Go Jazz

Today I made a kid cry.  Well, he didn't actually cry in front of me but when he left there were definite tears in his eyes.  Derek (one of my co-workers) really made a kid cry (and then she stormed out of the office) so I guess I shouldn't feel that bad about the tears in the eyes kid.  Anyway, I made this kid cry because I told him that his teacher had recommended him for this special reading class.  He had planned out his whole schedule with all of his friends and you could just tell that the idea of having to tell his friends that he had to take a "special" class was the worst thing that he could even imagine.

Isn't it funny that we let what other people think of us determine so much of what we do?  Instead of just living our lives the way we want to or living our lives in the way that would benefit us the most, we let other people's opinions influence what we do.  I like to think that I don't care about what people think but the truth is, their opinion of me has an influence over my decisions.  Like knowing that my parents will think something is stupid, keeps me from doing it.  Or knowing that my friends will tease me if I suddenly start liking a certain person, keeps me from liking them.  

There are very few decisions that I've made in my life that I feel are almost completely "other-people-free".  And how do we make it so that we care less?  Just some thoughts for this Wednesday...

These are a few of my favorite things...

Today as I put on a new outfit, I started to think of the things that I love in the world and this is what I came up with:

1.  My family (as crazy as they are, they can also be incredibly supportive and loving)

2.  My friends (which in many cases can also be considered my family)

3.  The sound of putting on a new pair of shoes (not necessarily the feel of a new pair, sometimes new shoes can really hurt after a day of work)

4.  Movies that make me nostalgic (aka...Sound of Music, Mighty Ducks, Anne of Green Gables, Clueless)

5.  The first snow (although there are many times that I wish there was only one snow for the whole year, I think that would be enough for me)

6.  Chocolate

7.  Adorable white puppies like the one on that dog food commercial...I seriously love him

8.  Having a really great and meaningful conversation with someone that means a lot to me

9.  Hawaii in general (yeah for going on another trip!!!!!!)

10.  Lists of any kind

Oh, and one of my not favorite things are april fools' jokes, I hate those.

Cars, cars, and more cars

Today I found out that the law in Maryland requires that you have your car insured 2 weeks from the date of purchase.  I'm not sure how I am supposed to know this since 1. the policy is not in my name and 2. I do not currently reside in Utah.  I'm all for obeying the laws of the land but there must be some way that we are informed of these laws.  After finding out that because I waited an extra week to insure my car, I will be fined an extra 150 dollars, I decided to research the current laws in both Maryland and Utah relating to insuring cars.  No where did I find that you had only 14 days.  On top of all that, I can't figure out for the life of me how to get the screws on the back of my car off so that I can replace my license plates.  The good news is that I still have my new car and I still love it.

Seussical

If you haven't seen Seussical the Musical, I would definitely recommend it.  It is cute and the music is great.  In fact, Megan and I agreed that some of the songs are reminiscent of Saturday's Warriors songs.  Maybe the song writer for Seussical was a member of the church, I wouldn't be surprised.  I was pleasantly surprised by the talent of our junior high students.  Some of those people could totally be on American Idol when they are older.

And speaking of American Idol, I can't believe that I have already posted three times and I have yet to mention my love for David Archuletta.  Sad, I know, since he is only 17, but could he be any cuter?!?!  

So my thoughts for today:

Go see Seussical

Start watching American Idol!

Sense and Sensibility

Normally I would consider myself a good driver, at least, a fairly good driver.  I pay attention to the road and to the other drivers, I hardly ever veer into another lane, and I've never been in an accident.  I, at least, feel safe when I am driving!  Yesterday, however, my driving skills were highly questionable.  

For example, there were multiple times when I suddenly realized that I was driving in two lanes instead of one (luckily there were no other cars on the road).  I tried to blame it on the fact that Utah has no shiny reflectors in their lanes but to be honest, I think that I was still partly to blame.

And if that isn't enough to convince you, this next part should do the trick.  I was on my way home from Park City and decided that I would go on 80 through Salt Lake instead of through Provo Canyon.  That part went splendidly (except for the before mentioned veering) until I looked over at Megan and asked if we were on 15 yet.  The fact that I didn't know is scary enough, but then we saw a sign that said 15 north and it didn't even register to either of us that 15 north is the exact opposite way of American Fork (home).  You would think that as we passed by Salt Lake...going the wrong way mind you...that we would realize our mistake.  Still, no.  I even stared at the city as we passed, realizing that something was wrong, and I still didn't figure it out.  

It's a good thing that Megan was in the car because as we passed a sign for Farmington, I actually said "I can't believe that we haven't even hit Farmington yet."  For those of you not familiar with Utah, Farmington is nowhere near anywhere that we wanted to be.  It would be like driving to Frederick and somehow ending up in Martinsburg.  Luckily, Megan is a little big quicker than I am and she informed me that we shouldn't be going to Farmington.  I started laughing so hard that I seriously became a danger on the road.  We had to pull over for like 10 minutes while I gained control.

And who even knows how long I would have kept driving?!?

Future Vikings

After being reprimanded by Eliza for never actually writing on my blog, I decided to give it another take.  Today's big news...I have an interview for a school district in Maryland.  Finally...I was starting to worry a little.  Even though I am excited about actually getting an interview, I'm not actually excited about the interviewing process.  I seriously hate sitting there with a bunch of people that I don't know, trying to figure out exactly what they want me to say.  I mean, is there really a good answer to "What are your weaknesses?"  I always try to put the positive spin on it, but I'm pretty sure that my interviewers see right through me.  I mean, how bad is it to really be overly organized????  And as an interviewee, it's a little discerning to have 1-6 pairs of eyes staring me down and trying to figure out if I would, in fact, be a good counselor.  But regardless of my qualms about the interviewing process, I am still excited about the prospect of a new job (and therefore, a little more money).

Another thought, I'm attending our school play, Seussical the Musical, tomorrow night.  I'll let you know how it goes.