Friday, April 30, 2010

ME!

So living back here where I grew up I am reminded of random things all the time.
Here is a memory I have of jr. high, I went to Rocky Run Middle School in Chantilly,VA. I now drive by it every day on my way to work.

When I was there from 7th -8th grade which was 87-89,it was VERY instyle to do your hair very large, you would curl the bangs up and then hold the sides out and spray a ton of hairspary on them, hairspray in an aerosol bottle, we used a lot of Aquanet...Sad to say but some people still do there hair this way if you do then stop it is out of style PLEASE STOP NOW!!!

anyway one day I came to school and all of the popular girls had worn there hair just flat and worn sweats- my hair was still large -so everyone that was popular had called each other that morning or the night before and said hey wear your hair flat and just wear sweats... I felt devastated.... I was trying to pretend I was popular and that I was friends with those girls but here was real proof that I was NOT... NO ONE HAD CALLED ME to say wear your hair flat... I was so embarrassed, I mean I couldnt just walk home and put on sweats and brush out my hair... all though I did try ....

I remember standing in gym and looking at those girls like what the??? why did no one call me I thought I was cool I seriously did why did no one call me??? I don't get it WHY ARNT I ONE OF THEM!!! I VOWED THAT DAY THAT I WOULD ONE DAY BE THE ONE THAT CALLED PEOPLE AND MADE PLANS!!!!! ME!!!

anyway that was a long time ago but the funny thing is ... I became that person, the party planner, the dinner giver, the person that is like hey lets all do this and people do it... and you can trace it all back to big hair... crazy huh???

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

field trip

Spike and I went to Ellanor C. Lawrence again on Sat. We walked on a different trail this time. It was really pretty it had a "run" beside it so while we were walking we also could see Rocky Run. We got to a part in the trail where we could go left or right I picked left and we were all of a sudden walking behind peoples houses, I am not sure if we were on a trail any more or just grass behind peoples houses??? then it just ended like OK you are done.... I looked around and there was a place where you could go down a hill and we did then we walked up a hill and were behind peoples houses again... and so we walked doing that until we ended up at a sidewalk, then we turned around and walked back... while behind the peoples houses we found two trees and the remains of someones treehouse... kind of cool...

Saturday, April 24, 2010

ME

a couple of Sundays ago I was upstairs in my room reading and I heard the ICE CREAM MAN GO BY!!! of course it was Sunday so I did not run out and get ice cream. But if it was any other day I wanted to run down stairs and beg my mom for money and then go and chase him.

When I was a little girl the ice cream man coming around was a big thing.. He just did not come around Greenbriar that much, like maybe one time a month.I have no idea why because when I was growing up there were SO MANY KIDS ON THAT STREET. So when we heard him coming we would freeze and get really quiet and then someone would shout THE ICE CREAM MAN!!!! and we would all run in and ask our moms for money and then go and chase him down and buy something, I remember a couple of times my mom did not give me and Brad ENOUGH money and we were the only kids on our street without any Good Humor, and that is not funny. One time I was very indesisive about what kind of ice cream I wanted and the ice cream man was like YOU NEED TO JUST PICK ONE! I thought oh my goodness you are the ice cream man you should be NICE!!!! Every time the ice cream man came for the next few days we would carry around our own change HOPING WISHING BELIEVING that he would come by again, but like I said he just did not come down our street a lot..so then finally we would put our change away or buy something else with it and then maybe a month later he would come by again and then we would repeat the whole process.

When I was on my mission in Southern California there were a few towns where the ice cream man was omnipresent. I remember the first time I saw one of them we were tracting and I said to my companion THE ICE CREAM MAN!!! she was like um so? and I said we should go get something!! She said no.. I then realized that the ice cream man in these towns comes by so MUCH that it is not a big deal like sometimes while we were tracting he would come by a few TIMES!! while we are tracting ONE street. like what the? like if you did not get enough the FIRST TIME or could not convince your mom 5 minutes ago... maybe you can NOW...and sometimes there would be COMPETING ice cream men.. like several in one neighborhood and there were even men that pushed CARTS of ice cream, once while tracting with Sister Christensen, we saw two with carts pass each other and they both looked at each other sooo mean like don't even THINK about going in my territory! DONT DO IT!

but ice cream men were not the only thing that came around on my mission there were people that walked around and sold every thing like seriously EVERY THING, corn, tamales, produce, candy, blankets, cookies.... so many things.
It would be really hard sometimes we would be at someones door and we would be like Hello we are missionaries from The Church of LDS and then the ice cream man comes by and some kids would be like ICE CREAM! and well there goes... what we were saying..

