The 7 Wonders of 2007

I've been a break from reality for at least the last week, which is my excuse for neglecting this blog this month. In a meme I didn't even know was going on, I was tagged twice by Ms. Whatsit and Ms. Cornelius.

Here are the rules that Ms. Cornelius had but Ms. Whatsit didn't:

- Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
- Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
- Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
- Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on his or her blog.

Since I haven't checked my feeds lately, and I'm sure I'm probably the last kid on the block to do this, I'm leaving it open to any 7 people who want to join in. Tag yourself, yo!

I'm thinking about 7 random things in 2007:

1. This year marked the 5-year anniversary for me and my sweetie. I like to ask him 20 questions about the first time he saw me because he claims it was love at first sight. I don't believe in such things. I do remember the first time I saw him, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. I do remember the day I met him I was hardly looking to make a first impression on any future husbands. I was goofing with my girlfriends at a pool match the day before Easter (and a spring break cruise vacation), thus I was wearing bunny ears with my league shirt, and uh...probably indulging in copious amounts of rum. Classy.
2. This has been the year of the babies for people around me. In January, I became a honorary great-auntie when my best friend became a grandma. I became I real auntie--not just an honorary one--in May. To top it off, I became step-granny in October. It is a great thrill when we finally get to see new pictures of our little girls!
3. I love Edward, too! I was totally sucked into Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series just like many of my students were. In fact, I was just as excited to read the third book in the series as I was to read the last Harry Potter. Seriously! Now it's torture waiting for the next book. (I know two other teachers at my school who are shamelessly waiting, too. Nothing like acting like a twitterpated teen girl over a book character for crying out loud!)
4. For my birthday, I had my hair permed for the first time in about 6 years. I really liked it until about a week ago. Now I'm wondering how short I have to cut my hair to cut the curls off.
   
5. I was overcome by guilt last Christmas when my stepchildren came back from their maternal grandmother's house with photo albums of their lives since birth. Obviously I haven't been in their lives since birth, but since their parents weren't together very long into their lives, I've been around long enough that I could have maybe made some photo albums of their lives with us. (The books are all skimpy on time with their dad. I think there's a picture of his car to signify weekend visits with their dad.) Okay, so I have the scrapbook albums and papers, but I have yet to choose and send off for actual photos. The joy of digital cameras...
6. When we moved into our new place in August, I made it a priority to hang things up right away, rather than wait months and months like I normally do. I put up every painting I own, except a print that I recently received that needs framing, and the walls still look sparse. (My bedroom has nothing on the walls, but it's quite peaceful, actually.)
7. This is the year I decided to alphabetize my teacher files. Hilarious, isn't it? The system works pretty well, but sometimes I can't remember the name of the folder where I put the thing for which I'm looking. I'm might be spoiled by the options of Internet folksonomy.
   

Meme-ing Around the Christmas Tree

Mrs. T has been bugging me to do a Christmas series much like the one I did for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure if she's looking for more of me wallowing in self pity, or poignant thoughts on the meaning of Christmas. She flatters the old storyteller inside me. (Back in the day, I belonged to a storytelling group and could spin a yarn or two for those who'd listen.) Besides, I suppose it doesn't hurt to take requests, lest I should blog about inane things. That's why it was perfectly okay for me to steal this meme from Mrs. T to kick off my Christmas stroll of memories both good and bad.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? I look forward to a bit of eggnog this time of year, but hot chocolate is the drink of choice anytime--with a shot of Peppermint Schnapps, please.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa doesn't always wrap the presents? WHAT?!? Why didn't someone tell me? Oh, well. It's not like he does it anyway. He has parents elves for menial tasks like that, aye?

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I think white lights look so elegant! We have colored lights. The kids picked out red and green for outside. I didn't even know they made just that combo. It looks very festive!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Where can one find mistletoe? I would hang it if I could find it.

5. When do you put your decorations up? I don't have a consistent answer for this because there have been many years of my life when I didn't put up decorations because I went home for Christmas and didn't want to be bothered by it all. It really depends on the time factor. This year we had a lot of time Thanksgiving weekend.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Homemade cranberry sauce. My mom always made it, but I came up with a better recipe, which is basically this recipe with some cinnamon added. (Usually, I don't feel rich enough for Grand Marnier, so I use any affordable Triple Sec.)

