Mandalynn’s Memoirs

I wonder where she gets its from?

2012-01-10T21:14:00.005-07:00

My mother, Irene:

My niece, Amelia Irene:

My Remodeled Master Bathroom

2011-11-13T00:37:00.000-07:00

This summer when I came home from Europe, I noticed that my shower drain was leaking and had even caused damage to the ceiling in my kitchen. "Great," I thought. Well, it actually did turn out to be a great thing. It spurned me to remodel my entire bathroom - something I'd wanted to do since I moved in. I liked my bathroom before, but it was pretty standard and I thought it had some odd spacing choices. Luckily, Randy Williamson, the owner of Colton Cannon Glass & Finishing, lives in my ward and was able to give me a very reasonable estimate for the remodel. I have been extremely impressed with the work that was done and highly recommend him!! If you are considering any remodeling in your own home, give Randy a call and have him give you an estimate. I promise, you will not be disappointed!! Anyways, here are some before and after pictures:

Before - The bathtub

Before - The Shower

Demo - Randy removed the dividing wall between the tub and shower.
He also removed the fiberglass shower and the surround from around the tub.

He then tiled the floor, built and tiled a shower bench,
and tiled the surround around the bathtub.

He also tiled the shower walls.
Ah, I love this brick pattern!!

Finished Product -
The bathtub with tiled surround and tiled shower bench.

Finished Product -
The tiled shower with decorative tile border,
tiled bench, and Euro glass enclosure.

Surgery Saga

2011-11-12T10:55:00.004-07:00

Frankenstein Foot

Recovering

So I'd needed foot surgery for awhile now, but I'd put it off. I put it off for several reasons, but the two main reasons came down to inconvenience and expense. I finally decided I couldn't put it off any longer especially when I learned about a pain medication study that would pay for all related medical foot surgeries. "Well," I thought. "If that is the case, expense will no longer be a deterrent."

I looked into the pain medication study and found it to be a legitimate, trustworthy study. All participants receive a free medical foot surgery, including all pre-op and post-op visits, as long as they participate in a 48 hour post-op pain study. In addition to paying all medical costs, the study would also pay each participant $650. Participating in the study seemed to offer a lot of positives. The only negative aspect of participating was the possibility of receiving a placebo pain medication during the 48 hours following surgery. "So what?" I thought. "I'm tough and have a fairly high pain tolerance. I can go through two days with a little pain."

Needless to say, I signed up and had the surgery. Everything went well during surgery and the first few hours after surgery. The medical researchers had me record my pain levels in a pain journal every hour following surgery. The first few times I gave my pain relatively low ratings (1, 2, 4). But after several hours, the medication from surgery had worn off and I began feeling it. When I finally listed my pain level at a 6 out of 10, the researchers began giving me the study "pain medication." It was given through an IV and I was told to let them know when I felt any relief. After 15 minutes, I had felt no relief. In fact, my pain was still increasing. After another hour, the researchers gave me another dose of the "pain medication." Still, I felt no relief and my pain continued to increase.

By this time, I knew that I had definitely received the placebo. Now, I thought I was pretty tough, but I guess when a surgeon saws the bones in your foot in half and reattaches them with screws, it hurts more than I expected. I'm not a whiner or a crier, but I was on the verge of tears. After two rounds of my "pain medication" and a round of ibuprofen, the researchers said I could opt to go "off study." The researchers said that going "off study" meant that whatever they were giving me for the study (the placebo) wasn't working so they'd record those results, stop giving me the study "pain medication" and start giving me Percocet. I told them that I'm not a quitter and I don't like quitting. They laughed and said that it didn't make me a quitter. They said that whenever a patient gets the placebo, this happens - that it's pretty standard.

With that reassurance, I decided to go "off study" and start taking the Percocet. What a difference actual pain medication makes!! I still had to stay my 48 hours to be monitored by the researchers, but instead of taking their fake medicine, they regularly dosed me with sweet, sweet Percocet. I'm home now and am recovering quite nicely. I should be getting my $650 next week and will shortly be purchasing a new iPad. Yes, I experienced 5-6 of the most painful hours of my life, but I got excellent medical care, saved my $1000 insurance deductible, and even made $650. Well worth it.

School Stuff

2011-11-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last week while Zack was playing with his DS, Louis was watching him and making fun of him because he wasn't doing very well. After Zack made some foolish gaming mistake, Louis stated, "Come on, Zack! What are you doing?" Zack replied, all frustrated, "I know. My brain is so full of school stuff, I can't concentrate." That's right, school stuff is interfering with his gaming abilities. Stupid school stuff.

Making Change

2011-10-15T21:06:00.003-07:00

Last week I was at my grandma and grandpa's house when my cousin, Zack, walked in the front door. He lives a few houses away and saw my car in the driveway so he thought he would come over and solicit me for money for his school's jog-athon. He came straight in, ignoring my grandparents, and said, "Mandy, would you like to give me some money?" I just thought he was begging for money so I replied, "No." He continued, "But, Mandy, it's for my school's jog-athon and all the money will stay at the school." Well, I'm a sucker for school fundraisers, so I gave him 5 dollars.

My grandma then turned to my grandpa and told him to give Zack some money, as well. My grandpa got out his wallet and pulled out a 10 dollar bill. He told Zack, "I'll give you the 10 and you give me the 5." Zack snatched the 10 dollar bill from my grandpa and said, "How 'bout I have $15."

I started laughing. Apparently he knows all about adding money, but has yet been taught how to make change.

Great Weekend

2011-09-27T17:25:00.003-07:00

Once upon a time (May 26, 2011), I wrote a post titled, "Mixed Feelings." You can go back and read it, but it basically stated the beginning of a hope - a hope that the Diamondbacks would win the National League West Division. Well, on Friday, I was at Chase Field to witness that hope become a reality. It was awesome!! After finishing on the bottom of the division for the past two years, the Diamondbacks surprised everyone (even their most die-hard fans) by not only taking the entire division, but reigning close to the top of the entire league (they are currently in third place, but can move into second place with tonight's game). No one thought this was possible. In fact, after spring training, experts believed they would finish close to the bottom, again. They have truly been the surprise of MLB this year and I've loved watching every moment of it!! Here's a great video of the team celebrating after clinching the division:

Celebrating AZ style . . . by jumping in the pool.

Mom's Birthday @ The Melting Pot

2011-09-14T16:48:00.004-07:00

On Tuesday we went to the Melting Pot to celebrate my mom's 54th birthday. Here are a couple of pictures from the celebration:

My Mom and Dad

Jackie and Adam. Doesn't Adam look happy?

Louis, Mindy, and Dad
Now those are some happy faces.

Me and my beautiful mom

MLB All-Star Festivities

2011-08-03T10:17:00.007-07:00

In July, I want to Arizona for all the MLB All-Star Festivities. It was an awesome experience!! On Saturday, July 9th, I went to All-Star Fan Fest with my parents, Jeanine, Zack and Mitch. It was a baseball lover's dream. They had areas set up to practice all your baseball skills - batting, pitching, fielding, and sliding. Here are a few pictures:

Dad, Me, Zack, and Mitch

Mitch watching them run the bases.

Zack and Mitch sliding into home.
(I cut off Zack and missed his slide, but you can see Mitch's).

On Sunday, July 10th, my dad and I went to Chase Field to see the Futures Game and the Legends and Celebrity Softball Game. The Futures Game is made up of minor league players. The fun thing is that a majority of MLB All-Star players were selected to play in the Futures Game when they were playing minor league ball. The players are divided into teams based upon their nationality - USA vs. the World. The USA ended up winning 6-4. The Legends & Celebrity Softball Game was also pretty fun to watch. D-Back's favorites, Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace, were two of the legends to participate.

Team USA and Team World.
The mound is surrounded by flags, representing all participants.

Setting up the field for the softball game.
Can you see they're shortening the outfield.
Cool thing is, they even brought in a small pool.

On Monday, July 11th, we went the Home Run Derby. This was by far my favorite event we attended. Man, can those boys hit!! Although I'm not much of a Yankee fan, I was cheering for Robinson Cano. He was very, very impressive and I'm glad he ended up taking it.

After Cano's win.

Finally, on Tuesday, July 12th, we attended the All-Star Game. It was such a fun experience to see the game at Chase Field. D-Back players, Justin Upton and Miguel Montero, were cheered on the loudest. It was great to see!! Although, the player I enjoyed seeing the most was Kevin Youkilis. I had never seen him bat in person and I loved seeing it!! Of course, the best thing about the game - the score. National League took it 5-1. Home Field Advantage, baby.

Me watching warm-ups.

Me and my dad.
I have no idea why we're not looking into the camera.

I love this shot. The D-Back's A and the All-Star.

Right before the National Anthem.

European Travels

2011-07-07T23:34:00.005-07:00

Click on the links below to read more about what I did and what I saw during my European Travels:

Rome
Pompeii
Olympia
Epidaurus
Mycenae
Athens
Delphi
Mykonos
Kusadasi
Patmos
Rhodes
Crete
Santorini

Santorini

2011-07-07T22:43:00.007-07:00

The last stop on our cruise was the island of Santorini. This island has a very interesting geological history. It is basically the remains of a large volcanic eruption that occurred 3,600 years ago. Prior to the eruption, Santorini resembled any other island - It was round. Since the eruption, Santorini has looked like this:

The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by ash deposits. That's why all the beaches in Santorini are black sand beaches. Many historians believe that this eruption caused the end of the Minoan Era. Historians believe that the eruption created a large tsunami that destroyed the Minoan navy. Because of this destruction, the Minoan Empire declined and was taken over by the Mycenaean Empire (see my posts on Mycenae and Heraklion). Many historians also believe that the legend of Atlantis is based upon the volcanic eruption and destruction of this island.

When we arrived in Santorini, we took a bus to the city of Oia. This city is one of the most photographed cities in Greece. It's what most people think of when they think of Greek islands.

Our cruise ship entering the caldera.

Taken from our ship as we're heading into the caldera.

Taken from the bus as we drive to Oia.

The eight of us. I'm the bottom right :)

Oia

Me and Oia

The buildings were beautiful

Colorful shop entrance

The setting sun over Santorini.

Heraklion, Crete

2011-07-07T14:07:00.007-07:00

The next day of our cruise we headed over to Greece's largest island, Crete. I was the only one of the girls who wanted to visit the archeological site of Knossos Palace so I departed from my group and headed there. Knossos was very similar to Mycenae, in that people don't know where the actual historical facts end and the mythology begins.

Facts:

The Palace of Knossos was built between 1700 and 1400 BC. It spread over 6 acres and had over 1300 interlocking rooms that were connected by hallways of varying size and direction.
In the middle of the palace was a large courtyard used for games. In one of the games an athlete would grasp the horns of a charging bull and vault over the animal's back.
Knossos had two common symbols - The bull and the Labrys, a double-bladed axe.
Knossos was the ruling city during the Minoan Era (2200 BC - 1300 BC).

Based on the facts, can anyone guess the myth commonly associated with the Palace of Knossos? If you guessed Theseus and the Minotaur, you would be correct.

In Greek Mythology, Zeus transformed himself into a bull and kidnapped the beautiful, Europa (Fact: The continent of Europe is named after her). He took her to the island of Crete where she was made the queen. She eventually gave birth to Minos (Fact: The Minoan Era is named after King Minos) who grew up to be the king of Crete and the ruler of Knossos Palace. King Minos had many children. One of his children, Androgeos, traveled to Athens where he participated in and won the Pan-Athenian Games. The Athenians were so upset over Androgeos's victory that they killed him. When King Minos discovered this, he declared war on Athens.

To avoid war, the king of Athens, Aegeus (Fact: The Aegean Sea is named after King Aegeus), agreed to send seven boys and seven girls to Crete every nine years to be sacrificed (Pop Culture Fact: This myth was part of the inspiration Suzanne Collins used when writing the novel, The Hunger Games). These Athenian youths would be forced into a maze, or Labyrinth, where they had to face the Minotaur, a half-man/half-bull creature who lived in the middle of the Labyrinth (Fact: The word Labyrinth comes from the maze-like design of Knossos and it's symbol, the Labrys). After several nine-year intervals, Theseus, the son of Aegeus, volunteered to take the place of one of the sacrifices and go to Crete to kill the minotaur. Upon his arrival in Crete, Theseus entered the Labyrinth and made his way to the middle. There he encountered and killed the minotaur. With the help of King Minos's daughter, Ariadne, he then made his way out of the Labyrinth (Pop Culture Fact: In the movie Inception, the character, Ariadne, designs mazes in the dreamworld). He joined the other Athenian boys and girls and they all sailed for home.

