Walk Among Pumpkins. You will Enjoy it!

Well, I went to my tenth consecutive Pumpkin Walk up in North Logan this past weekend. It was spectacular, as always. It was really warm though which was very different for the Pumpkin Walk and Logan in general. It is okay though because the next morning it was very cold and rainy. That was more like the Logan I know. It was fun to go up with friends and then eat some fantastic pizza and then stay in a mediocre hotel. Very good times. It was also nice of my wonderful friends to humor me and allow me to walk around the campus going down memory lane. Thanks ladies, especially for braving the weather!

This week is good so far. I am doing social experiments which is always a good way to not be bored. This time is has to do with online dating. Okay, so often my social experiments have to do with online dating, but this one is a good one. I have decided that basically no means is helping me get dates. Not my church ward, not the grocery store, not the internet. So, I decided to change some variables. I decided that I will write at least one young available close proximity male each day. So far, I am on day two. I have already gotten one response. We will see if this social experiment will yield any dates. Today, I also changed another variable. I decided that sometimes it is okay to ask men out. I did so tonight and I have a date for tomorrow night. Of course, I am going to hell for it because I just remembered(about an hour after scheduling the date) that I am supposed to be at a training meeting for church. At this point in my life and still being single, I decided that the date must go on. This is important too. But I am still probably going to hell for it.

I just found the book I wish I had written. It is a book about sports specifically aimed at educating women about sports. Hello, this is probably part of my life's calling. I am very mad at the author for stealing my idea before I even had it. Shame on her. Anyway, I think I am going to read it to get my ideas for the better book that I will write in the future! I also have three other sports books next to me that are waiting to be checked out from the library. I think I am a sports nut or something. Hmmm.

Note on eighth hour. Last week, during class, one of the students said: "Alice, you totally should blog about this!" So very funny. Also, a note about T-Roy. Yesterday I wrote a note to him on the whiteboard under where I give the students their writing prompts. It said something along the lines of: Yes, T-Roy, you always should write a full paragraph. The sad part was that T-Roy was absent yesterday. Good thing about today though was that T-Roy was there and I wrote this: "Yes, T-Roy, you didn't learn about the 5 areas yesterday, you were not here. So, write about your closest friend instead." It was so very funny when Troy said "Hey, I wasn't here yesterday" and I was able to point him to the board to read his own personal message. Stellar moment!

Well, sorry it has been a long dry spell for my blog. I promise to do better. Enjoy the pictures from the Pumpkin Walk. I love this time of year and that event is one of my favorite things to do during the Fall. Also, enjoy the picture of last year's pumpkin carving escapades. I will have a picture next time of this year's creation. It is a good one!

Cheers,
A

Body Language!

Eighth hour was an adventure today as it is most days. The funniest thing about eighth hour today was that even though they made me just about lose my top, it was a really good object lesson for what they were learning about today.

I was trying to get their attention and was also trying to motivate them to take some notes and no matter what I would say, they would not shut up. So, I started wandering around the classroom with my shoulders drooped, sighing, and making a sad face. I walked past one of my students, who very quietly said: "I am so sorry!"

Today we were talking about the five essential things for good communication. So when we got to "body language," I was able to use the example from the beginning of class when they would not listen. It is so nice of my students to give me examples to use while I am teaching them.

Now, if that wasn't being optimistic, I do not know what would be!

I just asked one of my friends what it feels like to be organized. She said that it felt wonderful all the time. I don't think that changes my outlook on being organized. I refuse to do it. I just wanted all of you to know!

I just asked myself how it feels to be random and I answered 64.

Remember to think of the glass as half full and to take your vitamins. I read somewhere that it helps prevent muscle cramps! :)

All Good Things Come to an End!

Howdy, the vacation is going to be over after today. I hope I will survive it.

My trip to Idaho Falls was much more fun that I thought it would be. I was not excited for the long drives back and forth but I think the time on the road was worth it. My friend, Laura, has a wonderful little house in Idaho Falls. It is still very, very weird for my personal friends to own real estate. She was very nice to take my other friend, Kerri, and I in for the weekend.

We had lots of fun hanging out and getting caught up. The last time I saw Laura was about two years ago. I am a pretty bad friend, because that is also about how long Laura has owned her house. At one time, Laura, Kerri and I were roommates up in Logan. That seems like an eternity ago. We were only roommates for a summer but it had a huge impact on all of our lives, as most roommate situations do. Luckily, this was a good impact.

