T16:20:00.003-07:00

I saw something outside my classroom today that wasn't normally there. I knew what it was once I paused to give it more than a glance and felt a little weight in my heart. I'm not sure how it came to be there, it might have hit one of the windows to my classroom or even the door, but it still made me melancholy.

I had my camera today so I went outside and took a few pictures, surprised at how alive it still looked, despite it's stillness. Some of the pictures I snapped will be good references later but one in particular made it look like it was flying. It was just the perfect time to see this little bird, the sun at the right angle to make the shadow of its wing look like it was outstretched and moving.

This afternoon the bird was crushed into the pavement and the heaviness felt greater.

Why I Hate Top Gun

2010-01-26T20:14:00.004-07:00

I posted on my Facebook status my dislike for Top Gun, specifically stating that friends of mine who liked the movie had lost credibility and respect from me. This is due, in part, to a feeling of being let-down when I discovered that someone who I had earlier respected ranked Top Gun as one of their favorite movies. And my respect is directly linked to them being able to eloquently explain their reasons for liking or disliking a movie.

Well in recent months that has changed and I felt that their reasons were becoming superficial as well as inconsistent. For example, they panned Transformers 2, expressing disdain for it being the same story as the first movie and riding solely on its visual effects for any sort of success. Now a few months later and we LOVE Avatar, a movie that from all I've seen is essentially Disney's Pocahontas with a facelift.

I will admit that I have not seen Avatar but I will stress that I am unlikely to do so because I am going on my gut instinct here. I saw nothing in the trailer that made me say, "That movie looks like one I would like to see." Not even a slight tickle to my fancy. And when I ignore that gut instinct after viewing a trailer, I end up burned. (Twilight, Premonition)

Bottom line here, obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion regarding preferences and things that they enjoy. I KNOW there are so many movies that I love and it is oftentimes entirely based on who I saw the movie with, but other people would see these movies in my collection and simply guffaw. I do not have perfect taste in movies but overall, I prefer a good story and interesting characters over anything else. Top Gun, to me, had despicable characters who only served to infuriate me rather than to endear me. The change-of-heart that happened at the climax of the movie felt hollow and forced and, let's face it, the soundtrack was AWFUL. Maybe if I'd seen the movie several years earlier I would've felt differently but as it stands, I just...ugh...really don't like that movie.

I believe this will mark the end of the Nastiness scale. For one thing, I really haven't been going to movies as much anymore and I don't feel it necessary to post my opinions anymore. Should you care to know how I felt about a movie, feel free to ask but otherwise, this is all.

One Semester Down...

2010-01-19T17:19:00.002-07:00

...one more to go. Though today was just fine (as the first day typically is) I still really, really had a hard time showing up for work. Maybe it's the middle-of-winter doldrums but I'm not feeling it anymore. I really don't like my job. I'm tired of babysitting every day, I'm tired of dealing with students who take my class because they think it will be easy but otherwise have no interest in art. I'm tired of being unable to spend all my time on my own projects and work through my own ideas.

I'm tired of being a teacher.

I'll admit to being very envious of my friend Liz who just quit her teaching position to work on her art. It's awesome that she can and I'm way excited for her.

Another teacher at the school just left to move back to California.

I know these times are uncertain and I know that's why I don't make such a move. But I really, really don't want to be teaching next year. I'm so desperate to get into grad school.

Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literal Video Version

2010-01-01T13:43:00.003-07:00

This is how I spent my New Year's Eve...watching silly literal versions of music videos. Thanks Tiff for the find!

Here are some links to some other ones if you care to have a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgEHOM21j3s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztHAcNbHKF0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yJ2yWvGnkI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nViC0K-zifk

I Was Promised Ice Cream!

2009-12-20T11:24:00.003-07:00

My ENT, Dr. Beus, recommended that I do not have any milk products after my surgery. Boo. I was really looking forward to ice cream and pudding.

I was told to report to the Hospital at 11:50 a.m. on Thursday. By 1:00, a nurse came to inform me that Dr. Beus was running behind and that I probably wouldn't get into surgery until 3:00. She was giving me options; I could go do some shopping or whatever for an hour and just needed to be back by 2:00 or they could put me in a room and I could watch TV for that time while getting all prepped for the surgery. I opted for the latter as wandering around just made me hungry.

So I was given a small room, my awesome purple scrubs and some fashionable shorts (my they were short) and some blue socks. I still don't get whey they have the gripper stuff on the top and the bottom. Oh well. My mom and I ended up watching Law and Order and on one episode I recognized someone but couldn't figure out where. It was a good distraction but also supremely frustrating.

I texted Thom for a good while, my dad came in on his lunch break and watched some TV with us as well. I listened to Brian Regan's bit about the emergency room and then started into Bill Cosby's bit on Natural Childbirth but got distracted by the TV.

Becky came in a little while later as she was over meeting with the neurosurgeon. Dad made a comment about the whole family falling apart.

About 3:30 the anesthesiologist came in and introduced himself. He explained that I'd get the general anesthetic through my IV (which the nurse was PHENOMENAL about getting in...seriously, I have sneaky veins) and then I'd have a breathing tube down my throat. I wouldn't feel the breathing tube as it would be put in after I fell asleep and be taken out before I woke up. He also promised me drugs the next time I'd see him and was trying to let me see the last part of the episode of Law and Order we were watching. I really didn't care. I wanted this waiting to be over with.

Just before 4:00 the OR nurse wheeled me down to the OR and I was scooted over to the bed. I was delighted to hear Barenaked Ladies playing over the radio. Fantastic! That just made things a whole lot easier.

"I promised you drugs when you saw me again."

"Barenaked Ladies are my drug." I'm pretty sure that was the last thing I said before I was being told to breathe really deeply. I also felt like I'd been punched in the face and that I'd been strangled. I couldn't keep my eyes open and people were insisting I take deep breaths through a parched throat.

A lot of the next few hours were a daze. I remember looking at the clock and seeing 18:30. Wow, it really was only about an hour for the surgery. I drifted in and out of consciousness, told to drink water, to breathe deeply and feeling hands moving things across my body. It was all very disorienting but mostly I just wanted to sleep. I felt nausea as well and my stomach started to hurt. I'd tried texting Thom to let him know I was okay but didn't hear back until the next day. It was beyond late for him so I knew he was asleep.

I was moved to another room nearby the first one and my parents turned on the BYU game. I tried to watch but there was no helping it. I hear it was a boring game anyway...ha ha. My support of the basketball team this year has been lax. I'm so sorry Jimmer. I hope you can forgive me.

Dad drove me home around 10:30 that night after I'd finally settled into an acceptable breathing pattern, I guess. He helped me out of the car and into the house where I was promptly settled into bed.

My mom has been by my side most of the time and if she hasn't been, my dad has been here. My dad bought me flowers and the school had some sent to me as well.

I'm into the worst of the pain, I'm told. I woke up this morning around 3:00 and just felt awful. Finally asked my mom for pain killers about an hour later and then quickly zonked out. What's hard is that if my throat starts to feel fine, my nose starts to hurt and then if my nose is fine, my throat starts to hurt. I can't have relief from either of them just yet.

But I'm on the mend. Thanks for all the well wishes!

One Hoop Jumped

2009-12-15T10:16:00.003-07:00

In order to achieve my Level II teaching license (and in case I don't end up going to Grad school next fall) I needed to take a rather stressful exam. Well, let's just face it...exams in general are stressful to me. But this one was REALLY stressful.

Anyway, it's one of many hoops I need to jump through in order to achieve this Level II license. I also have to submit a portfolio to my district and get approval and recommendations from them sent to the State Office even to be considered. And then they can STILL turn me down.

But at least the test is out of the way. Oh and by the way, I passed! Squeeeeeeee!

My Portfolio

2009-12-13T18:22:00.003-07:00

At least what I have so far should anyone like to take a look.

Yes, Cool Kids Sit At Home Painting Miniatures...Alone...

2009-12-09T22:04:00.004-07:00

I've got one more week until my surgery and I'm just getting more and more restless. Nervous doesn't even come into it. I'm ready to have these things out. I've been ready for months. Since Labor day in fact.

While at work, I've been getting all my ducks in a row and miraculously still finding time for myself. I finished two drawings for Thom, managed several illustrations for the Social Studies teachers (those were so much fun), drew a pine bough template for one of the English interns and still had time to paint some of my miniatures. Whew!

Whilst painting my miniatures, one of my students was asking me question after question about them. Seeing that he was actually working and gaining enthusiasm, I was happy to answer him. I had his older brother last year and, I must confess, when I saw this kids name on my roll, I braced myself. It's been a real effort 1) not to treat him like his brother and 2) make sure he doesn't turn into his brother. At any rate, one of the questions he asked me today was whether or not 'the cool kids' painted miniatures. After a beat (and a stifled laugh) I answered, "No, this is quite nerdy."

Oh but if I could have lied!

My 7th period is very musically inclined. And loud. I tend to get headaches late in the day and I have no doubt that it's from their exuberance. Much of the time they are working, though, and if it helps their creativity to sing Taylor Swift's Love Story with all the passion they can muster, more power to them. At one point today though, one of my more advanced students was asking a favor of another student. "You'll be my best friend forever, even though I have lots of friends."

I was sent into a fit of giggles at that one. Simultaneously arrogant and flattering. How does she do it? I know she was genuinely grateful to her friend but it was so entertaining to me.

This Is A Shout Out

2009-11-12T20:44:00.004-07:00

I realize I haven't posted in a while, though plenty has been happening. The highlights, however, are what I wanted to focus on.

My tonsils have been cursing me again and so I've remained at home more than usual. This is not necessarily a bad thing because, well, let's face it...I have an awesome roommate.

We've gone on pizza runs, watched silly videos on YouTube, repeated these videos in our own bizarre way until it ceases to mean anything...but still means everything. Our insanity feeds off of each other and the giggles continue to build and build until we are both clutching our sides in pain.

We watch TV together, hanging out in the living room and just enjoying one another's company. We complain about life, the people we deal with on a day to day basis, the frustrations that never seem to let up but somehow seem bearable now that we've vented.

We encourage each other and beat each other up when we know we can do better. We'll cruise around and pretend that people next to us in their car can actually hear what we are saying to them. We plot decorating ideas, we blare music, we adopt puppies we can't keep.

We go on late night [evening] Ikea runs, love and regret the Beto's runs and think Walmart is a fun place to go. We moan and groan about how many calories are in Carl's Jr. burgers but still end up going there on a fairly regular basis.

There's plenty of silliness that just makes me smile at the recollection, and the repetition. You know what I'm talking about.

I'm so glad I moved in with Steph.

Plans have changed...

2009-10-30T11:11:00.005-06:00

Wow, been a while since I blogged. I've finished a few more miniatures actually. Here are the latest additions to my nerdiness.

My favorite is the goosestepping one in the back named Hilter. He's got personality!

A'ight, so the point of this post is to inform you all that my plans have changed. Some of you are already aware but for those of you that are not, I'm no longer looking for a new teaching position. Rather, I'm looking at Grad schools. I've decided to get an MA in Illustration. Woo! Jenny Jo, you can now laugh heartily that I am going against my vow and returning to school. Anxiously, I might add.

I'm really excited about it. I want to be in school. I want to be learning and getting better and better at drawing. I want to get better at source lighting, at mood, at coloring! I want to tell a story in pictures!