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: The one that is coming forward in my mind right now is the brown Christmas we had when Santa brought me roller skates. Because the weather was so nice, I was able to roller skate all afternoon long. Most years, roller skates would have been a gift best saved for spring.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I really have no idea. No specific memories or dates are popping up for this one.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes! And some later years my dad let us open everything, and then we'd open Santa gifts the next morning.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Our tree is very tiny, so it was a challenge for the kids to put every single ornament we own on the tree. I wanted to buy a larger tree, but the kids protested. I thought maybe they fond memories of it from the first Christmas we spent together and we made all the ornaments for the tree, but I think they like the fiber optic lights and the smallness of it.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love to look at it from indoors. I dread having to go out into it.

12. Can you ice skate? I can ice scoot! Barely! People with my kind of fluffy behind were not meant to stand on little blades.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Not really, but I do fondly remember that winter Santa brought me roller skates, and since it was a brown Christmas, I actually was able to go outside and skate all afternoon!

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending time with loved ones.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I can't think of anything specific here. Who doesn't love some pie? Or those cookies and candies that you only eat at Christmas--like fudge. Oh, yea. Fudge. I could go with that.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? My brother and I go out and buy stocking stuffers. For the longest time it was really just for my parents--to fill their stockings with stuff, but now it's becoming an arduous task since our families are growing. When our spouses joined the family, we stopped to consider if we should bring them along, but we decided against it. Although it would have been fun, I enjoy the time I have with my younger bro for us to just act like kids again.

17. What tops your tree? A crocheted angel that my mom made. Most everyone in the family has one. Mine has been a little squished somewhere along the years, but it still serves its purpose.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving gifts? I love giving gifts, but I'm not opposed to receiving some.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? For the last few years I really love "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as performed by The Bare Naked Ladies and Sarah McLachan. When I was a kid "Silent Night" was probably my favorite song, but you'd more likely catch me singing "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with my friends.

20. Candy canes! Yuck or yum? Yum.

21. Favorite Christmas movie: I just cannot choose at all! I enjoy watching any Christmas-themed movie.

22. Favorite Christmas Cartoon: I adore Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer!


Feel free to join in if you'd like share some of your Christmas spirit!

Nine Kinds of Weird

I saw this meme over at Rock in My Dryer, which is a really cool mommy blog that has a great weekly feature called Works for Me Wednesday. Shannon has actually been tagged and tagged other people, none of which I am. I stole it anyway because in my little circle of bloggin' buddies, we just don't call on on each other. We wait for volunteers. Haven't you noticed? Is that how we all are in the classroom?

Anyway, here's my weirdness, which may not seem so weird to some of you. We'll see! In no particular order...

1. I was born with polydactyly, and had I not had surgery when I was a baby, this is probably what my hand would look like today. Right hand. Same location. When I put it like that--with visuals and all-- it freaks me out, too. I usually just tell people that I was born with an extra thumb and show them the scar. They're usually still incredulous.

2. The longer I teach, the more of a germaphobe I become. I'm not THAT bad, but give me a few more years... This all probably goes along with my messiness issues.

3. Although I have issues with germs and messiness, my desk is always a disaster. It's just paper, though. No boogies or food. It irritates me to no end, but everytime I clear it off, it just takes a few hours for it to get cluttered again. People! Stop giving me papers to deal with. That means EVERYONE!

4. Also, those little frilly edge from notebook paper drive me nuts. I call them "paper fuzzies." I can't decide if they drive me more crazy on the floor or in my in-box.

5. I prefer to eat my hamburgers cut in half.

6. A new habit: I hum a lot. Especially while walking around my classroom monitoring students.

7. I wore the same color on my toenails for about ten years: green. I always had to buy the color at Halloween. Now you can buy it any time.