I wonder how that would have been as a kid to grow up with so many street peddlers and people selling things coming by?? As an adult it was exciting, then annoying when I realized how many there were, then just backround noise. like on just one street in one town we passed like TEN, TEN different people selling things! WOW

but that was a long time ago in California and now I am back in Virginia at my moms house... and if it is not Sunday I am totally running out to get ice cream:)...

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Field Trip

spike messing up my new shoes...
Keli, Chris, Beth, Spike and Dylan

I went to Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane,VA this past weekend with Beth and her sons, Chris and Dylan.


It is a beautiful drive up 66 through the "mountains" when we got there we went into the gift shop where I bought a sticker that says something about hiking Sky Meadows that I plan on turning into a magnet when I get it back from Beth because I left it in her purse.


We took a little hike on an interperitive trail, it was a little over a mile. There were a lot of signs to read that told us what we were seeing or what we should be looking for.


While on our hike, Chris started collecting rocks, he collected so many that his pants started falling off when I later saw how many rocks that Chris has collected I was shocked! I think that he could get in the Guiness Book of World Records for most rocks put in pants or something...


Dylan and Chris both had fun finding sticks and beating up things with them :)


Beth and I had fun watching them and walking
and Spike had a fun time messing up my shoes... with MUD!
after our hike we drove into the tiny town of Upperville,VA that I think that I could live in because it has
1. a little market
2. a TINY library
3. a THRIFT STORE
4. a restaraunt
5. gas station
6. a couple of B&Bs
I mean what else do you need for REAL!?
we got dinner at the little market and drove back to Sky Meadow for an astronomy program.BUT it was not starting for awhile and it was colder than we thought so we drove back to the little market got dessert
we then went and visited my dad who has set up his apartment like a museum. not sure why but he has, maybe he should start charging admission.
after that we drove back home:)
so in that day we went to,
1. Fairfax,County
2. Loudon,County
3. Prince William County
4. Faquier County
what a busy day:)


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Field Trip

So Shafag ( my co-teacher) and I went to Ellanor C. Lawrence and walked on a trail that I had not been on in awhile it was nice. After she left I also went and walked over by this building called Cabells Mill. There were so many spring flowers. I wish that I had someone to take pictures of!!!

Monday, April 19, 2010

recipe

Ingredients
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in to bite size pieces
1 (16 ounce) box cornstarch
3 eggs, lightly beaten
garlic salt
Sauce
1-2 teaspoon chili paste
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
6 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 dash salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
1Place all cut up chicken into a 9x13-inch pan and sprinkle with garlic salt.
2Let sit at least one hour.
3Mix the eggs in a bowl and pour the box of cornstarch on a large plate. The pieces get dipped in the egg and then the cornstarch.
4Fry them in a pan over medium heat in batches with a little olive oil (I have tried using pan spray to make them a little lower fat but it is too much to handle).
5After frying them, place them in a 9x13-inch pan.
6Mix all of the ingredients in the sauce in a sauce pan and heat until sugar dissolves only. Pour this over the breaded chicken in the pan.
7Cook at 325°F stirring every 15 minutes for 1 hour.

This is some yummy chicken that the chinese restaraunts sell in Logan and Smithfield it is so good and was a big hit at the potluck this month :)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

field trip?

So after I landed in Denver I thought for real I can't carry this bag of books I CANT... Like I seriously considered just unloading this bag of books and just leaving it somewhere in the airport.. like HERE YA GO WHO EVER WANTS SOME BOOKS CAN HAVE THEM!!!!

but then at the last moment when I was moving that bag with my feet and about the collapse from the weight of this other one I heard this lady talking on the phone behind me and she had the same flight as me, I was like hey I have that flight and then she asked if I needed help with my bags I was like um YES!!! so she helped me!!! THANK GOODNESS FOR ANGELS!!!

we went over to where our flight was leaving from and there was a couple over there and the woman was sanding the mans feet???????????????? like are you SERIOUS??? like um really??? This other guy was like things like this don't happen in Denver... I was like mmmhmm sure they don't.....like who sands someones feet at the AIRPORT????I just don't get it... So Renee and I got on the plane to Charlotte.