Right now, aside from applying, I'm working on my portfolio. Funnily enough, So Cal Fullerton wants my portfolio in slides on a carousel. What year is this? Now I have to find a carousel for one and a developing place for another. But at least I have time. I've gathered together about 12 pieces so far and So Cal wants 20. I figure if I can get together a solid group of 15 at least, then I can make up the difference for So Cal.

I'm working on two right now that I think look really awesome. Here's what I have so far...the one on the left I'm trying to make into a full page layout for an actual book (mine to be exact).

So there you have it. The big news.

As If I Needed Another Hobby...

2009-10-06T18:52:00.005-06:00

Thom has created a monster. When I went to England in August, he showed me several of his painted miniatures that he uses for playing various tabletop games and honestly, I was astounded by how intricately he could paint. I have four little Jedi/Sith atop my computer that he gave me for my birthday present. None of them are bigger than an inch and they are painted so well. One looks a little like I did this summer (pink and blonde hair, complete in Leia-style sidebuns).

So I got started on my own miniatures while he was here. And I finally finished one today. :D And I wanted to share the results.

I'm really pleased with myself, though I do admit that it was a bit easier to paint this guy because he's rather large (around 3 inches). But I really enjoyed the process. Now I have 14 more to do...

Change is Good...?

2009-10-03T13:32:00.004-06:00

I finished this portrait of Sarah this week, in preparation for my students to begin working on grid portraits (and also 'cause she's wanted one since I finished the picture of Tarja). At any rate, now her mum would like a portrait of her whole family and I've already begun working on that (composing the entire image) and will probably get started on that as soon as I've got a paper big enough to accommodate the project. Should be fairly large.

In other news, *Thom and I broke up, he went back to England and I've been trying to keep myself busy with all these projects in order to distract myself.

Tiffany is coming to Utah in the next few weeks and we are going to spend my fall break in Disneyland. w00t! And then she'll be here for the rest of the month so Halloween will be spent with her too. We generally have Halloween together and it's soooo awesome! Hopefully it'll be with her sis Jana and her husband Dave. And all sorts of other peeps. We'll see though...I don't want to plan a party this year. Time for someone else to do that.

Also, apparently there is a real shortage of teachers in Maryland so Tiff has been helping me with the application process to work out there. I feel like this is a good move. Hopefully I can find a High School position that will suit me while I work on illustration and honing my own skills. The ultimate goal is to become an illustrator. I just don't see myself teaching for very much longer, mostly because I prefer being surrounded by people with a similar maturity level. Spending all day with Jr. High kids has been really taxing and my limited interaction with adults throughout the day is really frustrating. At least in High School, the students are a little more motivated and are working through creative processes of their own.

I want to get away from Utah, from things that are familiar. I've wanted this for a while and I feel like right now I can try again. I need a change of pace, change of scenery, change of overall environment.

I've also been reading through this fantastic book called Caffeine for the Creative Mind. There are tons and tons of little project ideas to keep creatives motivated and thinking. I've been tagging pages as I go and I'm not even a third of the way through. SO many great ideas.

There was one that I'm interested in doing also as a critique tool in my classes where you design a pantone book or thesaurus of sorts for clients. Basically they have a way of looking through this book and finding a critique like "That looks really nice" that means, "This color scheme is working but everything else has to go." I sent it off to my roommate too (who is a Graphic Designer) to see if she was interested.

So I'll keep busy and update when I can.

*P.S. To all those who have helped me through this crap time of my life, (You know who you are) I am SO so grateful and can never express how blessed I am to have you in my life.

I'm Weird

2009-09-10T19:41:00.004-06:00

9 (PG-13) - Visually, this movie is really well done. There are nice touches in the small details that ever so gently remind you of the scale of the main characters. The story is rather intriguing as well, though perhaps it could be a little much for some people. And for others maybe not enough. There is some dealings with what could be termed 'dark magic' which may turn people off but overall I quite enjoyed it. I think I'd sufficiently lowered my expectations going into it (a student had seen it and told me they were disappointed) so ultimately I felt that it was a pretty neat little film. There were even a couple of bits that I had expected one thing to happen and something totally different occurred. Hurray for unpredictability! I'm giving this one a 2/5 on the Nastiness scale.

In other news, I am going to have a tonsillectomy in December. Thankfully I have the world's greatest Principal and he's allowed me to take 4 days off ahead of Christmas Break to have this done.

I also seem to have a deviated septum (or at least a really weird one) which may be contributing to my feelings of constant fatigue. I've never really talked about it but each day when I get home from work, I just crash. I really have no energy and that makes it really difficult to do other things. Things I need to do like exercise so I can have even more energy. It's been a frustrating cycle. Anyway, the doctor gave me some breathe right strips and once I put them on, whoa...a whole new world opened up to me. I had no idea how poorly I was breathing until putting one of those on.

I'll be having a sleep test done someday in the future to determine whether or not I have sleep apnea. Then we'll go from there but there's a possibility of doing something to fix my septum. Amazing what you find out when you go to the doctor.

Ewwww...

2009-09-06T04:51:00.006-06:00

Long weekends were invented so that I could get sick.

Remember back in 5th grade while I was off track from year round school and for 2 of the 3 weeks I had off, I was in bed, miserable, with the worst abdominal pain ever?

My throat looks really really gross. I'm so lucky! What's even better is that this is the 3rd time in the last few months that this has happened. And hey, it could have happened several years back right after my return from Korea. I never had a strep test so I'm not entirely sure if that's what I had then or not.

But this time, I know it's not strep. I went to an InstaCare center earlier and had them check to see if it was strep or not and was very relieved when the test came back negative. I guess I should have felt differently because then I would have had antibiotics but at the same time I'm glad I'm not as infectious.

So I've stayed home all day, wasting away in front of the TV, trying to consume a great deal of liquids as I was told to do. Such backwards logic. "Doctor, it hurts when I do this." "So stop doing it." "Yeah well I would stop swallowing if I could but it's just one of those things I have to do all the time."

I had some nice, hot soup from Zupas earlier though and that felt soooo good. I'm thinking that means that hot chocolate will be in order later. Not right now though. It's nearly 5:00 am and I just can't sleep because it hurts so much. I took some painkillers but they've yet to kick in.

I feel really bad because this was the first long weekend that I've had since getting back to Utah and there's a lot going on that Thom and I were going to do. First, Sundance apparently does this Full Moon ski-lift thing that sounded really nice but that kept getting put off because of how craptacular I was feeling. Thursday night (the first night we could go) I was fighting off the second headache that day and while driving him home had to pull over because of how nauseous I felt.

Friday, by around 2:00, I suddenly felt really dizzy and had to ask the ladies in the office to be on standby in case I felt like passing out. Thankfully I only had one more class period and I could sit at my desk the entire time. And remarkably, my 7th period was behaving.

By the time I left the school, my throat was starting to hurt.

We'd planned to go to P.F. Chang's for dinner to finally have my 'birthday date' but decided against it. I really didn't want to be out in public. So we ordered pizza and watched movies.

Saturday morning the pain was enough that I needed to find out what I had an thus ended up at InstaCare. I would've rather been at the sheepdog trials up at Soldier Hollow. That sounded like it would be so cool to watch.

And we were going to go over to Elicia's house for BBQ and play games but I couldn't risk spreading all this gunk (whatever it is) to her kids, particularly with a newborn.

And now it's after 5 in the morning and I'm just not feeling great and I'm posting one of the most miserable blog entries ever. Sorry peeps.

Movie Review: Special UK Edition!

2009-08-10T07:35:00.003-06:00

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (PG) - I'm FINALLY reviewing this movie even though I'm positive that at least 80% of my readership has already seen it. I was asked to wait to see it so that I could do so with my boyfriend while back in England.

So I've now done so and I have my review. Hope you are ready for it.

First of all, my general opinion of the movie was good. I enjoyed myself (even sporting a headache) so I think that speaks volumes. And hey, Harry Potter...at a UK cinema. That's pretty cool. I also liked seeing some of the locations in London now that I've actually been. Means a little bit more this time.

I think the visuals keep getting better, the effects honed even more nicely. The inferi in the movie were quite creepy and well executed. And the cinematography is always beautiful.

I did, however, feel that Hermione was too emotional and too weepy most of the time. It was really annoying considering up to that point she had been very strong otherwise. And the side love stories are getting even more annoying. I think its safe to say we all know what's going to happen so we don't need to spend any extra bits of time on it.

It also seemed like a rather large build up to...well...nothing. The ending was abrupt and brief. Very uneven to the rest of the film. I'm giving it a 3/5 on the Nastiness scale.

The Bucket List

2009-07-20T21:36:00.004-06:00

My cousin Keri put this up on Facebook and she has done A TON of stuff on it already. There are plenty of things here that I'm okay with never doing, but there are plenty that I would like to do. I'm going to bold the things I would like to do and have yet to and leave the rest as they are (x's mean I have accomplished these things already).

The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ADD (At least) ONE ITEM TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST that is unique from the previously listed items, then send it to your friends.

Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X) Gone on a blind date
(X ) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been in a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean - ANY ocean
( ) Swam with Stingrays (I have touched them before though...WAY cool)
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies, by your self.
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States (at least 3/4ths of the way across)
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been in a glider
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Gone Rock Climbing
( ) Gone snorkeling
(X) Gone Rappelling
( ) Gone bungee jumping
( ) Lived in more than one country (US counts as one)
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(X) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(X) Seen the Grand Canyon
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Had sex on the beach
(X) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(X) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer (Answers my be optional)
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Been to a Superbowl game
( ) Been to a World Series game
( ) Been to a NBA Finals game
( ) Been to a Wimbledon match
( ) Been to a round at the Masters
( ) Played a round at St Andrews
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Had the equivalent of 12 shots or more in less then 2 hours
( ) Been spinnaker flying
( ) Been water-skiing
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Vatican
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Been to the Museo Prado
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Joined a secret society or closed listed invitation only club
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Been to a game at Lambeau Field
( ) Been to a game at Wrigley Field
( ) Swam with sharks
( ) Snorkel through an underground river
( ) Sang with Jeffrey Osborne
( ) Been to Alaska
(X) been on more than two continents
( ) Had 'fun' with a special someone, in the Caribbean Sea
( ) Climbed to the little orange shack, on Mt Timpanogos
( ) Been around the World(by any means)
( ) Shook hands with a US President(past or present)
( ) Shook hands with a US Vice-President
( ) Slept in an over-water bungalow
( ) Been to the top of the Empire State Building
( ) Been to the top of the World Trade Center
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been on TV
( ) Spent a weekend at a retreat

(X) Wore a Yamaka
( ) Won money in Las Vegas or Wendover and kept it.
( ) Been in the Nutty Putty Caves, or any other cave where you have to crawl
(X) Been to Alcatraz or inside a former or current prison
(X) Slept in your car all night
( ) Been to the top of the Sears Tower or Hancock Tower
(X) Played Hockey (with or without pads)
( ) Flown in a small (5 or less) passenger plane
( ) Been skinny dipping in broad daylight
( ) Touched a cadaver
(X) Seen a real mummy
(X) Passed out, fainted, hyperventilated, or had a panic attack
( ) Been to a prisoner of war camp
(X) Been to a cemetery, filled with people, not of your faith
( ) Been stung by a sea creature
( ) Been to the sex museum in Amsterdam
( ) Saw Larry Bird and Dr. J play each other
( ) Had a live shark living in your house
( ) Been Homeless
( ) Witnessed a birth (not your own child)
( ) Been rescued from a drastic fate
( ) Kept Bees
(X) Started a business
( ) Belly Danced
(X) Planted seedlings in a garden and enjoyed the harvest
( ) Hiked Mount Olympus
( ) Sailed across the ocean blue
(X) published a book/article (I'm bolding this because I still want to finish my book)
( ) raised an orphaned animal
( ) milked a cow or goat and drank the milk from the bucket
( ) Watched the sunrise from Mt. Sinai in Egypt
(X) Been hit by 10 cars on 10 separate occasions

Best Role Model

2009-07-19T14:13:00.003-06:00

Can you see the family resemblance? This handsome guy is my Grandpa, H. Neil Welling. Last Sunday he passed away and while I will miss him greatly, I'm glad that he is now free of pain. I had the privilege of helping to put the funeral program together and was grateful to be included.