8. Chewing bubblegum and blowing bubbles makes me happy. Like a little kid. Regular flavor is the best.

9. I used to play D & D. I was a kick-ass halfing thief named Zora with a ring of invisibility that made me a pretty good fighter when I had to be. I once made the killing blow on a dragon after climbing up his back, while invisible, and stabbing him in his vulnerable place simply with a dagger. I acquired a human fighter named Brian from a deck of something or another. That meant I had to play both characters. I may sound enthusiastic, but I only played to be social.

Life Inventory: Things I've Done Meme

Check out this meme as seen performed by Graycie, Science Goddess, Ms. Cornelius, and many others! To get your own, simply copy, paste, and bold away!


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone (Besides that 6th hour class in 2004?)
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours (From sickness)
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach Or one touched me.
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish--yes!)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

4 Pete's Sake! Yes, It's Another Meme!

California Teacher Guy picked this up at A Clearing in the Fog, and I am passing it on to you! If you're not up to your neck in kids or classroom set-up, join in and let your bloggin' buddies know a little more about you. You can judge for yourself, but I think mine is screaming, "Happychyck is a low-brow, small-town girl!"

4 jobs you've had:
1. bookseller
2. assistant manager at Burger King
3. afternoon cleanup at a donut shop
4. oilfield laborer

4 movies you could watch over & over:
I don't like to watch movies over & over, so I'm listing some childhood favs I don't mind watching
1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
3. Pretty in Pink
4. Footloose

4 places you've lived:
1. Lewiston, ID
2. Orofino, ID
3. Hawthorne, NV
4. Vernal, UT

4 TV shows you love to watch or 4 books you love to read:
1. Friends
2. Oprah
3. Desperate Housewives
4. special primetime news shows like 20/20, Dateline, etc. I don't know which one is which...

4 places you've been on holiday:
1. Williamsburg, VA
2. Costa Rica (can't remember name of place)
3. Phoenix, AZ
4. Oceanside, CA

4 Web sites you visit daily:
1. bloglines.com (And from there I connect to many other magical places.)
2. hotmail.com
3. google.com
4. craigslist.com (just lately)

4 of your favorite foods:
1. mangoes
2. yogurt
3. my homemade burritos
4. Berto's Gelato

4 places you'd rather be:
I'd rather be with people I miss right now and they are in:
1. northern NV
2. CO
3. UT
or I could go for a
4. a nice beach somewhere calm and breezy...not too picky where

The One Book That...

When I first saw this meme over at California Teacher Guy's place, I wanted to do it, but it's hard for me to make definitive decisions about "the one book" that did whatever to my life. ONE! Seriously! Then I saw Mrs. Bluebird tackle this and Mindful Teacher, too. So, what the heck. I ought to embrace the opportunity to talk books like I used to back in the day when I was a bookseller.

1. One book that changed your life: My Posse Don't Do Homework by Louanne Johnson. I read this before becoming a teacher--before it was made into a movie. Perhaps you know the sell-out title, which is the same as the movie: Dangerous Minds. I just remember in the early years of my teaching, it made me feel like I could do this job.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once: As if! As a teacher, I have had to read several books more than once--classroom novels and pedagogical books that I review each year. I had to consult my bookshelf for this one, and I decided on Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston. (Ugh! The new cover is terrible!) She's one of my favorite contemporary Western authors from the 90's. In fact, I think I might reread Cowboys this summer.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: Is it fair if I say a blank book? If not, then I'd take The Complete Works of Shakespeare. It would keep me entertained for a long, long time. Plus, it's so big, I could probably find other uses for it...perhaps as a table or something.

4. One book that made you laugh: I wish I read more funny books. I think the The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore is the last one that comes to mind.

5. One book that made you cry: I cry easily...this one is tough. I bawled throughout the The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere. It was a gift from a friend, but I decided to pass it on to my mother so she could bawl her eyes out. It's one of those short little gift book that you see at Christmas that you know will make you all warm and weepy.

6. One book that you wish had been written: I'm thinking something fun like a POP-UP Betty Crocker Cookbook. That would be a hoot!

7. One book that you wish had never been written: Diet for a New America by John Robbins. How much simpler my life would be without thinking about the dangers of the food we eat. Or shouldn't eat. Uhm, ignorance is bliss?