Renee said that she was sitting by a really hot guy, I was sitting beside a guy that had a young teen with him, for some reason that man decieded to cuss out the stewardess so he got the boot,and a girl with her baby and her dad came and sat by me, we all fell asleep because it was the middle of the night...

also MIRACLE they let me check all my bags for free, so since I was bag free, just walking around with Lonesome Dove, and my cell phone and my wallet, when we got to the Charlotte airport Renee and I walked around THE WHOLE AIRPORT!!! Renee said that I HAD TO SEE THE GUY that she was sitting with... she said we would know him because his luggage was a cardboard box ductaped together with a homemade duct tape handle...well we never saw him... :( but we did see almost everyone else from our flight because since our next flight did not leave for awhile it seems like everyone from our flight was just walking around...

so while I am waiting on my flight to Washington DC they said they had overbooked the flight and they wondered if anyone would volenteer to go on another flight and get back to DC later in the day, they would have to go through Raleigh-Durham...they said that we would get free breakfast and a 275$ travel voucher... I ALMOST did it ALMOST.. but with getting sick... and the fear of them losing my bags... and I had my pd. I just said no.. like NO I just want to go home...

While flying into DC I sat by another woman with a baby... and some kids behind me said when we were flying in that they could see Pearl Harbor... which is absolutly AMAZING...

I went home and slept a little bit, then went back to work... and now everytime that the kids see a plane well not EVERY time but lots of time they are like there is a plane Miss Keli is going to UTAH!!!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Utah Day 4

I woke up at Kathy's and Jill was nice enough to take me over to Mandy's to get my hair done. I was a fool for not bringing boots to Utah it was so rainy and muddy I could have walked through the field or on the road... but it was just not an option. I was wearing a long dress and I would have been a sight.

Mandy colored and trimmed my hair and I looked cute:)

Jill picked me up and took me over to Amy's house, Amy and I drove down to Logan and I got two suitcases at DI ( and a pair of Big Star jeans and a little wooden thing with a President Monson quote on it) I just passed by those things and I can't be expected to pass them up....

Amy and I stopped at the chinese place in Smithfield and got some tiny spicy chicken

then we went over to Marian and Vern's house and I loaded what I could into the luggage I had.

The shuttle bus came and got me I swear EVERY man that gives me a ride on that thing is so OBSESSED with me like they talk to me all the way to SLC and tell me on and on like how they can't believe I am single and blah blah blah....

got to the airport, it was raining sideways/ and snowing, the plane to Denver did not leave until it was an hour and a half late... then we had to sit on the run-way while they cleared it off again.. and then we had to wait for them to come out and scrape the snow off the windows...then the turbulance SUCKED I threw up ... the lady beside me threw up and her kid was clutching the arm rests for dear life...

BUT SOME HOW SOMEWAY we made it to DENVER!!! alive... TBC

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Utah day 3/holiday

EASTER 2010-found me in Bountiful,Utah.

Linsey's son Ethan has several allergies (egg,dairy and PB) so for their Easter eggs they decorated plastic eggs with stickers:) They had a lot of fun doing it,after the decorating, they had an Easter Egg hunt, Olivia's eggs had Os on them and Ethans had Es. Linsey stored the left over jelly beans and Smarties in a cabinet.... I think I ate most of the left-overs during the course of the day.

My mom asked me and Brad if we wanted Easter baskets we both said no, I am glad that I said no because I eat so much junk at work and then I stood there and ate all that candy at Linseys.

we were able to watch conference :) looking forward to it coming out in the Ensign.

Dan came over for lunch/dinner and Linsey made barbacoa pork like they serve at Cafe Rio!:) IT WAS SO GOOD! so good that when I have a date, I think that I should make them that:)

Kathy and I headed back up to Lewiston that night. when we pulled into the valley I just felt like I was HOME. I don't know why I just did.It is the place I feel most at home. I missed so many things about being there, so many things. I have never been somewhere that I just want to well live, go volunteer at the thrift store... just be there.. but there are no jobs for me there, I have no idea where I want to end up one day. I just hope that where ever I am I am happy and feel peaceful.

Kathy went into her office and had a Skype conversation with her family, which was great for me because Sunday is my TV night!! ( I am ashamed to say but it sure is) OK I will admit lots of nights are my TV night but Sunday... some Sundays when I lived by myself, I would be all alone all day and I really looked forward to my shows coming on at 7pm to kind of break up the day, it was something I really looked forward to.

So while Kathy was Skyping, I watched
1. The Amazing Race- I am so glad that the cowboys are still in it. I hope that the lesbians get kicked off soon though because they are rude and annoying

2. The Celebrity Apprentice-so glad that Rod Blagovich got the boot, I mean he did not even know how to type or text, like how did he get so far and not know how...??