Carvings of the Labrys, or double-bladed axe,
can be found all over Knossos.

Symbols of the bull can also be found.

Reconstructed Fresco from Knossos Palace.

Fresco depicting an athlete jumping over a bull.

Many believe this fresco depicts the prince of Knossos.
Could it really be Androgeos?

Some of Knossos's 1300 rooms

More of the rooms

Can you see why people thought it resembled a maze?

The Throne Room

The Queen's Room

In addition to being the setting for the myth about Theseus and the Minotaur, Knossos Palace is also the setting for the myth about Daedalus and Icarus. In this myth Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth, and his son, Icarus, try to escape the island of Crete. To do so, Daedalus creates wings made from feathers and wax. Daedalus and Icarus strap the wings onto their arms and fly away. Daedalus had warned his son not to fly too low or too high. If he flew too low, the ocean would get the feathers wet and he would fall into the sea. If he flew too high, the sun would melt the wax and he would fall into the sea. Icarus did not listen to his father and flew too high. Because of this, the wax melted and he drowned in the sea. My guide in Knossos said we should live our lives based on the message of this myth - In our lives we should not fly too high or too low, but keep a nice balance. I loved that.

As you can see, Knossos was an awesome place to visit regarding mythology, but there were other things about it that made it remarkable. Knossos also had running water, the oldest surviving theatre in Europe, and the oldest surviving road in Europe. How awesome is that?!

Terracotta water pipes ran under the entire city.
People didn't have running water 100 years ago in the USA,
but they did 3000 years ago in Knossos.

The oldest theatre in Europe.
My guide said it looks like little more than stairs,
but the idea of having a theatre more than
3000 years ago is what's impressive.

Another angle of the theatre

The oldest known road in Europe.

Rhodes

2011-07-07T12:03:00.008-07:00

The next day of our Greek Cruise was spent on the island of Rhodes. This was my second favorite island we visited (my first being Mykonos). Rhodes is most famously known for the Colossus of Rhodes. It was the 3rd of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World we visited.

During the morning, we went on a walking tour of Old Town. The Old Town is the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe. It was built in the 14th Century by the Knights Hospitaller. The Order of the Hospitallers was founded in Jerusalem in 1023 to care for the sick pilgrims who came to the Holy Land. They operated there until the Holy Land was conquered by Islamic forces. The Knights then went to Rhodes, where they became known as the Knights of Rhodes, or sometimes the Knights of Saint John.

On the Island of Rhodes, the Knights became a military force defending the island from pirates, an Egyptian Sultan, and an Ottoman Sultan. The Old Town was built inside ancient castle walls, complete with arrowslits for defense, non-functioning drawbridges, and a dry mote around the wall. The old town is littered with old canon balls the size of basketballs. Modern day stores have been built within the castle walls, but they all have an old medieval look.

The medieval wall surrounding the Old Town.

The main entrance to the Old Town.

Ali, Chelsea, Amanda, Me, & Steph

The Palace

The Knights of Rhodes Shield

More Old Town

More Old Town

Check out these cobblestone streets!!

A Medieval Fountain

Beautiful Building and Foliage

I loved it. It reminded me of Robin Hood.

Sandra, Steph, Chelsea, Tanya, and Me

In the afternoon we left the port and Old Town and went to the most gorgeous beach. The water was crystal clear. We could see the bottom of it even after swimming out quite far.

Beautiful Beach!!

Me and the Aegean Sea.

Patmos

2011-06-28T16:38:00.003-07:00

After leaving Turkey, we headed to the island of Patmos. Patmos was an important place in early Christianity. The Apostle John was on the island of Patmos when he wrote the last book in the New Testament, The Book of Revelations. We had the option of going to the Cave of the Apocalypse to see the place where John received this revelation, but we opted for the beach instead. I know, we're heathens.

I love the beach!!

Kusadasi, Turkey

2011-06-28T15:08:00.006-07:00

On the second day of our cruise, we left the country of Greece (and even the continent of Europe) and headed to Kusadasi, Turkey.

Yay, Turkey!!

Me and Kusadasi

Very Modern Looking Turkey

More Traditional Looking Turkey

Beautiful Buildings and Flowers

The first place we visited was The House of the Virgin Mary. Many believe that the Virgin Mary was taken to Turkey by Saint John and that she lived out the rest of her life there. In the late 1800s, the foundation of the house was found, along with a baptismal pond. Later, a house was built on the original foundation.

The House of the Virgin Mary

It was beautiful and surrounded by gorgeous foliage.

The Baptismal Pond

After the House of the Virgin Mary, we went to Ephesus. Ephesus was an important city in Ancient Greece, Roman Times, and Early Christianity. It was the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. It was the 2nd wonder we had visited so far (we ended up visiting a total of 3 of the 7). Ephesus was also the place where the Apostle Paul wrote the 7th book of the New Testament, 1 Corinthians, and also the 10th book of the New Testament, Ephesians.

The Temple of Hadrian

Nymphaeum Traiani built between 102 - 114 AD

Hercules Gate

The Public Toilets!!

They literally sat cheek to cheek.

Check out this amazing mosaic from the 4th Century AD.

The mosaic hallway was super long.

The Library of Celsus
The Library was built in 135 AD and contained 12,000 scrolls.

I love libraries!!

On the way back to the port, we stopped by the bazaar to do a little shopping and to see the Turkish rug weavers.

The Turkish Bazaar

Turkish Rug Weaver

Mykonos

2011-06-27T21:41:00.004-07:00

After touring the mainland of Greece, we jumped on a cruise ship to visit some of the Greek islands. Our first stop was Mykonos. There were several islands I was excited to visit, but this was not on my list. I'm so glad we went to this island because it ended up being my favorite stop on the entire cruise. Mykonos is a gorgeous island covered in picturesque white buildings with bright trimmings. I loved it and want to go back and stay exclusively there on vacation. If you're looking at a Greek cruise, make sure this island is one of your destinations!!

Amanda and Me as the ship approaches Mykonos.

Beautiful View of the City.
This picture just doesn't do it justice.

Me and the lovely beach.

This part of the island is known as "Little Venice."

The doors and windows were so colorful!!

Overlooking the city from the windmills.

Mykonos's Famous Windmills

The girls on a narrow Mykonos street (more like a hallway)

It's hard to tell, but this was taken at dusk.
The sun had set and it was almost dark.

Delphi

2011-06-27T20:18:00.006-07:00

After our day in Athens, we drove up to Delphi. I was super excited to go to Delphi. It was my favorite place I had visited the first time I went to Greece. I was not disappointed. Not only did I love it 10+ years ago, I loved this time around as well.

On our way to Delphi, we passed two interesting places. The first was a monument dedicated to the Greek Resistance Fighters from WWII. The second was the ski resort of Arachova. This resort town was beautiful and we began to refer to it as the Park City of Greece.

Monument dedicated to Greek Resistance Fighters

Me with the town of Arachova in the background.

The mountains surrounding Arachova

After driving three hours from Athens, we arrived in Delphi. The ancient city of Delphi was believed to be the spot where the God Apollo slew the giant Python. Because of this, Delphi became a major site of worship for the God Apollo. It also became the sight of the Pythian Games which began in 586 BC. Like the Olympic games, these games where held every 4 years. Unlike the games in Olympia, the Pythian Games were held in honor of Apollo not in honor of the God Zeus. The winners of the Pythian Games were awarded laurel wreaths. A list of Phythian winners can be found inscribed on the Athenian Treasury with a depiction a laurel wreath under the name of each winner.

The Stadium where the Pythian Games were held.

Another view of the Stadium

The Athenian Treasury

The Athenian Treasury from another angle.

The depiction of laurel wreaths and the names of the Pythian winners.

Delphi is most well-known for housing the Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle was presided over by a priestess, known as the Pythia. The ancient Greeks believed that Apollo spoke through the Pythia. Apollo would inhabit the spirit of the Priestess of the Oracle and that Priestess would then give prophesies to all those who sought them. There are over 500 written prophesies that have survived from various sources.

Temple of Apollo ruins.
This is where the Oracle gave the prophesies.

Only 6 columns remain from the Temple of Apollo.

Another shot of the columns.

Me above the Temple of Apollo.
I was on my way up to the stadium
which is located at the top of the mountain.

The Theatre of Delphi.
The Theatre contains 35 rows and can sit 5,000 people.

Another view of the theatre.

The Sanctuary of Athena is located about 1/2 mile from the center of Delphi. I had already hiked up to the top of the mountain to see the stadium, but I really wanted to also see the Sanctuary of Athena so I then had to run down to the Sanctuary. Running down wasn't so bad, it was running back up that nearly killed me. It was definitely the most tiring day of the trip!!

The Sanctuary of Athena.

Me in front of the Sanctuary of Athena.

Athens

2011-06-27T18:54:00.007-07:00

The day after visiting Epidaurus and Mycenae, we toured Athens. Although there has been an excessive amount of news coverage about the protests and unrest in Athens, I found it to be rather uneventful. Yes, the country is in a huge economic downturn and the people are upset with the government over the cuts caused by austerity measures, but at no time did I feel in danger or threatened. I know several people were nervous when I told them I was going to Athens, but rest assured, there was no reason to be so.

Us in front of Parliament with a dog who was searching for shade.

Greek Parliament Building

Protest Signs

More Protest Signs. Protesters had camped out
across from Parliament in a tent city.

After visiting the Parliament Building, we went to The Acropolis. The Acropolis was still as impressive as it was the first time I saw it 10+ years ago. Most of the remaining building were built 2,500 years ago in the 5th century BC.

A picture of the Acropolis taken from Mars Hill.

A picture of Mars Hill taken from the Acropolis.
It was here that the Apostle Paul preached to the Athenians,
calling them to repent from idolatrous ways and come unto Christ.
(Acts 17)

Walking up to the Propylaea, the Gateway to the Acropolis.

Entering through the Propylaea.

The Parthenon, dedicated to the Goddess, Athena.

Amanda and Me sitting in front of the Parthenon.

The Erechtheum

Amanda and Me on the other side of the Erechtheum.

Me with the city of Athens and the Temple of Zeus in the background.

A closeup on the Temple of Zeus

Temple of Hephaestus

Theatre of Dionysus

Odeon of Herodes

Mycenae

2011-06-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

After leaving Epidaurus, we headed over to ruins of Mycenae. The city of Mycenae is a mixture of facts and fractions of mythology. The wonderful thing about this city is that people don't really know where the facts end and the myths begin. As someone who loves mythology and is a bit fanciful, I loved this aspect and tend to believe that there's some truth to the mythology. So, here's what we do know . . .

Fact - Mycenae was a city that dominated southern Greece in the second millennium BC (that's right, over 3,000 years ago).
Fact - The time period from 1600 BC - 1100 BC is known as the Mycenaean Era after the city of Mycenae.
Fact - The Mycenaeans traveled, traded, and conquered around the Mediterranean. (And even beyond - Mycenaean artifacts have been found as far away as Ireland).
Fact - The Mycenaeans defeated the Minoans, ending the Minoan Era (Middle Minoan Era: 2200 BC - 1500 BC).
Fact - In 1874, archeologist Heinrich Schliemann began excavating Mycenae, believing it to be the city that defeated Troy in Homer's Illiad.

And here's a little mythology mixed in . . .