8. The book you are currently reading: I'm currently reading more than one: The English Teacher by Lily King, The Power of Grammar by Ehrenworth and Vinton, and Adored by Tilly Bagshawe. I'm having focusing issues. I might juggle two books, but not usually three.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Not that I really want to, but I've been meaning to read The Three Musketeers. I have 10 boxes of them in my classroom. I think someone intended the IB 8th graders to read it at one point. When, how, and why--I'm not sure. It just seems like a waste not to use them, so I better figure out a way to git er done. On a personal level off the top of my head I cannot think of one title, but I do have a list of potentials.

10. The original instructions say that I should tag 5 people, but that's not the way I roll. If you would like to try out this meme, knock yourself out. Let me know so I can check out your version!

Down Meme-ory Lane

CaliforniaTeacherGuy has started a memory lane meme. Nothing like a little reminiscing on a warm summer afternoon. So grab some lemonade and then go on over to read his beginning meme. He's also included a template for your convenience!

• Though I have never given birth my own children, after years of teaching, I think I know quite a bit about parenting. I try to be compassionate to parents who are having a rough time with their kids (especially in teenager form) because I've found that most of them are trying their best and are at their wit's end. (My stints at being an evil stepmother also give me insight, of course.)
• I have always loved reading. I used to get in trouble in Mr. Long's language arts class because I was often reading instead of listening to him.
• I still remember moving to another state in April of my kindergarten year. Some boys stole my show-and-tell, which was a stuffed tiger, and hid it in the boys' bathroom. Ew! Yuck! I still remember who one of the boys was, and he never became a nicer person.
• It astounds me that my best friend's oldest daughter is going to be in 9th grade next year. How did she end up with a teenage daughter? In a few years her children will be grown up!! Of course my best friend is a whole day older than I am...so these things could happen to HER, but certainly not me...
• I was fortunate that my parents were strict. Man, my dad was a hard-ass. And kind of a tighwad, too. I appreciate those things about him, though. And my mother kept us in line helping around the house and yard. My brother and I learned a strong work ethic, and we stayed out of trouble because we weren't allowed to just run wild. I still fear the wrath of my father and try not to disappoint him. It's not that bad, though. My sweetie and I love to spend time with my parents--they're a lot of fun! My dad has turned in to a real teddy bear, but when we were younger he could be a grizzly bear. It worked, though.
• I never really planned what my wedding would be like as some young girls did. When I married the first time, I just kind of winged it--and on a low budget no less. It was nice, I suppose, but hardly a dream wedding. The second time around I opted to just run off and get married at a riverside chapel in Reno. That was more a dream wedding to me!
• I first learned…about teaching when I taught Sunday school and vacation bible school when I was a teenager. Mostly I taught the preschool and kindergarten classes. I must have been a completely different person then because those are the LAST two age levels I ever hope to teach. Yea, they are cute, but after that Christmas pageant stint with what I believed to be cousins to the Herdman family (from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), I think I lost a little passion for bringing Jesus to the children. And teaching little children.
• I never expected to have the ability to travel when I became a teacher. Or have any kind of luxury. When I graduated, the going rate for teachers in Utah was $18,000. Luckily, I couldn't find a job and ended up moving to Nevada where I made about $6,000 more a year. I don't get to do it too much anymore because my family has different priorities right now, but when I was single, I was always traveling about.
• By the time I graduated from college, I thought I'd have a breakdown if I didn't get a job. It took me several years to put myself through school, and the last few years were financially the worst. (Not to mention I was ready to move on in life!)
• I have received a lot of criticism in my career. Geez, everyone has something to say about teachers. Sometimes it hurts, but I do try to take those outside thoughts to my own inside thoughts. I'm hardly perfect, so sometimes criticism is the stepping stone to self-improvement.
• I found that I have a low tolerance for poor customer service. When I worked in food and retail I always had supervisors who insisted that the customer was right now matter how crazy they might be. It was never an option to be rude or indifferent to a customer no matter how busy we were, how rude they were, or how bad they might smell.
• I had always assumed I wouldn't live to see my 18th birthday. I was a pretty together kid, but I had a hard time imaging life after high school. It was just so out of my realm of knowledge or expectation. Sure, I made plans, but it just didn't seem real. Or perhaps at the time, it seemed too real.
• I’m grateful for the time I spent working at my job at the independent bookstore through my college years. I worked with a bunch of strong, educated women and through them associated with other women like them. It was more than work, though. They were an extended family to me. My experiences there really shaped a lot of who I became, and for that I am extremely grateful.
  

