Don't miss your chance to dance

So perhaps it is the conspiracy theorist in me, or that I have been listening to the radio more, but I am really noticing a sort of dark/ominous theme in the hits. I rather enjoy both of these songs but I get a little freaked out when I am being told that I should enjoy this dance because it could be my last. Although I will admit that it does make me want to dance a little harder. So maybe it just means that you never know what will happen and that you should dance while you can.

Usher-DJ Got Us Falling in Love Again
"Let's dance like it's the last night of your life"

Britney Spears-Till the World Ends

"Keep on dancing till the world ends"

I have really been enjoying finding things on youtube to add to my posts. I find that the medium is a little more interactive and gets my point across that much more quickly. I think I got the inspiration from a new blog that I am following called moveon.org. (thank you Ian) It is definitely a liberal place but I find at least two or three interesting things on there each time I check it out. They are absolutely pro teacher and I really like that.

But I wanted to go to the prom

So I was all excited to go to the law school prom. Unfortunately for me it is the same weekend that I have already made plans to return to Seattle for a fun filled birthday weekend (the big 3-0) for a friend. Sadly, I will just have to wait for next year's prom. I am pretty sure this clip (my favorite part from the movie Footloose) is exactly the type of hi jinx I will be missing out on. (Although I know my husband breathed a sigh of relief at not having to attend. He didn't even know it was going on, at least that is the story he is sticking to. Thank God the law school wives are on top of the school social calendar) Oh well, I will have a full year to look for a dress for Prom and to ponder the question; why does law school have a prom in the first place?

P.S. How can you not absolutely adore Footloose. They just want to dance... and when they do it is amazing. I have always had a special place in my heart for Kevin Bacon and this is why.

Super Off Task

I am in high procrastination mode since report cards are due on Thursday of this week and I have them most of but not all of the way done. I have to say that I am very excited to have an almost understanding of the new report card system but I am sick of working on them and don't want to do it anymore. I also wish that I could look this put together ever, especially when I am sitting at my desk.

Joy List

I made this list the other day when I was feeling blue. The health and wellness letter from my job suggested this as a way to improve my quality of life. These are some things that make me happy. I feel a little like Oprah if only you could find these in a bag under your seat.

Aveda hand relief

Aveda tea

That light feeling you get when you just got your hair cut (I just got a haircut. I cut off 10 inches and will be sending that hair to locks of love. Yay!)

A glass of wine - cab sav.

Arrested Development

30 Rock

Trying a new recipe-even if it doesn't turn out quite as well as I would have liked at least I tried.

Finishing a book - I will finish you Freedom. I finished the Bridge and I will finish you too.

Freshly painted nails -even better if someone else does it and not me but either way.

Finishing (not starting) a good work out - I could add just showing up at the gym.

Crossing something off of a to-do list

Laughing

A new (rap) song--with crazy slang that I have never heard of before - my current favorites are the bumble bee songs and the new Mike Posner (RandB? not rap) Bow Chicka Wow Wow. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.

Long weekends

Dancing without judgment-Such a rare occurrence for me unless it is me and Wii. I haven't found occasion to go out dancing lately.

Buying a great new stylish clothing item- lately it has been a discounted and stylish item

A clean house-even if I was the one who did all the cleaning. It is a great sense of accomplishment that I feel.

Arriving to your vacation destination - recently watched a video I made on our flip cam when we arrived in Hawaii and I sounded drunk I was so giddy from the excitement

Counting down to something fun or exciting- currently counting down to 1)Spring Break and celebrating Clare's 30th bday in Seattle. I am coming home! 2)Sorority IRD which I will be attending in Pullman with my mom. (Am I nerd or what). 3)Lacey and Kristin visiting in April.

A really good margarita and a designated driver

Restaurant chips and salsa

Not sitting in traffic or paying tolls - when I leave school it takes me 10-15 minutes tops to get home no matter when I leave. It is amazing and a perk of Spokane.

Recipe Websites I have been enjoying and learning from

I check these out almost every day in my Google reader (thank you Robbie for teaching me how).
Big Girls Small Kitchen I will say that is probably not what I would have named my own blog as it conjures images of heavy girls and fattening recipes (at least to me). However, I love the way that the recipes can be searched and am looking forward to trying a lot of the recipes. They have released a cookbook which can be ordered now. One (or both) of these ladies is friends with Robbie from College.

Keep it Skinny I love all the recipes that I have tried on this website and enjoy the pictures. Thank you to Michelle for sharing her sisters blog with me. I read it almost every day now.

Williams and Sonoma Warren has been mocking me because every time I come back from a cooking class I have bought some new little thing. It is easy to do because they use their products (which are pretty great) and they give a 10% discount after class. However, the website has a lot of great recipes and ideas.

