I want to marry an angel... no really.

My boss and friend, Katherine, writes. And she writes well. These are the trailers for her two newest books, of which I've read "A Season of Eden" and I am currently reading "Heavenly" and now I want to marry an angel.

Make sure the sound is turned up on the actual video, cause it wasn't on mine.
Check out her websites too. Or let me know if you have questions.

She is a very intelligent writer who is able to make you fall in love with her characters. She makes me wish I was the leading lady in her books (seriously, I've even asked her to make me one of them). So, watch the trailers. NOW!

New York, New York

The last two weeks have been exhausting and therefore, no new posts. New York City was a blast overall. When I got back I started looking for a job for the new school year as well as substitute teaching this week. The week started out pretty good and then went a little downhill as the days went by.

Monday and Tuesday: I stayed up way too late. It was so fun being back in my old, old classroom.

Wednesday: I was so exhausted at work. I'm not used to being to work by 8 o'clock in the morning. I also suffered from food poisoning* (*note: I'm pretty sure God was punishing me for going to Hooters, as I'd never been before and the first time I go, I feel like dying for days afterward)

Thursday: A truly tragic death and sadness amongst my friends. Also, there was severe awkwardness while trying to be social with a new group of the opposite sex.

Friday: I feared I'd lost my phone and was sick all day long because of it and what may be discovered if someone else found it... Now, I am ready to just crash and sleep, but I can't of course, cause... well, duh, it's Friday night.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... in no particular order, my pictures from New York City.

At Rockefeller Center. We spent one night there just sitting and talking for hours and I took pictures for random bystanders. They all loved me cause I took my picture taking job seriously and made everyone take a lot of pictures and do lots of poses.

At the famous Serendipity, eating blackout cake. It is sooo amazing. I promptly made it for my mom, Kristen, Weston and Sam when I got home.

Hey dumb dumb, me want gum gum. At the Museum of Natural History.

In Times Square

Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe. Sunny Santa Fe would be nice... I seriously sang this song in my head every time we got onto the subway.

At St. Patricks' Cathedral

Eating New York pizza. Ever since I moved home from New Jersey, nothing has compared and I couldn't wait to get back to eat some.

Outside of "Rent". It was so much fun to see!

"Phantom" was the most amazing experience of the whole trip. Seriously. I may have teared up a little while watching it.

And there was walking. Lots and lots of walking.

A's and B's

I checked my summer grades online today and my world was crushed:

A- Sweet

A- Excellent

No grade posted yet- It's alright. I know I got an A

B+- What the hell?

My first non-A grade at the U of U. And it makes me so mad. I tried sooo hard in that class. It killed my 4.0. I am ready to go yell at my teacher, however nice I thought she was before my grade was posted.

The funny thing is, I think that grades have such a negative impact on learning. We teach kids that A's are important cause that means you're smart and you can get into a good college and then get a wonderful job that makes you lots of money and everyone will adore you. Or something close to that.

When we make grades the forefront, children don't learn as much as they can, because they're worried about getting the A, not necessarily learning the content. And because of such acts as NCLB (No Child Left Behind) we teach to the test. It's all about looking smart, it doesn't matter if you actually take anything away from the class; it only matters that you trick authorities into thinking you did.

And I think it's wrong.

And yet, here I am, angry over a B+ because it's a B+ and not an A.

Breaking Dawn party, part deux

I LOVE to throw parties. At least, I think I love to throw parties. Without fail, a week or so before my party, I think "What am I doing?! This is going to be terrible!" My latest was to celebrate the release of "Breaking Dawn", the newest and last book in the Twilight saga. I admit that I am in love with these books. I very much dislike Bella. I very much dislike Jacob. But I am sadly in love with Edward. One day I will stop dating Mike's and find an Edward; but probably not. But Jasper came and that's enough for now! Here are a few of the highlights:

Chelsea showing off her beautiful wedding cake she decorated.

Kim, Teressa and Stephanie

Shay... nuff said

Summer and Rich

Becca

Jenn, Katherine and Brooke

Debating what would/should happen in the book. I was right all along!

Katherine, me and Jen with our new (and not so new) tattoos

And finally, me with my Jasper.

Camping

I hadn't been camping at all this year, and was itching to go. So, I scratched that itch.







I'd never used a chainsaw before. I felt so powerful. Like I could've... well, you know.









Rich spilled his drink on Summer, who had just put on bug spray and she decided to lick it off her arm.








As the only sane person there, I put myself in charge of our safety with the .22. I kept it by my side the whole night in case we encountered a bear, cougar or serial killer.








Todd laughing at a joke the fire just told to him. No one else heard it.













On our little hike












Oh so pretty...

Michael Savages thoughts on autism

So, I did not listen to Michael Savage today or yesterday or whenever this aired; in fact, I haven't listened to him in years. But apparently within the last couple of days he said that nearly every child with autism is just “a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out."

He actually believes this and does not plan to apoligize. He also said “My main point remains true. It is an overdiagnosed medical condition. In my readings, there is no definitive medical diagnosis for autism... 99% of the cases of autism are a result of lax parenting. They don’t have a father around to tell them: ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life.”

As for what he believes children with autism should be hearing, he said they should be told, “ ‘Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’ ”

Savage's program, Savage Nation, is heard nationally on more than 350 stations.

It is absolutely ridiculous that a man who is thought to be smart enough to host his own radio show would believe this! Basically, what he’s doing is parroting what used to be said about autism 40 years ago, back in the heyday of Freudian analysis. It was blamed on bad parenting. Mothers were said to be "refrigerator moms" who showed no emotion toward their kids. There was no evidence to support this and I am sure any level headed person would agree that it is ridiculous.

I work with children with autism and it is an insult to me and it is an insult to every parent I know and care about who have a child with autism. It is telling these parents who I see try so hard to do what is best for their child and struggle so much in the process, that they are terrible parents.

It makes me so angry. I want to punch his face off.

Breaking Dawn Invitation

I am having a Breaking Dawn party that is going to be a blast and if you'd like to be invited, just give me your email address and I'll email it to you.