Wanna give it a shot? Why not?

A Meme... Because I Can

Here's a meme I snagged from California Teacher Guy. He got it from some other people, so be sure to work your way back for some interesting reading. These prompts are similar to some poetry formulas I have used. It's kind of cool to me because you can certainly plan your responses around an idea. OR you can just put down the first thing that comes to your head. That's my favorite. Some of my answers surprise me, too. Just never know what's floating around in my head.

I know that I know quite a bit, but compared to what knowledge is out there in the world, I know nothing.

I believe everyone has to believe in something.

I fought to get myself through college.

I am a strong woman, but sometimes I forget and just hang back in the shadows.

I love unconditionally my family and a handful of close friends who are like family.

I need positive influences in my life or I get sucked into negativity pretty quickly.

I take as much time as I can just for myself.

I hear so many points of view to situations that sometimes I have no idea what the truth is.

I drink my share of caffeine pretty much every day and wish I could quit permanently.

I hate nothing. There are things I dislike, though.

I use too much hand santizer. I think it might be some OCD condition I've acquired.

I want to worry about every. damn. thing. a lot less.

I decided to stay at status quo for at least another year, and once made that decisionI felt a lot more peace.

I like quirky people.

I am a good teacher who feels she could be so much better.

I feel mental exhaustions pretty frequently.

I left a lot of my belongings behind when I moved here a few years ago.

I do love and depend on my sweetie so much that it might be kind of sappily sweet to others.

I hope my sweetie and I start moving a little more quickly toward our goals and dreams. Our progress has been slow, yet steady.

I dream about teaching quite a bit. That's when good ideas come to me!

I drive cautiously around the city and fast on the open road.

I listen to what people have to say because even minor encounters with people can provide life lessons.

I type much better without fancy fingernails.

I think too much sometimes. I think it drives my sweetie a little looney.

I wish I didn't have to work so hard to find inner peace.

I compensate for my shortcomings in many ways. Who doesn't?

I regret not going back to school sooner.

I care about kids and the future they can build for themselves and our country.

I should exercise more.

I am not always tuned into the moment at hand. Talk about out of body experience...

I said, "You'll live. We'll slap a band aid on that and tomorrow you will have forgotten about it."

I wonder what my future holds.

I changed my mind on my chosen career. Several times. Still.

I cry too often over silly things. I can't help it.

I am WYSISYG. Deal with it.

I am not always what people think I should be.

I lose patience as I age. What has happened to common deciency?

I leave this post to retire to bed. Sleep rocks!

Feeling adventurous? Cut and paste it into your own blog (delete my answers, of course), then let me know where to find you. Come on! You know you have nothing better to do!

You Know You're From Utah When...

