'the cave' by mumford & sons

Probably one of the dumbest pointless videos I've ever seen, but the song hooked me from the very first time I heard it. NOT from the very strange words that I still don't understand, but the building and growing instruments, vocals, and progression of music. Seriously, I could listen to it over and over again. I enjoy it that much. The last 20 seconds is the best. Try it out.

another successful (yet soggy) anniversary

I'd been planning our anniversary getaway for a while, but I learned that even with the most meticulous planning, things will go wrong.  Many a'thing in fact went wrong in the planning and executing of this weekend away, from the weather to the hotel to the bought-on-ebay present being sent back to the owner because he shipped it incorrectly and didn't pay enough postage and ended up having to reship it the day after it was due here.  *trying to be understanding about that...we're all human*

But in the end, we had a great time.  Want to see a few pictures?  :)

We started out with reservations for a private booth at The Melting Pot.  I'd always wanted to go there.  It did not disappoint!  Loved our server, loved the atmosphere, loved the food!  It was so fun to use the fondue method for cooking our vittles.  Definitely something we'll do again some day, even if it's just for dessert.  (cuz yeah, it's a bit pricey)

 

Cheesy fondue to start us out.  MMmmmmm.

 

  Even their caesar salad was delicious.

 

Dan ordered some kind of steak/sea food combo while I played it safe with just chicken.

 

My favorite part, the dessert in the chocolate/peanut butter fondue.  Hello gorgeous!  I'm not crazy about bananas or rice krispy treats, but they were both so good in the chocolate.  The brownies were the best though!

 

Here's our little booth.  We even shut the curtain for some private time.  Til it got too steamy and we had to open 'em back up.  What, the burners cooked the food at like 300 degrees or something!

 

They even brought us a yummy anniversary treat.  :)

Next up, we went to a hotel out in Mesa.  I've admitted here before, I lu-hove staying in hotels.  I don't know what it is, it's just so fun! 

We jumped right into the jacuzzi downstairs, and came back upstairs for more dessert (cuz it had been a full hour and a half since we'd eaten last, ha) then caught up on some shows using our laptop and the free wi-fi.  :)  Beds were very soft.  Breakfast in the morning was huge--and we weren't even planning on dining in, but it was free, so why not?  Man I love food.

Then we drove way out east for the Renaissance Festival.  Now let me clarify that yes, we knew it was supposed to rain. I'd been watching the weather for a week, but there weren't a lot of options.  Plus, the website claimed the fair was open rain or shine, which made it seem that the shows would go on even if it rained.  We figured we'd dress in layers, bring our mittens and umbrella and go for it!

It was really pleasant for the first few hours.  LOL. 

  

This little fairy was just the cutest, and she gave us free sparkly rocks.  Hee hee.

 

These guys were hilarious, and so talented.

 

Juggling knives and flaming torches while balancing on a cylinder and board.  Dude.

Then, the Nun Show.  This was the first time I'd seen Hey Nunnie Nunnie and I'd really recommend it.  They were so very funny!  They did a bunch of silly songs and just had me cracking up the whole time.

 

 

 

Next up was the Torey Steller. . . classic at the Ren-Fes.  He's definitely got a talent.  I couldn't keep up with him at all (which is of course, the point) but it sure is entertaining to listen to!

Then, things started to get a little bit windy. . . and dusty.

We were watching Don Juan and Miguel's act (another of my faves) while eating an ice cream/crepe treat, but really, it was getting a little ridiculous.

These poor guys were doing all these crazy whip tricks, and seriously, we started to wonder how safe it was for them, with the weather the way it was.  And hardly any of us could keep our eyes open because of the sand and wind.

From there, onto the Ded Bob Sho.  Classic.  My favorite part of the festival.

  

Unforunately, this is when it started to rain.  But hey, at least there was no more dirt in my eyes.

We ran out to the car to get our heavier jackets, put our mittens on, and battened down the hatches while 90% of the crowd took off.  Ha.  We refueled on chili in a bread bowl.  Two words:  Yu-ummm!

By this point, our feet and socks were wet but we were not giving up!  The website said rain or shine--unfortunately, that didn't seem to apply to any of the acts.  (wha--?)  The jousts were canceled, as was pretty much everything else we wanted to see that day.  :(  We were on our way to watch the Tortuga Twins show, caught up with one of said twins, told him were were there celebrating our 13 year anniversary.  I think he took pity on us and gave us a free DVD of the show we would have been watching had it not been canceled due to weather.  Very sweet!  Wish I'd have thought to get a picture of him.

On our way out we passed this guy, and I never did catch his name, but I guess he is a Guiness Book of World Records award winner for some of his stunts.  He was really impressive.  And looked really cold--remember, it's totally raining through all of this!

