Some things I enjoyed this week...

A few things have been running through my mind for my next post, but I couldn't choose just one topic, so I thought I would choose them all. So here are those things that I heard, read, or saw this week that made me smile, think, and wonder.

1.  This morning I was craving Orange Juice. In my mind was the picture of those cute little Minute Maid pint size cartons that have a little circle at the top for you to push the straw through. On the rare occasion that I actually get a chance to drink those (Del Taco Breakfast, Burger King Breakfast), I decided to tell Michael that I wanted to get OJ at the grocery store today. His response: "Oh, did you want to make breakfast for dinner tonight? You could make those splendid waffles that you made last week." I like hearing that my waffles are splendid.

2.  Last night, Michael and I went to Sportsman's Warehouse to spend his birthday gift card. His infatuation of late is his gun, ammo, and anything else associated with his Springfield XD40. As I started to get a little bored watching him dart around the store from the camping section to the ammo section to the whatever section, I decided to go off on my own and explore. I came across a scouting cookbook and decided to take a look. My favorite recipe from this collection: Ticks on a Toilet Seat. I guess that is the only way to get scouts to eat something healthy. Give some lineup of foods a name that evokes eating boogers, blood, scabs, and any jumble of bathroom processes will get scouts--well, boys mainly, hyped up to make and eat dinner. By the way, Ticks on a Toilet Seat is apples cut with a hole in the middle spread with cream cheese and topped with raisins.

3.  When we finally made is out of Sportsman's Indecision Warehouse, Michael came away with "Shooter's Electronic Earmuffs". (Oh, when I just called down the hall to find out what they are called exactly, Michael was actually laying on the bed wearing them...I know he is enjoying his purchase.) Last night when we got home, I sat down to watch The Office and he went in the bedroom. I came in later and found him asleep with the earmuffs on. As I got into bed, he removed them and we talked for a few minutes. I asked him if I could start a movie, so back on went the earmuffs and a pillow to cover his face. I wish I had a picture. Just imagine laying next to a guy that directs airplanes with those orange popsicles while wearing those big, almost square looking earmuffs. That was my husband.

4.  This morning I woke up early, finished my movie, and then started a book that I bought last year. It is called, Mr. Darcy's Diary. I know, I know, but I couldn't help it. I am a sucker for Regency love stories, and I know there is a lost more than a smattering of Pride and Prejudice spin-offs, but I am open to reading them, and I would like to hear his side of the story. As I was reading it, I started to notice how much I delight in the manner of speech from those times. Phrases like this caught my eye, "He is holidaying here...he is lost to all decency...He has dined here on occasion...etc. Could you imagine if we spoke like that? I wish we did. I think a lot of us would sound so much more intelligent. Say anything in a British accent and you already sound pretty smart. My favorite part of this book so far is Colonel Fitzwilliam's description of Mr. Collins. "He talks endlessly but says nothing." I love that. Do you know anyone that talks endlessly but says nothing? I can think of a few people I have had the displeasure to come in contact with in the confines of Sunday worship.

5.  I consider myself a documentary snob. I love to watch documentaries, and I can tell the good from the bad. The other evening Michael flipped to the documentary channel on Netflix and came across Volcanoes of the Deep Sea. Poor excuse for a documentary. I think Michael was trying to prove that it was cool, but I knew it was a wolf in sheep's clothing. I lost interest as soon as it started. Michael fell asleep ten minutes later. Documentaries of note, Expelled, Beauty Academy of Kabul, and Confessions of a Super-Hero. Watch. Enjoy.

Egg Drop Perfection

I don't feel good today. It first started yesterday at school. My throat got that tight feeling way in the back, and after I had finished making Michael's birthday cake, is when it really hit me. My body was all aches and before bed I had teeth chattering shivers and then uncomfortable sweating. I hate getting sick.
Today, to make me feel better, Michael brought home some Egg Drop Soup from Rice King! I feel that this is the only thing that makes one feel better. It is perfection in a styrofoam container. No chicken noodle soup here. Whats even better...I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I should think that I will be the envy of the faculty room. If you've never been, stop by Rice King on Center Street in Provo. Its not very aesthetically pleasing, but it is the best Chinese food that you can find around. I always order D7, but with Lemon Chicken instead of Sweet and Sour Pork...it is divine.