3. Cold Case-it was a good one,

I have a way that I say that now, you just have to hear it I can't write it but when I read a good book with the kids then I say "That was a good one" now all the kids say it with me:)

after those shows Kathy was done talking so we chatted for a bit then I went to bed... HAPPY!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Utah Day 2


Liisa,Janet, Mrs,Cindy Johnson, Jamie, and Keli :)



I woke up at Linsey's and got ready for the day.


I was able to listen to the first session of conference on the computer while I updated my blog and sent emails, that was nice.

some of Cindy's friends from Qwest, that I had worked with came and picked me up at Linsey's


We all rode together to where Cindy was having her wedding, Camp Tracy up Millcreek Canyon in SLC. There is a really cool boy scout camp up there and Cindy had her wedding in the lodge.
The wedding was AMAZING!!! Cindy looked BEAUTIFUL!!! there were pictures of her and Kelly everywhere with purple fabric and little lights on the table they had made a book with pictures of her and Kelly in it and you opened that up and signed it, I WANT THAT!!! I wrote Cindy I am here today and I will be there on the day that you get sealed in the temple :)
There was light green ribbons tied around all the chairs, beautiful flowers, bouquet, which I did not even TRY to catch because I have caught probably 10 or more in my life..
It was catered by Costa Vida SO YUMMY! everyone got a little chocolate at their table and it was in a box and it said thanks for celebrating with us!
I am so grateful for my friendship with Cindy Ivie Johnson. I am grateful that I was able to sit by her and get to know her. She is a wonderful lady and my life is enriched for knowing her. I am so grateful that I used all most my whole paycheck to come and see her wedding and that those girls gave me a ride it was SO WORTH IT! What a great time :)
After the wedding they took me back to Bountiful and Linsey was nice enough to take me to the distribution center where I got a new BOM because I still have the one from my mission. I had bought another set at some point that got lost sometime along the way. I am very happy to have these and need to order a BOM study manual now.
Then Linsey dropped me off at Seagull Book while she went to Wal-Mart, I got three shirts from DownEast, that are short sleeved they are modest so that will give me some more clothing options. I miss there being so many LDS stores in such a close distance. Those places must make BANK when people are in from out of town.

I looked around Fashion Bug, I never realized that Fashion Bug had such cute stuff and great prices, there is one by Danielle and one by my dad so I will have to check them out sometime.
I went to the $ store which was way nicer and bigger than the one that we have here.
Then I went to Roberts Crafts I forgot about how much I MISSED Roberts Crafts they were having ladies night because it was during the priesthood session and I was able to make three make and takes while I was waiting on Linsey. It was so fun. http://www.robertscrafts.com/ They don't have Roberts in Cache Valley so it was a real treat to go there.
Linsey picked me up and we went back to her house, I played on the computer and then at about 10pm KATHY CAME!!!!! it was so nice to see her it seems like I just saw her yesterday. I love Kathy and I am so grateful that I am her friend :)
What a wonderful day!!!!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Utah Day 1

My flight did not leave until LATE, like 6pm. So I worked until 1pm. It was Friday and suppossed to be Q day but I thought that could wait until this week. since I was leaving at 1pm.



Brad gave me a ride to the airport. My ticket was out of National so I flew out of there.... I only brought my carry-on bags, it was so nice to get on the plane with just one carry-on... I am used to lugging around really heavy bags, but I knew I had a lot to bring back so I brought as little as a I could.

My flight was very uneventful... on the way to Denver I sat by a lawyer from DC. he got a Gin and Tonic to drink.. On the way to SLC I was sitting by no one until a large man came over and sat down so he could give his wife more room...

Dan and his friend Erica picked me up at the airport and gave me a ride to Linsey's where I stayed up very late on the computer, because since I don't have my computer at my house whenever I go somewhere with a computer I am in heaven because I have so many things to do on it.

That is the end of day one.

Field Trip

Spike and I went to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park again, a couple of weekends ago. It was warmer outside so there were more people t here, we did the North Loop again and we did the Wild Turkey Trail. There were a lot of people there walking, jogging and stuff. One lady seemed annoyed at me because Spike barked at her large dog... Spike and I saw 12 deer that just stood and looked at us, then ran a bit. This trail was OK but no pretty spring flowers :(

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Field Trip

I went to the beach on of the weekends in March to visit my friend Danielle. I left after swimming lessons. Sat.morning and I got down there at about 2pm ish...