• Green jell-o with carrots mixed in doesn't seem strange.
• You can pronounce Tooele.
• The U is not just a letter - Neither is the Y.
• You have actually eaten funeral potatoes.
• You've gotten both heat and frost burns off your car's door handle in the same month.
• You are not surprised to hear words like "Darn, Fetch, Flip", "Oh, My Heck" and "Shoot".
• Your tulips get snowed on three times after they come up and twice more after they bloom.
• Hunting season is a school holiday.
• The largest liquor store is owned by the state government.
• You can go skiing and play golf on the same day.
• 30% humidity is muggy and almost unbearable.
• Somewhere in your family tree is a polygamist.
• You know the difference between a 'Steak House' and a 'Stake House'.
• The elevation exceeds the population.
• You've broken down on the highway and somebody stops to help you.
• You can see the stars at night.
• You have a bumper sticker that says "Families are Forever."
• You were an aunt or uncle before you were three.
• Your spouse's mother was pregnant at your wedding.
• You have more children than you can find biblical names for.
• Your family considers a trip to McDonald's a night out.
• Your first child was conceived on your honeymoon.
• You feel guilty when you watch Monday Night Football.
• Your kids believe the deer hunt is a national holiday.
• You drink Coke from a brown paper bag.
• You consider a temple recommend a credit reference.
• At least two of your salad bowls are at the homes of neighbors.
• You believe that you must be 18 or older to order coffee at a restaurant.
• You wonder why fire truck drivers honk when you drive 35 mph in the left lane on the freeway.
• There is a similarity between a ward basketball game and the L.A. riots.
• You think Jack Daniels is a country western singer.
• You negotiate prices at a garage sale.
• You can make jell-O salad without the recipe.
• You've heard about BYU football in a testimony meeting.
• You have two gallons of ice cream in your freezer at all times.
• Your father-in-law thinks Ronald Reagan was a liberal.
• A member of your family wrote in Lavell Edwards for president in the last election.
• Cars in the slow lane are traveling the fastest; cars in the fast lane are traveling the slowest; cars in the middle lanes are always trying to exit.
• Sandals are the best-selling shoes.
• You have to ask for the uncensored version of "Titanic."
• Hotel rooms all have the Book of Mormon.
• You buy your wardrobe at the local grocery superstore.
• You learn about the Mormon Church by taking history in elementary school.
• You live in a state where Democrats always come in third place, unless a zoo animal is running. Then they come in fourth.
• You're on your own if you are turning left.
• Schools stay open, even if two feet of snow falls overnight, but close for the opening of hunting season.
• People wear shorts and T-shirts if the temperature rises above 32 degrees.
• There is a church on every corner, but they all teach the same thing.
• The most popular public transportation system is a ski lift.
• People drive to Idaho, Colorado, (or Arizona) to pick up a gallon of milk so they can play the lottery.
• In-state college football rivalries are bigger than the Super Bowl.
• Beer drinkers don't shop on Sunday.
• You don't have to breathe cigarette smoke until you walk outside a building.
• The cost of living rises while your salary drops.
  
• Every driveway has a minivan and a pickup truck.
• When you buy a new vehicle, cigarette lighters are optional equipment but gun and ski racks are standard.
• Every time a new family moves into your neighborhood, the local elementary school has to hire a new teacher.
• Your paycheck has an additional 10 percent deduction.
• "Temple recommends" is acceptable identification for cashing a check.
• More movies are filmed in your town than in Hollywood.
• You've never had a Mormon missionary knock on your door.
• Your neighbors complain about where they live, yet refuse to return to the state they moved from.
• You make a toast with red punch at your wedding reception.
• You have more raw wheat stored than some Third World countries.
• Your idea of a good time is playing Pictionary in the cultural hall.
• Your idea of a wild party is a six pack of Pepsi and a PG-13 movie.
• You and all your friends come to your mother for a haircut in her kitchen.
• You measure Kool-Aid by parts per million.
• You think "You're a 10 cow wife" is a compliment.
• You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Utah.

I might change my blog to Happy Chyck Lists. Oy! What is it with me and lists lately? I'm working on "100 Things About Me," as I have seen so many do. It's a blast, but it has me reminiscing about home. (Where I grew up anyway. I have certainly always made my own comfortable home wherever I am.)

I talked to my parents today, too. I haven't lived in Utah in 10 years, but I still get homesick sometimes. I have often spent part of my summers in Utah, so I might be getting that itchin' to go hang out in some beautiful red desert. Of course I'd have to behave myself, and that's not much fun...

Anyway, this list makes me laugh so much. Oh, do I have stories to tell about many of these points! Some I can personally relate to, and some are the very reasons why I'm happy I don't live in Utah. And that thought should answer the question everyone wants to know when they find out I am from Utah. But if not, here's your answer: No, I'm not.

The You Know You're From lists for my home now are not half as amusing. Still true, though. Check out your own places here. I'm sure it's worth a good chuckle.

Books by Women Writers Meme

As I was stumbling around the Blogosphere, I found this fun meme at A Sort of Notebook, and thought I'd give it a try.

Just BOLD those you’ve read, ITALICIZE the ones you’ve been meaning to read and ??? the ones you have never heard of. (And you know I have to make other comments.)