The funeral was hard but was also a good experience, reminding me of the strong, amazing man that he was and the wonderful life he led. He truly is an inspiration and a shining example of how to treat others. His attitude towards life was always optimistic and happy and I only hope to emulate him.

Thank you grandpa. I love you so much!

Next Review!

2009-07-06T08:44:00.003-06:00

UP (PG) - I love Pixar. There really hasn't been a movie of theirs that I did not like (though some I like more than others). Up is a great little movie with lots of humor and, as is typical with Pixar, a great message.

Unlike Wall-E, this message is not as heavy-handed nor overbearing. Its more lighthearted and whimsical, while still relevant for today.

This is definitely one worth seeing, particularly if you like cute love stories. A definite 0 on the Nastiness Scale.

(Oh and by the way, I've heard that some people have cried through this movie...I didn't think it was particularly tear jerking but I could be wrong. Just be aware I guess.)

We Have [Roundabouts] in America...We Just Drive The Other Direction

2009-06-23T08:32:00.013-06:00

England was fantastic. I just have to say that first and foremost. I wish I would've stayed longer.

For those of you that don't know, I recently went on a trip to England to finally meet some friends I'd made online. Now before all of you scream at me and demand whether or not I've seen "Taken" (and gee, if you've been following my blog, I would like to remind you that I put up a review), I have known these peeps for several years and have conversed with them via webcam and on the phone on some occasions. When I got there, it was like I'd always been there and I guess, in a way, I had.

I want to take this time to tell you a bit about each person. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Once upon a time, Molly was eager to write. She had a character in mind that had existed for many years already and this character seemed like a good starting point. So Molly set out and found an online writing group where she could use this character and have them interact with characters created by other people. It was a swell arrangement.

Her character, SkyLark, met an elf by the name of Urithair. They got along splendidly. Eventually this led to Molly getting along splendidly with Urithair's real persona, Thom (seen here). They've talked ever since.

Additionally, Thom was gracious enough to grant Molly the use of his character, Urithair, in her book. He's become a main character and a heartthrob in his own way to many, many women.

Thom, being the swell bloke that he is, introduced Molly to some of his friends over in England. First, Molly met Mat.

Mat also has an alter-ego, often referred to as Nightwolf. Rumor has it that Mat is actually a werewolf. I believe he is pondering this idea at this very moment. Hmmm...

Mat is reknowned for his deep, philosophical discussions and deep-seated desires to understand anything and everything around him. This seems contrary to his often pronounced: "I have no strong opinions either way!" But I guess you would've had to be there.

Mat then introduced me to his girlfriend, Sarah. Sarah is, in a word, kyowte!

Sarah was my hostess and general caretaker while in England. She made sure everything was perfect for me, even going so far as to injure herself in the process. Her enthusiasm for my arrival was contagious, I'm sure.

Sarah also pointed out everything to me. "That's a bus stop, that's a car, that's a lorry, down there is Thom's house, that's a tree. That's a bridge. You like bridges."

Sarah introduced me to the rest of the crew. First, there's Rowan. Remarkable lad, I must say. He's a complete bohemian who prefers to wander the world barefoot. And by wander, I mean wander. He bikes everywhere that he can't climb or go on foot.

Then here's Anneka. This is probably the best picture I managed to snag of her because she was quite against me taking them in the first place. Anneka's great. She loves squiggels, rats, ice cream and trampoline club. Oh, squiggels are squirrels for the uninitiated. Anneka has many other fun names for things. She's just that fun a person.

I also got to meet Calum, the ginger pirate and Laura, seen here sporting some wicked cool green and blonde hair. Laura had just returned from China and was kind enough to give me a souvenir as well as everyone else. Her hair changes color more frequently than mine does, if you can believe that.

This lot decided to play around with clothes pins and put many of them in Rowan's hair. They might have been able to fit more if Rowan hadn't cut his hair recently. It used to be quite long (like Calum's). But that was before I knew him.

So there you have it. I met many other people; Mat's brother and his girlfriend, Mat's parents, Sarah's parents and family, Thom's dad and sister...and everyone was great to me. It was really hard to come home, I enjoyed my time there so much.

Performance Art Worth Watching

2009-05-27T21:15:00.001-06:00

We had fitness day today at school where much of the students and faculty participated in a 5k. In keeping with the theme of the day, we were asked to teach fitness related lessons. The only thing I could really come up with is performance art. This was one of the videos I found to show my students. I recommend looking at all the videos in this project by Guillaume Reymond, they are well put together.

Additionally, I had to laugh when several members of my class in each period that saw this started to get tense near the end of the video, making exclamations like "wait, don't put that [block] there!"

Sometimes I Have Bad Days Too

2009-05-19T17:40:00.002-06:00

Though I guess not this bad (apologies for the swears). It's just one thing after another, some of it me just tempting fate I guess.

The other day when I got into my car after work it was sweltering. So today, I rolled my windows down just a bit. (Oh, I also washed it.) When I got to my car this afternoon, I noticed some spotting from where the sprinklers at the school had hit my car. Fabulous.

It then rained on the way home.

Even better was once I was home, I noticed that in my coin tray was a small puddle of water. Fantastic.

Speaking of puddles, my toilet is leaking.

Speaking of toilets, can we say that's where my 7th period is? At least gradewise? Wow...12 F's right now. That's incredible.

During my prep and 2nd period, I was updating grades and posting them so my students could get in any projects that they are missing. One student in particular has been coming in during 6th period to get caught up. But today he just decided to sit around and break my pencils.

After talking to his 6th period teacher, I come to find out that recently he has been telling rather crude jokes so she's having issues with him. Can he come to my class during 6th period to work on his missing projects? No. Why? Uh, he squandered an entire period. Not my fault.

This leads to a phone call from mom this afternoon where she chews out the 6th period teacher and wants to know if I'm explaining things to her son. Um, well...I think I am but it's hard to know when he doesn't ask for help.

Short conference with other teacher leads to discovery that he says often, "I know exactly what to do."

This morning was also scheduled for a guerilla art project where several students in the school would have their faces painted. One of the students who planned this project didn't show up. He spaced it.

Hmm...like you spaced working on your mural design? Ironically (and infuriatingly) he gets an epiphany that maybe "he shouldn't be so lazy."

Another student has requested to be sent to separate classroom because he has a tendency to get distracted. It's worked in the past and when he suggests it, noting that he works better that way, I'm willing to allow it.

But apparently he isn't going to the class he says he is. Another teacher asks me what she needs to be doing with him, particularly today when he just sat there. "Uh, he's not even supposed to be in your room."

I still can't find the screws for my bookcase and don't know what size they are to go buy some at a hardware store. Thus my room is still a mess with not everything put away.

I'm with you Palpatine. I want to get into a warm bath and cry too.

End of School Woes

2009-05-14T20:54:00.002-06:00

The end of the school year always brings excitement, not only to the students but to the teachers who have had it up to their ears with the antics of said students. But for whatever reason, the last two days have been nearly unbearable.

My 7th period yesterday pushed the limits of my patience by once again failing to work quietly during their sketchbook at the beginning of class. All semester, when they haven't been quiet, I've held them after class, using increments of 30 seconds. Yesterday was not the same. I jumped straight to 2 minutes. They've had enough warnings. By the end of it, they'd accumulated 6 minutes.

I was so sick of them after school that I caved and didn't keep them longer than 4. I worry that might be detrimental overall but at the same time, we have two weeks of school left.

Today I was going to demonstrate how to carve linoleum blocks for my 7th graders. Unfortunately I couldn't find the supplies. The other art teacher has been using them so I searched her room for them, with absolutely no luck. I even called her 1st period TA down from lunch to see if she knew where they were. I tried anyone I could that might have the teacher's number and couldn't track it down until midway through 6th period. By that point it was useless for the day.

Thank goodness the drama classes are doing their plays. Otherwise I would've been completely sunk.

In retrospect, the events haven't truly been that horrible but for whatever reason, I was really unhappy and frustrated. I think some of it was from being tired. I got home and took a three hour nap, I was so drained.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Ceiling Tiles?

2009-05-08T19:22:00.002-06:00

My Principal is awesome. Granted, I've never had another, but there are very few times that he's ever said no to me on any request I've made.

I've wanted to paint ceiling tiles. But I really didn't think I had enough clout to ask and with Elicia gone, I've discovered that I'm a little more timid. Well, no, that's not true. We just played on strength in numbers.

But after several teachers and the administration went to visit other schools in search of a good intervention program, he even suggested that I paint the ceiling tiles. Apparently Lakeridge has some pretty nice ones.

So here's my test run. I'm almost finished with it and it's taken me most of this week and a bit of last week to do (not including the preliminary sketch). And in typical nerdy fashion it sports a celtic knot border and the two main characters from my book. w00t!

Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.

2009-05-04T08:44:00.005-06:00

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PG-13) - I think Thom said it best, "this is a movie for the sake of having a movie." Well, yeah. Backstories are generally like that. I think, thanks to the comic, I was well prepared for this movie and so could just go with it and accept a lot of what was happening, albeit with some inconsistencies. Overall I was entertained, most everyone was well cast (excluding Gambit...blah) and the action sequences were extremely well done. In fact, I saw bits and pieces of X2 on TV last night and just laughed because apparently by the time we get to X2, Wolverine has slowed down a bit. Must be old age finally catching up with him. Personally, my faves were Ryan Reynolds as Wade Winston Wilson aka Deadpool and Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed aka Sabretooth. They were fantastic.

2/5 on the Nastiness

Star Trek (PG-13) - Tee hee...I got to see this one nearly a week early and LOVED it. Now, I need to also mention that if you are a diehard fan of the original series and look at any deviation from canon as a severe sin, you probably won't like this movie. Two people I went with were disappointed. But my roommate and I thought it was great. There were still some campy aspects to it (like the original) but it also took itself seriously when it was needed. The casting was fantastic! Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy was sheer genius. Not only does he resemble DeForest Kelly, the real McCoy (pun intended) but he got his mannerisms and even catch phrase down wonderfully. I couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else when he announced that he was "a doctor, not a physicist."

This one was just great fun, amazing visuals and a story that was well thought out and put together, remarkable for JJ Abrams. I give this a 0/5 on the Nastiness scale.

P.S. Before Star Trek, they had the new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen trailer and I must say, I am SO excited now for this movie. YAY! Summer movies!

Bring On The Reviews

2009-04-19T20:41:00.004-06:00

No, not the movie. Haven't seen that yet. Because of Spring Break, I decided it was about time I got back to reading. I've been extremely lax lately and hate it 'cause I sense my brain cells starving and dying one by one. It also doesn't help my writing any.