Myth (or is it?) - Mycenae was founded by Perseus (that's right, the slayer of Medusa). Several historians believe that Perseus was an actual historical figure who founded the city of Mycenae. Of course, he wasn't actually the son of Zeus and he didn't actually kill mythological creatures, like the Gorgon, Medusa, but some historians believe he was an actual person. The guide I talked to in Mycenae explained that the myths about Perseus were stories created by the Mycenaeans to glorify the founder of their city. She compared it to the story of George Washington cutting down the cherry tree.
Myth (or is it?) - The people of Mycenae later chose Atreus as their new king. Atreus had two sons, Agamemnon and Menelaus. Agamemnon would go on to inherit Mycenae, while Menelaus would rule Sparta. After Menelaus's wife, Helen, left him for Paris, the Prince of Troy, Menelaus and Agamemnon waged a 10-year war on the city of Troy, known as the Trojan War. Several historians and archeologists, including Heinrich Schliemann, believe that the tale of the Trojan War, as described in Homer's Illiad, is more fact than fiction. In fact, during the excavation of Mycenae, Schliemann found a gold burial mask in one of the tombs and declared, "I have gazed upon the face of Agamemnon."
Myth (or is it?) - The city of Mycenae is surrounded by the Cyclopean Wall and the entrance is known as the Lion Gate. The Cyclopean Wall derives it's name from the fact that it was believed that the wall was so big that it could only have been built by a group of one-eyed giants called cyclopes. (Okay, Okay, this one is probably all myth).

Standing in front of the Treasury of Atreus
(sometimes referred to as Agamemnon's Tomb)

Seriously, it's huge.

The Lion Gate

The Lion Gate and part of the Cyclopean Wall.

Ruins of Mycenae

Ruins of Mycenae

Me at the top of Mycenae

Epidaurus

2011-06-26T20:51:00.003-07:00

The day after visiting Olympia we went to Epidaurus. This was absolutely my favorite place I visited on the entire trip. The Ancient Greeks believed that Apollo's son, Asclepios, was born in Epidaurus. Asclepios was known as the God of Healing so the Ancient Greeks established Epidaurus as a sanctuary for the ill in the 6th Century BC. The rod of Asclepios (a snake-entwined staff) is still used as the symbol of medicine today.

In the 4th Century BC, the Ancient Greeks built a Greek Theatre in Epidaurus. The theatre held 15,000 people and had excellent acoustics. I climbed to the top of the theatre (all 55 rows) and was still able to hear the speaker who was speaking center stage. It was amazing!!

The Theatre

Us girls sitting front row:
Amanda, Chelsea, Tanya, & Me
Ali, Sandra, Steph, & Amy

Me listening to the speaker from the top row.
Can you believe I could hear her talking?!

Me from the top the row.

Olympia

2011-06-26T16:11:00.005-07:00

After leaving Pompeii, we drove to Brindisi, hopped on an overnight ferry and headed for Greece. I was way excited for this part of the trip. I'd visited Greece before, but only seen Athens and Delphi. I was way excited to see other parts of the country. When we arrived we headed straight for Olympia. Olympia is the sight where the Ancient Olympic Games took place from 776 BC to 394 AD. It was also the place where the Statue of Zeus was housed. The Statue of Zeus is considered one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World (we ended up visiting the places where 3 of the 7 were located). Olympia is also important to the modern day Olympics. Every 2 years, the modern day Olympic Torch is lit in front of the remains of the Temple of Hera and then transported to the host city.

When we arrived in Olympia, it was pouring rain. Because of this, we didn't spend as much time as we probably would have if the weather had been nicer. I had really wanted to run in the Olympic Stadium, but it was so muddy. I kept sliding all over the place just trying to walk in the mud so there was no way I was going to try to run. I could just picture myself having to drive to our next destination, soaking wet and covered in mud. Anyways, here are a few pictures:

Temple of Hera (circa 590 BC)
This is where they light the Modern Olympic Torch.

The Philippeion

The Palaestra (circa 3rd century BC)
This is where they had the boxing and wrestling matches.

Me standing on some ruins in Olympia.
I'm not sure what building these ruins belong to.

Me pretending to run in The Stadium.
If you look closely, you can see my sliding marks in the mud.

Pompeii

2011-06-26T15:49:00.005-07:00

After two days in Rome, we headed for Pompeii. The city of Pompeii was originally founded in the 8th century BC. It continued to grow and became a thriving port along the Bay of Naples until it was destroyed by a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. During the eruption, Pompeii was covered in ash and remained a lost city until it was excavated in the 18th century AD. I had first visited Pompeii in 1998 and loved seeing this perfectly preserved city. This time around, I still loved it.

Mount Vesuvius

I look awful, but here's me in Pompeii.

Building Remains

More Remains and the Center Forum

Pompeii Bathhouse

Ceiling of the Bathhouse

Seriously, look at this street. 2000 years old!!

Paintings in the market place.

Rome

2011-06-26T13:54:00.008-07:00

On June 13th, I flew to Rome with 7 of the coolest girls I know. We spent two days there before continuing on with the rest of our adventure. Although I'd been to Rome before and seen all the sights, it was good to see everything again. After landing, we headed straight for the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps.

Some Pretty Sweet Girls:
Me, Amy, Sandra, Ali, Tanya, Amanda, Steph, & Chelsea

Me at the Trevi Fountain

Taken from the top of the Spanish Steps

Me and Rome, taken from the top of the Spanish Steps

The next day we visited the Colosseum and The Roman Forum. It was super hot and a very long day, but the standing in the midst of the ancient Roman ruins was an overpowering experience.

Me in front of the Arch of Constantine

Me & Amanda waiting to get into the Colosseum.

The Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

Arch of Septimius Severus located inside the Roman Forum

Me inside the Roman Forum

We also visited the Vatican. I love the Vatican. St. Peter's Basilica is so beautiful and the artwork in the museum is amazing. The first time I visited the Sistine Chapel, I was rushed in and out, but this time I found a seat along the wall, sat down and stayed for about 20 minutes. No pictures are allowed inside the chapel, but our tour guide told us that our cameras should be our eyes and heart. I loved this!! You truly have to capture these pieces of art with your heart. Because no pictures were allowed in the chapel, I don't have any, but I've included a picture of Michelangelo's Last Judgement from the internet. I know everyone always talks about Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, but I've always loved his Last Judgement more.

Michelangelo's Last Judgement,
completed 30 years after the ceiling.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

So, I had been inside St. Peter's Basilica before, but this time I learned something new. I was following our tour guide and she was discussing the Altar of Transfiguration. As I was looking up at this amazing piece of art, she said something about it being a mosaic. It looks nothing like a mosaic. My jaw dropped in shock and I turned toward her to ask if I had heard correctly. She obviously noticed my disbelief because she pointed at me and stated, "Ah, Doubting Thomas. Go closer and look." So, I did. I walked right up to it and sure enough this image is made of tiny mosaic tiles. Very, very cool!! My picture does not do it justice, but there are some great images on flicker, just google Alter of Transfiguration and you'll find them.

Altar of Transfiguration

Me in front of St. Peter's Basilica

Mixed Feelings

2011-05-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Today as I got online to check out mlb.com (it's set as my homepage), I gasped as I read the top headline, "Posey Likely Out for the Rest of the Season." Nooooo!!! I thought. I quickly clicked on the link and read the article about Posey's fractured bone and torn ligaments. I had a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. I love watching him play and he's one of the main reasons I purchased All-Star tickets this year. I've already maxed out my All-Star votes voting for him (a move that has created some friction between me and my parents - They're both rooting for Miguel Montero). What awful news, I thought.

But then I began having mixed feelings. Yes, it's awful that my favorite player (Posey) is injured and most likely out for the rest of the season . . . But on the other hand, it could be very helpful to my favorite team (Diamondbacks). Right now the Diamondbacks are second in their division, just behind the Giants - In fact, their only 1.5 games behind. With Posey out of the picture, the Diamondbacks have a reasonable chance to lead the division - Seriously, lead it!! I know, I know, Posey's injury is awful and I feel awful about it - I really do. But, also a little giddy.

You Say Yee-Haw

2011-05-01T20:37:00.004-07:00

Let me set the scene: My family has just finished Sunday dinner. Everyone at the dinner table is listening to my dad, Ronnie, recount a story. That is, everyone except my 3 year-old cousin, Mitch. Mitch is sitting on the floor right next to my dad talking to himself. He does this all the time - he'll have entire conversations with himself. Well today, my dad's story and Mitch's conversation with himself collided to create a hilarious moment.

My dad: So, I had left the game (Diamondbacks/Cubs game) and made it to the parking lot. I had just gotten in the car and pulled up to leave the parking lot. There were still a lot of people leaving the game so I had to wait. Among the crowd of people were three women in Cubs shirts. As these three women were walking in front of the car, one of them turned to face the car, opened her shirt and flashed me!!

All of us: What?! (Laughing)

My dad: Yeah, she flashed me.

Mitch [to himself and totally unrelated]: When that happens, you say yee-haw.

Spring Break

2011-04-25T22:14:00.004-07:00

Spring Break was awesome. I spent the time in the 90 degree heat of Arizona. It was great fun to spend the time at the pool and at Chase Field. Unfortunately, I was enjoying myself too much to take many photos. Here's the only moment that was captured on film.

Me & Mary at the D-backs/Giants Game.

New Recipes

2011-04-12T19:30:00.005-07:00

So, at the beginning of the year I wrote that I was going to start cooking more often. My first attempt didn't go over too well, but I didn't give up. After my attempt at not-so-good taco soup, I found a new taco soup recipe that was delicious. I also have found a pretty good corn chowder recipe. It's not a super strong corn chowder and requires quite a bit of salt and pepper to flavor, but it's might tasty on a cold day. Anyway, here are the two recipes:

Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (do NOT drain)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 cup water (approximately)
1 package dry taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing

In a large pan, brown hamburger with the chopped onion.
While hamburger is browning, place remaining ingredients in large pot. Heat on medium heat.
When hamburger is cooked, drain and add to pot.
Simmer 5-10 minutes.

A-Maize-ing Corn Chowder

12 slices bacon (and bacon drippings)
1 onion, chopped
3 potatoes, peeled & cubbed
1 can chicken broth
1 pint (2 cups) whole milk
1 Tbs corn starch
2 cans cream-style corn (do NOT drain)
2 cans corn (drained)
salt & pepper (lots!!)

In large pan, fry bacon. Crumble and set aside.
In same large pan, saute chopped onion in the bacon drippings.
Add chicken broth and potatoes to onion mixture. Cover and simmer until tender (15-20 min).
In a separate pot, place cream-style corn and regular corn. Heat on low.
Add pan contents to pot and turn up heat to medium.
Set aside about 1/2 cup of milk. Add the rest to the pot.
Combine corn starch and 1/2 c. milk. Whisk, then whisk into pot.
Simmer all contents 5-10 minutes.
Top each bowl with a generous amount of crumbled bacon, salt, and pepper.

She's Definitely a George

2011-04-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Despite the lack of hair, Amelia is definitely a George. Although she was surrounded by an array of toys, she went straight for the Diet Coke bottle.

Spring Pedicures

2011-04-10T20:57:00.005-07:00

With all us girls in town and most of us flying to Phoenix next week, we decided it was a good time for spring pedicures. Here are pictures of my mom, sister-in-laws, and me at the salon.

