The Tragic Price of POOR Choices

A colleague just sent me an email with the following article attached. My mouth literally dropped open as I read through the article and found that 5 of these ten individuals arrested were students that I worked with at Westfield High School from 2002-2006. I KNEW these kids! J.R. Quick, Skylar Schnippel, Anna Richter, Lokesh Rawat, David Schreider. I worked with Anna and David on their post-graduation plans...clearly I didn't make much of an impression! I should be fired! ;) J.R. was consistently in trouble, failing classes, disrespecting teachers, etc.; even referred him for drug use/abuse services. But Skylar was a mainstream good student and athlete. To think that all of them have their lives and their futures in the trash right now...SO INCREDIBLY SAD!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/
11/19/AR2008111903276_pf.html

A Little Mexican Fiesta

Last night we made authentic Mexican cuisine, with the help of Scott Porter. We made two types of salsa...one that would make anyone breathe fire, except for Scott! We also made homemade corn tortillas, guacamole, carne asada, chicken, chili & lime soup (an interested experiment), refried black beans, and plantains for dessert. I love cooking! It makes me so happy every time! Here are a few pics!

The King of Red Chilis

Making tortillas...in our sassiest Charlee fashion!

Ben, Rita and Scott slaving over the stove.

The Tortilla Chef at work

The finished product!

Blast from the Past....Cheap Trick, Heart & Journey in Concert!!!

...and I'm still singing the songs! Went to Nissan Pavillion to see Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey in concert. It was seriously one of the best concerts I've been too! What memories! So funny that most of those songs have an old high school crush attached to each one..




During Cheap Trick and Heart, this guy (left) was on his feet air-guitaring-it the entire time. It was hilarious! I think he might be the bands' biggest fan! We had another guy in front of us who knew every Heart song word for word and told us so over and over.


Neal, the lead guitarist for Journey and the only original member of the band.


Alicia and Steph with me at the concert...among others, who didn't make the cut ;) hmmm...Alicia's looking a little diabolic, isn't she ;)

Do you have a Hollywood Double?

So, I've been out west attending weddings, visiting friends in SLC, and spending time with my brothers and their families in Pocatello. I was with Brent Peterson and some of his friends this past weekend in Pleasant Grove, UT. We got on the topic of movie stars or other famous people that each other look like. Here are the two I often get mistaken for ;)

Emily Mortimer...

...and Cynthia Nixon. When I had really short hair a few years ago, I use to get stopped on the street, in the elevator, you name it. But honestly, I don't see it...I think it was only because I had short, red hair like she did!

Who do YOU look like???

My arrival into the Mother Land - ITALIA!!!

After a really busy week of wrapping up at Annandale High School for the summer, celebrating my birthday with friends, packing, and the like, I flew to Florence, Italy to work for the next 6 weeks.

...The sunrise in Munich, Germany on my way to Florence.

My home for the next 5 weeks. It is sooo beautiful! ...and so completely Tuscan. I already feel at home and I've only been here for a week.

Home for Hayley and Sam's Birthdays

This Memorial Day weekend, in stead of the annual excursion down to Duck, NC, I decided to fly home to Chicago to spend a little QT with my sisters and parents...and most of all, the nieces and nephews.

So, here's the story. Last year at Duck, a bunch of us girls were talking about how many years we have been coming to Duck, and a need to mix things up next year. So, we made a pact that we were not returning for the 2008 Mormon Skin Parade (as Michael Taylor calls it), no matter how enticing it seems once spring 08 rolls around. Well, I seem to be the only one to uphold the pact! I chose to spend that weekend meeting my newest nephew, Devin Abraham, and participating in the birthday parties of Sam (6) and Hailey (4)

As usual, I had such a great time with the kids, Beth and Emily and their spouses, and mom and dad! Ethan (age 2) is such a ball of energy! I got the best action of him jumping on the trampoline and just too busy having fun to pull up his pants. I took a lot of other great pics too...enjoy!

Ethan...in all his energetic glory!!!

I LOVE living in DC!!!

So, I've been out on my bike a lot lately. Last Thursday, I had planned to go on a ride with a friend. By the time we got out it was nearing dusk, so we chose a quick ride from Crystal City (where I live) into the District and around the monuments. We rode over the Memorial Bridge, down along the Reflecting Pool by the Lincoln Monument, past the Vietnam and Korean, then the WW II and the Washington Monuments. We finished off down by the capital. I just LOVE it here! What a beautiful, unique, and exciting city I live in! After nearly 10 years, DC has truly become my home; I can't imagine any other place in the world the I want to live right now...or ever.