So because the movie was coming out, I decided to beat the rush and read the book.

One of Dan Brown's strengths is his speed. Everything moves at just the right pace so that you want to keep reading more but don't feel overwhelmed by anything. It's also nice the bits of fact that he sprinkles in there, in this case all the art history references. I was always looking up the different artworks he references throughout the book. Art History never being my forte, this was a great help (and a lot more interesting than ANY of the classes I took at BYU).

The ambigrams are really cool too. I kept flipping the book over to look at it, even though I could tell it worked that way upside-up. (The image above is an ambigram).

For the most part, I enjoyed the book. Until I got to the end. It just...frustrated me. It felt so cheap and cliched. And insensitive. I could be alone there.

At any rate, it's made me reconsider seeing the movie. Granted, a big reason I wanted to see it in the first place was because Ewan McGregor is in it, but at the same time I really enjoyed The Da Vinci Code. That could be because I didn't read that book. I'm a little afraid to now.

I think I'll give this one a 3/5 on the Nastiness Scale.

State of Play (PG-13) - The review of this movie will be short. It was intense, with lots of twists and exciting political intrigue. Helen Mirren swears like a sailor, Russell Crowe gets shot at and Ben Affleck is sympathetic.

And I'm still confused.

Nastiness Scale: 3/5

How'd You Spend Your Spring Break

2009-04-16T10:50:00.005-06:00

Granted, it's not over yet, but I don't know if I'm wasting time or enjoying the break. Bit of both, probably.

Yesterday, after waking up to the rain pounding on my window, I set about cleaning the turtle tank and getting rid of the buildup of gunk in the filter. Man, can those guys poop. It was enough of a task that I had to take everything out of the tank, instead of just vacuuming up a portion of the water. With that done though, I decided it was time to bid Giuseppe a fond farewell.

See, Giuseppe was my plecostomus. Pleco's are bottom feeders, great for cleaning algae off of the sides of the tank. Before I bought him, the tank would last maybe four days before it was getting harder to see Woody and Winchester in there.

I've always been rather fond of Plecos from the first time I saw one. I'm pretty sure it was when my oldest brother also had cichlids, in addition to the turtles (For those who don't know, Woody and Winchester have been in the family for years). Anyway, they have a really cool shape to them and their patterns are quite brilliant. Besides that, they grow to be huge! I mean, I actually anticipated that Giuseppe would get eaten or beat up or something but he was resilient. He got to be about the same size as the turtles.

This proved to be a problem simply because...well...Winchester needs a girlfriend. He's always kind of pestered Woody but it got to the point where Woody would remain on the sunning platform and Winchester, hormones raging, would sidle up to Giuseppe and perform his cute little dance.

The interesting thing was that Giuseppe wouldn't put up with his crap, at least not for very long. He'd whip around and start sucking on Winchester's shell. That'll show him. This actually brought about something else I wasn't expecting. Winchester would stay down for so long that when he went up for air, I could hear him gasping. Poor desperate turtle.

So to save them from further embarrassment (You get that boys! You're all over the internet now!) I took Giuseppe to the pet store and traded him in. Just like a car. For a newer model. Complete with bushy nose.

The new one seems to be doing just fine. I don't think the boys have even noticed him yet. I haven't named him yet, as Giuseppe 2 sounds rather harsh. Particularly since Giuseppe didn't die, just needed a new home.

Now, with me going to a new home, I probably should set about packing. I had planned to start doing so yesterday but after cleaning the tank decided to take a break. I ended up reading for a little bit, then falling asleep. I know how to live it up on Spring Break.

I think today will be packing and probably enjoying some hot chocolate since it snowed. I just figure this is payback for the nice (albeit chilly) weather that I enjoyed in Japan over Christmas. Now does anyone want to give me some presents?

AND, as a shout out to Jessi who showed me this in the first place, I want you all to enjoy this. So enjoy it!

2009-04-09T22:04:00.002-06:00

Every time I see a Scion commercial, I wonder the same thing each time. That is, where are all these pimped out cars? Where are all the sweet custom paint jobs? The shiny rims? Where?!

Knowing (What I'd Like To Have Happen For Me)

2009-04-04T19:51:00.003-06:00

Knowing (PG-13) - Hmmm...I'm still mulling this one over. Initially, when this movie started and for about 3/4ths of it, I was riveted, enthralled, spooked and curious. The premise is really cool and rather frightening at the same time. Caleb has received an envelope from a time capsule his Elementary school had buried 50 years earlier. Unlike the other students who received pictures, Caleb's envelope has a paper with numbers written on both sides. Caleb's dad, John, begins to toy with the numbers and notices a creepy pattern...dates of tragic events throughout history. What makes it even better is there are three dates left.

So we have this cool premise and John is trying to sort it all out. Caleb is linked to it because he's being followed by these white haired, chiseled men who on first glance appear to be the Cullen's. Stupid vampires. Apparently they are called whisperers and John can't hear them. But they sure wig him out. They only wigged me out 'cause they looked like the Cullen's. Stupid Vampires.

The end is what gets me. And it wasn't a BAD ending in the I Am Legend sort of way. It was just...not the way I had imagined it. There is a reference to Ezekiel in the film that is a big part of it and so it comes down to interpretation. Unfortunately, I sometimes get picky about interpretations. (Sorry Joss Whedon...I still think Serenity sucked because of your execution.)

Anyway, overall I liked the movie and I think I can get over my nitpicky-ness enough to give it a fair score on the Nastiness Scale, particularly since I wouldn't mind seeing it again to see it with what I know now. 2/5 on the Nastiness Scale.

In other news, I've had a weird turn of events lately that is resulting in me moving. I feel like it's the right thing to do now and I'm glad to have my parent's support. It's been emotionally draining and unfortunately isn't over (selling a contract is annoying), but I'm sure everything will work out.

I Am Awesome

2009-03-30T16:43:00.005-06:00

I got a phone call today from Fox13 informing me that I had won! w00t!

So what did I win? Well, every Monday during 24 there is a trivia question about the show called "Insanely Intense Moments from 24." They show a clip from a past season and then cut it off in the middle, posing the question of "what happens next?" To answer, you log onto the website and answer the question.

So I got it right (easy as pie, thank you) and I was chosen for the $50 gift card to Red Robin! Ha ha! Knowing stupid trivia finally pays off!

Edit: Ooh! Ooh! Sturgis from JAG is on 24 now! WEEEEE!

Buuuhhhh?!

2009-03-24T20:11:00.003-06:00

On IMDb's poll for today they ask:

Evilest non-living entity from the movies?

And one of their suggestions is: (wait for it...)

The Ark of the Covenant from Raiders of the Lost Ark

What? I really don't get that one...the Ark of the Covenant isn't evil. Even if you aren't religious, Indiana makes that point himself.

Dorks.

It's Finally Finished...

2009-03-22T21:01:00.005-06:00

Well here's the box...the glaze was not as green as I was expecting (har har), but I'm not disappointed. There's some few areas that are missing glaze because of the super glue...I'll try and color match with just regular paint to get it to look right (as re-glazing is out of the question).

One of the spirals had fallen off from initial firing and I'd glued it back on when I glazed it. Unfortunately it fell off in the kiln and stuck to the shelf. Thankfully I only had to sand off the kiln wash and didn't lose an entire shelf. However, when I glued it back onto the box and then turned my back, it promptly fell off and shattered into three pieces. This poor box just keeps getting beaten.

But it's done. Finally done.

Now I have to figure out what to put in it.

Here are the answers to the Movie Quotes that were missed:

1. "They take it, they return it, they take it again... this place is becoming everyone's private storeroom!" Servant referring to The Green Destiny in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

2. "I cannot take orders from the underwear model." Ben Grimm referring to Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four

3. "Excuse me! This sash was a gift to me from the queen of America." Porthos referring to a sash in The Three Musketeers

5. "So what are you doing right now?" "I'm checking out this cute guy... " "Why are you telling me that?" Claire Colburn referring to Drew Baylor in Elizabethtown (while speaking with Drew Baylor)

6. "To wives and sweethearts. May they never meet." Captain Jack Aubrey from Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

11. "Wondering at your good fortune that all your children look like me." Lancelot referring to Gawain's children in King Arthur

MULAN

2009-03-20T09:07:00.006-06:00

Here are pictures from my school's production of Mulan. I helped out a bit with the scenery and props which I thought you might like to see. I did the mountain (bearing an uncanny resemblance to Mt. Crumpet) and the blue banners with the gold lettering. I also got a rough sketch of the Great Wall for the tech crew to paint up themselves.

Movie Quotes Quiz

2009-03-13T17:38:00.011-06:00

RULES:

1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO cheating. If you don't know any of them, that's just too bad.
6. You DON'T have to be tagged in the note to play.
7. Tag some movie-loving friends.

I was tagged by Melanee on Facebook, but figured I'd post it here (since this posts to facebook too...)

1. "They take it, they return it, they take it again... this place is becoming everyone's private storeroom!"

2. "I cannot take orders from the underwear model."

3. "Excuse me! This sash was a gift to me from the queen of America."

4. ~~"You can borrow the Rolls if you like. Just bring it back with a full tank."~~ Batman Begins, Jojoba

5. "So what are you doing right now?" "I'm checking out this cute guy... " "Why are you telling me that?"

6. "To wives and sweethearts. May they never meet."

7. ~~"Rob? Tsk tsk tsk. That's a naughty word. We never rob. We just sort of borrow a bit from those who can afford it."~~ Robin Hood, Raspberry

8. ~~"Listen... do you smell something?"~~ Ghostbusters, Jenny

9. ~~"You don't know this? I know something about history that you don't know. Hold on one second, let me just take in this moment. This is cool. Is this how you feel all the time? W-well, except now."~~ National Treasure, Raspberry

10. ~~"Why the hell didn't you make him finish school?"~~ Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Raspberry

11. "Wondering at your good fortune that all your children look like me."

12. ~~"Oh, look. A golden-throated small-winged warbler. Just one more for exotic bird bingo. I am loving this."~~ The Emperor's New Groove, Raspberry

13. ~~"We do not wash our pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears."~~ Kung Fu Panda, Moonsahra

14. ~~"I'm Vice Principal Murney, or Murnanator as the wrestling team calls me. My friends call me Little Puppet."~~ The Pacifier, Stewbert

15. ~~"... after a while the cops started getting calls from people reporting all the missing thieves..."~~ The Sandlot, Melanee

I tag anyone that responds to this, even if you don't get it right! w00t!

If Only...

2009-03-10T19:59:00.004-06:00

(Blogger is being so dumb right now...ANYWAY...) So here's the bit of damage I did to my thumb yesterday while cutting paper on my large paper cutter. Ironically, before it happened I thought to myself, "I really should be careful that I don't get my fingers in the way." Not sure why I didn't listen to myself.

I got a tetanus shot today just in case. Fun stuff.

This came about as I was cutting 2" x 2" squares for an art project idea I got from my friend Jethro. The idea is a giant Sudoku board that uses images rather than numbers. Since it's a game of patterns rather than arithmetic, it works really well.

I was set to give my students one specific project but decided against it when I remembered all the complaints from the previous semester. I don't like complaints about projects. It makes me feel like art is becoming a burden and is no longer a fun class.

To combat this, I decided to put three projects on the table and let my students choose between them. The Sudoku was one of them, the original project another. The final option is an Artist Trading Card project that has come up both within the district at our monthly collaborations and also at UAEA a weekend ago. The idea for this one is to create a set of trading cards that can be successfully traded with other peer artists.