Mindy, Jackie, and Me

Megan & my mom

Top 10 Things in my Future

2011-04-07T00:01:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm so done with work. All I can think of are the fun things I have planned in the near future. Here are the top 10 things I'm excited for, in no particular order:

Family - Kyle, Megan, and Amelia are coming into town this weekend. I haven't seen them for awhile so I'm pretty excited. We shall see how big Lil' Mil' has grown.
Arizona - I'm going to Arizona in 10 short days. My time in Arizona is split doing one of three things - laying out and reading by the pool, going to baseball games, and watching movies. Can you think of any better ways to spend your time? I know, I can't.
Baseball - I know it was already covered, but it needs to be mentioned all by itself. I have desperately missed Chase Field. It's one of my favorite places on Earth. I love the people, the hot dogs, and of course, the baseball. Ten more days until I'm once again wandering the stadium's corridors. I have tickets to two upcoming games - Diamondbacks vs. The Giants. I'm way excited. I love the Diamondbacks out of loyalty, but love The Giants out of awesomeness. I'm crossing my fingers, in hopes that Lincecum is up to pitch during one of the games and that Posey hits it into the pool.
Europe - Nine more weeks 'til I board a plane and set off for two wonderful weeks abroad. Destination - Italy and Greece. I love Italy and Greece. They are my favorite vacation destinations!! Last time I went I spent 10 days in Italy and 4 days in Greece. This time, I'm switching it and plan on spending 4 days in Italy and 10 days in Greece. No new sites are planned for Italy (St. Peters, Sistine Chapel, Coliseum, Pompeii), but I have lots of new sites planned for Greece (most excited for Rhodes and Santorini).
Sleeping In and Watching TV- I love not working. Most of the days during my summer are nicely planned and scheduled, but there are quite a few that are not. On those days I sleep in and spend the entire day in my pjs lounging on the couch. I'm looking for a good TV series to watch this summer. Last summer, I re-watched all six seasons of LOST. This year I'm thinking of re-watching The X-Files or maybe something new like, Greek. Any suggestions?
Ruth - My annual trip to see one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world!! Spending time with her uplifts my soul. I spend the entire week laughing and have a permanent smile on my face while I'm in her presence. Plus, she's in Hershey, PA and that entire town smells like chocolate. Sweet!! (Literally)
Home Improvement Projects - I've been in my house for over 5 years. During that time, I've accumulated a lot of junk. This summer I want to de-junk my house, organizing my storage room, garage, office, and craft closet. Lots of work, but since I love to organize, this is going to be fun!!
Baseball, again. I know, I know, I already mentioned it, but my dad and I are going to this year's MLB All-Star Game!! First of all, I love that I'm going with my dad. He's the best dad and the best person to attend baseball games with. Not only does he buy me bottled water, pretzels, and sunflower seeds, but he and I get pretty worked up when we're together. Second, it's the All-Star game!! And honestly, it's not just the game, it's really an entire week of events - Fan Fest, Legends Game, Homeroom Derby. It's going to be awesome. Tickets were a little steep, but I figure it's a once in lifetime opportunity.
Book Club - So, I'm loving being in a book club. This month I choose the book - The Know-It-All: One man's humble quest to become the smartest man in the world by A.J. Jacobs. I'm way excited to read it and plan on doing so pool side in AZ. Last summer I lounged by the pool and read Jacobs' other book, The Year of Living Biblically: One man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible. Book club will be at my house at the end of the month. Stay tuned to see how it turns out.
Road Trip - Lesli, Alina, Christi, and I have a tentative road trip planned this summer. We still have to work out the details, but right now we plan on driving to Northern California to see the Redwoods, then up through the Oregon Coast to Vancouver, WA. While road tripping, we plan on doing a lot of hiking and general outdoorsy things.

Spring Fever

2011-04-06T21:56:00.004-07:00

Spring Fever is here. How do I know? I don't want to be at school and when I am, I'm having the hardest time focusing on work. I have a few things I could be doing at work, but because they don't have to be done right away, I've been procrastinating. Instead of actually doing work before/after school and during my conference period, I've been watching episodes of The Daily Show on hulu. Is that so wrong?

Triangle Factory Fire - 100 Year Anniversary

2011-03-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 100 year anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. This quarter my students and I have been reading historical pieces about what life was like 100 years ago. These pieces have covered information about immigration, tenement living, women's suffrage, unions, strikes, and the factory fire. Along with these historical pieces, we've been reading the historical fiction novel, Uprising by Margaret Haddix Peterson. The fire and the events leading up to it are truly tragic events from the history of the United States. My students and I have really enjoyed learning not only about the historical facts, but also about the life lessons taken from the struggle of those who lived (and died) 100 years ago. To learn more about the Triangle Factory Fire check out this Excellent Website, or watch PBS's American Experience.

Presenting . . .

2011-03-24T21:41:00.003-07:00

Me with Short Hair!! I've been planning on cutting my hair off for awhile now. It really comes down to wanting an easy hair cut for summer, especially while I'm in Europe. Anyways, I finally did it and I'm loving it!! Although, not everyone seems to be a fan. Picture the cutest, slightly chubby, 7th grade Hispanic boy. Today he came up to me and asked, "Ms. George, why did you cut your hair? It looks more better when it is long. Don't worry, it will grow back." Thank you, Jose. Thank you, very much.

New Short Hair (Sorry, this lighting is awful).

Old Long Hair

Scripture Study

2011-03-22T21:53:00.004-07:00

I've been in a bit of a slump with my scripture study so I decided to buy new scriptures, hoping to give me a fresh start. I've been taking one scripture mastery scripture each day, reading it and marking it in my new set of scriptures. I then have been reading the chapter it is found in, marking anything else of interest. Finally, I've been comparing the chapter's markings and notes in my new set of scriptures with the markings and notes I made in my old set of scriptures. So far, so good. Hopefully, I'm out of my slump for good.

Glee: Original Song

2011-03-15T20:44:00.006-07:00

Season 2, Episode 16: Original Song (March 15, 2011)

Best Funny Moment:

I loved all the original songs that didn't make it into regionals. I loved Puck's "Big Ass Heart" and Mercedes "Hell to the No," but my favorite has to go to Santana's original song, "Trouty Mouth." I loved it so much. Over the past several episodes, I've loved all of Santana's hilarious jabs at Sam over his overly large mouth so this song was definitely my favorite funny moment of the episode. Watch it and Enjoy:

Best Serious Moment(s):

Everyone wins - Blaine and Kurt lose at regionals, but finally hook up. I loved Blaine's confession when he finally states, “Kurt, there’s a moment when you say to yourself, ‘Oh, there you are. I’ve been looking for you forever. You move me, Kurt. And this duet would just be an excuse to spend more time with you.” Loved the openness.

And finally, New Directions win regionals!! I've had the CD containing the original songs for the past week and liked them okay, but seeing them in the context of the episode, endeared them to me. They were a little Rachel-heavy, but there's no arguing, she's got talent.

Best Song:

As I mentioned, I loved all of the kids' original songs, but this week's best performance goes to Kurt's rendition of Blackbird. This has always been one of my favorite Beatles' songs and I loved hearing it as Kurt honored the Warblers' beloved bird, Pavarotti.

Favorite Quotes:

Quinn: Prom queens live, on average, 5 years longer than regular people.

Santana: You blew me off to be with Stubbles McCripple Pants.

Sue: If it isn't Dweedle-Dumb and Dweedle-Fake Boobs.

Santana: Mr. Shue, I wrote another verse of Trouty Mouth.

Sister Mary Constance: That Dalton Academy, is it a gay school or is it just a school that appears gay?

Favorite Dialogue:

Blaine: I think Pavarotti would roll over in his tiny, tiny grave.
Kurt: The placement of which has yet to be determined.

Sam: Wait, what's it called?
Mike: Trouty Mouth

Schue: What’s your favorite song of all time?
Brittany: My Headband.
Santana: Alanis Morissette's You've Ought to Know.
Puck: What's Going On - Marvin Gaye.
Lauren: Puckerman, you're on a roll.
Schue: Okay, and what are all those songs about?
Brittany: Headbands.

Glee Makes Me Gleeful

2011-03-10T21:38:00.003-07:00

Each Tuesday night, I sit down with giddy anticipation to watch a new episode of Glee. It makes me laugh so much that I often miss half of the jokes because I'm laughing so hard I'm crying. Because of this, a lot of rewinding is required. Anyways, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite quotes from the past few episodes:

Season 2, Episode 11: The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle (February 6, 2011)

Kurt: Blaine and I love football. Well, Blaine loves football. I love scarves.
Brittany: I don't wanna die yet. At least not until One Tree Hill get canceled.

Season 2, Episode 12: Silly Love Songs (February 8, 2011)

Rachel [to Santana]: The only job you are going to have is working on a pole!
Tina [to Santana]: Five minutes ago, you said Mr. Schu belonged in a 12 step program.
Will: Wait, what?
Santana: You're addicted to vests.
Brittany: That's my man and his legs don't work!

Season 2, Episode 13: Comeback (February 15, 2011)

Sue's journal: I'm committing Sue-icide.
Sue: I agree with SpongeHair SquareChin.
Puck: I'm at the end of my Lauren Zizes rope. I need to get into those enormous pants.
Santana [to Sam]: Despite the fact that your mouth to face ratio is way off, you still somehow manage to be cute.
Santana [to Sam]: Every time you open your humongous mouth to do an impression or moisten an enormous stamp for a lazy giant, you get one step closer to everyone seeing you're actually a dork.
Santana [to Sam]: I wants on them froggy lips, and I want on them NOW.
Sue: I hate hospitals, William. That's why I kept voting for those death panels.
Mike: We need a sugary sweet dose of the Biebs to get us some action again.
Brittany: I wore a tank top today because I thought it was summer and no one taught me how to read a calendar.

Season 2, Episode 14: Blame it on the Alcohol (February 22, 2011)

Santana: You know what, a reminder, I own that guppie mouth. Those aerosmith lips belong to me.
Figgins: And now, performing the hit song Tik and also Tok, by rapper Ke and dollar sign ha, New Directions.
Brittany: Ke$ha has been a culture icon for weeks.
Burt: I watched that Brokeback Mountain. From what I gather, something went down in the tent.

Season 2, Episode 15: Sexy (March 8, 2011)

Holly: Sex. It's just like hugging. Only wetter.
Brittany: The key is to use your curling iron in the bathtub to keep you from being burnt.
Puck: I like wooing you, Lauren. Next to dropping my afternoon deuce, it's my second favorite part of my day.
Holly: My lips are sealed. Just like your legs.
Lauren: Puckerman, it's your lucky day.
Puck: You're finally gonna let me motorboat those twins?
Holly: Just remember, when you have sex with someone, you're having sex with everyone they've had sex with. And everybody's got a random.
Brittany: This relationship is really confusing for me.
Santana: Breakfast is confusing for you.
Brittany: Sometimes it's sweet and sometimes it's salty. Like, what if I have eggs for dinner? What is it?

On a more serious note, I loved the sex talk Burt had with his son, Kurt. That relationship is my absolutely favorite on the show. I loved when he said, "Don’t throw yourself around like you don’t matter. ‘Cause you matter, Kurt." So Good!! Here's a good article about it from EW. The article also contains the clip of "the talk." To read the article, click HERE.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-17T19:13:00.005-07:00

On Monday, I received a Valentine from the sweetest boy I know (too bad he's only six).

Birthday Celebrations

2011-02-13T21:22:00.006-07:00

On Friday, my fabulous friends took me to The Melting Pot for my birthday. I have the best friends ever and this post is part shout-out to them and part celebration of me. First of all, the shout-outs.

Lesli - Thank you, thank you to Lesli for making the reservations, driving, and paying for the valet. I also appreciate the fact that you wanted to give me a sentimental, heart-felt gift.

Christi - Thank you, thank you to Christi for picking up my portion of the tab. It was much appreciated. Also, thanks for cracking me up the best line I've heard this week, "If it weren't for you, my life would be really boring instead of just sort of boring."

Alina (I love this picture because Alina is using her fondue fork to eat her salad even though her regular fork is right next to her plate. HaHa) - Thank you, thank you to Alina for the perfect gifts. Being my oldest friend, of course, you would know that a bag of black licorice and a book titled, "The Girls' Book of Glamour: A Guide to Being a Goddess," are the perfect gifts for me.

And now, the celebration. We had a ton of fun and ate a lot of delicious food. I love The Melting Pot because you're there for a couple of hours. That gave us a lot of time to laugh. Here are a few more pics:

Me with the book Alina gave me. Seriously, perfect gift. Plus my second favorite line of the week was the inscription, "To Mandys, The Most Glamorous Girl I Know! Heart, Alina" I'm telling you, this girl knows me.

Me & Christi with our delicious vegetables and cheese fondue.
Behold the Power of Cheese.

Lesli & Alina - Two of the Cutest Girls I Know.

