Announcing Music Videos

Now on songsinmyhead.blogspot.com I will post the video to the song (if it is available) until a new song is posted.

It's tradition... But a little late

When I was younger my friends and I would call each other on Christmas and share with each other what we had opened. Then last year I posted it on my blog to share with all my friends so here I go again:


Mom & John:Universal Present $$$
Dad & Versa: Universal Present $$$, Digital Camera
Ben:CD - Anna Nalick
Michael: Movie - 10 Things I hate about you
Deak:$$$ to by new shoes, movies- Shrek & Shrek 2, iPod Nano, Smart Wool socks
Patti: A Figurine, A art-stained glass wind chime, A tea pitcher, little things "from Santa"
Philip:cups to go with the tea pitcher
Rob:starbucks gift card
Secret Santa (Tiffany):nail dryer
Connor (Andy's cousin from the "cousin draw"): a sweater
Andy:The gift to give more presents

Happy 21!

Wow my baby brother is 21 today. It only seems like yesterday that I was 21... And when I turn 24 Ben will be as old as I was when I got married.... Hum.

We just got back from Steamboat Springs... A sorta early Christmas get together with Dad, Versa, Ben, Michael, Andy and Me. It was beautiful (an worthy of another blog entry that I am too tired to write right now.)

3 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!

A happy end to a stressful week.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finals are over

Today I had my last final. Before I caught the bus I went to work to see if the schedule was out for next week. On my way to the bus stop I noticed a lady with some children and a wrapped package that looked familiar. The closer I got I started to realize that it was the present I bought and wrapped for a little boy who's name was on the gift tree at work.

"No it couldn't be!" I thought to myself. I mean the only thing I knew about this child was that he was in kindergarten, his name is Stevie and he wanted toys. There were two organizations that the had names on the tree. One was Dora Moore School, the school right across the street from my work. The boy was from that school.

"No way!" I kept thinking. Then his mom called him by name... It is him it is little Stevie. How badly I wanted to say something to him. I mean I have always imagined what the people I have given to looked like and how happy they were to get their gift... But to see him right there.

"Mom I can't wait till Christmas, can I open it now?" he asked as soon as I was close enough to them at the stop. "Maybe when we get home." she said. "I can't wait, can I open it now?" he asked again. Another little boy who was at the stop (a friend) started playing with him and he didn't ask anymore. I felt like I was going to cry and his mother looked at me and was probably wondering what my problem was.

The more I saw him play the more I knew he would like the gifts I got him. He said, "lets pretend to play football," and "now let's pretend to play basket ball." I got him a mini football, basketball, and soccer ball that came together in a set, the teacher side of me got him a playdough pack, it had about a dozen colors and a pack of match box cars, because every boy loves toy cars.

He was so cute... I'm glad I could make someone happy. I'm glad I had to go to work to get my schedule because I would not have been at that bus stop either.

Fall Cookies (yes it's almost winter)

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
little tiny bit of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts
Browned Butter Icing, below (or I use butter cream frosting from Pilsbury ect.)

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and smooth. Beat in eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the first mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans or other nuts. Drop cookie dough but spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets, or use Silpat-type sheets or parchment paper to line baking sheets. Bake pumpkin cookies at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on racks then spread with browned butter icing

(below).
Browned Butter Icing
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar, unsifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk, or enough for spreading consistency
chopped pecans or other nuts
Brown butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; remove from heat. Blend in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat in milk to desired spreading consistency. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

Memories

Today before my psychology final we has a few more presentations to sit through. This girl in my class said that she read a book on Carl Jung. She said he claimed to remember things that happened to him when he was little... And basically she said he was lieing because she couldn't remember that far back.

SO I started to think of things I can remember....

I remember being in Ohio (age?) and sitting in the child seat of a shopping cart. My Granny gave me one of those raspberry lifesaver hard candies and I choked on it.

I remember playing with my orange and yellow plastic shopping cart and some how tripping and splitting my lip open on the handle. This was during Dad's watch.

I remember sitting on the front step of our house eating the candy good & plenty with my mom. Also playing with daddy-long-leg spiders.

I remember catching little grasshoppers in baby food jars in the back yard.

I remember when there was a field between my neighborhood the Safeway and while sitting in my stroller tons of grass hopper jumped on me.

