Flat irons and jeans

I will depart momentarily from my usual format to share a few random thoughts. Lest you think you are about to read something deep and important, please be warned that these thoughts are merely random and actually quite superficial. First of all, I've decided that there are some things that it is worth paying a ridiculous and exhorbitant amount for: flat irons and jeans.



I recently bought a new flat iron, and I will admit that I did indeed pay a ridiculous amount for it, but the dividends have greatly overshadowed the cost. It's sad to admit the effect that multiple bad hair days can have on your self-esteem. In a perfect world, even people with bad hair would feel good about themselves, but this is not a perfect world, and I have known my fair share of bad hair days. But all of that has been put to an end with the purchase of my new flat iron. It smooths and straightens like I never thought possible. My confidence has increased threefold due to the fact that I'm no longer walking out of my apartment looking like a fuzzy bush.


Now let's talk about the importance of good pair of jeans. My favorite place to shop for jeans is The Buckle, and if you are over 5'10" and haven't shopped there yet, please do yourself a favor and enter the abundant world of long jeans. I bought a new pair of jeans a few weeks ago, and it is now unpleasant for me to wear anything else. The new ones just look so cute...or maybe they don't even look so cute, but I FEEL like they look so cute, and so they make me happy.



These random thoughts came to me as I was thinking about some of the little things in life that I am grateful for and make me happy. There are lots of actually important things that make me happy as well, but I chose to feature the insignificant today. What insignificant things make you happy?

Reasons why T-Birds are the Best!

I was recently reminded that Timpview High School really is a world class institution. And no, it's not because of its world-class band program (although Mr. Fullmer would probably like to think so). You'd think that nine years later, I would have maybe let go of some of my high school pride, but I find that my orange-and-blue flame grows brighter by the year. Here are some of my reasons why:

10. T-Birds are EVERYWHERE. Here in the DC Metro area there are quite a few of us. We even had a sweet Timpview-Only party a few months ago. None of us actually knew each other in high school, but because we were all T-Birds at one time, the room was filled with love.

9. "That's alright. That's okay. You'll all work for us someday." Yes, this really was one of our cheers. Some people thought that only snobs would have a cheer like this. I think it is just a sign of our confidence in high-quality education we were receiving. And it's a snappy rhyme.

8. Rosalie Mackay. As a history teacher myself, I would just like to say that I learned more in AP US History with Miss Mackay than I did in my college US History classes. Also, I have such fond memories of Miss Mackay grabbing my ear and dragging me out into the hall. I doubt I really deserved such treatment. Sure, I was talking and not paying attention, but then I never paid attention in Government. And then when I went to point out to someone in the hall how to get to a different classroom, she thought I was trying to sneak away.

7. Stud Wall. Every T-Bird knows exactly what I'm talking about: the wall in the commons where the guys who thought they were really cool sat during lunch. I just think it's fantastic that it had a name. And I think it's fantastic that that name spanned generations of T-Birds.

6. Stoner Hall. This is where my locker was freshman year. That is unrelated to the fact that it was called stoner hall.

5. Alan Myrup. He looks like Rick Moranis, but teaches biology.

4. The Timpview High School Band. Let me paint you a picture...was a phrase often used by our band director, and was usually followed by some type of speech meant to convince us that people involved in band are the best people in the world. Most of the other kids around the room were eating it up. Not me. I was laughing at the ridiculousness of all his statements. That's probably why he didn't like me very much. I'd also like to say right here and now that I was "in" the band, but not "of" the band. An important distinction. But I couldn't write about Timpview without some sarcastic comment about the band program.

3. The Stereotypes. Timpview has the reputation of being the "rich-kids school." I just take this as a sign that other people wish they could have gone to Timpview. People only hate that which they want to be a part of, but aren't. If you look at the economic standings, all the high schools in the area are pretty much the same...so I can think of no other reason besides jealousy for such cruelty toward T-Birds.

2. The Journalism Lab. I spent many a happy hour in that tiny closet. The highlight was perhaps the time we were there working late, and my mom tried to give me a swirlie in the faculty bathroom. It's a good thing that it was locked! (You may or may not be aware that The Thunderbolt is an award-winning newspaper. We took state every year for about 5 years in a row.)

1. Timpview Car Wash. Okay this really has nothing to do with the high school itself, but I have some very fond memories at this car wash. Homecoming 1995...that's all that I need to say.