Consignment Shopping

2011-02-12T16:24:00.003-07:00

Every few weeks I like to visit Home Again, a fantastic consignment shop by my school. Today, as I was running errands, I thought I'd stop in and see all their new things. As I was circling the store, I found an awesome stained-glass window that literally took my breath away. I looked at the price and decided I needed to think about it. So, I continued to circle the store, the whole time obsessing over the window. As I walked around, I came across a second window on the other side of the store. This window came from the same person, but had a much lower price on it. When I asked the store clerk, she told me that they were from the same person and that both of them should be marked at the lower price. My reply, "Perfect. I'll take both of them." I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet. I thought they'd make a great headboard, but I only have one guest room and have already decorated it using windows from the same shop (see HERE). I thought for now I may put one in my bedroom and one in my bathroom. I still have to mull it over. Anyways, without further ado, here they are:

Nintendo Nation

2011-02-07T20:39:00.004-07:00

Last week at Sunday dinner, my mom passed around a paper and pencil and asked us to write down what we would be willing to bring for the Super Bowl party. As it was being passed around, the normal things were added to the list: chips/dip, fruit, dessert, tortilla roll-ups, etc. When Zack got the paper and pencil, he added his name to the list and wrote "DS." Well, he wasn't the only one who ended up bringing his DS to the Super Bowl party.

Zack & Louis

Mitch & Zack

All Three Yahoos

Cooking

2011-01-31T17:57:00.002-07:00

So, I'm trying to cook more. Those of you who know me well, know I hate to cook. So today I decided to make taco soup. I love soup so I thought this would be an easy no-brainer. It turned out okay, but not that great. It was a little too tomatoey and didn't have enough hamburger in it. This would usually be the time when I would say to myself, "See. You tried to cook. You wasted money and good time on something and it didn't even turn out to be that good. Next time, just order take out." Well, I'm not going to be so easily deterred. Next time, I think I'll double the hamburger. I'll also need to either reduce the tomato paste or the amount of stewed tomatoes. I'm thinking I may get rid of one of them altogether. We'll see.

If you have any good, easy recipes, send them my way so I don't revert to my take out menus.

The West Wing

2010-12-29T16:52:00.003-07:00

There are so many things that make The West Wing one of the best TV series of all time, I don't even know where to begin. First, it's smart. Really smart. Second, it's funny. Again, really funny. Third, it's dialogue is fantastic. The dialogue is fast-paced and plays out like a rapid tap dance most of the time - a dance filled with intelligence and wit. Fourth, it's a serious, thought-provoking drama about real-life political issues. Finally, the cast and characters are pure perfection. They deliver the balance of seriousness, intelligence, and humor. I loved these characters. I wanted President Bartlet to actually be the president. Even my father, a lifetime Republican, has often stated that the United States needed a president like Jed Bartlet. If you've never seen the series, put it on your Netflix queue now. There are too many scenes to say which ones are my favorite, but here's a little sampling of some of the best.

Lord John Marbury, Great Britain's Ambassador to the United States, is one of the funniest smaller characters. He only appears in 5 episodes, spread out over seasons 2-6. My favorite thing about him is that he thinks the Chief of Staff's name is Gerald. Even when CJ replaces Leo as the Chief of Staff, he calls her Gerald. In this scene he's commenting on how much he likes the First Lady's breasts.

Ainsley Hayes is also another one of my favorite smaller characters. She's a blond, Republican from the South who comes to work for the White House Counsel. She's only in 12 episodes, spread out from season 2-7, but she makes a big impact. Here she is in her office (also known as the steam trunk distribution room) dancing in a bathrobe after sitting in wet paint.

Ainsley Hayes' first scene. Smart and Very Funny!!

I love Season 4. It's my favorite. This scene is from the episode Red Haven's on Fire. In it, Toby and Charlie make bail after being arrested in a California bar fight.

In this scene, the President learns that Toby and Charlie were arrested in a bar fight. I love this scene because it is filmed entirely in motion. A lot of scenes are filmed this way throughout the series. I love to see them the witty dialogue as they stroll the corridors.

Another scene filmed in motion. I love this dialogue because it rings home. I often say democracy is such a good idea, in theory. Unfortunately, there are a lot of stupid voters.

This is one of my dad's favorite scenes. It's from one of the Thanksgiving episodes (The Indians in the Lobby) where the President calls the Butterball Hotline.

This scene (it's actually several scenes edited into one video) is from my favorite Thanksgiving episode (Shibboleth). In this episode, Charlie is on an endless search for the perfect carving knife. I love the relationship that Charlie and the President have throughout the series. This scene captures a piece of it.

And I saved the best for last. I LOVE this scene. It's from my favorite episode, Privateers.

I'm All About Goals

2010-12-29T16:30:00.003-07:00

I love to make "to do" lists and set goals. What can I say, I'm a goal oriented person. Six weeks ago, I set a very lofty goal. And when I say lofty, I mean time intensive. The goal - Watch all 7 seasons of The West Wing between Thanksgiving week and the New Year. That's a lot of TV. How much TV, you may be asking? Well, 154 episodes, or approximately 6,930 hours of TV. Now you may be thinking, Impossible, but I beg to differ. All goals require planning. As you may recall, "A goal without a plan is just a wish." So, I made a plan. I divided up my 6,930 hours of TV. Over a 6 week period, it was approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes of TV a day. Now, that doesn't seem too outrageous. Now to be realistic, there were going to be some days I wouldn't be able to watch any TV, but there were also going to be some days were I would watch more than my allotted 2 hours and 45 minutes, especially since I only worked 3 out of the 6 weeks. Well, I'm proud to report my goal is complete. I just completed the series finale. And what can I say, I love The West Wing. In the next few days, I will be posting on why it's one of the best TV series ever. Stay Tuned.

Christmas Chimes

2010-12-28T02:58:00.004-07:00

My Grandma broke out the Christmas Chimes again this year. Just like last year, the kids were interested in them for half-a-second, but us adults played and played some more. Here we are trying to perfect our craft:

Here's one more with the kids and the adults making some sweet Christmas tunes:

Christmas Time

2010-12-28T02:40:00.003-07:00

My Fantastic Family

Me and Amelia in our matching PJs.

Amelia in her Christmas PJs and a cute bow.

My only Christmas Present

Me & Megan in the big chair.

Me & Jackies in the big chair.

Sleep Over

2010-12-08T23:19:00.003-07:00

On the night before Thanksgiving, I had Zack and Mitch sleep over. Zack has slept over tons of times, but I'd never had Mitch stay the night. Luckily, everything went well. I didn't take very many pictures, but here are two of us making train cupcakes.

I love this pouty face of Mitch. I told him he couldn't eat any more Good & Plenty. They're his favorite. He calls them the Spicey Candies.

Zack wanted to use my camera so he took this picture of me and Mitch.

Day Dreamer or Liar

2010-11-08T22:40:00.003-07:00

Yesterday when Jeanine and her family came over for dinner, Mitch was wearing sunglasses. My mom noticed them and asked Mitch about them. The conversation went a little like this:

My Mom: Mitch, it's dark outside. Why are you wearing sunglasses?

Mitch: 'Cause we went to the beach today.

My Mom: You went to the beach today? (said with surprise and raised eyebrows).

Mitch: Yeah. And a crab bit my toe!!

He then pointed at his toe, became distracted by toys, and ran into the toy room. My mom and I looked at each other and laughed. Later on at dinner, I thought I'd bring the topic up again. This time, the conversation went a little like this:

Me: Mitch, did you go anywhere fun today? Like the Beach?

Mitch: Yeah, I went to the beach and a crab bit my toe.

Me: A crab bit your toe? Were you swimming in the water?

Mitch: No, I was just looking for sea shells and I found one this big. (stretches his hands as wide as they go).

So you decide, Day Dreamer or Liar?

Halloween

2010-11-01T20:43:00.003-07:00

Me as Rosie the Riveter.

Amelia as a Gnome, or as we like to call her, "Gnomelia."

Me with an angry Gnome.

Me & the Fruit Loops . . .
I mean, a vampire and a jedi.

Pumkins & Pizza

2010-11-01T20:23:00.005-07:00

On Friday night my family held our annual Pumpkins & Pizza night. It's pretty self-explanatory, but we ate pizza and carved pumpkins. Here are a few pictures of the festivities.

Me & a couple of Fruit Loops with the carved pumpkins.

Louis & Mindy

Carlos, busy at work.

Zack & Jeanine (seriously, what's up with Zackie's face)

Me & Mitch goofing around.
We finished our pumpkins before anyone else did
so we were taking silly pictures. What a goofy face.

My pumpkin & Mitch's pumpkin

Of course, we had D-Backs Pumpkins.
Louis' pumpkin & my dad's pumpkin.

Carlos' pumpkin.
This one of Michael Meyers is my favorite.

Dougie's pumpkin of Stewie is my second fav.

All of the pumpkins. We're quite the family of artists.

Potty Training Tale

2010-10-29T23:03:00.003-07:00

Mitch is almost potty trained. He's been going on the potty for several months now, but still needs a little assistance now and then. Today everyone was at my mom and dad's house carving pumpkins. Mitch had to go pee so my mom went to help him. He went pee and grabbed a little toilet paper to wipe the last few drops. After doing so, my mom told him to throw the toilet paper into the toilet. He replied, "I have to wipe my nose first." My mom screamed "Noooooo!" and tried to grab the toilet paper from his hand, but too late. He had already wiped his nose with urine laced toilet paper. The funny thing is, he didn't seem to understand why it was a big deal.

Book Club

2010-10-28T22:49:00.002-07:00

So I joined a book club and I love it!! I know it may seem odd that I'm so excited to spend my free evenings discussing books. I do it all day long, after all. The big difference is that my book club is with adults and we read books written for adults. This past week we read "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay. Two thumbs up - I highly recommend it. Next on our list - "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks.

There's Been a Murder

2010-10-23T20:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I attended Alina's Clue Murder Mystery Party. It was a great Halloween party, based on the beloved child's game, Clue. Each party goer was to dress as a clue-like character. I went as Bartholomew Black - a mysterious gay party goer who prefers to go by the nickname "Tholom" (said with a lisp).

For all of you who have forgotten the Clue basics, here's a quick refresher course. The game consists of three decks of cards - the murder suspects, the murder locations, and the murder weapons. A card is secretly chosen from each of the decks and put in the confidentiality envelope. The remaining cards are then divided between the players. The players then use their cards and clues they are given from other players' cards to determine the murderer, the murder location, and the murder weapon (or the cards that were placed in the confidentiality envelope).

Alina had turned each room in her house into prospective murder locations. She had also assembled a cache of murder weapons, including the candlestick, rope, and revolver. She had taken photos of each of the rooms and the weapons to complete the decks for the murder locations and the murder weapons. All that was left was to complete the deck of the murder suspects. To do so, she took a picture of each of us "suspects" as we arrived. Once all the cards were completed, it was time to begin playing. We had a great time trying to solve the murders. I wish I had taken more photos. There were about 15 suspects and we all had great costumes. I wish I had pictures of all of them, but alas. Anyways, here are a few photos:

Me aka "Tholom" with his game card.

Jeeves and Senor Negro are behind me.
Notice Senor Negro is holding an actual kitchen knife -
This was not a weapon from the game . . . Scary.

The Hosts - Mr. & Mrs. Peacock

Miss Ruby, Ms. White, Mrs. Peacock, & Tholom
with our murder weapons of choice.

Snugglet

2010-10-01T19:41:00.003-07:00

I couple of weeks ago I went to Idaho to meet Baby Amelia aka Snugglet. When Kyle and Megan had their first ultrasound, they thought Amelia looked like a chicken nugget so they took to calling her nugget (to view Megan's post about it, click HERE). Now that she's here, the nickname has evolved into Snugglet. She is a sweet, little Snugglet. Enjoy these cutie pics. To see some more, visit Meg's blog: Blah Blah Blog.

Look at that cute ruffle butt.

This is how I spent most of the weekend.

I love how suspicious she is in this photo.

Greek Festival

2010-09-12T08:03:00.004-07:00

I love the Greek Festival!! I look forward to it every year. If you have never been, you must put it on your calendar for next year. On Thursday, Alina, Lesli, and I went to the opening night of the festival. We got there about an hour after the ribbon opening ceremony and already it was packed!! We had to wait in the food line for over 30 minutes, but it went really fast considering the large number of people that were ahead of us. The festival is always so well organized. Here are a few pictures of us after we've feed our faces.

Me and Alina.

Lesli and Alina.

Me and Alina cracking up over how funny we are when we get together.