Isn't it amazing at night?! If you haven't ever been here, please come visit anytime...and if you have?...come visit anyway!

Taking the Plunge...

Today I attended the baptism of Matt Burgess. What a beautiful experience! It was a great reminder of the importance of the gospel in our lives...a great reminder of my commitment to the Savior and the promises that I (and we) made at Baptism. I have been thinking long and hard since about the purpose of our existence on earth and my need to focus on continuously developing my relationship with our Heavenly Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ so that I better understand who they are and who I am in relation to them and the plan of salvation. I'm so grateful for the simple faith and courage of people like Matt who help me remember the reasons why we live the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Eddie Royal Goes Pro

Eddie Royal, a former student with whom I worked at Westfield High School, was just drafted by the Denver Broncos last weekend!!! Congratulations Eddie! I absolutely adore this guy! He took the WHS team to State in 2003/04 and they WON! Then he went on to play first string at Virginia Tech as a Wide Receiver and Punt Returner. I was his high school counselor, so he and I worked closely together on the NCAA process and his transition from high school to college. In the process we became good friends and have remained in touch. An amazing player and a good guy! He'd probably laugh at this to read it because he knows I haven't always watched the games... oh yeah, and know little about football! Hmm...I wonder if I'll ever get free Broncos tickets!?!...could be instrumental in curing me of my football ignorance... Eddie?

Here we are together after his graduation from high school in 2004.

GO BRONCOS!

"Say"

...and here it is, John Mayer's "Say"...that song I mentioned a few weeks back! Let's just call it "Jen's mantra". Tracy VonCannon helped me load it. I need to work on my song loading skills...this looks a bit large. Anywho, ENJOY!...and think of me ;)

Thailand in Color

So, I just returned this past week from beautiful Thailand. It was truly an amazing trip! First and foremost, I was with two of my favorite people and dearest friends, Diedra Spencer and Jen Griffith. But aside from having great travel companions, we experienced quite a bit in the "Land of Smiles". We visited the temples in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, rode elephants, had massages (multiple...since they were dirt cheap)! We also enrolled in a Thai cooking class, rode up the Ping and Chao Praya rivers, visited the night market daily (and spent mucho dinero!), rode in a Tuk Tuk (open air cab), went to the beach, visited the factories for making Thai Silk, Parasols, laquerware, and silver...and the list goes on.

I tried to narrow down the number of pictures, but alas, there is just too much to share. Enjoy the album!

Destination: Thailand!

Diedra and Jen invited me to go to Thailand with them about a month ago. The trip begins on Friday, March 14th. Unfortunately, because of a fiasco with my new United Plus Visa, I couldn't go unless my "sign-up/bonus" miles went through when my statement closed...yesterday, 3/12, at which time I would have to quickly book a seat for 3/14. The miles went through today with less than 24 hours before I fly and United allowed me to book using my sky miles, despite their 24 hour advance purchase rule! I'm off to Thailand in less than 10 hours!

The Little Things in Life

It isn't every day (or week) that you have experiences that cause you to reflect...to ponder. I love those moments!

Simple Compassion
I have been working with a student this year whose Crohn's disease has come out of remission, no doubt as a result of the stress associated with an abusive alcoholic parent. Ashleigh is one of the top students in her graduating class, but has missed so much school this year due to illness, depression, and the like, that the prospect of graduating in June is in jeopardy. She feels hopeless, and as though her opportunity to attend college in the fall is no longer an option. I called the three universities to which she applied, explained her unfortunate circumstances, and followed up with a letter documenting her current situation. The next day I received a heaven-sent phone call from Lynda Bailey, an admissions counselor at Virginia Tech. She called to tell me that they have offered admission to Ashleigh based on her overall academic performance and that this decision will not be rescinded as long as she graduates, no matter how bad her grades. Wow! I was moved. Virginia Tech is tough school to get into. This was just the kind of compassion and understanding that Ashleigh needed to keep going!

My simple faith in humanity has been strengthened. What a blessing for Ashleigh!