I set a quota at 10 and I've already met that mark. :) Yes, I'm involved in it too because it's just too darn fun. Using the puppets that I learned about at last year's UAEA conference, I've made my cards interactive! Of course, with only one working thumb, my ability to work has diminished. (I haven't even been able to get to fixing my box...grrrr). Seeing as drawing is not an issue, I can still work on the Sudoku pieces and have created a solid set (meaning 9 identical tiles).

So far I'm seeing a little more enthusiasm in the classroom. I wish I could give multiple projects all the time and just let my students experiment with materials. Unfortunately, I have too many students who just want to waste the materials, like those who were putting glue on the scissors and hot gluing my whiteboard markers to the tray on the board. Otherwise it would probably work.

If only...

Tragedy

2009-03-05T08:04:00.003-07:00

Many parts of my huge box have blown off in the kiln. Yaarrrr.

The cool thing is that if I can piece some of them back on, it'll look even more like it was buried, albeit in the wrong places. My lid was relatively unscathed, save for some interior problems.

I realize now I have to have a clear idea of exactly what I want the box to look like, knots and all, before I begin. This was a little too much of "this might look good here" and flying by the seat of my pants. I want so much to be an organic artist when, at least with clay, I should be more structured in my approach.

My glazes should come hopefully by Friday but if not, then early next week. Then I can coat it and see what happens.

Neat Freak Wants [Organized] Junk

2009-03-01T11:57:00.002-07:00

For the last few days I've been in St. George attending the Utah Art Education Association conference. It's a great conference with a ton of collaborative efforts going on across the state. What's really nice is not only the opportunity to reconnect with art specialists and teachers from all over, but also talking about the same thing and getting that rejuvenation for what we do.

One thing I noticed was the classroom environment. Because it is hosted at Pine View High, each workshop and seminar is located in a classroom. Some of these are art rooms, some are Agriculture Science rooms and really anything in between.

It's hard not to compare and contrast my own room to those that I was a guest in. I enjoyed the visual stimuli across every available space in the room, including the ceiling. Often, I get lost daydreaming about what I could hang from the ceiling in my room if only I had a tall enough ladder. And wasn't so intimidated by climbing up it.

Already my new, carpet wall has been a wonderful boon. Having student artwork up is wonderful. I just wish there was more. I want to slather the walls of the school with student work. I want them to see that everyone has something to add to their environment.

The trouble is not so much lack of work (there is some of that) but more that I don't have the means to frame them and present them appropriately. For whatever reason, if something isn't framed, it isn't taken seriously. I have a note outside my classroom door that says "Please do not touch the artwork" because too often I would walk into the hall and see kids jumping up to touch pieces. It's hard because you appreciate their interest but wish they understood respect more.

In another classroom, I saw jars and jars filled with everything you could imagine. Buttons, beads, styrofoam, pipe cleaners, glitter, scraps of paper, crayons, pencils, and on and on. That just looked fantastic to me. What fun you could have with such things and what an interesting image such an assortment creates. It's all junk but in the proper environment, an artistic environment, it takes on a whole new dimension.

I can feel spring coming on and I'm getting excited. Not only because I absolutely loathe winter but because of the revitalizing energy that comes with the season. Spring cleaning used to bore me, I think because it was a demanded chore. But now, I'm getting excited because I have the control, it's something I want and I know it will make a difference. When the junk has a home, perhaps it ceases to be junk?

As an aside, any of you local folks who have such 'junk' and are looking for a place to put it, I'll gladly take it off your hands. :)

The Current Project Overwhelming My Life

2009-02-24T21:31:00.002-07:00

'Nuff said.

I'm Not Tagging 25 People

2009-02-21T09:26:00.003-07:00

A friend of mine from the writer's conference I attended last June tagged me on her blog. I was also previously tagged on Facebook and made a valiant effort to come up with 25 new things that no one knew. There were a few that were repeats so I am going to try and change them here.

1) I'm an impossibly easy read. What you see is what you get. I'm uncomplicated.

2) I really want a dog. My roommate (who I adore) and my lifestyle preclude me from getting one.

3) My ability to quote movies minutes after seeing them is diminishing. I think this is probably a good thing.

4) My artistic skills have advanced in the year and a half I've been teaching. All I can attribute this to is when my students ask me to draw something and I very rarely say "I can't draw that."

5) I'm double jointed in my thumbs. This allows me to freak out my students.

6) Characters I prefer are the strong, silent types, widowers and silly people.

7) My classroom must be constantly clean. My bedroom, however, does not.

8) I knew two years ago that I would be voting for Barack Obama. There was not a doubt in my mind.

9) I can be extremely blunt but I also prefer to avoid confrontation.

10) Texture is a big thing for me with food. Some textures I like, others I can't stand. Mushrooms are a big one.

11) I hate berries. Except for strawberries. Raspberries are the worst.

12) Oil painting confuses me. I do not teach oil nor do I ever practice with them. Too expensive for me to keep screwing up. And too much time waiting for them to dry.

13) I have so many projects at one time that many of them fall to the wayside. This also causes me to go in waves where I will be reading several books at a time, then not read any while I work on art, then be back to working on my book, starting video games I don't finish...and other such variations.

14) I once announced in 2nd grade show-and-tell that my full name was Molly Dolly Banana Bathtub Bailey. My brother was walking by the classroom at just that moment.

15) After viewing an ad for a truck driving school on TV, I asked my father at dinner that night what he did for a living. I'd copied the number down for him, thinking I was helping out my father.

16) I generally need to be doing two things at once. One of these things is generally listening to something; music or a movie or the TV. I can't concentrate if I don't have some recognizable noise in the background. Whirring appliances do not count.

17) I hope to publish my book someday. I had hoped to do so before I was 23 but as that has not happened, I figure it's because I'm writing something of quality. This also means I have a vendetta against Christopher Paoulini and Stephanie Meyer. I'm coming for you peeps!

18) I really don't like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt. I also strongly dislike Meg Ryan and Hilary Swank.

19) I gave up playing WoW after only a few hours because I kept getting ganked by giant tarantulas and being forced to go find my body, only to be ganked again.

20) I am not a Jar Jar Binks hater. Get over it.

21) I've been unable to finish New Moon and Eragon for the same reason. I hated the characters.

22) I have been attending the "Life the Universe and Everything Science Fiction Conference" at BYU this weekend and felt incredibly vindicated when Tracy Hickman (an author who I will gladly admit was instrumental in piquing my interest in fantasy) encouraged us to cast our book and to write in scenes. This is exactly how I have worked on my book without anyone before telling me this is a common and good practice.

23) I have two turtles named Woody and Winchester. Woody is only a little bit younger than me as my oldest brother got him before going on his mission. I was 7 when he left.

24) For some time I thought these two turtles were gay as they are both male and would perform mating rituals to each other. Often, Winchester would climb on top of Woody's shell and hold him. I came to find out from my brother that they have done this for a very long time and it is a show of dominance.

25) I have a plecostomus named Giuseppe that I thought would die only months after buying him. He is the same size as the turtles.

Taken Review

2009-02-14T12:53:00.006-07:00

Taken (PG-13) - I'd wanted to see this movie since I first saw the trailer for it a few months ago. It didn't hurt that word was it was better than the Bourne movies and that Bryan (Liam Neeson) was going to wipe the floor with the amnesiac.

I don't think this is an even comparison to begin with.

First of all, Bourne was trying to find out about himself and why he had these remarkable abilities. Bryan waves them in your face in his desperate search for his daughter. Now, this isn't to say that he doesn't do a remarkable job, but there is a difference of tone between these movies. I think Bourne is more intriguing because he doesn't want these skills and the life that goes with them but everyone around him is forcing him to act this way. Bryan is not in the same position. His daughter is taken. He needs to find her. Conveniently he has all these super spy moves and friends in high places that can help him out.

Really, I saw more similarities between Bryan and Jack Bauer, mostly because Bauer has a daughter with a penchant for getting into stupid situations. And yet, Bauer manages to stop terrorism and save his daughter at the same time. Bryan does not do this. He does do something else though, to be fair, but I won't ruin it for you.

Overall, I still enjoyed it, but I think I'd rather watch the Bourne movies (and let it be known, once again, that the Bourne movies are very different from the books...which are even better) or 24 than this, if we are in a comparison situation.

2/5 on the Nastiness Scale.

Soy Sauce

2009-02-07T14:46:00.004-07:00

PUSH (PG-13) - This movie was really, pretty cool. The premise of why these people have the abilities they do is an interesting one (not altogether new, but not overused either) and I appreciated that each of these abilities had a classification. There weren't doubled up powers, but just each person had a different one. And you can see them all at work.

I also thought it was pretty cool that the entire movie takes place in Hong Kong. There are several Americans involved in the story, but they've all ended up in the same place at the same time. That's not to say there aren't plenty of Chinese involved too.

It felt a little long but at the same time I can see how everything that was in it was necessary. I'm not sure what I would have edited out if I was trying to make it shorter. Its all very clever how everything comes together. Some might complain about the ending, that it didn't wrap up completely but I didn't feel this way. It's a matter of personal preference.

I really liked seeing Chris Evans in a more serious role, though he does get a few jokes in. I believe this proved that he can do some serious acting when given the chance. Dakota Fanning is growing up...she can be a little annoying in this movie but as that's part of her character (and I've seen worse) I wasn't bothered.

Djimon Honsou is, once again, playing the creep and does so in his typical fashion. In all, I'd say he was probably the weak point to the movie, coming across as rather bored with the entire thing. It's hard not to think that might be true boredom.

On another note...while waiting for the movie to start, I felt my chair move several times as though someone were kicking it. I turned to see that the person behind me had put his feet up on the chair in front of him (which was actually the chair next to mine). Well, every chair in a movie theater row is connected and that's what was making that movement. And anytime someone needed to walk past, he took his feet down, then put them right back up. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to deal with this through the entire movie.

Eventually, the preshow stuff changed and I thought the movie was going to start and this guy had not put his feet down, so I turned around and politely asked him if he would put his feet down so that he wouldn't bump my chair.

"I'm not touching your chair."

"I know you aren't. But the chairs are connected and everytime you put your feet up, you move my chair too."

"I'm not putting my feet down. I'm not touching your chair."

He was being so unreasonable and so rude that I was flabbergasted. My friend Marva was with me and I turned to her in astonishment. "Did I not ask politely?"

What bothers me most about this is that every other time I've been at a movie and something similar has happened, I've never said anything for fear of this exact thing happening. And the ONE time I decide to ask someone not to 'kick my chair', I'm totally blown off. Why does he have to put his feet up anyway? There's plenty of legroom in the theater.

Thankfully the theater was packed so there was a person sitting next to me and he had to put his feet down but I really just...urrrgh!

Push receives a 1/5 on the Nastiness Scale...dude behind me receives 10/5 on the Nastiness scale. Take that, ya jerk!

Aren't You Sick Of Those Yet?

2009-02-04T20:09:00.003-07:00

I've got grid portraits coming out of my ears.

Not many people will get this one (though my roommate thought it was her and I must say, it actually does look a little like her, just not as tan) so I'll just tell you.

Tarja Turunen, former lead singer of Nightwish.

What was I going to say?

2009-02-03T16:23:00.004-07:00

For those who wondered, I passed my SET. Highest score yet...70 out of (I believe) 75.