Labor Day Vacation

2010-09-11T16:13:00.003-07:00

Well, I'd been back at work for two weeks and was in desperate need for a vacation when Labor Day Weekend came along. When I went to work on Friday, I made sure that my bags were all packed. After work, I immediately left and headed for the airport. I jumped on my flight and an hour later I was in Phoenix. Sweet!! My dad and my grandpa picked me up and we went straight to Chase Field to see the Diamondbacks play the Astros. I'm not a huge fan of myself in this picture, but my sweet grandpa looks so great, I had to include it.

On Saturday I headed back to Chase Field, again to see the Diamondbacks play the Astros, but this time my mom came with me and my dad. My mom's not a huge fan of baseball. In fact, by the 7th inning, she's ready to go, and if it goes into extra innings she has a kanipshin. But Saturday she was very excited. Saturday was the 12th annual Hispanic Heritage Day at Chase Field. There were going to be mariachi bands, dancers, and the like throughout the stadium and my mom was excited to see it. But the biggest reason she wanted to go - Miguel Montero bobbleheads. My mom loves Montero. She thinks he has the cutest smile ever and she couldn't wait to own a bobbly-headed version of him. Here's a pic of me and my mom with our free bobbleheads.

Sunday was dedicated to a day poolside, but Monday I was back at Chase Field to see the Diamondbacks play the Giants. I was really excited for this game because I love Giants' catcher Buster Posey. I'd seen him play earlier this year, but really wanted to see him again. This time my cousin, Cody, joined me and my dad.

As soon as the game was over, I had to head to the airport to return back to SLC. Stupid work - it ruins everything.

Baby Amelia

2010-09-09T20:04:00.005-07:00

So, I'm officially an aunt. Baby Amelia was born last week on August 30th. I can't believe my brother is a dad. When did we become real adults?! I know we're now in our 30s, but it seems like we've been pretending to be adults up til now. Well, he can't pretend any more. He has to take care of an another person. A little person. A beautiful, little person. A precious, beautiful, little person.

So, when Baby Amelia was born, I bought and sent her a Sock Monkey. I knew Kyle and Megan would love it and believed Amelia would too. She'd have to - it'd be in her genes.

So, Kyle sent this picture to my phone with the following message: "Aunt Mandy, Thanks for the sock monkey. I live it. Love, Millie." (Italics and Bold added for emphasis)

A few minutes later, I got a new message that said, "I mean, I LOVE it. Give me a break. I'm only 4 days old and this texting thing is new to me. Crap, I gotta go - here comes Mom." Hahaha - I loved it!!

So, I haven't met Baby Amelia yet, but I'm going to see her tomorrow!! Yay!! More pictures to come.

Phong Phu Restaurant

2010-09-01T21:32:00.003-07:00

Yay!! A new Vietnamese restaurant recently opened near my work. I started back at work three weeks ago and that's when I noticed the big "Now Open" sign on the Phong Phu Restaurant. I was so stoked. So, last week I took Alina there for her birthday. The food and service were excellent. When we sat down, our waitress asked us if we'd like complimentary soda. Of course we said yes. She then brought us the free soda and she brought us free egg drop soup. Later on she also brought us free scones. The food was so great that I got take out from there again tonight. While I was waiting for my order, the hostess brought me another free drink. This will definitely become a once a week place to visit.

The menu has both traditional Chinese food items and Vietnamese items. I haven't ordered any of the Chinese items, but the Vietnamese items are delicious. If you've never had Vietnamese food, now is the time to do it!! The restaurant is located at 7640 S. State Street. It looks like a dive, but the food makes up for it. My recommendations:

B7: Pho Tai (steak noddle soup) - this is my standard order whenever I eat at a Vietnamese restaurant.
D6: Bun Chai Gio (egg roll vermicelli) - this is another standard, although the sauce can be a bit spicey.
J6: Mi Ga (chicken egg noodle soup) - this is the free soup they gave us. Delicious twist on the standard egg drop soup.
A1: Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls) - this is a great appetizer. I've had better at other restaurants, but they're not bad. They were made with a lot of mint so if you're not a mint fan, you'll want to pass.

Be brave!! Visit this restaurant soon. I don't want to see it go out of business just to be replaced by another Applebees. If you need someone to go with you to walk you through the Vietnamese dining experience, give me a call. I could always use a good bowl of pho.

New Bag/Wallet

2010-08-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to buy a new bag and wallet for a long time, but I haven't been able to find one that I liked. That was until today. Today I had to pick up some cosmetics at Dillards and as I was walking past the bags, this beauty stood out to me. I loved it!!

I then searched the wallets and found this great orange one on sale. Yay for sales!! They were a little pricey, but everyone who knows me knows that when I find a bag I like I keep it for years. With that in consideration, it's money well spent.

Blog Book

2010-08-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Book Cover

A few pages from the book

Another page from my Blog Book

Because I use my blog as a journal, I've wanted to publish my blog into a book for a long time. I know a few people who had done this, but I wasn't quite sure what program/website I wanted to use. I finally decided on Blurb. I'm so glad I did. I couldn't have imagined a better book. The Blurb BookSmart program was so easy to use. I loved that I could edit the pages and layout exactly how I wanted to. I also loved that it wasn't too expensive - about $50 for an 80 page book, and that includes shipping and handling. Anyways, I think it turned out pretty darn good. What do you think?

My Annual Trip to PA

2010-08-16T20:03:00.005-07:00

I just got back from my annual trip to PA to visit Ruth and Ryan. Although I had tons of fun, I only took one picture. I really need to start using my camera more often. Anyways, this picture was taken on our visit to the Indian Echo Caverns. It was way cool. We also visited Chocolate World and Hershey Park while I was there. Although I'd been to Chocolate World several times, this was the first year we went to Hershey Park. We went for Ruth's birthday and spent the entire time racing from one roller coaster to another. They have a lot of intense coasters!! Besides those fun things, we spent a lot of time hanging out and catching up. I love the Stewart Family and am so happy they invite me to come stay with them every summer. Thanks guys!!

D-Backs Update

2010-07-26T10:17:00.006-07:00

Me and Lesli at Chase Field

I just got back from another week in Phoenix. It was great to see the D-Backs sweep the Mets. We also had tickets for the Giants series. Unfortunately, the Giants won that series, but we did get to witness Kelly Johnson Hit for the Cycle. My heart is breaking a little for two reasons. One, because the D-backs traded my favorite pitcher, Dan Haren, to the Angels yesterday and two, because I'm not going back for any games in August. I will rebound, though. I do have two trips booked for September to see games against the Astros, Giants, Rockies, and Dodgers. Yay for baseball!!

Highlights on the big screen of Kelly Johnson hitting for the cycle.
Sorry, the sound's not that great and you can hear Lesli and me talking in the background.

Mitch and Me at Mulligan's

2010-07-06T16:34:00.004-07:00

Yesterday I took Mitch to Mulligans to go miniature golfing. The kid loves to golf. He's pretty good too. He was cracking me up (and everyone around us too). Every time he hit the ball into the hole, he stated, "That was a sweet ride." Apparently, that's his new phrase for everything. We played almost two courses of mini-golfing. We hadn't quite finished the first course when Mitch lost his ball into the water. We went and got another ball and played the entire course again. Mitch is pretty hard-core. He didn't want to leave and cried a little about going even after all that golfing. On our way out to the car, I noticed he had a blister on his finger. I'm telling you, that kid is hard core.

Mitch telling me about golfing and showing me his blister.

Arizona Update

2010-06-25T11:54:00.003-07:00

I just spent two glorious weeks in Phoenix. Most of that time was spent poolside and at Chase Field to see some MLB. It was a much needed vacation after a very long school year. I went with my mom and dad, although they couldn't stay the whole time so I was by myself for a big chunk of the two weeks. It was great to relax and do pretty much nothing. I got super tan and am already having pool withdrawal. I only have one picture to show for the entire two weeks. This was taken at the Diamondbacks/Yankees game on June 21st when the Diamondbacks totally spanked the Yankees.

Me and my dad with the Diamondback's mascot, Baxter.
(Don't ask me why their mascot is a bobcat -
I haven't figured that out yet.)

LOST - Things I will Miss Most

2010-05-28T12:00:00.001-07:00

There are so many things I will miss about LOST. Here are just a few, in no particular order:

Eye Candy

Richard and his amazing eyes.
Sawyer minus his shirt.
Desmond with his super sweet voice.
Jack's all-over good looks.

Hurley's Comic Relief. He always makes me laugh. Here's a few great quotes:

"I mean, dogs can find pot and bombs, so I'm sure they can find water."
"Dudes, listen. Our lives suck. Everyone's nerves are stretched to the max. I mean, we're lost on an island, running from boars and monsters ... freakin' polar bears!...Look, all I'm saying is if we're stuck here, then just surviving's not gonna cut it. We need some kind of relief, you know? We need some way that we can ... you know, have fun. That's right, fun. Or else we're just gonna go crazy waiting for the next bad thing to happen."
"Until he rises from the dead! Dude, I know how this works. It ends with you and me running through the jungle, screaming and crying. He catches me first, because I'm heavy...and I get cramps."
"Dude, dogs eat stuff. This one time I had this jar of change and apparently the was like some smarties or something in there and the next day my dog pooped out 1.35 in nickles."
"Okay, that thing in the woods: maybe it's a monster, maybe, it's a - pissed-off giraffe! I don't know! The fact that no one is even looking for us, yeah, that's weird, but I just go along with it, because I'm along for the ride! Good old fun-time Hurley! Well, guess what! Now, I want some friggin' answers!"
"So, Rose's husband's white. Didn't see that one coming."
"In Empire, Luke found out Vader was his father, but instead of putting away his lightsaber and talking about it, he overreacted and got his hand cut off. I mean, they worked it out eventually, but at what cost? Another Death Star was destroyed, Boba Fett got eaten by the Sarlacc, and we got the Ewoks. It all could've been avoided if they just, you know, communicated. And let's face it, the Ewoks sucked, dude." (This is from one of my all-time favorite episodes, "Some Like it Hoth.)

Sawyer's Nicknames. One of my favorite episodes is "Tricia Tanaka is Dead." Sawyer uses a ton of nicknames in that episode. Watch it!! Here are a few of my other favs from the entire series:

The Artist Formerly Known as Henry Gale (Ben)
Kenny Rogers (Lapidus)
Dr. Quinn (Jack)
Magellan (Kate)
International House of Pancakes (Hurley)

But most of all, I am going to miss the excitement, theories, and anticipation of it all. It has been a thrilling six years and I'm sad to see it come to an end. I will miss it all very, very much.

LOST - Missing Scenes

2010-05-27T00:01:00.002-07:00

As you can tell from my last two posts, I loved the Series Finale of LOST. There were, however, a few scenes I wish I'd seen:

A realization scene between Daniel and Charlotte. Daniel Faraday was one of my favorite characters and I would have loved to see a more in-depth realization scene between him and Charlotte.
Again, I wish Daniel and Charlotte had been in the church. I know they weren't original Oceanic survivors, but either was Desmond. Because I loved Daniel so much, I would have loved to see them there.
Also missing from the church - Richard and Miles. Again, not original survivors, but if Ben was invited into the church and Desmond was there, why couldn't they be there as well.

See, hardly any scenes I thought were missing. There absence didn't detract from the finale and I can even see reasons why they were left out, but I would have liked to see them because of my own selfish reasons.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a list of what I will miss most about LOST.