Simple Luck...or was it an answered prayer?!
So, back in January when I crashed my Altima, the State Trooper who showed up on the scene issued me a ticket for "following too close"...que?! As he claimed, had I not been following too close, I would have been able to stop in time to avoid hitting the car in front of me...and "from the look of the damage to your hood, mam, you must have been following too close." Interesting. So, I went to court last Thursday to contest the ticket. I waited among a sea of people in court room G for 2 hours until my name was finally called. I stood up and declared, "not guilty, your honor", after which I was asked to sit back down and wait another two hours until the judge read through all the guilty verdicts and fines. Finally, I was called forward and had an opportunity to represent myself and state my case. I did so with detail, explaining to the judge the issue of the irresponsible driver who crossed 4 lanes of traffic to make an exit, lost control of his car, and thereby created my accident and his own. After having cited the details, the officer again uttered "had you not been following too close, you would have had plenty of time to stop." The judge asked the officer if he had a witness. The answer, "no". My case must have been much better than the officer's weak and unfounded accusations, because the judge dropped the ticket and all charges associated. Value? 4 hours of my time and $4 for parking... oh yeah, and no record of a ticket. Well worth the time! I do believe the Lord is in our everyday details; even the silliest of concerns or desires, he finds worthy of attention.

Simple Epiphany
Recently I have found myself contemplating the importance of simple and honest communication...whether that be with a coworker, friend, family member, or someone with whom you've been on a few dates. I find myself analyzing and second guessing others intentions, and of course typically, that just creates trouble and unnecessary...stuff. After a somewhat emotional weekend, and on my way to work on Monday, I heard John Mayer's "Say". This is SOOO my personal theme song! I'm often accused of saying what's on my mind or "saying it how it is". I look at this trait as both a strength and a weakness...much more where this comes from, but for today...all I have to say is "I LOVE THIS SONG!" It carries so much meaning for me.

Now if only I could figure out how to load the song onto this blog, I would....Tara? help?

Our Favorite Leap Year Boy

Doesn't it seem strange to think that some individuals cannot celebrate their birthday every year on the day of their birth? Instead, they choose either February 28th or March 1st as a substitute. Today my brother-in-law, Keith, officially turns 6...in true Leap Year fashion. Happy Birthday Keith! ;) Here he is pictured with his daughter Hailey (my favorite "little turtle", as I affectionately call this beautiful niece!)

La Nouvelle Voiture

Soooo, after two weeks of intense car searching, and thanks to the help of my "we factor" (Scott), I signed on a 2005 Honda Accord...black with tan leather, heated seats, driver/passenger climate control, sun roof, the works. Quite happy with the outcome! Conveniently, I drove it off the lot on February 13th....Happy Valentine's to me!

Ode to my "WE"
I am so grateful for Scott and his friendship!...and quite lucky that he moved to DC (and currently has day-club status while he finds the right job) just in the nick of time to help me look at and test drive cars. There is something completely settling about having a guy by your side as you go through the process of making such a big decision...I could have easily been "taken for a ride1" No pun intended! Scott asked all the right questions, so that I didn't have to and helped me think through various aspects of the process. Thanks, Scott for being so supportive! I'm a big fan of this "We!" ;)

Embarassment Like No Other...

Warning: This entry may be WAY too much information for you...and if it is, you are hereby sworn to NON-judgement!

Ok, just this past weekend something completely humiliating occurred not only to me, but just hours later to a friend. We laughed so hard about it that we cried! Perhaps you can relate to embarassment of like or similar nature...

So, we all know that the human body is a pretty amazing system of organs. But who knew that it had a mind of its own?...and I'm not talking about that cranial mass that dictates your preference of cereal, tooth paste, or umpteen other things. For whatever reason...and some say it has everything to do with aging, which I refuse to believe ;)...I'm learning that I don't have the control over my body that I used to. Let me illustrate: I'm with a guy one night this weekend and we are leaving my house to walk to his, where we are gathering to play cards. I walk down the steps off my front porch, just a step behind him, and without warning I completely let one...and sadly, a really loud one! I was mortified! and my mind is racing because I have no idea where it came from...girls don't do this! "do I acknowledge what just happened and excuse myself?" "do I blame it on my shoes and say something funny to lighten "the blow"?" "Do I ignore it all together and pretend it didn't happen?" Well, I chose the latter of the three and it didn't seem to phase him, so maybe he didn't hear it. But, really, who couldn't hear it?! SOOO embarassing! What's more is that it reduced me to -10,000 on the dignity scale, and inevitably total loss of sexy points.