Spiteful Behavior

As you know, we are taking Mischa Boy in tomorrow morning to have him neutered...since we have broken the news to him it has been nothing but spiteful behavior from his end. Take last night for instance, I was getting dressed and failed to keep him in my sight when he peed for the second time on our bed. Later that evening he peed on Michael's bare leg while we were watching a movie, and today he peed on our curtains. We took off the one panel he peed on and washed it today. When we got home from church, I ironed them and then used my sewing machine to fix the bottom hem that had come undone. We then hung them up and this is what we got...a curtain panel that shrunk four inches, and major disconnect in the style of my living room. 

Detached

Mischa boy has been going through puberty. I feel that as his mother, I should have acted sooner to prevent the negative effects of his changing body. Instead of cute little squats, it is high leg lifts on anything that doesn't smell like him. Instead of comfy cuddling, it is awkward leg humping that is entirely inappropriate. Instead of quiet laziness, it is nervous barking at most everything. I called Dr. Davis yesterday and made an appointment for next Monday...Mischa boy is going to get neutered...he will lose his little marbles.

Results Guaranteed

I am always on the hunt for the easiest way to do something that is a necessary...i.e. shaving legs, cooking dinner, folding laundry, washing the car, etc. On my latest stint into the neighborhood Wal-Mart, I came across these little gems...HairOff Instant Eyebrow Shapers. At first, I was skeptical, what could these little stickers possibly do? My eyebrows hang on for dear life...but again, I hate waxing, and I hate tweezing even more, so I bought them. Let me interject some info that might be important here...once when I went to a salon to get my eyebrows waxed, the cosmetologist said that my eyebrows were really difficult to pull out. If a professional had trouble, I knew some $4.00 box of sticky strips that purported to give me results wouldn't do much. When I got home, I thought I would give this product the best possible chance for success, so I took a shower, washed my face really good and made sure that my eyebrows would be receptive to this newcomer. So without hopes of great looking eyebrows, but an open mind to try anything that makes this task easy, I stuck them onto my unforgiving face.
I couldn't quite come up with words to describe what happened next, except that they worked! It took me a few more shapers than I am sure the average person would need, but they worked! I love them! It took me about 5 minutes to clean up the nightmare that was happening above my eyes, and it was a total time saver, except that now above and below my newly shaped eyebrows I have redness and swelling...par for the course I suppose, because my name wouldn't be Morgan Shumway Rawle without some crazy side effect, or just really sensitive skin. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Excuse me?

As a teacher, I have the opportunity to be privy to some interesting information coming straight from the students. Today was no exception. As I was sitting at my desk, I heard one student say to another, "Student C, your a jerk!" One of the many jobs that come with teaching is disciplinarian. So I called the perp over to find out why he called Student C a jerk...btw, the perp was Student B, no surprise there. His response, "yeah, I called him a jerk because he is my friend." I reply, "we don't call people jerks, it is not nice...", I am interrupted with this little gem of knowledge, "jerk means Junior Educated Rich Kid." Oh, thanks for clearing that up.
Some of my favorite parts of the job are when students say things, or write things that are inappropriate in some way shape of form by accident, or innocence, and I have to act like I am not shocked or surprised by them. Today was a new one. I was teaching butterfly metamorphosis and let the students draw and label their own picture of a butterfly. One student came up to ask if she could name her butterfly. Of course I said yes, and then she showed me the name she had at the top of her picture. Strip Butterfly. I didn't know where she was going with that one, until she said, "stripe butterfly." I told her to add an 'e' at the end of strip.
So today, just like most days, I learned some new things from my students...and if I ever become an exotic dancer, I know what my name will be...Strip Butterfly, it has a nice ring to it.