    

We hit the Tory Steller one more time, and then at about 4:30, decided it was time to go thaw out in the car and head back to the west side for--what else--dinner!  It was a really great weekend even though so much went wrong; we had a great time together and ate well.  :)  Many thanks to Grandma for babysitting the hoodlums while were were gone!

and one werewolf, too

Well, another week come and gone. Wish I had something more interesting to say, but really, it's just more of the same.

Had my second test this week (Fluid and Electrolytes, yawwn) and was so disappointed with my 82%. I worked my tail off studying for that stinker, felt I did rather well, and then to find out I didn't... *shrug* It ain't easy, that's fo' sho'. The weeks go by so fast...seriously, it's hard to believe that I just finished Week 5. Spring Break is in 3--is that right? Wowza.

This weekend the Honey and I will celebrate our belated anniversary with some time away. I have a feeling the rain is going to put a crimp in our plans, but we'll manage. And yes I plan on taking lots of pictures. And eating. Much.

Found this in my Ethan's backpack this afternoon:

I'm certain you can't read it, so I'll translate:

My Hero Award

This hero award goes to Dad

You are my hero because

you savd me by killing 6 wllfs.

And 1 warwllf,too.

When I asked Ethan when exactly his father had saved him from 6 wolves (and 1 werewolf too), he said "Teacher said it could be a made up reason." Gotta hand it to the kid for creativity. 'Tis more than I have these days.

Hope you all enjoy the 3 day weekend! I sure plan to! Let's return and report next week, shall we? :)

happy anniversary/valentine's day

13 years on the 13th!  :)

Dan's working today, so we celebrated the anniversary and VDay together with the fam on Saturday by feasting on this lovely chocolate cake.

Eat your heart our Martha Stewart. . . or something. . .

Gifties to me, though we're not doing gifts this year.  (That's a giant bottle of bubble soap and a straightner, not liquor and a stapler)  *grin*

And I have to show you the cutest card that Danny made for me.  Totally going in the scrapbook.  The front:

Then you open it up and inside is this:

 

I love it.  :)

Love you, babe!

ask me to take your blood pressure :)

Wow, it's been a while since this here bliggity blog has gone a week without attention, yes?

And I wish I had lots of news I could entertain the masses with, but alas, (I feel so genteel using the word alas) I have nothing.

Life has been full of school, studying, tests, reading, study groups, and overall busyness on the educational front. I haven't had a psychotic break yet, and we're half-way to spring-break, so I guess this is a good thing?

One thing's for sure, the weeks, they are a'flying. Monday and Tuesday are my long days when I don't get home until about 5...so by the time Tuesday is done, the hard part of the week is over. Wednesday and Thursday end up being catch-up-around-the-house days, okay-I'll-let-myself-now-watch-that-one-television-show days, and if-I-read-one-more-word-about-electrolyte-and-fluid-imbalances-I-may-just-go-ballistic days. I keep saying I'm "going to go to bed early tonight" to catch up on my loss of sleep, but each night, 'tis midnight before I hit the hay.

On the homefront, things are going seriously swimmingly. (I feel so genteel using the word swimmingly) Not only have the kids been great, their behavior has been awesome, and something clicked with Ethan last Saturday--I can literally pinpoint it to the second--and he's been a perfectly obedient "Ok, Mom!" child ever since. I keep waiting for that bubble to burst, but like I said, going on one week he has been so helpful, obedient, quick to follow direction, and just a pleasure to have at home. Not that he was such a horrible kid before, but this ok-I'll-do-what-you-tell-me-the-first-time-you-tell-me-happily-and-without-complaint thing is such a blessing, it makes me pleased as pop.

On the blessings topic, my dear sweet hubby has been RAD. There's no other word to describe his awesomeness. Totally picking up the slack around the house (I can't even tell you when the last time I personally cleaned the bathtub was), doing anything and everything to lighten my load, leaving sweet notes on my car, offering massages, and taking care of kids' homework on the days he's home--well, it is such a gift to me, really. I appreciate him so much and am so grateful to have his full support in all this.

As for what I'm doing, learning, it's all the basics at this point, a lot of CNA review, but of course lots of new stuff too. I've developed a great friendship and study group with several gals seated close to me, which always makes things easier and more fun. We commiserate together. We eat together. We study together. We bounce ideas off one another. And the funny thing is, out of the 6 ladies in question, all but 2 of us have all boys. 14 kids in the group and only 2 of them are girls. So we have kid issues to share too.

I really like my teachers! This program has been through a lot of changes over the years, and I have to admit I was pretty nervous about going into it at first. But out of the 5 teachers we've worked with thus far, I really like and respect all of them. They're starting us out right. I think. :)

So, all is good! Life is moving by so fast, and I know it won't all feel as perfect as it does right now, but I'm very pleased with the semester thus far. Oh, and I made seriously the best made-from-scratch brownies to share with the class today: so stinkin' good. How can one feel anything but elation after a day of good brownie eatin'? Recipe here.