So, after a few hours of playing games, one of my girl friends gets up from the table to use the restroom and as she takes her first step, I hear a little squeal. So i think, "must be her shoes", but then a few steps later I hear several more loud noises that are unmistakably....farts, toots, fluffers, whatever you prefer to call those obscene bodily functions! Of course, we all ignore the noises coming from her. What a strange response...my brothers would have been laughing their heads off! The two of us girls walk out that night together and bring up the events of the night. Like I said, we were crying, it was so funny! Seriously though, I thought those types of bodily mishaps only happen to older people! Ahh, the aspects of life that demand humility. I know, TMI!...don't judge!

Eulogy of the Late 2000 Altima

Crime Scene, January 30, 2008

JBG1329 was declared totaled on February 4th at 9:13am after having sustained injuries and damages from an accident that occurred on January 30th at 8:05am on Highway 495 in Fairfax, VA., when a corolla lost control and created (what seemed to be) two minor accidents. JBG's death came as a surprise to her owner, as she was expecting full recovery of JBG under the care of Geico. However, Jeff, of the Geico Total Loss Unit, performed the inspection and found her to be beyond repair, having experienced significant loss of monetary value and in need of repairs in excess of current value. For pain and suffering...and replacement of JBG, Geico offered the owner a settlement to exceed trade-in value.

JBG was a reliable friend and transporter. She was recently paid off (arrgghhh!) and expected to live another 4 years and then some. She will be missed. The hunt for a replacement is on and proving to be a fun endeavor...but a time consuming and tiresome one as well. To be continued...

The Hazardous Banana Peel

Sooo...the girls and I had a good laugh on our drive to NYC last weekend. We set out at 7am to begin our four-hour treck and along the way snacked on breakfast and then some bananas and clementines that I grabbed from home before leaving. Alicia finished a banana and began rolling down the window to throw her peel out on the highway. Almost instantaneously, old episodes of Tom & Jerry flashed through my head...of Tom wiping out on a banana peel that Jerry strategically places on the kitchen floor, and I say "but what if a car slips on your banana peel?" We all busted out in laughter. But then I uttered, "seriously, what if a tire slides on it and fish-tails, possibly creating an accident?" The girls think it's a ridiculous notion. Complete nonsense, I realize, but it COULD happen, you know! Perhaps the reader should decide...What do you think? ;)

Get Away Of All Get Aways

New York City...The birthplace of my blog (thanks to Tara) and my initiation into a faster lane of cyberspace...and technology. I'm certain Dave, Tara's other half, is proud!...and he better be after the ridiculing I received because I haven't caught on to the Apple blackberry phone thingy. Go figure! :)

But New York also holds a special place in my heart as a place of release, relaxation, and refuge. I've spent a ton of time up there with Tara and Dave, and Anita Joos, who have all become dear friends and family. It is truly one of my most favorite places to visit on a "quick trip" or spontaneous "weekend get away". There is an energy about New York that leaves me feeling renewed...not typically the endearing term a resident of NYC might call that "energy", but to a visitor, it works! It is associations like the constantly busy streets and sidewalks, the subway, the China Town bus, Time Square, Central Park, and Penn Station that are energizing. All of these are reminiscent of my frequent visits to the Upper East Side, where the girls and I get pedicures, go out for brunch, shop, or sun on a rock in Central Park on a warm spring day. Definitely my idea of relaxation.

Many fond memories were created from these trips up to Manhattan. The China Town bus to and from DC alone is a "must experience" (as opposed to a "must see"), for you'll experience no other such enrichment than from a ride on the super highway of cheap travel. But then you also have to consider the vast variety of restaurants and shops...and shopping venues too. I love that when complimented on a piece of jewelry I can say "$2.00, streets of New York."...and it's really true! Some of my coolest jewelry was bought off of a card table on a street corner somewhere in Manhattan. Although possibly stolen, I still love the bargain!

This past weekend in New York, a trip that Mauri, Alicia and I took for the MLK holiday weekend, was no different. Meeting up with Tara for Mary Poppins on Broadway, shopping, dinner at Balushi's, brunch at Cafe d'Alsace...all relaxing. I esteem these girls as some of my best friends; we always have a great time! I couldn't ask for anything more than to spend a weekend away with good friends in my favorite weekend get away.