Danielle and I went out to eat at a restaraunt called The Jewish Mother that is down right near the ocean. They sell soups, sandwiches,salads that kind of thing there. Here is the website :http://jewishmother.com/ I got a sandwich called The Mothers Mother. Which was chicken salad, apples, avocado, muenster cheese, etc on rye bread SO GOOD! Danielle had a quiche. They had amazing looking desserts there but after spending 10$ on a sandwich I did not have enough money left to get a dessert but someday I MUST!

We went and picked up Danielle's daughter Vanessa at her job at KFC and dropped Danielle off, and picked up Spike, Vanessa Spike and I went over to a park called Great Neck Park on the internet this park said it "walking trails" they were, but they just led from on pavillion to another and down to a big gazebo. I was looking for something a little longer to take Spike on so Vanessa and I drove over to Mt. Trashmore. This is a VERY popular park in VA beach and it was PACKED!!!! I was worried about taking Spike somewhere so crowded but he did OK.

there were not many white people there or people or any other nationality but lots and lots of black people. I might have seen like 5 other white people and 5 other people of other nationalities.
the black people there did not like Spike, here are some things that people said to me.
1. This one lady that was walking way over on the other side of the trail said to me "YOU BETTER CONTROL YOUR DOG!!!!" I said I am... she was like mmmhmm sure..like are you kidding me you are way over there?????he is JUST WALKING!!!???
2. another lady said " WHO IS WALKING WHO?"??? I ignored that one...
3 a man said "THAT MY DOG BE BREATHING LIKE BIGGIE SMALLS"?????????????

I just don't know I really just don't know.... we managed to make it around the whole lake without Spike pooping anywhere. Which is awesome since I did not have a bag...

After that park we went back to Danielle's and dropped off Spike and picked up Vanessa's friend Charles and Danielle and we all went down to the oceanfront. Vanessa and Charles walked around on the boardwalk and Danielle and I played mini-golf at a place called Pirates Paradise. Here is the website:http://www.piratesparadiseminigolf.com/ We had a nice time there, Danielle made two hole in ones, but somehow I beat her I have no idea how??? It was a little breezy so it was not crowded there were people in front of us but not in back of us, I bet that place is PACKED in the summer though.

We went back to Danielle's and Vanessa and Charles took Spike on a long walk. I thought that we were going to watch Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull but the electricity went out at Danielle's house and I read some by candlelight and then went to sleep.

I had never realized before how important it is to know where candles matchs and something to light them with was. I am locating all that stuff at my moms house so when the electricity goes out we will be prepared. :)

The next day I went to church in VA beach it was stake conference for everyone from PA to NC. GLADYS KNIGHT WAS THERE!!!!!!!!!!! she was in town and her group was there and her busses, and I did not see her but she was THERE. I did not go back for her show later but I HOW COOL IS THAT? I have been to church with Marie Osmond, and The Osmonds second Generation and now Gladys Knight...!

Spike and I drove home and all went well what a nice trip :)

Holiday

For St. Patricks Day.... wait for it I DID SOMETHING!!!! I know that you are shocked that I actually DID something for a holiday but don't be to shocked... I am a pre-school teacher you know:)

Miss Shafag, hung up this REALLY CUTE leprachaun, it looked like at one time he was a flag that could be hung outside. she hung up gold coins all around him. We did a lot of artwork with the kids involving green things and shamrocks and leprachauns, I named the large one she hung up Liam.

On the day of St.Patricks we had a GREEN PARTY ( maybe I should have typed this in green!) I told all the kids that they HAD to wear green OR they would get PINCHED!!!by Miss Keli Leprachaun!!! It was so cute to see all the kids wearing green clothes!:)

I wore this silly green top hat, that I found at the 5 below store:) a green shirt, a green sweater, a green pair of pants, socks with leprachauns on them and boots with green on them:)

when we were outside Miss Shafag came in and messed up the room took toys out put chairs on top of tables and moved things around and sprinkled the gold coins everywhere when we came in we said HE WAS HERE!!! a leprachaun was here and the kids were running everywhere getting the gold coins...

we had green juice, napkins,plates, and treats for our snack and it was just a really fun really good day.

When I got home, I put this neck thing on Spike that was green and white and so cute and had little green and white bones on it. I took off my top hat, and we went for a walk. NO ONE SAID HOW CUTE THE LITTLE BOY LOOKED!!!! but let me just tell you he looked so cute!

I asked my mom to take a picture of us but in every picture she cut off my head and after about 5 trys I gave up but he looked cute!!!:)

So that is my St. Patricks Day 2010!!:)