I remember this white shirt with an orange and yellow lion on it that I would never wear because it was itchy and thought there were grasshoppers in it. ---- connection to the one above, probably.

Well I just remembered that I need to go rap my tree presents and get ready for work.

quizes

I spent some time yesterday prettying up my myspace page. On Carley's page she had a quiz about what gemstone you are. Hers said she was ruby (wich is her birthstone) so I decided to take it and I am aquamarine (also my birthstone) Um

Your Gemstone is Aquamarine Intuitive, tranquil, and trusting. You inspire others to have faith in themselves. What Gemstone Are You? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

JUST SAY NO...

to C.S.A.P
Yesterday there was a speaker in my Developmental Educational Psychology class. The speaker gave us information about the C.S.A.P. (Colorado Student Assessment Program). His talk was about how these tests are no good for schools or students.
He had us listen to a C.S.A.P. protest song and gave us the lyrics that I am going to share with you.

What Did You Learn in School Today?

What did you learn in school today, dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today, dear little boy of mine?

I learned that I must pass a test
to sort the learners from the rest,
that winners win and losers lose
High stakes test scores' how they choose.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

What did you learn in school today, dear little girl of mine?
What did you learn in school today, dear little girl of mine?

It matters what my parents earn
with better grades and cash to burn-
don't have those things I can't be smart.
No more music, no more art.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

What did you learn in school today, dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today, dear little boy of mine?

Textbooks fill my empty mind, so I won't be left behind.
I'm learning how to play the game
and all right answers look the same.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

What did you learn in school today, dear little girl of mine?
What did you learn in school toady, dear little girl of mine?

Learning's just a job I do, 7:30 'til half past two,
And all my interests have to wait
Til I drop out or graduate.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

Photo Greeting Cards

I really wanted to make phot greeting cards for family as Christmas cards. I was looking for a good recent picture of Andy and me that is greeting card compatable. I finally got my brother Ben to email me the pictures I knew he took of Andy and Me dressed up for my Dad's wedding. We look great but of course Andy has his sunglasses on and now the picture is unusable for what I had planed. :(

Some people are so rude.

Since I now work in the photo lab I again deal directly with customers. I don't mind because I have always had good customer service and over all enjoy people. But yesterday I had the rudest customer. I mean he was really rude and not like you would think a person at the grocery store could be rude. I was very friendly to the man and he was very friendly to me (at first) I helped him scan pictures he had and even gave him a 10 cents per print coupon we had on his order.

He then started to tell me about his photography job he used to have at a modeling school. Then he told me he had a tip for me... "If you are going to paint your nails, paint them. If you aren't then don't" He was talking about my nails that I painted around Thanksgiving to look nice for the holidays. Since then it has started to chip and crack and with school and finals coming next week, repainting or removing the polish is the last think on my mind. I mean the nail polish doesn't look as good as it should be but my nails are kept nice and clean and manicured. *** ASSHOLE THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK***

And it wasn't like he left it like that either... he started telling me that there is a clear product that makes your nail polish not chip. I told him it didn't work very well and in fact while working at the grocery store and wearing the clear polish makes the polish chip faster (HELLO I HAVE WORKED HER FOR ALMOST 6 1/2 YEARS) and he still argued me. Unless you get your nails professionally done by adding tips or acrylic nail polish will chip.

But the point is he shouldn't have said anything anyway.

P.S. Happy late Blogaversary to me November 29

Joke

It was Sally's first day as a second grade teacher. She walked into the class room and saw that someone had written T T T 1 A. She then asked who wrote on the board and a boy named Bobby raised his hand "I did" he said.
"What does it mean?" Sally asked the boy. "It means To The Teacher one Apple" said Bobby as he handed her an apple. "Thank you" she said.

The next day of school there was more writing on the board this time it was T T T 1 O. "Who wrote this and what does it mean?" she asked. Another little boy named Joey raised his hand and said "To The Teacher one Orange" and he handed her an orange. "Thank you." she said.

The next day was quite a shock. There was more writing on the board and this time she was angry "Who wrote this?" she demanded looking at the board. The board said F U C K 1 T. "I did" said a little boy named Juan. "Why did you write that?" she asked.

Juan answered. "It says From Us Chicano Kids one Tamale."