Alcott, Louisa May–Little Women
Allende, Isabel–The House of Spirits
Angelou, Maya–I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Atwood, Margaret–Cat’s Eye (I've read others by her)
Austen, Jane–Emma
Bambara, Toni Cade–Salt Eaters
Barnes, Djuna–Nightwood ??
de Beauvoir, Simone–The Second Sex
Blume, Judy–Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (My fav author when I was a preteen)
Burnett, Frances–The Secret Garden
Bronte, Charlotte–Jane Eyre
Bronte, Emily–Wuthering Heights
Buck, Pearl S.–The Good Earth
Byatt, A.S.–Possession
Cather, Willa–My Antonia (I love her!)
Christie, Agatha–Murder on the Orient Express
Cisneros, Sandra–The House on Mango Street
Clinton, Hillary Rodham–Living History
Cooper, Anna Julia–A Voice From the South ??
Danticat, Edwidge–Breath, Eyes, Memory (wish she'd write more)
Davis, Angela–Women, Culture, and Politics
Desai, Anita–Clear Light of Day
Dickinson, Emily–Collected Poems (Since I've read a lot of her poems and consider her one of my favorites, I'm marking this one!)
Duncan, Lois–I Know What You Did Last Summer (A fav author as a teen. Sadly this is the only book where thought the movie was better.)
DuMaurier, Daphne–Rebecca
Eliot, George–Middlemarch
Emecheta, Buchi–Second Class Citizen ??
Erdrich, Louise–Tracks
Esquivel, Laura–Like Water for Chocolate (more than once, too)
Flagg, Fannie–Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café
Friedan, Betty–The Feminine Mystique (I've read at it)
Frank, Anne–Diary of a Young Girl
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins–The Yellow Wallpaper
Gordimer, Nadine–July’s People ??
Grafton, Sue–S is for Silence
Hamilton, Edith–Mythology
Highsmith, Patricia–The Talented Mr. Ripley
Hooks, Bell–Bone Black ??
Hurston, Zora Neale–Dust Tracks on the Road (Read others by her.)
Jacobs, Harriet–Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl ??
Jackson, Helen Hunt–Ramona
Jackson, Shirley–The Haunting of Hill House (Read short stories by her)
Jong, Erica–Fear of Flying
Keene, Carolyn–The Nancy Drew Mysteries (My mom turned me on to this when I was a kid!)
Kidd, Sue Monk–The Secret Life of Bees
Kincaid, Jamaica–Lucy ??
Kingsolver, Barbara–The Poisonwood Bible (I LOVE this author and told sssoooooo many people to read her when she was first published, but this book does not appeal to me. I know if I could just get started...)
Kingston, Maxine Hong–The Woman Warrior
Larsen, Nella–Passing ??
L’Engle, Madeleine–A Wrinkle in Time
Le Guin, Ursula K.–The Left Hand of Darkness
Lee, Harper–To Kill a Mockingbird
Lessing, Doris–The Golden Notebook
Lively, Penelope–Moon Tiger ??
Lorde, Audre–The Cancer Journals ??
Martin, Ann M.–The Babysitters Club Series (I'd rather not, thanks. Ten years ago it kept some young girls hooked on reading, though.)
McCullers, Carson–The Member of the Wedding
McMillan, Terry–Disappearing Acts
Markandaya, Kamala–Nectar in a Sieve
Marshall, Paule–Brown Girl, Brownstones ??
Mitchell, Margaret–Gone with the Wind
Montgomery, Lucy–Anne of Green Gables
Morgan, Joan–When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost ??
Morrison, Toni–Song of Solomon
Murasaki, Lady Shikibu–The Tale of Genji
Munro, Alice–Lives of Girls and Women
Murdoch, Iris–Severed Head ??
Naylor, Gloria–Mama Day ??
Niffenegger, Audrey–The Time Traveller’s Wife ??
Oates, Joyce Carol–We Were the Mulvaneys (Read others by her.)
O’Connor, Flannery–A Good Man is Hard to Find
Piercy, Marge–Woman on the Edge of Time ??
Picoult, Jodi–My Sister’s Keeper
Plath, Sylvia–The Bell Jar
Porter, Katharine Anne–Ship of Fools
Proulx, E. Annie–The Shipping News
Rand, Ayn–The Fountainhead (Actually listened to it on a long road trip two summers ago. I wondered why I waited for so long.)
Ray, Rachel–365: No Repeats (A cookbook? I love Rachel Ray, but why not Mollie Katzen then?)
Rhys, Jean–Wide Sargasso Sea
Robinson, Marilynne–Housekeeping ??
Rocha, Sharon–For Laci ??
Sebold, Alice–The Lovely Bones (I've picked this up so many times...would it be good?)
Shelley, Mary–Frankenstein
Smith, Betty–A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Smith, Zadie–White Teeth
Spark, Muriel–The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie ??
Spyri, Johanna–Heidi
Strout, Elizabeth–Amy and Isabelle ??
Steel, Danielle–The House
Tan, Amy–The Joy Luck Club
Tannen, Deborah–You’re Wearing That (Read some of her others on communication. She rocks!)
Ulrich, Laurel–A Midwife’s Tale ??
Urquhart, Jane–Away ??
Walker, Alice–The Temple of My Familiar (Read others by her.)
Welty, Eudora–One Writer’s Beginnings ??
Wharton, Edith–Age of Innocence (Loved her as a teen.)
Wilder, Laura Ingalls–Little House in the Big Woods (Loved this when I was a little girl.)
Wollstonecraft, Mary–A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Woolf, Virginia–A Room of One’s Own