We're planning a "Les Miserables" viewing in June at Gammage. If anyone wants to try to go in with us and get in on the group rate, let me know. I don't think we have enough interested at this point in time, but it's worth a shot. We'll probably attend the June 9th or 11th show. Tickets are anywhere from $20-$75 depending on group rates, seating, student discounts, etc. Let me know if you want to go with us and experience a bit of theatre and culture. (I always feel so genteel experiencing theatre and culture. And spelling it theatre.)

That's it, Aims OUT!

book butterfly reviews -- january

It's actually amazing that I read as much as I did considering I started Nursing School last month--by the way, 86% on my first test yesterday, woot woot! I really wish more books were available on CD through my library, cuz school is a good 25 minutes away. I've found a few I'm allowed to download onto my computer for free, but they are incompatible with my 2nd generation ipod shuffle--it's just too old and archaic. :(

That being said, here's what I thought of the books I read last month:

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Album

Weird thing about me: I never read book jackets--I like to be surprised and sometimes book jackets give away too much plot--so I had no idea what this was about when I picked it up. I was briefly startled to learn it was about a man dying from ALS...startled, because at the time I was a CNA for a man with the same muscular disease. I was a bit afraid to continue reading, worried that it would be too depressing and sad considering how close and personable I've gotten with my client, but decided it was in my best interest to proceed.

Turns out he'd also read it, liked it, seen the movie, etc. I liked the book...there was nothing not to like. But it's mostly just a collection of "Be a good person", "Don't take your loved ones for granted", "Live life with no regrets" -type anectodes. You knew how it was going to end, and there wasn't really a plot to speak of, just the general decline of this man's health as he recounts memories and accolades to his past favorite student.

My opinion is, the author wrote this for himself, so he wouldn't forget Morrie, his life, and his teachings. I wouldn't put it in my must-read list or anything, but it was pleasant enough.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

This was an all right book. I kind of liked how it was divided into several books, each dedicated to a character in the book, his or her background, and motivation for acting they way he or she did. The writing was simple, perfect for children, and the resolution was sweet for all the characters involved.

I don't think it's anything I'd ever read again (I admit to getting bored at times while reading it) but it was worth reading once.

The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13) by Lemony Snicket

This author really is crazy creative and uses alliteration to a really amusing extent! He is so talented and witty, throwing in little tangents here and there to break up the story of the Baudelaires' misfortunes. I enjoyed the writing style immensely.

The story however...ehh...after 13 books I really hoped for more of a climax, more of a resolution, and honestly, I really was hoping for some good news. The narrator tells us all along that there will not be a happy ending, but I really WAS hoping for the kids' parents to be alive at the end, or for them to find a perfect caretaker, etc. Not so much.

It does get wrapped up with some interesting surprises, and their parents' words do end up saving them, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this 13 book series to anyone based on plot. Writing style, sure. Plot, not really.

I Lost my Love in Baghdad by Michael Hastings

The title is really just the hook to get you in. I'd say only 25% of it is dedicated to the autobiographical love story of Andi and Michael, the rest is about Middle Eastern politics, how Michael became a reporter, life in Baghdad, and all the many horrible things he saw while over in Iraq.

I was a little disappointed at first to realize that this was just another war book, cleverly disguised as a romance of sorts, but once I got past that, I decided to keep reading to gain a better education (at least one view's worth) of life in the middle of a war zone.

It was hard to read, but I'm glad I did. (Actually I listened to it on CD, read by Michael Hastings himself) It gave me a better appreciation for our soldiers, for the oh-so-NOT-black-and-white situations associated with the current war, and just how awesome our own country is.

Caution: the F-word is Michael's favorite. He uses it quite liberally, especially the chapter in which Andi dies.

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

I actually give this 3.5 stars because I really did like it, just not quite 4-star worthy. Like most of my friends who have read this, I got a little bit confused with the different layers and the prologue/epilogue accounts, but I assume that will all get ironed out in the second book. (which, currently, I am on hold #166 at the library, holy toledo).

I listened to this on audio book, and the narrations of Whit and Whisty were read by male and female actors, which made the book very easy to follow along with. Also, this audio book was really well done with a mingling of voices and sound effects. It kept me better engaged as sometimes my mind has a tendency to wander.

I'm curious as to why authors of this variety always make their characters clueless regarding their powers in the beginning--Harry Potter, the Narnia kids, Percy Jackson, etc. Whit and Whisty's parents obviously knew the kids were magic--why not raise them that way, teach them early on so they can be working on their skills before the Big Bad Men come to take them away? I don't get that.

So all the books I read last month earned 3 stars--nothing I'd totally rush out to recommend to my friends. *shrug* What about you, what are you reading? I've been in the middle of three others for a while now (one for me, that frankly I just don't have any time for), one that's my 'bathroom book' (ahem), and one that Dan and I read aloud when we're driving around town and I don't have a textbook in my hands. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll make some headway on those three this month. :)