I've been trying to get back into contact with Cecile Thomas, my Jr. High Art Teacher and cooperating teacher when I was doing my student teaching. Apparently there's a big test called the NOCTI which would help me certify to teach photography. I wants it. I also need to take the Praxis at some point...which I forgot about.

My mom told me about an Asian market near my house so I went by there yesterday. It was pretty good. I was really excited that they had the little jello snacks I love so much. They didn't have any kimchi though as the store was mostly geared for Taiwanese and Thai food. But I managed to load up on the clear vermicelli that's used in Japchae. Weeee!

I tried to make Ddeok guk yesterday as well as Kimchi fried rice. The soup (former) did not turn out well at all and I ended up dumping it down the drain. The Kimchi fried rice wasn't too bad though...maybe a little crispy but that's okay.

For those still stumped, here's the key, shall we say, to the drawings I've done: (from top to bottom) Zachary Quinto or Sylar on Heroes, Masi Oka or Hiro Nakamura on Heroes, Christian Bale or Batman from Batman Begins, Milo Ventigmilia or Peter Petrelli on Heroes, James D'Arcy or Lt. Tom Pullings in Master and Commander, and Daniel Craig or James Bond in Casino Royale.

I think I'll go eat some jellies now and then go watch some 24. And Heroes! Yay!

At Macey's, Of All Places

2009-01-29T16:39:00.004-07:00

I was suffering some serious withdrawals recently and so took matters into my own hands. Last night I made some pretty awesome (if I do say so myself) Jap Chae. I realize now I should have taken a picture of it but it would have been on my cell phone and not that great anyway. Still, it tasted wonderful. I had seconds. And then I had the rest for lunch today. It smelled so good while it was reheating in the microwave. I'd felt hungry since 2nd period and now I was going to have the rest of it. Yum! My tastebuds were ready and waiting.

Remarkably, while I was foraging for vegetables at my local Macey's, I came across Kimchi. My withdrawals are such that I couldn't resist and so I bought it, though I had my doubts that it would be any good. For whatever reason, Kimchi here in the states leaves something to be desired. I'm suspicious that it has something to do with Kimchi pots being buried rather than jars just placed in the fridge. That could be me though. But lo and behold (not just lo), it tasted awesome! I took some of that to work too and enjoyed my little side. An aside: sides in Korea are plentiful and wonderful and super cheap. Sides in Japan are scarce and expensive. This is the great difference between Korean food and Japanese food. Oh and Korean is spicy. Which is awesome.

I did, however, forget that the fermentation of Kimchi makes the container volatile so I ended up spilling some of the sauce out on the counter before I quickly moved to the sink. My recipe of Jap Chae now has red stains all across it but oh well. It was totally worth it.

I think the smell of kimchi might have been bothersome to my roommate though as I distinctly heard her spraying air freshener not long after she returned home. I was obviously oblivious to my own smells.

Still, I am not satisfied. I still want more...and while my vermicelli store runs thin, I still have some Korean Pancake Mix which I hope to use to make some Pajeon tonight. Yummy yummy yummy!

Finally A Man Who Wants You For Your Brain

2009-01-27T20:36:00.004-07:00

So did you figure out who all the drawings were? Can you figure out this one? I think he's the most obvious of all of them and, quite frankly, the best one. And technically it's not complete...but I like the posterized look.

Anyway, I'm starting this project with my new students probably this week...we'll see how they do. So far I've been more impressed with the quality of work from my new students than with those from last semester.

And yet...I'm going to have to re-teach a concept tomorrow because I was noticing A LOT of my students didn't understand that they needed value AND shading in their project. Hmm.

I have my 2nd SET evaluation on Thursday as well...which is always nerve racking. I'm already not sleeping well because of it. I totally stress for these things...which is just awful.

I also meant to include this picture on the last post but for some reason blogger didn't want to orient it properly. And I just couldn't bear for him to be sideways...he's just too cool for that.

Also, there is just something really cool going on over at the Red Nose Studio that you all should take a look at.

Grid Portraits

2009-01-24T13:17:00.002-07:00

I'm a little bugged by the fact that I didn't grab the best portrait of them all when I brought these home to photograph. I guess you'll just have to wait to see it.

I have my students do grid portraits similar to those done by Chuck Close. It's a good exercise for them, helping them to look at the part to create the whole. It was even good for me where I tend to draw people fatter than they are. Not only does the camera add ten pounds but so does Mali. Sorry about that guys.

(I'll let you, my readers, figure out who they are.)

I am involved in high treason with all means available to me. Can I count you in?

2009-01-14T20:04:00.003-07:00

Valkyrie (PG-13) - Yes, I actually, willingly, went to a Tom Cruise movie. And it wasn't too bad. I attribute this mostly to Bryan Singer. I think he's a rather clever filmmaker.

Valkyrie, for those who don't know, is about the July 20th assassination plot of Hitler by the German Resistance. It's rather intriguing seeing the war from an alternate view.

Being the nerd that I am, I also found it rather enjoyable that not one, but TWO Mr. Collins' were present in this movie. And both playing skeezy characters. One is a Colonel and the other is Hitler himself. Girl hands himself (Jessi, that's for you). The rest of the cast was very good, including Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, and Kevin McNally (Gibbs from Pirates, and when I realized that one, it was really startling!)

The movie is rather suspenseful and moves very quickly. I was rather surprised when it was all over, feeling like it was a complete whirlwind. That's not a criticism, just an observation. It's not for the faint of heart though and can be a rather sad movie. Particularly if you like Tom Cruise.

1/5 on the Nastiness Scale

'Cause I Thought You Might Like To Drool Along With Me

2009-01-05T21:22:00.001-07:00

Ambitions, redux

2009-01-03T21:15:00.003-07:00

Some of you will remember me making a list of things I would like to accomplish in my life. I suppose I should actually set a date for this, but I think some of them should not be glumped together in a time frame, otherwise I might become frustrated with the whole idea. Still, there are some that I can remove because they've been accomplished! Yay!

Visit Hadrian's Wall -- anticipated for June this year with Tiff...w00t!
See Lord Nelson's memorial on the HMS Victory
Finish my book and get it published
Go to Scotland -- anticipated for June this year with Tiff
Go to England -- anticipated for June this year with Tiff
Go to Japan
Go back to South Korea
Go to New Zealand
Go to Australia -- So apparently my visiting teacher's uncle lives in Australia and said she can bring friends whenever...this might be sooner than I think...
Go to New York
See Mt. Rushmore
Illustrate a Children's book -- In progress
Spend an entire week doing nothing but reading books
Participate in a caber toss
View the Aurora Borealis
See the Ruins in Italy
Go on a road trip similar to the one in Elizabethtown -- Tiff and I are totally planning this now...shouldn't be too long!
Have some part in a major motion picture
See A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back on the big screen
Pet a tiger
Successfully draw my vision of what dragons look like
Be married in the temple
Reach and maintain a healthy weight
Meet "My Top Three"
Make a chess set of my characters
Find someone who will print my face cards and get them printed
Build models of the places in my book
Finish my T-Shirt quilt -- Okay so this one I altered and ended up putting my T-shirts up in my classroom as a soundboard.
Make my SkyLark costume
Learn to break dance
Achieve a score of AA on Loner on Crazy and AA on Funky Tonight on Double
Cosplay as Reno from Final Fantasy VII

Small Sampling

2008-12-31T20:28:00.010-07:00

Instead of inundating you with all my pictures, I'm just selecting my favorites to show you.
At Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo. It has a big red lantern, as you can see here.

Chonin-in Shrine in Kyoto, complete with blossoms.
I don't remember the names of every place we went (I'll have to get those from Tiff) but this was a rather elaborate garden that featured both topiary and sand varieties.Very soon after taking this picture, I slipped on some stairs and hurt myself.Skylines are plentiful in Japan...which was awesome. This one was easy to photograph though. Sweet!This is after we'd been shrined-out...Tiff and Andrew stopped for some ice cream puffs.In Nara, there are deer everywhere and they are quite domesticated. Some were still a bit skittish but for the most part they would let you get near and pet them, though they seemed to prefer if you had some food for them. Matt saw some girl get attacked by some deer for her crackers, which caused her to drop them in fright and run away crying.

Welp, that's it for now!

Official X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) HQ Trailer

2008-12-15T22:05:00.001-07:00

I just don't know how I feel about this. It has the potential to be really good, I like the choice of Liev Schrieber as Victor Creed...but...Gambit doesn't seem just right. And it could be just like X3 which was SO LAME!

I do have to say that if that little girl who bears an uncanny resemblance to Ororo Munroe just happens to be her, that's pretty darn cool.

And, *sigh*, NO Japan?! Graaaahhhh!

Christmas Time

2008-12-15T12:33:00.004-07:00

Here's what the decorated trees look like. I finally got them put up last Thursday, figuring I was running out of time before I was going to leave. Woo! Saturday!

P.S. I will try and blog while I am away, but while I'm in Japan I can't make any promises. You may have to wait for me to get back to Korea for any updates.

Marriage Protest

2008-12-09T20:08:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry for the inundation of videos but this was too funny to pass up.

NIGHTWISH - The Islander

2008-12-09T16:28:00.004-07:00

Okay, some of you may have seen this in the video bar, but if not, you really should watch this. It's fantastic...and even if you don't like Nightwish, it's more tame than their usual fare so you will probably enjoy it anyway. :)

And, I was tagged by CC so here you go:

I've been tagged:
I was tagged by: CC, I just told you that!
I am: Bored and restless...
I think: I should sleep...or watch Love Actually
I know: that I'm tired
I want: a boyfriend
I have: a SpongBob Band-aid on my finger
I dislike: scalp itch
I miss: Mish
I fear: clowns
I feel: cold
I hear: Christmas music
I smell: the air freshener
I crave: kimchi
I cry: all the time
I search: for things I've lost
I wonder: why I can't seem to write anything right now
I regret: saying "I love you"
I wish: tomorrow was the 20th
I love: so much
I care: Luke SkyWalker
I always: check I've locked my car door
I worry: I'll never find him
I am not: always happy
I remember: movies
I believe: in wishing on stars
I sing: loudly
I don't: feel like crying but probably will
I argue: when I shouldn't
I write: about SkyLark
I win: at cards
I lose: patience with students who don't listen
I listen: to my friends
I don't understand: what's wrong with me.
I can usually be found: at my computer
I need: chocolate and Love Actually
I forget: what its like to have someone interested in me
I am happy: when I'm creating.
Now I tag...Raspberry, Moonsahra, Mish and Melanee

The Horror...

2008-12-08T22:23:00.001-07:00

Some of you may experience feelings akin to the time you watched/read Twilight for the first time. Fear not, it'll all be over much sooner.

All My Female Students Can Stop Bugging Me Now

2008-12-05T23:53:00.006-07:00

Twilight (PG-13) - Yes, I finally went and saw this movie and it was better than I was expecting. It moved fairly quickly and kept to the book as well as I can remember. And Edward's shiny skin, as dumb as that idea still is to me, did not appear that bad. For its intended audience, it did a bang-up job and I'll never argue otherwise.

But I think it could've been at least a 1/2 hour shorter if the majority of Bella and Edward's intense and lusty stares were kept to a minimum. I can take watching that only so much before I'm terribly bored.

It was also very disturbing that Mommy and Daddy Swann were both bad guys on 24, Nina Meyers and Gary Matheson respectively. I mean...whoa! I really was freaking out in my seat for a minute there.

