"See You Later"... "Goodbye is Unnaceptable."

Saying "See you later!" because Goodbye is unnacceptable! This is my best friend Staci. She is so amazing and over the course of our friendship she has been able to get me to open up like few ever do.  I dont cry, like really cry very often, and very rarely in the presence of others. In the words of Anne of Green Gables, we are "bosom buddies". This summer she got a new job back in Kansas and in a span of 2 weeks she accepted it and packed her house and was moving. She is such a go getter! I wish I could be more like her. She sees a chance at happiness and she takes it!
We went out to Lindo Michochan on DI and Eastern for the farewell lunch with a few girl friends; Ginger, Melissa, and Amie. The waiters sang to her in the tune of "Happy Birthday to You", it turned into "Con-grat-u-lations to you." Then they gave her a free shot of Tequila and churros with carmel sauce. So Yummy!
After lunch she told me that she really needed a picture with the back of the vegas sign where is says "Thank you for Visiting" and then we saw this cool mural and decided that she needed a picture in front of it.

STACI YOU ARE MISSED!!!

Happy Birthday at work to Me!... And 18 others.

This was the email and the picture of the cake that was served to observe all the teachers/staff August birthdays.

"The birthday cake arrived. I would like to apologize to those who came down during first lunch, and the cake had not arrived. Apparently, they thought they had until noon to finish. Who knew lunch could occur at 10:54 a.m.? It also took longer than expected to list all 19 names.

Again, happy birthday to all the August babies."

While I was down getting my piece of cake I was told by the principal that me and a co-worker are the only adults in the whole school who have the same birthday. As interesting as that is, what I find funny is who the birthday twin is... Dave! The guy who I have been assigned to mentor/whip into shape! He is super flirty, I just laugh off his flirts.

I feel like my birthday is kind of rare, Dave is only the 3rd person I have ever known to share my birthday. The others are Tara D. From Lancaster, and the second to the youngest in the Busath clan from Elk Grove.
How strange is that!?

Death Valley & The Amargosa Opera House

Badwater Basin...

The Paint Pots...

The drive in and out of Death Valley.

On the way back from Independence California and Manzanar we drove through Death Valley. After you leave Death Valley, and are headed towards Pharump you pass Amargosa California. We stopped at the haunted Opera house in Amargosa CA. It was really creepy because there was actually a show going on and this lady popped her head out the door, asked us if we had tickets (in a very mean voice) and when we replied no, she slammed the door shut on us! So creepy. We didn't stay long, just long enough to snap a couple of shots and read the plaque. - not that there is much more to do....

Independance, Manzanar, and The Still Life Cafe

Independence California was such a fun and interesting little town. The sidewalks rolled up early, but there was one thing that was absolutely amazing... the Still Life Cafe. We had the best pork loin I have ever had, all of the veggies were grown in their own little garden and everything was fresh and tasty. It was possibly the best thing I have ever tasted! The restaurant was owned and operated by a french couple who had immigrated to the US about 15 years earlier.

We stayed at the Mt. Williamson Motel. Owned and operated by a elderly couple from Sweden I believe. It was a bunch on small cabins that were clean, tidy, and comfortable. In the morning, the wife made all the guests from the night before a hot breakfast of toast with homemade jam, sausage, a pancakes. How amazing is that?!

 

Manzanar was incredible, visiting, learning and seeing what the US government put the Japanese people of America through during WWII is so heartbreaking. I am so glad that we as a country are not trying to sweep this indiscretion under the rug, rather we are inviting our citizens to come and learn and see what not to do in the future when faced with a similar situation.

Aliens on the road!

This was a few months ago, but I am only now getting around to posting them and I cant remember exactly when we went...
On the way to Independence California for a road trip and for a educational visit to Manazar. We saw these cut outs on the side of the road and knowing us.... we had to stop and have a good time with them!

PS - Amie likes to look at my ear when we take pictures.

Cosmo Exploration Adventure

A few months ago Amie and I decided that we wanted to have more adventure in our lives. We chose to explore the new Cosmopolitan Hotel in the new City Center in Las Vegas. It was definitly interestng and different. We had a stare down with some stone pooches, sat in huge shoes, posed on a purple plush sofa, bought some art from a vending machine and strumed the crystals.