LOST - Flash Sideways Scenes

2010-05-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, the LOST Season Finale met and exceeded all my expectations. Yesterday I focused on the Island Scenes I loved. Well, here are the Flash Sideways Scenes I absolutely loved:

Hurley shooting Charlie with the tranquilizer gun. Hilarious!!
Jin and Sun's ultrasound being the catalyst for their realization. Having Juliet as their doctor was a nice added bonus.
Boone and Shannon. I loved seeing Boone again. Shannon - sure, why not? I wasn't rooting for Shannon and Sayid, but I also wasn't opposed to it. I just don't think their reunion was on par with some of the others - Claire/Charlie, Sun/Jin, Sawyer/Juliet, Jack/Kate.
Charlie seeing Claire from the stage. Followed by his realization, with him kissing her then touching little Aaron.
Locke's catalyst for his realization - Him moving his toe after his spinal surgery. Loved the original scene when he moved his toe while on the beach.
Jin's goofy grin when Sawyer comes to check on Sun, then hearing him tell Sawyer, "We'll see you there."
Sawyer telling Jack, "Thanks Doc," after Jack tells him where the vending machines are. I know it was a super small scene, but so reminiscent of the island.
Without a doubt, the best flash sideways scene was the realization scene between Sawyer and Juliet. I loved this and could watch it over and over again. Over the 6 seasons, Juliet's death was the hardest for me. I was just as heart-broken as Sawyer was when she died. Their realization scene was both sweet and funny. My favorite from the episode, possibly the entire series.
Ben's scene outside the church. First his apology to Locke and Locke's acceptance of this apology. Then Hurley telling Ben he was a real good number 2. Despite Locke's forgiveness and Hurley's praise of Ben, Ben still didn't feel worthy/ready to move on. A little sad.
Christian telling Jack, "Nobody does it alone, Jack. You needed all of them and they needed you." So reminiscent of "If we can't live together, we're going to die alone."

Stay tuned tomorrow for Scenes I wish they would have included in the finale.

LOST - Island Scenes

2010-05-25T00:01:00.001-07:00

The LOST Season Finale met and exceeded all my expectations. I loved, loved, loved it!! I loved seeing how everything played out on the island and in the Flash Sideways. Here are the Island Scenes I absolutely loved:

Rose and Bernard - Happy and well. They were minor characters I always liked seeing.
Richard realizing he's aging after Miles points out his gray hair.
Lapidus!! He's alive.
Jack's group and Locke's group reaching the top of the grassy hill at the same time. Jack had said that they were all going to the same place so I knew they would meet up, but I thought it would be in the bamboo forest. The music and sweeping landscape of the grassy hill made that scene awesome.
Jack coming right out and telling Locke he's going to kill him and Locke replying, "Let's get on with it."
Jack punching Locke in the face, causing his mouth to bleed. Then hearing Jack tell Locke, "Looks like you were wrong."
Ben saving Hurley from the falling tree. See, Ben can be a good guy.
Jack and Locke charging at each other on the cliff near Jacob's cave. Loved the scenery, music, rain, and hatred behind that scene!! Then seeing Jack kick Locke off the cliff. Such emotion!!
Jack's parting scene from Sawyer and Kate, shaking Sawyer's hand and wishing him good luck then kissing Kate.
Jack telling Hurley, "It needs to be you . . . if someone has take care of the island, if someone has to protect it, then it should be you." Hurley has such a big, loving heart. Of course, it should be him.
Hurley asking Ben to help him protect the island. What redemption for Ben. Plus I loved his counsel to Hurley when he said, "You do what you do best - help people."
LOST ending, as it began. With Jack in the bamboo forest.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my favorite Flash Sideways Scenes.

LOST - Person of Faith

2010-05-24T07:24:00.004-07:00

In 2004, I was flipping through the channels after a long day of work, hoping to find something semi-entertaining to watch on TV. As I was flipping through the channels, a commercial came on announcing that the pilot episode of LOST was on next. I remember thinking, "Oh yeah. I've seen previews for that. It has the hot guy from Party of Five on it. I'll watch that."

What followed next was an awakening. It was a turning point for me and I became a dedicated Follower. Now, I know several people who started off as Followers, but have since fallen away. I just can't understand that. To those lost souls, I say, "Why do you find it so hard to believe?" Now if you're one of those lost souls, you may be asking, "Why do you find it so easy?" Simple, I'm a person of faith. Since the beginning, I've had faith in LOST. Faith in the Beginning. Faith in the Journey. Faith in the Ending. So, now that it's ended, is my faith intact? Yes. Yes, it is.

Stay tuned all week long for posts dedicated to LOST.

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2010-05-10T19:06:00.004-07:00

After our Mother's Day dinner, I raced Zack and Mitch around the block. It was exhausting. We then crashed on the lawn to relax. Well, Mitch found something a little more cushiony than the lawn - Me.

Testing it out - Yep, pretty cushiony.

My thoughts - What the?!

Okay, sure. Why not?

Then we played a little baseball. It's becoming one of our Sunday night rituals.

Mother's Day Festivities

2010-05-10T18:59:00.003-07:00

The Picture of Domesticity -
I made this delicious cake for Mother's Day.

A close up of the cake (and me).

Me and my beautiful mother

Heartache

2010-05-05T07:13:00.003-07:00

Spoiler-Alert: If you have not yet watched last night's LOST episode, "The Candidate," stop reading!!

Last night's episode of LOST left me heart-broken. I have lived with and loved these characters for the past 6 years and to see 3 of them die (4 if you count Lapidus), broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Sayid's death didn't hit me as hard as the deaths of Sun and Jin. Sayid's pretty much be "gone" this entire season so it was good to see him officially go out as a hero, saving the others from death and informing Jack about Desmond's where-abouts. I also loved hearing him say, "It's going to be you, Jack." Agree, Agree!!

The deaths of Sun and Jin, on the other hand, where so unexpected and gut-wrenching, that I'm still reeling. I don't know what else to say about it. I hope their death doesn't nullify the question of which Kwon was the actual candidate? Even though they're gone, I still want to know.

I'm glad that for once and for all there's no doubt about Locke/The Man in Black. Since his appearance, I believed he was evil. I don't know why some fans still questioned his intentions. He's the Smoke Monster - Why would anyone think he had good intentions?! Anyways, I'm hoping Claire now sees it as well.

After last night's episode, there's only three episodes left - Now that's causing a little heartache, as well.

Then He Said the Magic Words

2010-05-02T20:30:00.004-07:00

Today I asked Zack my standard Sunday question, "What did you learn at church today?"

He gave me his standard Sunday answer, "Um, I don't remember."

I did a little prodding, "Was it about Jesus?"

"Oh yeah," he responded. "There were a lot of waves and they were getting into the boat."

"Was Jesus there?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied. "He was a sleep in the boat, but he woke up and then he said the magic words and it stopped and was all quiet."

I burst out laughing and asked, "What were the magic words? Abracadabra?"

"No," he said, in all seriousness. "Peace, be quiet."

What a sweet boy!! Not quite right, but pretty close. Mark 4:35-39

A Baseball Saga in Two Parts

2010-04-25T20:36:00.004-07:00

Part 1:

The first weekend in April marked the beginning of the baseball season. This year I was able to attend a game on Opening Day and it was awesome!! Here are a few pictures of us at Chase Field.

Me in my new black D-Backs shirt
(I bought it a few days before at a pre-season game)

Ronnie in his Opening Day hat.

Sweet Opening Day sign.

Part 2:

Mitchie is our little athlete. He's a pretty good ball player for only being two. Today we went out and played a little catch. He's hilarious - he calls his glove his basemitt. These pictures aren't too good because my dad took them through the window.

Mitch with his "basemitt"

Me with the baseball.

Two out of Three Ain't Bad

2010-04-23T22:24:00.005-07:00

Today I overheard three of my female students talking. Their conversation went something like this:

Student 1: I think Ms. George is really pretty.

[My thoughts: Oh, that's really nice.]

Student 2: Yea, she really is.

[My thoughts: Oh, these are such great girls.]

Student 3: I don't know; she's kinda fat.

[My thoughts - what the?!]

Well, ya can't please everybody.

Seriously

2010-04-22T15:45:00.004-07:00

Today I went to McDonalds and ordered a "Boy" Happy Meal. So what toy did McDonalds think a boy would love? Drum roll please . . . a pink tiara. That's right, apparently McDonalds thinks a pink tiara is a "boy's toy." Seriously, how hard is it to work at McDonalds? Oh well, Zackie is going to look FAB-U-LOUS!!

Cookie Friday

2010-03-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

4th quarter is here again. You know what that means - Cookie Friday. Cookie Friday is a beloved tradition between me and nine other teachers at my school. During the 10 weeks of 4th quarter, we deliver cookies to the members of the group. It's ridiculous to think, but a cookie really does make the last 10 weeks of the school year go by a bit faster. To read about last year's Cookie Friday post, click HERE

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap." - Robert Fulgum

Something Must Be Said

2010-03-24T12:45:00.003-07:00

So, I have refrained from blogging about LOST so far this season, but something must be said about last night's episode . . . Best Episode Ever!! Ever since Richard showed up on LOST, he has been one of my favorites. He didn't show up on LOST until season 3 and hasn't appeared in tons of episodes, but every time he does, I get lost (pun intended) in his dreamy eyes. Anyway, an entire episode with his back story was awesome!! To read CNN's recap of the episode, click HERE.

Green Party

2010-03-22T19:04:00.003-07:00

Last week, in honor of St. Patrick's Day (and friendship), we had a "Green Party." We met at Christi's house, ate a ton of food, and chatted it up. Here are a few pics:

Kari & Ali

Me with delicious whip cream and strawberry short cake.

Sandra & Christi

Mad Baking Skills

2010-03-11T23:03:00.002-07:00

I wish this picture were bigger, but alas. Anyway, my dad said I should post a picture on my blog of my lovely cake to let everyone know Megan's not the only George out there with mad baking skills. That's right, I have a few of my own.

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

2010-03-05T20:51:00.007-07:00

This week I read Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This is one of the best pieces of historical fiction that I've ever read. The book follows three main characters. Bella is a recent Italian Immigrant who comes to New York in hopes of earning money to keep her family in Italy from starvation. Yetta is less recent Russian Jew who, after moving to New York, is caught up in the garment workers' union and the workers' rights movement. And Jane who, although was born a wealthy American, abandons her father and his money, believing it to be blood money earned at the expensive of the immigrant workers. These three fictional characters are caught up in two main events from history - the Uprising of the 20,000 and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

To learn more about the Uprising of the 20,000, click HERE.

Two of the 20,000 Garment Workers striking for workers' rights.

More shirtwaist workers participating in the strike.

To learn more about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, click HERE.

Remains of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory after the infamous fire.

Remains of those who perished in the fire.

Community Theatre

2010-02-20T22:21:00.003-07:00

Tonight I went to The Midvale Performing Arts Center to see the Pinnacle Acting Company's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I had heard it was funny and I was not disappointed. It was hilarious!! Although one of the funniest things about tonight, actually had nothing to do with the play. I had to go to the restroom a few minutes before the play started so I went up and asked someone at the door where the restrooms were located. Now remember, I was at the Midvale Performing Arts Center, which is really just a small theatre located in the city hall in downtown Midvale. Anyways, the person replied, "Downstairs and to your right. They're located right after the teen pregnancy brochures." Ha!! I love community theatre.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

2010-02-12T22:57:00.004-07:00

Tonight I went to see the movie, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It's based off of the book, The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. I'm currently reading this book with my 7th grade students. I also read it with my students last year - to read a little about that, click HERE. Anyway, both years my students have LOVED reading the book and learning more about Greek Mythology. We've been so excited to see the movie. It's all we've been talking about this week in class. I surveyed my students, asking them if they planned on seeing the movie, and about 80% said they planned on seeing it.

I love the book, and really enjoyed the movie, even though they are SO different. I'm way excited to see what my students have to say about the movie, although I know I'm going to hear A LOT about how the movie "got it wrong." They've already mentioned a few things they noticed from the movie trailer. Anyways, I strongly recommend reading the book and recommend seeing the movie - although if you were only going to choose one, go for the book (of course, a reading teacher would say that, right?)

Two More Days

2010-01-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Me reading my LOST Magazine

Did You Find Everything All Right?

2010-01-30T17:55:00.002-07:00

Today I went to Target to get a few things, one of those things being a copy of Entertainment Weekly. I couldn't find it anywhere in the magazine section, and they had some really odd magazine selections. Anyways, I gave up and went to check out. The cashier asked, "Did you find everything all right?" And I responded as I usually do, "Yes." But then I got to thinking, that's not true so I said, "Actually, no. I was looking for a copy of the magazine, Entertainment Weekly. Do you know if you carry it?" She looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. She then started muttering, "Uh, I, Well, I'm not, Uh . . . " Finally, I just said, "Never mind. It's not a big deal."