And I'm sorry but "I like watching you sleep" is not a romantic line but a rather creepy line.

Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh, probably ornery because I was hungry and tired, but I don't think I need to see it again...at least not in the theater. 3/5 on the Nastiness scale.

Oh and P.S., Edward makes some comment about how the prom is a rite of passage and I thought..."huh...maybe that's my problem."

P.P.S. I saw this at the new Orem Cinemark and they have a Pump it Up machine! I had to play a game! That was the highlight of the evening!

More Vinyl!...er Contact Paper!

2008-12-01T22:28:00.002-07:00

I love the look these trees create in my room. It makes it so much cozier and inviting. And the lights are fantastic. Weee!

I'm going to do these same sorts of trees on the staircase too, but that will take some serious coordination (and I'll need to borrow my dad's ladder.) But still...lookie!

The big tree is going to get a makeover too...just some Christmas lights. I thought that might be fun. :D

Land Down Undah

2008-11-27T00:59:00.003-07:00

Australia (PG-13) - Wow! This movie was...really well done. It lived up to every expectation I had...probably exceeded, actually.

It's been likened to Gone With The Wind, which I will admit, I have yet to see. It's always sounded so boring to me but if this movie is like that one, I'd best get on it.

The interactions between the characters is wonderful and the story is real and emotional. The cinematography was stunning and I was eager to find out what happened to the three main characters of Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), The Drover (Hugh Jackman) and Nullah (Brandon Walters). There were plenty of other familiar faces (at least to me), including Barry Otto (of Strictly Ballroom and father to Miranda Otto), Jacek Koman (of Moulin Rouge!), and David Wenham (of LOTR and Moulin Rouge!) with solid performances from everyone.

It's told somewhat through the eyes of the young boy Nullah, who acts as narrator for most of the movie by treating us to different insights about 'Boss Lady' and 'Drover.' I don't want to give anything away, but I do want to encourage people to see it because it truly is a remarkable movie.

It did have one utterance of the F word and there was a naked bottom at one point and some points where blood was obvious though I do not believe it was gratuitous in any way. That is definitely to director Baz Luhrmann's credit. He does everything with an artistic eye and if its in there, you can bet he thought long and hard about why he did so.

I'm giving this a 0/5 on the Nastiness scale, I liked it that much. I can't wait to see it again.

Seth Green and Breckin Meyer!

2008-11-25T18:38:00.003-07:00

How can you not love these two? They are just such adorable nerds and to see them on Heroes TOTALLY made my day. Now if only there was a 24/Heroes crossover...that would be trippy.

One Month!

2008-11-20T20:09:00.001-07:00

And I'm off to Japan and South Korea! Yippeeee!

For Your Consideration

2008-11-15T22:19:00.003-07:00

Or rather to help maintain YOUR sanity, I started another blog (ages ago) to specifically post my opinions of 24. Yes, I am obsessed, but at least I don't have a blog for every TV show that I like. That would be overdoing it. Instead, I'm just going to let those of you who care, take a gander at the other blog. I'll probably update it as close to when I see the new episodes as possible. With the wonders that are DVR, I may be picking and choosing with show I watch each Monday night (between Heroes and 24). Chances are, Heroes will get the boot. It can wait. Jack cannot. After all, he says many times, "We are running out of time," and "Millions of people are going to die!"

So here's the link. And have fun.

Jack Bauer Power Hour

007

2008-11-14T17:17:00.004-07:00

Quantum of Solace (PG-13) - Wow. That was an intense movie. I'm still trying to form words that will express what I thought about this. It was good, much better than many of the past Bond movies. However, I'm not entirely sold on the idea that it's better than Casino Royale. Maybe I need to see it a few times to be sure.

Still, this was a good offering with plenty of action, including things that I'm sure are ridiculous but hey, that's a Bond movie. Some of it does get a little jumbled and hard to follow, but you are so caught up in it anyway that you are just hoping James comes out of it all right. More cleverness abounds as well, particularly in the way that Bond gets a guy off a motorcycle.

There was one aspect of this movie that I'm still uncertain about...something that pushes the rating limits. A friend that was with me did not see what I claimed to have seen, so I could be mistaken. However, if it was in there, I'll be really disappointed with this movie.

Nastiness Scale: 2/5 (this could change if something 'nasty' is proven to be in there.)

It's Like Going To School In Your Underwear

2008-11-12T20:51:00.002-07:00

I keep having this nightmare that I'm enrolled in a math class. What makes this a nightmare besides the fact that I am horrible with numbers is that it is nearing the end of the class and I have not shown up to class once. Not once. We've had tests and assignments that I've completely blown off. And now the final is approaching and for some reason there's this real feeling that I might pass the class if I can just pass the final.

And to top it all off, sometimes I get this anxious feeling about this math class when I'm awake! It is not solely reserved for when I am asleep. In fact, I'd say I have these anxious feelings as often asleep as awake.

It's really a problem. I hate being stressed out, particularly about things that I have really no control over. Some phantom memory or idea just can't be good when it makes my heart race and my breath to come more rapidly.

I wonder if there's some psychological basis for this. Is there something I'm truly wigging out about and I'm putting in a math class to make more sense of it? I don't know. That kind of stuff is not my strong suit. Amy, care to take a guess?

You Must Use The Force

2008-11-08T11:01:00.001-07:00

I posted this on Facebook too, but for all those who didn't see it (i.e. those of you who refuse to join the dark side...I mean...facebook), here it is for your enjoyment. It's just so awesome!

Tag! I'm it!

2008-10-29T17:59:00.004-06:00

Tag...You're It! 5 Things...

I've been tagged by Nicole! So here it goes:

5 things I was doing 10 years ago ...
1- I was waking up every morning at 5:00 to go to swim practice.
2- I was taking Drawing and Painting and loving art classes most of all.
3- There was much teenage drama between me and two other girls. Alas and alack...
4- It was my Sophomore year.
5- I was set to dress up as a Jedi for Halloween.

5 things on today's "to do" list...
1- Clean up my room
2- Watch 24 with the roomie
3- Collapse in a heap around 10:00 p.m.
4- Work on my book
5- Prepare for tomorrow

5 snacks I enjoy...
1- Cashews
2- Peaches
3- Granola
4- Peanut Butter M&Ms and Reese's Pieces (together)
5- Ice Cream

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire...
1- Become a writer
2- Buy a black Lamborghini Diablo
3- Go to Scotland
4- Buy a cottage in Scotland, covered in Ivy, with an expansive yard with horses and spend my time there, writing
5- Save the rest

5 places I have lived...
1- Orem
2- Provo
3- Orem
4- Provo
5- Seoul (for 3 weeks)

5 jobs that I have had...
1- Swim Instructor at SCERA Pool
2- Papergirl
3- Cashier at BYU Bookstore
4- Screen Printer, Embroider-er, Rented Mule, IT Girl at Sig Pro
5- Art Teacher at Diamond Fork Jr. High

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog. I tag: Liz, Kip, Steph, Melanee, and Raspberry. :)

Celtic Spirits

2008-10-26T18:42:00.006-06:00

I'm still trying to achieve the goal of an art show but I'm still coming up with very little ideas on a theme. Really, I could do something with celtic knots but I'm not sure how to 'synthesize the sound of my emotions' or rather, synthesize some sort of analysis on contemporary knotwork.

It's an obsession really. I do it because the forms intrigue me and that a culture, years ago, had the creativity and the ingenuity to create such elaborate designs that link together. It's a more accurate view on the circle of life, I think, with the twists and turns of adversity that we face. But there's always a way back to where we started from.

I remember when I was in college, working feverishly on all my celtic caskets, how my ceramics professor commented about these 'celtic spirits taking hold of me.' It was such an intriguing idea, both in a literal and in a figurative sense. On the literal side of things, it was one of the first times where an art instructor had encouraged me to pursue an obsession of an idea. Granted, it was a better idea than my previous ruts, but I still felt a swell of pride at that. There was acceptance.

In the figurative sense, it was an intriguing idea that true, celtic spirits could be working through me to create something special. I'm very proud of my celtic pieces, whether they are ceramic or not. There's a real sense of accomplishment in creating a knot that is structurally sound and harmonious.

But how do I portray this in a way that's intriguing to everyone else? I am, of course, completely enamoured of the idea but others...I'm not so sure.

An Aside: I'm gonna be honest with you. If you are a fellow blogger and your blog has one of those music players on it...yeah, I don't visit your blog as much anymore 'cause those music things drive me nuts. Still love you, but hate having to scroll to the thing to turn it off.

Two More Months To Christmas!

2008-10-25T11:57:00.003-06:00

Here are the pictures for the Masque. It was a lot of fun, as far as dances go. (Those who know me well know that I cannot dance nor do I typically seek them out)

In additional news, I now have my ticket to Japan and Korea! Yay! I'm so excited! I leave on the 20th of December and get back on the 3rd of January. It'll be so interesting to see what New Year's and Christmas are like in a different country, particularly one that doesn't really understand Christmas.

Heroes Is A Comic Book

2008-10-17T13:44:00.007-06:00

For the last few minutes I'd been perusing some past reviews of Heroes from, what I would say, is a fairly good critic from Time magazine. I've generally felt that his reviews were fair, polite and logical, as he took the time to give examples for his opinions.

But the one thing I don't get is why people moan and groan about how ridiculous Heroes is without realizing what it's based on: comic books.

If you've ever read a comic book in your life, you'll know that it is not logical on so many levels. For one, they are written in sequence, with only a small portion written out ahead of time. Unlike novels, which possess a strong plotline and a satisfactory conclusion (most of the time), comic books do not tend to have the luxury or such solid structures. Instead, they are organic, ever evolving and changing as new characters and new problems are brought in.

Bearing that in mind, Heroes becomes a very entertaining show. Sure its ridiculous. But hey, when people suddenly have phenomenal abilities that can't be explained or, in some cases, controlled, yeah, that's going to be a bit ridiculous. But it's escapism in one of the best forms.

And it's artistically put together, just like a comic book. The characters are interesting, some of them annoying, much like people you'd find in real life. You find yourself rooting for characters you didn't want to in the first place, if only because they can serve the greater good.

If you are so hard-nosed about realistic TV, I suggest you turn it off because you aren't going to find anything remotely close to what you believe. EVEN, dare I say, Law and Order. There's an element of fantasy to all of it and if you can't accept that, you're better off not even bothering with it.

I like interesting characters, intriguing plots and a little silliness amidst it all. If I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to get past the idea of Jack Bauer getting across LA in ten minutes flat.

MASQUERADE! cymbal crash

2008-10-15T16:01:00.003-06:00

Welp, here's my mask. It took me about a week to make and, of course, the knotwork was the hardest part. Still, I'm very pleased. I'll get some better pictures, along with my dress, put up hopefully after the Masquerade on Friday. I'm very excited about this even though I can't dance. Ha.

Ridiculosity

2008-10-07T21:46:00.004-06:00

Eagle Eye (PG-13) - If you can set aside all your incredulity for the sake of having a good time, you'll enjoy this movie. The premise is completely ridiculous and there are plenty of things that happen that just increase this, but its fast pace keeps it moving enough for you to get involved in it. The first little while seems extremely jumbled and hard to follow but have no fear; this is not a J.J. Abrams production and all your questions will be answered (some of which you can guess yourself if you've seen any movie in the last ten years.)

