Random Thoughts and Happenings

I am really ready for it to be summer.  I'm trying to enjoy spring and not try to rush into June because it always goes by so fast.

I would just really, really like to get some normal neighbors on the left side of me. The house has been a rental since a few years after we moved in.  We've lived next door to all manner of strange and annoying people.  Then, a family bought the house.  A normal, wonderful, nice family with kids the same age as my kids, and they were best friends!  Oh happy day!  And then last Christmas they moved and rented the house out.  And now we live next door to several people sharing the home.  They have garbage and junk piled all over the outside of the house.  Some of it blows into our yard. Their cigarette butts blow into my grass.  Their little boy walks into my garage and takes the kids' toys out.  The other day, their garbage can was full so they threw something away in ours.  Except it was our green waste can, and we'd get fined for having it in there, so Sean had to go pull it out and throw it away.   I want to buy that house myself so I can at least choose who I live next to.

I really want to go on a road trip.  So badly.  I saw an article the other day about ghost towns in Arizona.  That would be a really fun adventure!  It had more well-known ones like Tombstone and then others that are mostly unknown.  I would totally love to take a trip to visit some of them.   I would even settle for visiting ghost towns in Utah, and I also want to visit Topaz, where the Japanese prison camp in Utah was located during WWII.

This is part of a larger conversation/observation that I don't want to get into right now, but I really really hate the attitude that women/boobs were put on this earth for men to look at.  I was reading an online article about the woman who tried to use a breast pump on an airplane and the flight attendant wouldn't let her.  She had verified with the airline beforehand that her particular pump was allowed, she had brought along a giant blanket to put over herself, and her husband was sitting in the seat next to her and she was by the window so that no strangers had to sit next to her in tight quarters while she pumped.  Anyway, some of the online comments were along the lines of, "Yuck, who wants to have to look at someone's floppy, flabby boobs?"  Well, first off, jackass, you won't be seeing any boobs.  Secondly, jackass, her boobs don't exist for your pleasure.  Women and their bodies are not public domain.  Our existence and function is not to be pleasurable for you to look at.  I'm tired of reading the argument, and I have, often, that women shouldn't nurse in public (or pump in public) because it can be a turn-on to males, especially teenage boys or those struggling with porn addiction.  I'm truly sorry for whatever struggles people have, but it's not my/my baby's job to live our life around your addictions.  Teenage boys get horny seeing all kinds of every day things.  There's nothing you can do about that, and it's natural and normal, so I'm not sure why people feel a need to try to prevent boys from getting turned on by innocent things.  Teach them that it's normal and it happens to everyone and to just move on with their day if it happens to them.  Gah.  Why does every little thing have to be such a big deal to people?  Just avert your eyes.  Mind your own business.

Last Friday we had a pool party at the Bountiful Rec with Katie and mom.  The kids had lots of fun.  Katie is such a fun aunt.  She went down the slide with Lexi countless times.  Then we went to her house for food after.  Scott brought his kids and met us there, and we sat and visited for hours while the kids trashed her house.  We didn't leave until like 11:30.

The Mazda died sometime last month.  We have to figure out what to replace it with.  Sean wants a motorcycle, but I don't want any more crap in my garage.  Maybe if he got rid of the go cart and the 4 wheeler that are already taking up real estate in there, there would be room for a motorcycle.  But we'd still have to buy another car this winter, so I don't want to spend money on a motorcycle.  I told Sean he should get a Smart car.  Hahaha that would be funny to see him driving one of those.

I had another eye pain episode last weekend.  It hurt really bad for a couple days.  It feels better now.  I guess I really don't have anything else to say about that.  Huh.  

Sean and I took the younger kids on a hike up Adams canyon.  I think that's what it's called.  It was fun.  We were all really winded on the beginning part where it's steep.  We really need to get in shape.  But it was really nice and very pretty.  We didn't go all the way to the top.

I'm doing end of level state testing right now.   If/when the legislature finally ties our salaries to test scores, there are going to be some changes.  It will need to be run like ACT testing is.  No interruptions.  No one comes into the classroom or calls in from the office.  No sports games or field trips scheduled during testing. Students who move in during the middle of the year aren't counted against us.  No students transferring teachers at the semester.  As it stands, I have a good 20 students minimum, maybe more, that I have only taught for part of the year, one for only a few weeks, so why do they think I should be responsible for how they do on an end of year test?  Not to mention the ones that just don't care.   And the ones who only attend class every fifth time.  

Brittney got elected senior rep for GSA next year.  It sounds like they have a good pres and VP, so I'm hoping they can do some good things next year.  There are so many opportunities where GSA could get involved and do cool things.

The weekend is almost here.  Yay for sleeping in!