This entry was inspired by my recent trip home, where I was surrounded by T-Birds and reminded how much I love them all! So, now I need your comments. What is your favorite thing about Timpview? Who is your favorite T-Bird? What is your favorite thing about T-Birds? Please share.

The "L" in all its glory. I promise an update of the blog next week when I finish my classes!! 

World Cup rocks me to the core! 

Reasons why World Cup is better than the Olympics

I absolutely love the Olympics. One of the major challenges of my mission was that I had to miss the Sydney Olympics. It hurt my heart. I think I saw every single event that was broadcast of the Athens Games. I love to watch people who have worked so hard and achieved such an amazing level of physical ability. I love watching people cry as they salute their flag and sing along to their national anthem--especially when it's someone from some random country that had no chance of ever winning. The Olympics are just inspirational.



Despite my deep and abiding love for the Olympics, in recent weeks, I have decided that I like the World Cup even more...and here are my reasons.



8. Team Spirit. I don't think there's another sport with such a strong team spirit. I love watching the entire team hug and tackle the guy that got the goal.

7. International attention. I don't know why the U.S. has missed out on this, but everywhere else in the world, the whole country shuts down to watch and support their country's team. I don't think there's another sport that brings the world together as much as soccer. Everyone loves it.

6. Nationalism at its finest. There is patriotism oozing from the stands. Everyone loves their team. Everyone paints themselves the color of their team and drapes themselves in their country's flag. Isn't it great to see so many people proud of their homes.

5. Irish Announcer. As much as I love Elfie Schlegel and her ability to predict every two-tenth deduction a gymnast might receive, I like the Irish soccer announcer better. He's just cool, and he doesn't make stupid comments like, "He just wasn't going for the stick."

4. Finesse and Control. As a former soccer player, I appreciate the unbelievable skill that these players have. It blows me away how far they kick the ball, and yet how accurately they pass and perfectly they control the ball. It's just pretty to watch.

3. Red and Yellow Cards. There have been 300 yellow and red cards given so far this World Cup. That's a lot.

2. Excitement. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when the U.S. was playing Italy. There were so many chances when Italy could have scored, but we held them back (not that it mattered in the end), and it made for some very exciting sports watching. I felt the same when Croatia lost to Australia. So sad!!!

1. The commercial with the two little boys who choose teams of professional soccer players. This commercial has inspired me to learn Spanish and move to Spain next summer! It's fabulous!!




What have been your favorite World Cup moments? Who do you pick to win? Why do these international sporting competitions cause so much excitement? Please, share your thoughts.

Ode to a Minivan

I think that the minivan is perhaps the most underrated car on the road. I'm not going to try to pretend here that I haven't had my share of anti-minivan sentiment. In fact, it's hard to deny that the minivan is one of least cool cars on the road. But why is that? What about the minivan suggests that it is just completely uncool? When I was about 8 or 9, my family got our first minivan. At that time, it was nothing but pure sweetness. Of course, considering the fact that the car it replaced was a nasty old station wagon referred to as "the pig", with splitting leather (or should I say vinal?) seats, melted crayon all over the carpet in the back and a car-sick smell the moment you opened the door, it's not surprising that a new, luxurious Dodge Caravan seemed like a major step forward. I'm pretty sure that it made my mom very happy.

By the time I got to high school, however, the comparison to the old car had faded, and our family minivan seemed a might embarassing to drive around in. Although, it did come in handy when you wanted to fit three couples in the same car for a date dance. But really, it seemed to me that if you were going to have a large car, shouldn't it just be an SUV? Even now, though this entry is dedicated to giving the minivan its rightful praise, I will admit that I'd much rather be an SUV-mom than a minivan-mom.

Having said that, let me now explain the recent events that have spurred me to rethink my past feelings about minivans. I have mentioned a few times now that I have been wanting some new couches. Well, I finally bought some. It's a sweet (though previously owned) red suede sectional with a big overstuffed ottoman. It brings me inexpressable joy. Now the connection to the minivan: I fit the entire sectional, including ottoman, into the back of my brother's new Toyota Sienna (by the way, if you're interested in purchasing one of your own, go visit Dan Bradshaw at Brent Brown Toyota in Provo). I originally thought it would take us three separate trips to get the couch moved over, and then as we started packing it in there, we thought that it would be no more than two. In the end, thanks to the faith of my trusty helpers (I owe you guys!), we were able to arrange each piece in such a way as to fit the entire sectional in one trip. And for that, I offer the following 3-verse Haiku (which will not separate the stanza no matter how many times I fix the spacing and press publish--frustration!):

Ode to a Minivan

You may not be cool,

but vast interior space

makes up for a lot.