It has similar features to many action-packed movies, I, Robot in particular. Oh and Live Free or Die Hard. If you liked either of those movies, you might consider this one.

Besides, the more I see of Shia LaBeouf, the more I like him. And there are some good one-liners throughout. Michael Chiklis and Billy Bob Thornton are also in this, providing some interesting characters. Maybe not deep, but interesting.

To it's detriment, it does sport the F word and enough S words to make up for another F word. I was actually rather annoyed by this (most are by Thornton, though LaBeouf throws in his fair share.)

I give it a 2 out of 5 on the Nastiness scale.

Losing My Cred?

2008-10-05T15:20:00.003-06:00

Most days, by 7th period, I've completely lost it. I just can't handle things anymore and so you'll often find me in a fit of hysterics while I battle for power with one of my more animated classes.

Now before you start worrying overmuch, allow me to explain. By hysterics, I mean laughter. I am just laughing my head off at how absurd their behavior is.

One day, because they could not stop talking, I made them a deal. They could be loud and obnoxious and silly for an entire minute but then once that minute was over, they needed to be quiet and focus on me.

My eardrums are still ringing.

Another time, I demanded that they give me a minutes full silence. I sure hope they are never asked to stand a moment in silence for a loved one because within five seconds they were asking questions and shushing one another. "Shut up! You're going to make her cry!"

I realized something then, something that my 7th period was trying to teach me about my previous five classes. I needed to change my attitude.

By the end of the day, whatever stresses I had were now washed away. I'll admit, before each and every lesson I still get freaked out. Teaching is stressful and I wonder, daily, if this is truly what I want to be doing with the rest of my life. I don't think that I will, but for now, it's a good thing for me to be doing. They are teaching me as much (if not more) as I am teaching them.

So my attitude adjustment was put into play last Monday as I reminded my classes that they would have a substitute. Going against what felt natural to say that "they would be good, or else!", instead, I tried a more encouraging tack and said "I know you will be great." I was not disappointed.

Where for weeks it seemed that I was being completely ignored and that whatever authority I had at the beginning of the year had left along with the summer, I saw it returning, ever so slightly, with the kind words I could afford my students.

Isn't that what I had craved when I was their age? Didn't I yearn, only, for a simple kind word from someone I truly respected and admired?

Now I know that not all of my students admire me and that plenty of them are there because they "have to," I know that there are plenty that just want to succeed. And I can help them achieve that goal.

So thank you all you silly kids in 7th period who always give me something to smile about. Thank you all my other periods for doing what I asked when I finally asked it nicely. You all are wonderful.

Gotta Be Somebody

2008-09-29T21:56:00.004-06:00

I swear, Chad Kroeger has a knack for understanding exactly how I feel. A new song by Nickelback says everything that I'm feeling right now.

It's a free download so I recommend you all go get it. You won't be disappointed...well, unless you don't like Nickelback. And then I say, shame on you.

Here's the link: Gotta Be Somebody

This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I'll be waiting for the real thing.
I know it by the feeling.
The moment when were meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I'll be holdin’ my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one that I spent forever with

'Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There's gotta be somebody for me like that.

Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.

Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight
And damn it this feels too right
Its just like Déjà Vu
me standin’ here with you
So I'll be holdin' my breath
Could this be the end ?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I spent forever with?

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There's gotta be somebody for me like that.

'Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
and everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.

You can't give up !
Lookin' for that diamond in the rough
Because you never know when it shows up
Make sure you're holdin' on
‘Cause it could be the one, the one you're waitin' on

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There has gotta be somebody for me - ohhhhhh.

'Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
and everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere ?
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere ?
There has gotta be somebody for me out there.

Art Show?

2008-09-19T22:11:00.009-06:00

I was talking to one of my teachers from college, Dan, who I also TA'd for, and worked in his classroom with when he taught at Timpview High. There are many other connections but needless to say, it would take too long to go through them all.

Anyway, we were chatting on facebook last night and I was saying how much I wish I could come up with a theme to actually put in an art show, particularly when I hear from my students often enough "you could sell all this stuff" or "I'll pay you for that." Granted, children at the age I teach don't quite grasp the concept of how much art costs or what makes it art and not just a good picture. But anyway...

Dan basically told me that I just needed to set the goal and get started. My response was that I am not so much a conceptual person but rather go with what is given to me. So that makes it hard. Although I did get a spark while in a college ceramics class which had me going crazy. Some of you remember that phase...

Well its back. All of my students are working with clay this week so with a huge lump of it sitting out in front of me, I couldn't resist. Here's the result:
It's not fired yet, and I noticed some cracks forming today before I left the school, but I'm hoping it will hold up. I'll just have to see.

I'm also doing an 'illuminated manuscript' where I've taken one of my favorite quotes from my favorite book (ten points to whoever knows what it is) and added it in a design-y kind of way. It's not finished but I'm wondering if there's a way to tie all of this together. Contemporary Antiquities? I don't know.

See, conceptual things are elusive to me.

The Pad

2008-09-16T15:49:00.004-06:00

dumb Dumb DUMB!

2008-09-15T17:14:00.005-06:00

Two things caught my eye today on IMDb. One made me laugh, the other just made me shake my head in disgust.

First, the disgust. Lindsay Lohan has fast become a woman to which I honestly believe if I saw her in real life, I'd have a hard time restraining myself from smacking her. She really is an idiot. Note here what she says about Sarah Palin:

Lohan writes, "I really cannot bite my tongue anymore when it comes to Sarah Palin. I find it quite interesting that a woman who now is running to be second in command of the United States, only four years ago had aspirations to be a television anchor, which is probably all she is qualified to be."

Lohan also spoke about Palin's views on homosexuality.

She adds, "Is it a sin to be gay?. Should it be a sin to be straight? Or to use birth control? Or to have sex before marriage? Or even to have a child out of wedlock?

"Is our country so divided that the Republicans' best hope is a narrow-minded, media obsessed homophobe?"

Well actually Lindsay, most people will tell you that yes, it is a sin to have sex before marriage. Not something you can't fix but come on? Where were you raised? Oh, right. In front of a camera.

And what are you qualified to be, Lindsay? Spokeswoman for Bud Light?

I'm not even a big fan of Palin myself but that kind of a remark just makes me so annoyed. Don't worry, Governor Palin. Lindsay probably doesn't know how to vote.

Second, what made me laugh. "Hollywood star Val Kilmer is tipped to become the next governor of his home state of New Mexico - by the politician currently in the hot seat.

Democrat Bill Richardson has to step down from the position when his second term ends in 2011 - and he would love to hand over the keys to the governor's mansion to Kilmer.

He says, "I like the idea. Val Kilmer is a New Mexican, he was Batman. You know there have been successful actors going into politics."

Of COURSE! Batman! He should always run for office.

Come on, are those his only credentials? Oh, he was a Saint. Um...he was also Madmartigan who helped Willow save the Princess Elora Danan. He was also randomly stamped on my hand nearly every day while I was in High School by this psycho girl who was in LOVE with him. I know this because the stamp said "I love Val Kilmer."

Finally Jack Gets Out Of The LA Office...

2008-09-14T21:50:00.002-06:00

I had my doubts about Season 7, particularly considering WHO is coming back, but this looks to be pretty cool. Big names are definitely a help. Cherry Jones is awesome and I can't wait to see her as the President. Jon Voight is always a good skeezeball. And I just love Jack.

This is, of course, not the actual season but the fun teaser leading up to it. Normally Fox produces a 15 minute teaser that helps lead into the upcoming season and tie it to the previous season. This is a full out, 2 hour fiasco for Jack to navigate.

I hope they don't do away with the clock, but maybe have it periodically throughout, but obviously not in complete real time. Or maybe it will be and everything is being done in 2 hours. Judging by what I've seen, it could be done that way. I guess we'll see.

I can't wait until November!

The Tree!

2008-09-07T20:08:00.003-06:00

Okay here's a little taste of things to come. I finished the vinyl tree last night and while I was going to wait and show everything at once, I was just too excited. So here it is.

I think I've achieved the stereotypical Etsy picture. Ha.

Eventually there will be a couch in front of this too, not just that small chair. But we need big, strong guys to do that for us.

Vin Diesel Just Wants To Eat

2008-09-01T15:39:00.004-06:00

Babylon AD (PG-13) - As far as dystopia type movies go, this is as good as they come. It was surprisingly deep from what I expected going in and was not nearly as predictable as other fare of a similar feel. Still, it was hard not to notice the nods to previous movies like I, Robot, Blade Runner, Minority Report, even Children of Men. Oh and I Am Legend seemed to be in there too, without the freaky, zombie creatures.

The premise was interesting even in its simplicity which often helps in a movie like this. Oftentimes it seems that the directors will get too bogged down in making it look visually stunning that the story is either just too convoluted or too blase to pay any attention to. Thankfully this didn't happen here.

There were a few things that were difficult for me to swallow (two Range Rovers taking on a Hummer? Come on!) but otherwise I enjoyed it. 2/5 on the Nastiness Scale.

Decorating and Bull Sessions

2008-08-29T17:13:00.004-06:00

I love three day weekends. It's a chance to unwind and get back on your feet, and then when you start up again, you're that much closer to the weekend again. And hey, Mondays are the pits so when you get them off, it goes a long way in redeeming them.

I know I promised all you folks pictures of my new place. Well, I could put some up right now, but I'm getting too excited about some design efforts I'm making on the place. So I'd rather wait and show you the REAL deal.

Amongst these, I finally sorted out a better way to organize my room. Before it was very unbalanced with everything on one wall and nothing on the other. I still have that problem no matter what but I think I've succeeded in creating a better illusion of used space then before. It's not all in one spot now and that's good.

It was pointed out to me that my living room is a little too...dead. Too much brown and taupe and beige just making it look...dead. So my efforts are to infuse the area with more alive colors, like bright blues and greens. I think I'm getting closer on that. I want to find an area rug though, which is actually proving harder than I thought. Well, finding rugs isn't, finding one that I like and will fulfill my vision is.

I'm also planning on making a HUGE vinyl tree to put on one of the walls. It's going to take some doing, but I'm way excited about it. I just have to move some other stuff out of the way first...like that ugly gold mirror that's hanging up in the living room. Ugh, mirrors. I hates them.

I want more things for my room too, for the walls so they aren't so bare, but I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I'm not real keen on going out and buying anymore art just because there's not a lot of stuff out there I like. Although I should probably look around more.

On another note, I had a really good talk with my roommate the other night. It wasn't terribly insightful as far as my own situation goes and what to do about it, but I felt more at peace when I realized that yes, I am not alone in the way I feel sometimes. It actually started with her explaining her 'boy' issue and how frustrating it was to constantly have someone on the mind that for whatever reason it just isn't falling into place.

Well I opened up to her about my own anxiety and depression over the issue and though I still cry about it (drives me nuts, that does) I felt much better about it. And I was able to realize that while spending time with Tiff and Matt and his family, I was finally given a mental reprieve from the constant thoughts. He just wasn't there. About dang time! Seriously!

There are many cute guys in my ward but I'm still too new to feel like I can do anything about it. I'm also still bitter about having to even make the first move. That emotion comes in phases. Some days I just feel so attracted that I just don't care what other people think. And other days I'm way too self-conscious and can't bring myself to even admit aloud that I like someone. Either way, I've decided, that dating suqs. Roqs.

I Was Having Too Much Fun

2008-08-21T22:00:00.002-06:00