Slowing Down

It is funny to me how I used to be able to blog everyday, and sometimes even twice a day, but now I feel like I have nothing to say. All of my good ideas and funny experiences have been used up. Nothing ever happens to me anymore...no dog + no 2nd grade class + lack of human interaction on a daily basis except for Michael = NO DRAMA and NOTHING TO SAY. I mean I could say lots about Michael...seeing as he is my favorite person in the world, but I know that he doesn't like me to share what makes him the best person I have ever known...except I will let it slip that he is an awesome handyman, and has some pretty good dance moves, i.e. The Macarena, and a little number by NSYNC...I think it is from the song, "Bye, Bye, Bye". You'll have to ask him.On another note, I think that I went into the wrong field of work. Criminal Justice has been starting to sound interesting. I think I could have a career in private investigation...or just spying. Last night Michael and I heard a girl crying out in the grass field...we think it was either a break-up or a mixed family situation...either way, we were up at midnight peeking out our window to try and see what was happening. Michael didn't have the iron will to wait it out to see who it was...but I did, except they moved out of view and I couldn't reach the high window above our bed. Also, there is this show called "Crime 360", and I love it. Check it out.

Go Green! Blah Blah Blah...

I go through cycles in my media viewing. They usually last about a month or so, and then I move on to the next bit of viewing pleasure. Last month was Jane Austen Appreciation Month...before that it was Tribute to BBC...but this month has been Hooked on HGTV. Like how I title my cycles? Since I have been out of school and work for the summer, I decided it was time to tackle all of my projects at home. What better place to start than by watching HGTV? As I started watching some of my shows I began to notice a recurring theme with the programming and commercials...everyone was mentioning how "this" was green design, and "that" was all about going green, and how "these" materials were environment friendly, and blah blah blah. Everything seemed to be oozing "green". Basically... I am tired of hearing it. Can I just watch my design program please and know that when they mention green that they are talking about the color that they are painting the walls? Maybe this post was ignorant...I don't know, but "going green" is making me claustrophobic and wanting to puke green...or maybe spend the green?

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.

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.

I hate rainy days

Contrary to what you might think, I love rainy days. My title is the complete antithesis of my views, except for today. Let me explain.
Last year, while I was still in school, I had a class where we talked about how we can teach children how to handle their feelings. Someone likened it to different types of storms. For example, getting to school late would be compared to little raindrops, whereas losing a parent or a loved one would be considered a hurricane. Helping students to categorize their feelings with something they can understand seemed to be a good way for them to gauge their feelings and how to react to those moments in life.
This morning, I let Mischa out to stretch before Michael took him outside to go potty. I was so distracted with doing my hair that I failed to notice that Mischa Boy peed on our duvet cover. Complete soak through. So not only did I have to wash the cover, but the nice down duvet underneath. Thank goodness for Ikea and their washable duvets...I didn't want to drop it off at the cleaners. So that was how my morning began.
It gets better...due to my car being in Provo, Michael took me to work today...we were a little bit late because of the disaster this morning, so I got to school a tiny bit late for my cone duty. At this point, it is a complete downpour...on the outside of course but I am still keeping it together on the inside. Michael helped my to my classroom with some juice and cookies because tomorrow is my birthday and I thought I would bring treats to share with my class. He was carrying the juice, I was carrying the cookies. Next thing I know, the juice is on the ground. The bag broke. (I knew I should have double bagged it like the check out girl did last night at the grocery store.) Anyway, one of the lids broke off and we lost a little bit of juice as well as the lid, so know I have three quarters of a bottle of juice with no lid to share with my class. At least I had another right? Moving on. As Michael and I are dealing with the juice fiasco, one of the little girls in my class comes and says, "My mom says that we are going to have juice and cookies today!" Great. Thanks Mrs. So and So for ruining the surprise. (I happened to be behind her in the checkout line last night...we talked.) So where am I at at this point in my morning? Bad things happening: 3, Good things happening: 0. Oh yeah, I have cone duty this week. That means that I have to set out the cones every morning for a little safe cross walk/bike path for our students because I was fortunate enough to get a job at a school that didn't have those things. So the teachers have to sacrifice their morning time to do that job. As I was heading back out into the rain to do my duty someone offered me their umbrella. Let me interject that I was in a pretty bad mood already and I let my pride get in the way from accepting this umbrella from someone that I already had a little bit of hard feelings for, so I said no. Zoom to this moment right now. I am quite damp and I smell like a wet dog. You know, I prayed this morning that I would have love and patience in my heart for my students and I have been really tested today, but the last thing I feel is that love and patience. I was looking forward to today. To sharing my birthday with my class, to being upbeat and happy to be here. But I am having a little bit of a rainy day on the inside and the rainstorm on the outside didn't help anything.
At least their is silver lining to my morning. One student remembered my birthday. He brought me a treat and note. I started to cry. Those were good rain drops. Maybe today will turn out.