Saturday we went to a session at the Idaho Falls Temple. It was a wonderful experience. That temple is truly beautiful both inside and out(like most temples, of course.) After that, we walked along the falls and then headed to Rexburg. We stopped on the way for a great dinner at a little pizza place in Rigby, ID. Very, very good calzones! It was fun to be back in Rexburg. A flood of memories came rushing back into my mind. Lots of good times in Rexburg that is for sure! We saw the new temple there and it is so very beautiful. It has a great location right at the top of the hill so you can see if for miles! We got there just in time for the sunset which made the temple even look more spectacular, if that is even possible.

Overall, it was a great trip. Kerri and I enjoyed the road trip part as well. We sung our lungs out to Kelly Clarkson and a slew of other artists. We also sung the song that hopefully you can hear now in the background by Carrie Underwood. We love that song!

Well, I am off to enjoy the rest of my last day off. A trip to Walmart will be very exciting. Not the highlight though. Working out this morning was a highlight. I have never felt so weak in my life. I am doing a new program with one of my co-workers. It is intense. Hopefully, I will be able to be on the American Gladiators when I am finished! Oh wait, that isn't on anymore. I guess I will just have to be a buff girl without any T.V. show to be on!

Five Moose in One Day!

Hello from vacation. Yesterday was a wonderful day. (and not just because "The Office" was on!) I was able to go hiking up in the Alpine Loop and it was gorgeous. Kristi and I started our adventure at about 10:30 in the morning. First we got some lunch to take with us and headed for the Alpine Loop. Kristi thought I needed to stop at Cabella's because I had not yet visited the one in Utah before. Well, it was just like the Cabella's I went to in Nebraska. I think they are all pretty much the exact same. Anyway, we thought we were going to be able to see the fish being fed in the gynormous tanks but feeding time was not at noon like we thought. But it was fun to look at all the weird fish in the tanks anyway. We then headed up into the mountains and it was so pretty. This time of year is definitely my favorite. Man, the leaves are so pretty up there. Especially, with the backdrops of the mountains. We ate lunch and then headed up the trail to Silver Lake. Along the path we were stopped twice by hikers and told about an amazing moose family that were near the trail just before the lake. Kristi and I were so excited to see the moose but we did not see them before getting to the lake. It was pretty funny because the three and a half hour hike was all about getting to Silver Lake and we were feeling disappointed when we got there because we did not see the moose. So, we spent about a half hour at the lake walking around trying to see where we could have missed the moose. We eventually gave up, but were pleasantly surprised when we saw the said moose right next to the trail on our way out. It was so spectacular to see these giant animals. At first, I was really scared of them because they are huge and there was a little baby one with the group. They really didn't care we were around but we did have to detour through the wilderness a bit so we didn't get too close to them. It was a great day.

And, of course, later that night I was able to have some friends over to enjoy "The Office" and that was wonderful too. Especially with leftover Hawaiian food and chocolate frozen yogurt!

Today, I head up to Idaho Falls for some fun with some of my former roommates from Logan. It will be good times. The best thing about the trip is that when I come back on Sunday, I will still have one more day off (well, besides hanging out with some fun people, that is)! Yipee!

Don't worry friends, you can rub it in when you have some vacation. Know I will be very jealous when you go to London, to Hawaii, or to any other far away place! :)

Practially Thursday!

Hi all. Today is technically Thursday for me. This is because we do not have school on Thursday or Friday, so tomorrow is the last day of work for the week, so it is like Friday. (Do NOT try to explain this concept to any of my students, they may just look at you blankly and say: "But it is only Tuesday!")

Today was a fun day at school. It is very entertaining to watch my PE classes play Lacrosse. It is almost like giving them weapons and a few rules and then letting them hack at each other. I think overall I have filled out three accident reports so far. Does this mean I should not teach Lacrosse? I do not think so. Seriously, we are shooting for diversity for these students and what better than a sport that was invented by Native Americans as a ritual to heal the sick. Very diverse sport, if you ask me. My favorite thing about this sport is that it humbles even the most athletic students. They try to shoot the ball in the goal and it hits the ceiling. Very entertaining!

Health was also enjoyable at school today because we were reviewing for the test they have tomorrow and they decided that the review game we would play would be boys vs. girls. We have played the game many times and they never get excited about it. But make it all about the battle of the sexes and watch out...they are all over it! It made me happy inside to see the boys so competitive during an academic competition.

Well, I am excited for my five day weekend. Sorry to you suckers who have to work a full week. I hope you will survive! later, A