Perhaps the ??'s are the beginnings of a summer reading list?

Read more about the reader in me here.

The Napoleon Character I'm Most Like

You are Deb and you could drink whole milk if you
wanted.


Uhm...okay. Don't even ask me how I stumbled on that that fact. Somewhere on http://quizilla.com. Where's that? Dunno. Just clicked on something accidently. Kind of amusing though.

So Many Books, So Little Time!

I noticed in Time magazine this week a tiny little sidebar about their critic's picks of the 100 Best Novels from 1923 to the present. Now, I love to torture my husband when we go to the bookstore by standing at one of those "Best-loved" displays and pointing to all of the books on it that I have read. He only reads books in computer language. The majority of my reading is for relaxation. He's usually not very amused with my bragging. Hey! I can't help it that I get all excited over the number of books I've conquered in my lifetime. So for the heck of it I decided to visit Time's site to see how many books on the list I'd read. Only 25! Bummer! Ah, but there are so many on the list I've been meaning to read!

I wondered what other lists existed out there, so I dug around and found some other book lists. Here are the number of books I've read on a few of them:

NEA Teacher's Top 100: 88

NY Public Library's List of 100 Pictures Books Everyone Should Know: 55

The ALA's 100 Most Challenged Books from 1990-2000: 56

"Western 100"--a list of best 20th century fiction written in or about the West: 26

The SF Club's Most Significant Science Fiction and Fantasy Books: 6

Random House Modern Library 100 Best Fiction Books of the 20th Century: 21


Radcliffe Publishing Course's "100 Best Novels of the 20th Century": 45

Pulitzer Prize winners from 1918-2004: 14

BBC's "The Big Read" - Top 100 Books: 45.5

Feminista!'s "100 Great 20th Century Works of Fiction by Women": 22

Oprah's Favorites: 28

The 100 Worst Books of the 20th Century: 13

Just because I'm a teacher it probably isn't surprising that I have read so many children's book, but considering I teach teenagers, it SHOULD BE rather surprising. That's a throw back to my days as a book seller. Had to read what I peddled!

It is startling to me that many of the books I've read on the list I haven't read recently. Of course, several of these lists are from the 20th century and we're WAY passed that now. I wonder if I have been reading just junk the last few years? Some of the best books I've read will never show up on these snooty lists, though. I couldn't find a list of bizarre, edgy books out there. Maybe I'll just create my own!

Well, I have much reading to do...unfortunately, tonight my reading consists of reading what my students have written about the books they've read. Interesting, yes, but not quite as satisfying as a nice thick, engrossing novel...maybe this weekend. sigh