Yikes!

I had a revelation about myself today. I don't know why I am just noticing this...or maybe I have noticed it all along but didn't want to admit it out of justification, but it was that I am so quick to my emotion of anger. I don't let things stew or simmer for awhile...I boil right away. In my haste to be angry at every wrong turn against me, I usually feel this sense of vindication, and the pitiful and sick part of it all is that I enjoy it. My defense weapons of choice? My sharp tongue and a cold shoulder.
I know my mother knows all about this. When I was younger, I could have argued with her all day. Usually it was about the dumbest, most lame sauce of reasons, but contending was my game. Am I proud of this? No. Absolutely not.
So why the revelation today?
Maybe I will find out tomorrow, or the next day.
But yeah, yikes.
I better change.

Where are you chocolate pudding pie?

The other day Michael came home saying that 7 Eleven had some really good mini fruit and pudding pies...you know, the ones like Hostess makes, except 7 Eleven had their own brand and they put lots of sugar on the outside of the crust. That night happened to be date night, so I mentioned going to 7 Eleven to get one. We went to the one in Springville by our house and do you think they had a chocolate pudding pie? No. Not one. They of course had gross cherry, and lemon, and peach...but no chocolate. (I won't even touch a pastry if it has some sort of fruit concoction in the middle. It has to be chocolate.) The next week we were grocery shopping at Fresh Market and I decided to take a look at their chocolate pudding pie inventory. Nothing again, except for the Little Cutie brand, but it only takes one bite to finish their pies, so it didn't tempt me (but I came away with a few to quench my hunger for the real deal until I could find where they have been taking cover.) Last night we went to Wal-Mart to buy a printer, and again, I thought we should check to see if they had any of the illusive chocolate pudding pies. Goose Egg. Today at lunch, I brought my knock-off chocolate pudding pie, but regardless of the cute size and smiley packaging...it didn't do anything for me. I felt cheated.
Wherever you are regular-sized chocolate pudding pie, I will find you. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but sometime. The hope of finding you brings with it the promise of a sweet reunion.

Crocs are a travesty

This post is in response to the many people that I see sporting the Birkenstocks of the new millenium...Crocs (and the cheap knock-offs that they put their kids in.)
I am sure that I have been no stranger to an occasional fashion faux pas,yet I feel it is my duty to warn the people and save them from the end all be all of crimes against the foot... Crocs. Lets face it, it is just another forum for socks and sandals folk, which is the last thing anyone should be subjected to.
Moving aside from opinion to actual facts...wearing Crocs puts you on a collision course with pain. Click Here.

My last attempt to save the human race from this gross misinterpretation of a shoe...

