some video from the concert

Aladdin and Jasmine? Or Aladdin and Raja? I can't really tell with that tide-orange shirt. Waiting in line at Saltair.

Mags, me, Renee wanting to just get in there and get the concert started.

Is he not so wonderful/beautiful? Rhetorical question, yes, but I just think he's grand.

Sweetness.

Thought of Sierra when I heard this one. So I'm putting it up here for her and for all of you I'm madly in love with! I could put up loads more videos, but it takes a fun little while to load them. So if you want to see more, come on over and we can watch/listen to some more together.

ben

Last night was so happy! Ben Folds rocks my world. Now it's back to teaching school. I'll write more later--just had to share what I'm feeling the morning after.

spring break's over, baby

Well, it's back to school tomorrow. I just spent a lovely week with my fam, minus Andrew and plus Joli, in northern California. I had a grand old time. I rather enjoyed staying up late and not having to wake to an alarm. Highlights of the week include: hanging with cousins, Kirsty, Kari, and Hikari (and Joli of course), mountain biking with Todd and Pa, traipsing around Jack London State Park, getting my teeth cleaned (yum!), watching some great flicks, Mostly Martha, Dan in Real Life, and Jump Tomorrow, going to a fun park with the kiddos, visiting the Jelly Belly Factory, spending sunny afternoons outside, reading some books, and just having a nice breather.

indulgences

So I have this habit that hasn't been so constant as of late, but it's one I hope to make more permanent; I like to freewrite poem-like snippets and other fancy, to me, stuff. I thought I'd post some of them for your (whoever you may be) perusal. Feel free to offer scathing criticism, warm praise, or anything and everything in between. I really want to know what you think. The two I'll post tonight are pretty much as I first wrote them, off the top of my head.

So here goes with no titles:

#1
Shadowed by tree branches' shapes,
You crouch at the path's side.
You look up through the criss-crossed silhouettes
Till your gaze meets the sky's.
"How blue," you say.

I nod.

Paused, though still standing, at your side,
I nod for all the times the sky's blue
Has stunned me into speechlessness.

You don't expect a reply,
Simply an affirmation.

And I agree--
How blue.

It could wrap us up in one lick and comfort us for the rest of our lives.
It could whisper truth to our hearts and make our eyes ache to cry.

It could,

Thus the cause for your utterance and my nodding.

You unbend your legs and meet me in standing,
Then walking,
As we continue along the trail.



#2
You once were a hand raised in darkness.
You once watched as the sun melted snow into drips.
You once were eyes searching the sky.
You once knelt in grass as damp soaked your knees and forehead.
You once were a heart beating in sleep.
You once felt no defeat.

hired

I'm proud/happy/excited/etc to announce I've been offered a job to join the faculty of Pleasant Grove high school. I'll move from the ranks of intern to full-fledged teacher--whatever that means. I feel very blessed to be able to stay at PG. I love the teachers in my department and I won't have to make any serious adjustments for the coming school year. Huzzah!

april's fools

Ed gives out tickets to students at our school who park "illegally." This was his surprise bright and early this morning; the students often complain about him getting on them for parking where they're not supposed to. I saw the landed boat as I pulled into the parking lot before sunrise. I don't know if it's still there, but I guess I'll see once I leave for the day. I must say it brought a smile to my face. I, very luckily, haven't had anyone pull a prank in class. I still have one more class period to go, so we'll see.