We peeked through the wall of tassels, and wore some window masks.

We sat on a log that had seats screwed into the top, and attended a wedding next to foam people in the pop-up-wedding chapel.

 

Interesting an Unique names of my 2012-2013 students.

Every year I always have a few interesting names in my classes, but for some reason this year my classes seem to be teeming with interesting and unique names. I also always get a kick out of the spelling that common names get.
Here is a list of a few of them.
Jakota
J'ade
Yusimi
Champaigne
Frankly
Cristion = christian
Masoud
Jamilet = jam ie le
Jasmyn
Banesa
Quintavion = quinn Tav ee on
Yaritza  = yar itz a
Dorcas
Ceidi = sadie
Daylily
Noricke = nor ick ee
Japhet
Estpany = esta pany
Manukhone = I have no idea, he goes by tommy.
Rocio = row sea  o
Jobel = joe bell
Yaraimis
Amaree
Fantija = fantasia
Yaredy = ya ready?
Kenia = kenya
Xiomara = zio mara
Tegist = tee gist
JeCori
Jamila = ja milla
ZJustyna = zest tina

So what do you think? How does your name do in comparison?
With the name I was given I understand how it feels to correct every teacher during the first month of school. I have had a teacher give up on trying to pronounce my name correctly and just revert back to calling me Miss (my last name). So with my own experiences of having an interesting name and spelling I try my best to pronounce everyones name correctly, but as you can see - it's getting harder an harder every year.

I just decided to add the pronounciation guide for those of you who were like me and needed it!

My Musical would have been better...

A few years ago while on a road trip to Denver Colorado with my friend Kris we began talking about how much we love Mamma Mia and the fact that all the music is from ABBA. We then started discussing other music groups that we could do that with. We decided that The Beach Boys would be perfect for that! We sketched out a story line and where each song would be inserted. It was awesome! I do believe that scrap of paper is now living at the bottom of a landfill.

 

 

Fast forward about 4 years and someone else had a similar idea and they turned it into a show in Las Vegas called Surf. Shanna was able to get she and I free tickets to the last show. It was fun, and the backdrops were really well done. I am glad I got to see it... but I still think my musical would have been better!

 

Stargazing with friends & Dominos with family

On my way home from my Utah vacation this August I stayed with Jessica for one night. There just happened to be a meteor shower happening that night. I am so glad that she and her brother Jacob and his new wife were going out to watch. We packed up the car, picked up the married couple and then blasted BSB on our way out to where we were going to layout and watch. We drove east on 189, passing bridal veil falls and then pulled off the road onto W. Main Canyon Road and then pulled off the road in a farm driveway. We set up the blankets and got ready to watch the meteors shoot across the sky.

The next morning I was driving down the road that leads to Jessicas house as I drove over to my Grandparents house. I love the view from Jessicas route. The "Y" is so fun to see.

Before I left town I had to stop

 and drive by my Grandma Andersons house,

 just to see the changes since she moved to Twin Falls ID.

On the way home on the I-15 I had to pull off the road to snap these awesome sunbeams near Nephi UT.

That night I spent with Jeffs & Suzannes family in St. George. I am always so glad to spend time with them and their adorable family. I got there just in time for dinner and games before the kids went to bed.

 

 

The next morning, the view was so amazing. I love the Red Rocks of St. George. I treated my family to my favorite resturaunt in St. George - Mongolian BBQ. The lady ther ehelped the kids use their chopsticks, or in her words - to be chinese. She loved Branson! She was about to take him home with her. We found out that Branson is really good with chopsticks... who knew!

After Jeffs family left to go home I stopped at Dandylion wishes - a scrapbook store, and while I was shopping I found out that the I-15 through the gorge was totally backed up because of the construction going on in the gorge. It normally takes about 35 min to drive through the gorge, with the construction it was taking 3-4 hours! Luckly I was able to ask the shop keeper about another way around the gorge. I was able to drive north toward  Santa Clara and then through the Native American Reservation and through the montain and then meet up at the I-15 right as it came out of the gorge. Saved myself some major time! 

While I drove I saw a minor brush fire.