Automatic doors,

fold-down seats and DVD,

Rear control A/C,

Plenty of seating,

Just to name a few reasons

minivans are sweet.

Finis

Thoughts on minivans? What makes them cool? or not? Haikus get bonus points.

Reasons why "Modest is Hottest"

It has recently been brought to my attention that people wear really unattractive clothing. I am not going to go into what is or isn't acceptable as far as fashion is concerned, although I look at girls my age who are wearing plaid pleated skirts with matching plaid sweater vests and wonder where on earth they found them. Why are companies making such things? Or better yet, why would a shopper my age not notice that they are the only non-senior citizen in a store and get a clue that they might not be in the appropriate department? You see these people everywhere you go--the 27-year-old in high-waisted, tapered pants or baggy button-up blouses. You are not 73-years-old!

However, I am not here to pontificate on fashion do's and don'ts. Wearing an outfit two decades too late is harmless enough. It is violations such as the wearing of outfits two sizes too small that I would like to discuss. I know that as women, we like to be skinny. We have somehow accepted the idea that the skinnier we are, the more beautiful. I don't think it's even men trying to convince us of this. I think that we create and reinforce this fallacy amongst ourselves. Women are much harsher critics than men, for the most part. Regardless of how a pair of pants looks, many are convinced that a smaller size implies that you are more attractive. I would like to emphatically disagree! There is nothing attractive about a girl who has squeezed herself into a pair of size 4 jeans that are pushing belly fat up and over the waist, forcing love-handles to bulge in the back, and most likely revealing a plummer-bum whenever they are seated. I would like to plainly state that a smaller size does not mean more attractive. I, myself, recently had the painful experience of going to GAP and trying on my regular size only to find that there was some squeezing and bulging going on. It was difficult, but I asked my ever-so-helpful dressing room clerk to go find me a bigger size. It hurt. I'm not going to lie. But I'd rather look fabulous in 6's than overly-squeezed in 4's. I am here suggesting to the world that full (properly-fitting) coverage accentuates everyone's beauty. So here are my top ten reasons why I think that "modest is hottest."

10. Love-handles
You may have them, but if your shirt goes down long enough, nobody has to see them.

9. Comfort
Why pull and tug all day in complete discomfort? Find a longer skirt, higher shirt or whatever, and spend your day thinking about things other than what might happen to be showing.

8. Self-esteem
Do you really need that kind of attention to feel good about yourself? Wouldn't it feel better to get attention because of your sparkling personality? Yeah. I think so too.

7. Plumbers are great, but...
We don't want to see your bum.

6. Motion
It's really nice to have enough give in your pants that you can sit down without ripping them.

5. Shooting Beavers
I have no idea where this phrase comes from. My mom probably got it from her mom who grew up in Heber, Utah, but it refers to an unlady-like seated position. Not so much a problem if you are wearing pants. If you are wearing a mini-skirt, there could be trouble for anyone sitting across the way...

4. Thoughts
When I was in high school I wasn't allowed to wear skirts that didn't come down to my knee. My Dad's reasoning for this was always the same: "Boys will have thoughts." I was pretty ticked off about it in high school because I have really long femurs, and skirts never came all the way to my knees. Looking back, I think my Dad might have been right after all...

3. Focus
This goes back to not having to tug and pull all day. It is statistically proven that students do better when they are wearing modest clothing. Everyone focuses better when proper coverage has been achieved.

2. Hypothermia
Sometimes it's cold outside. Sometimes it's even cold inside. Sometimes my scantilly-clad students beg me to turn up the heat because it's freezing. I look at them wearing a mini-skirt and spaghetti-straps in January and leave the thermostat where it is... Actually, I usually turn up the heat (even though they don't deserve it) because I'm usually cold despite the sweater and 3 layers of shirts I have on.

1. Tornado Drills
You never know when you're going to be involved in a tornado drill. Oh those poor girls in their mini-skirts and thongs when they have to get down with their heads to the ground and bottoms in the air. Yikes!!

Do you think "modest is hottest?" What are your least favorite infractions? Fashion advice? Please share.