After Target, I went to Harmons to get a few groceries. I decided to look in their magazine section to see if they happened to carry Entertainment Weekly. They did not. Again, when I went to check out, the cashier asked, "Did you find everything all right?" Again, No, but this time I'd learned my lesson and replied, "Yep, I sure did."

Friday Night Facts and Commentary

2010-01-29T22:42:00.006-07:00

Fact: Tonight Christi, Lesli, and I went to Red Robin for dinner.
Commentary: It was crowded. I haven't been out to dinner on a Friday night in a long time. I forgot how much I dislike having to wait for a table.

Fact: At Red Robin our waitress welcomed us by saying, "Hello. You look familiar. I think I've waited on you before."
Commentary: Until that comment, I hadn't realized how much I eat at Red Robin, but come to think of it, tonight was the third night I've been there in the past 10 days. It's just so damn conveniently located.

Fact: After dinner we headed over to Rocky Mountain Chocolates to get a little snack for the movie.
Commentary: Why do I continue to buy chocolate from Rocky Mt when I know how expensive it is? Eleven dollars for a bag of chocolate covered gummy bears is ridiculous. I know this, and yet I continue to purchase them.

Fact: We met up with Ali, Amy, Sandra and Steph to see "When in Rome."
Commentary: Not only do I hate crowded restaurants, I hate crowded movie theatres. (Commentary on the Commentary: When did I turn into my dad?)

Fact: Josh Duhamel stars in "When in Rome."
Commentary: Holy Crap, He is totally hot. (Commentary on the Commentary: I sound like a 13-year old girl)

What? You're Listening to Me?

2010-01-27T15:10:00.003-07:00

Two weeks ago, in my reading class, we read the Greek Myth about Theseus and the minotaur. Because I'm too lazy to recount the myth, click HERE if you want to know more about it. Then last week, I book talked The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. When I finished my book talk, a student raised his hand and stated, "Ms. George, do you know what this book [The Hunger Games] reminds me of? The myth we talked about last week about the minotaur. Remember how they had to send kids to the island every year to face the minotaur? It's kinda the same, huh?"

My thoughts: Holy Crap. You listen to me? And make connections? You have made my day.

Interestingly enough, Suzanne Collins was inspired by the myth for her novel The Hunger Games (well, at least accorrding to wikipedia).

How Do I Love Thee?

2010-01-21T23:35:00.003-07:00

According to the LOST countdown, we have 11 days & 21 hours until LOST returns. As many of you know, I love LOST, but the extent to how much I love it was unknown, even to me, until today. Today as I was catching up on a little TV, an advertisement for LOST came on. I reacted by:

First, audibly gasping,
Second, doing a little happy dance,
And Finally, crying. That's right, CRYING.

At first, I didn't know what this said about me. I didn't know if I should be proud of my complete devotion or a little mortified regarding it. But after much contemplation, I've decided I'm proud to be a loyal fan and advocate for what I believe is the best television show ever created.

A similar thing happened to me the first time I saw Morrissey live in concert. I got so excited I cried and threw up in my mouth. Later that night, I also crashed my car. Again, loyal fan and advocate for what I believe to be the most lyrically gifted musician ever. I guess I'm just a very passionate person - at least about TV and British pop music.

Scissors plus Hair equals . . .

2010-01-20T23:26:00.003-07:00

Before

After

The Hunger Games

2010-01-19T09:34:00.004-07:00

This weekend I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I loved it so much, I also read the second book in the series, Catching Fire. Needless to say, I didn't get much done this weekend.

The Hunger Games takes place in a post-apocalyptic country called Panem. This country was formed after the countries of North America were destroyed. Panem consists of a rich Capitol, and 12 surrounding, poor districts. Each year the Capitol holds a lottery in which a random teenage boy and girl are chosen from each district to be sent to the Capitol to compete in The Hunger Games. These Games are a large televised event in which all 24 tributes are dropped in a large outdoor arena to fight to the death. Not only do they provide entertainment for the rich residents of the Capitol, but they serve as a punishment to the 12 districts for a rebellion that occurred 75 years earlier. The message is clear - Don't mess with the Capitol. Each year we kill your children, put we could do much, much worse.

The Hunger Games follows Katniss Evergreen, the girl tribute from District 12, as she fights for her life in the arena. Not only does she fight for her life, but in her own way, she fights against the Capitol by refusing to play the Games their way. By doing so, the Games become even more deadly.

I highly, highly recommend this book. It is one of the most riveting books I've read in a long time.

mi mamá y yo

2010-01-17T21:31:00.003-07:00

My mom bought me this hoodie for Christmas. She also bought one for herself. Yesterday we went out to dinner and we both wore them (not on purpose). I thought it was an excellent opportunity for a photo op.

Weekly Walk/Weigh In

2010-01-12T18:53:00.002-07:00

So I don't really write new years resolutions. I do, however, think the new year is a good time to re-evaluate life. Well, this year, while re-evaluating life, I realized I could do better in some aspects so I set some goals . . . so, I guess I do write new years resolutions. Anyway, in the physical realm of my life I've decided I want to walk more, drink less soda, and eat more veggies. To help with this goal I asked for (and received) a pedometer for Christmas. I've heard that a person should walk 10,000 steps a day. I have no idea where this number came from or who set it, but that's what I've been measuring myself against. I'm not reaching that number everyday. I think it's because of the cold, crappy weather. I refuse to walk in it so that leaves me to walking in buildings that I frequent - my house, my school, Target. Yep, that's about it. Anyway, here are the numbers from last week:

Monday - 12,057
Tuesday - 6,138
Wednesday - 6,306
Thursday - 13,327
Friday - 6,433
Saturday - 7,680
Sunday - 3,440

Weight Lost - 2 pounds

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

2010-01-08T22:29:00.005-07:00

I haven't written a book review for awhile so I thought I'd write one about the book I read today. Today I read Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs. I bought this book about a year ago, but for one reason or another it kept getting pushed to the bottom of my pile. Well, I couldn't put it off any longer - I had to read it. This week I started teaching Greek Mythology. I have some books about Greek Mythology that I recommend to my students, but I need more. Because of this, it was time to read Oh. My. Gods. I'm glad I did because I liked it a lot.

Phoebe Castro is the main character in the novel, Oh. My. Gods. Phoebe is a 17-year old girl who loves to run and is banking on an athletic scholarship for college. She has it all mapped out - all she has to do is maintain good grades during her senior year and continue doing well in cross country. All that is put into jeopardy when her mother announces she's remarrying and both her and Phoebe are moving to Greece. Things get even worse when Phoebe learns her new step-father is the headmaster of an exclusive private school with only has one admissions requirement - students must be a direct descendant from one of the Greek Gods. Reluctantly, the school makes an exception for Phoebe. Needless to say, in a school in which the entire student body has the blood of the Gods coursing through their veins, Phoebe has a difficult time fitting in. She has run-ins with the popular descendants of Zeus, the Goth-like descendants of Hades, and cheerleader descendants of Aphrodite.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to read about Greek Mythology with a little twist.

2010 Mocktail Party

2010-01-07T21:29:00.005-07:00

Last weekend I attended the annual mocktail party. Now I'm not a huge fan of dancing, but I am a huge fan of an open bar - even if it is only serving "mocktails." Here are a few pics:

Me waiting patiently for my drink.

I love this picture of me and Aly.

Christi, Me, and Aly.
I got stuck holding Dusty's drink so she could dance.

LOST

2010-01-04T21:52:00.005-07:00

What are you looking forward to most in 2010?

LOST

Advent Blog - Christmas

2009-12-25T19:20:00.004-07:00

Christmas Day. We always have lunch at my grandparent's house at noon. Today after lunch my grandma broke out the chimes. Us grandkids used to play songs on the chimes when we were little. I had completely forgotten about it until my grandma brought them out. I don't know who's idea it was, but they figured now that some of the grandkids have kids of their own, the chimes should be played by the great grandkids. Unfortunately, they were interested in the chimes for about half a second; fortunately, us adults LOVED them!! Here's some hilarious videos of us adults playing some Christmas songs.

We didn't quite have it together on this one. We were short one chime. Anyone recognize the song? It's the beginning of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.

I love this video. It's us playing the second half of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. I love it for so many reasons. First, we're horrible. You can barely tell what we're playing. Second, I love my dad's little head bob. Third, look at our pure joy when we finish. We think very highly of ourselves.

This video is great because I think Mitch is singing "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow."

Our best performance yet - Silent Night.

Advent Blog - December 24th

2009-12-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Every Christmas Eve my parents throw a little party for the George side of my family. Here are a few pictures from this year:

Ronnie with all the delicious food.

Zackie and Mitch watching A Nightmare Before Christmas.

Mitch with his new train pillow.
My mom made them.

Zack with his train pillow.

Me with my new Christmas ornament.
My dad loves that he's in this picture.

My grandpa with the present he bought my grandma.

My grandma unwrapping the present.
I don't know if you can tell, but it's a Cracker Jack box.

And the prize - a diamond ring.
Yep, my grandpa put it in a Cracker Jack box
and glued it back together.

Advent Blog - December 23rd (and a half)

2009-12-23T17:03:00.003-07:00

So since my post this morning was a little Grinchy, I thought I'd write another one. I came home from work and had this package delivered. Yay!! Packages!! It didn't quite fit under the tree so I decided to open it.

Advent Blog - December 23rd

2009-12-23T08:03:00.002-07:00

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! I love Christmas songs, but not this one - I hate the snow. Every winter I question my decision to live in this wretched state. It snowed yesterday, last night, and is still snowing. Yesterday I took Lesli to the airport. It should have taken an hour from my house, to the airport, and back home again - 1 hour 20 minutes at most. Did it? Hell No. It took 3 hours. THREE HOURS!! I know this isn't a very Christmasy post, but I can't help it. I hate the weather and I have to work today. This is the only day in the history of my life that I have had to work this close to Christmas. I'm not happy about it.

Advent Blog - December 22nd

2009-12-22T08:01:00.003-07:00

Advent comes from the Latin word Adventus which means coming. The time of Advent celebrates the coming of Christ's birth as well as His Second Coming. Advent technically starts the 4th Sunday before Christmas, but Advent Calendars tend to start on December 1st. As soon as the Christmas decorations started appearing in stores, I started looking for a new Advent Calendar. Unfortunately, I couldn't find one I liked. That was until I went to my cousin Aimee's house. She had the coolest Advent Calendar. I told her how much I liked it and she said I could have it as my Christmas present. I protested, but she insisted. She said she had made it, along with several others for Christmas gifts. I love it. I went home and immediately hung it up.

Advent Blog - December 21st

2009-12-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Christmas is all about family gatherings. Actually, my family gathers every Sunday. We usually meet at my parent's house, but since my mom's been crazy busy with Christmas preparations, I invited everyone over to my house for Sunday dinner. There are usually about 13-14 of us so I had to move a bit of the furniture and set up an extra table. This photo was taken after I moved some of the living room furniture, but before I put up the table. Mitch thought we were clearing out the room so he'd have even more space to play with my giant exercise ball.

I made delicious, delicious stuffed peppers. You can't see them very well, but they were sooooo good. As many of you know, I HATE to cook, but when I do cook, I do a pretty darn good job. You may notice, Mitch and Zack aren't eating any of my delicious stuffed peppers. It's because they don't eat anything - unless it's ice cream followed by some Pepsi.

We had a great time. I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was busy being the Hostess with the Mostess. Anyway, here are two more pictures:

Me & Louis

Mitch - check out his head.
He took a pretty nasty fall - thankfully, it did not happen at my house.

Advent Blog - December 20th

2009-12-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to Zoolights with Jeanine and her family. It was freezing, but we still had a lot of fun. The entire time Zack kept calling me his BFF. It was way funny. We've called each other BFFs before, but that's the only thing he called me last night. For Christmas I'm making us matching BFF bracelets. I know he'll love it. The other funny thing he kept saying was "piece of cake." He said this every time I went to take a picture of him. Finally I asked him, "Why are you saying 'piece of cake?'" He replied, "Because a piece of cake is way better than cheese." What a fruitloop.

Mitch

My BFF

Me, Zack, and Mitch