25 Random Things

I recently came across a "25 Random Things" chain letter so to speak...and decided I would partake in the randomness of it because I lack anything better to write this week and I am a pretty good list maker. So here goes, 25 random things about me;

1. I love Michael so much, but lately I have had a growing crush on Richard Armitage (the actor, not the politician)
2. It is almost 1:00 p.m. and I am still in my jamjams (as Erin would say on "The Office")but I feel it is warranted since today is a furlough day, and I deserve it.
3. My kitchen smells, except I can't imagine why. There is no food out, and the kitchen is sorta clean, so now I am pretty sure it is my garbage, but I don't want to open the lid to take it out. I'll wait 'til Michael comes home, he's fought some pretty fierce stink battles in the past and came out victorious...
4. Mischa Boy loves to take socks, underwear, and anything else he can get his paws on, under the bed...where the items go to die, and never return. He pretty much sets up shop under the bed and it is almost impossible to get him out. We have tried numerous ways to get him out, but to no avail. Finally, I tried knocking on the door, or wall, and he comes running out to see who's at the door. It works like a charm, but I feel sorta guilty tricking him all of the time...and then he does it again, and the guilt goes away.
5. I am feeling sort of bad that I am leaving the garbage for Michael to deal with, so I am going to take it out.
6. I am graduating in a month with a four year degree that took seven years to get.
7. I registered for graduation convocation on the deadline date...that should tell you something about me and why it took seven years to get my degree. I procrastinate.
8. I got a new phone last week and I have been too afraid to put it in my purse. I don't want it to get scratched by my keys, so I hold it in my hand like a tool.
9. Parent/Teacher conferences were last night. The PTA provided a dinner for us and I dripped gravy on my white camisole. I looked really professional.
10. Another 2nd grade teacher showed me this really cool number trick that you can play with your students and they think that you can read their minds. I did it for my class this past week and all my students thought it was really cool...except one. Student B ruined it for me. I think he did it on purpose, so I just won't call on him anymore when I do the trick. That makes me feel better.
11. I have lots of laundry to do. I hate laundry. I hate folding laundry. As of late, and I hope my mom doesn't read this, but because we have so many whites...instead of folding them, I have taken to just shoving them in a drawer.
12. Post #11 got me thinking about how my mom and grandma do things and how opposite I have turned out from them. My mom irons her pillowcases. My grandma won't leave the house without her hair or makeup done. She manages to look beautiful even in a sweatshirt and jeans. Mom gets up early every morning and runs. They both wear dish gloves so as not to ruin their hands and nails. How did I turn out the way I did? I shove things in a drawer...I go shopping in my pajamas sometimes...I hate running!
13. I am starting to regret this 25 things list...I am getting bored.
14. I always wanted to be described as exotic looking. It has always conjured up the prettiest of people in my mind. Instead, my husband says that I am unique looking. I love him lots, and I know he loves me and thinks I am beautiful, so I will go with unique looking...I guess it is endearing.
15. My new couch creaks. I wish we had bought a different one.
16. Sometimes, as I walk up or down the three flights of stairs to our condo, I wonder how it will be when I am in labor and trying to get down to the car, or how I will carry the baby and whatever else back up the stairs. (I am not pregnant, by the way.)
17. I avoid looking at my bank account. Even when I was single I hated looking at it. I don't think I have seen it since I got married.
18. I bought these really nice, clear spice bottles at IKEA to hold all of our spices because I hated how the store bought bottles looked. Now, I can't tell which spice is which.
19. My alter ego is my ROCKBAND avatar. I spend more time changing her clothes, hair and accessories than I do actually playing ROCKBAND.
20. For the past month and a half or so, I have boycotted Wal-Mart, based on moral principle. I am going through withdrawals. I miss their low prices, and the fact that it is a one stop shop mecca.
21. I want to write a book. I always have, but the thought of actually sitting down to do it is daunting, so I end up just telling the story in my head.
22. I have never liked seeing people eat alone. Especially in really public places like a restaurant. If they just had a book or something to read, it would make me feel better. I was shocked to hear that my own mother ate alone in Vegas! I thought we both agreed that it was sad looking.
23. I love documentaries. I think that is why reality tv has such a hold on me...as well as The Office.
24. Whenever I get close to the edge of something I always get this sick feeling in my stomach like I am going to fall. I also don't like glass elevators. They make my legs weak.
25. I wish I was friends with someone famous. Maybe even their closest confidant.