I'm Back

I have been inspired by my friends Sarah's recent return to blogging. She is extremely busy with wedding planning, school things, and the rest of her fun life so if she can do it so can I. I also was inspired by my friend Michelle's recent blogaversary celebration. She is an avid blogger which is something that I suppose I will aspire to. I am also inspired by my recent acquisition of a desk and office chair. I purchased these items (on sale) and put them together myself in the guest bedroom at our house. So now Warren has his office to work in and I have a place to work as well. I also have a place to spread out my piles of bills, mail, and school stuff so that the dinner table can remain clear and can be (hopefully will be) eaten off of.

I was just looking at my last post. That was only 6+ months ago and some things have changed, I have tackled some things on my list and some things have stayed the same. First, school. Warren has been working so hard. He spends a great deal of hours studying and although I know that this is valuable time spent and that it is important I still miss him. My own school days are far less brutal then they were at the beginning of the year but are still emotionally and physically taxing. I am enjoying what I do more and more each day but feel increasingly disheartened by the current state and direction of education. Each day I read article after article about the lack of funding, faith, and respect that the American public has in the educators that I consider myself proud to be a part of. I have tried to do my part by remaining informed and by advocating for education funding to my (new) legislators but it all seems trivial and hopeless. Every day I see first hand poverty on a very real scale. The well being of children and their future input in society hinges on the answers to educational/societal problems. It is far more complicated then getting rid of "bad" teachers and unions. The answers are harder to find than that and I am so angry that the person who is in charge of the "education overhaul" is, as far as I can tell, not really looking at the the whole issue and definitely not in touch with what is happening in the classroom. Oh well, that is another rant for another day. I will say that I did a little research into an Ed.D program that would equip me for studying educational policy. I doubt that would feel less hopeless but it does sound intellectually stimulating and challenging in a different way.

Here was my former upcoming things to do list and the progress I have made on it.
Find artwork/something to put up on the walls of our apartment- I have found some but am having trouble committing to anything on the wall. This is probably some form of denial about living in Spokane. Oh well, I still have three years to hang things up.
Find new recipes to try- I have been trying a lot of new recipes. I have been attending some free technique classes at Williams and Sonoma with some friends (see below) and bought a new Recipe book called Weeknights Fresh and Fast which I enjoy. I also just ordered The New Abs diet cookbook. The recipes look fairly quick and healthy.
Steal my mother in law's copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking-didn't do it, will leave this on my to do.
Find the perfect chair to sit and read in the bedroom, outdoor furniture, side table and lamps- So my parents have promised us a chair that should work nicely in the bedroom but the weather has been terrible and that transfer of goods has not happened. I like my new desk. I don't know how much we need the other things. My parents have also promised Warren and I (rather generously) an electric bbq that they won (actually bought but saying he won makes my dad feel better about buying things at auctions) so I am looking forward to that addition as the weather improves. (Thank God that that is happening. Warren and I went for a nice 4ish mile, hilly run today and it was great.)
Make friends- How sad that I had to write this but I am happy to report that I have met some wonderful people in Spokane. I really enjoy my new coworkers and have been hanging on the weekends with some teachers/law school wives who have recently relocated to Spokane from various locations. It is nice to be able to commiserate with other people who understand exactly how you feel. The only down side to hanging with them was learning that they make lunches for their husbands and feeling guilty enough to start doing that for Warren too.
Bake french bread- Still no french bread either

Next on my to do list:
Finish the Franzen novel Freedom. I have been getting a lot of reading in which is good. I keep hating Franzen and his characters but I hate to give up on a book. Also I think that there is a really interesting narrative thread that is based on population control. I am more interested in that than his unlikeable characters.
Exercise more. I have recently fallen off the band wagon. 1 (excuse): It is hard to find parking in the dumb Y parking lot. 2 (excuse): bad weather/dark 3 (fun fact): I bought Just Dance for the Wii and have had a lot of fun getting my cardio on that way 4 (fun fact): I bought calm, fun, sexy yoga and stuck to that for a while. I will try to get back on that wagon too. I did sleep better.
Quit watching so many tv shows on the Wii/Netflix instant viewing. I am embarrassed even mentally listing the amount of television series I have devoured over the past few months. Only Warren and the computer know the extent of my shame. Recommends: Weeds, Arrested Development, Greek, and Veronica Mars.
Try to not get so worked up about the state of education/the world. It only leads to anger and high blood pressure.
P.S. I typed in adjustment image to google and got a lot of crazy things. I finally settled on this because I think of myself as a nerdy asian (as described in the name of this image).