Guilty Pleasures

I only like the original cast and the high school years.

I have been teaching Paige all the names of the cast, who is dating who, what will go down so that they won't be dating later and who they swith to. pretty entertaining stuff. i am amazed at how much i know about the show, for never being allowed to actually watch the show at home.

oh yes, i can watch this all day because, that's right, its another sick day.

"Why Joy Is Bad For You"

While surfing the net due to a horrific illness that caused me to call in a substitute today, using one of my coveted 10 sick days for the year, i found some shocking things. This however, is atrocious. JOY, happiness, and having a moderately good life, are bad for you.

A study suggests extreme happiness may be bad for you. Findings: 1) "The highest levels of income, education and political participation were reported not by the most satisfied individuals, but by moderately satisfied individuals." 2) Extremely happy people "earned significantly less money" and earned lower school grades than moderately happy people. 3) They "may not live as long," either. Theories: 1) Happiness makes you complacent and kills your drive. 2) It makes you slow to adapt. 3) It makes you too optimistic and insufficiently vigilant about your health. 4) It may overstimulate your cardiovascular system. Researchers' conclusions: 1) "Happiness may need to be moderated for success." 2) "Extremely high levels of happiness might not be a desirable goal." Human Nature's conclusions: 1) Success may need to be moderated for happiness. 2) Extremely high levels of success might not be a desirable goal.

This is ridiculous. good thing i am depressed, angry, motivated to take over the world all of which means like life is lacking a lot of JOY.

confessions of a post-teenage drama queen

I HAVE A CRUSH



Tuesday Nights, 8pm...
The Biggest Loser
check it...

what is this, a booby trap!!!?

DATA aka Jonathan Ke Quan, pictured here in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and quoted from, like, the best teen drama EVER, "Goonies"

Stef: Data where are you going?
Data: I'm setting booty traps.
Stef: You mean booby traps?
Data: THATS WHAT I SAID! BOOBY TRAPS! God. These Guys!

It seems that whenever i come to work on a holiday, some form of booby trap has been set. What gives man? I resent who ever and why ever these "things" if you can call them that, keep ending up in front of my stable door.

Christmas break found a ton of giant wooden black boxes blocking my path.



MLK day, today, i found giant signs, in even more giant cardboard contraptions, blocking. The only way in was to squeeze by the home and school recycle bins which get filled with things that are perishable and not recyclable.

Im over it. i am just going to surf the net, download music, and keep on bloggin.




I FOUND THIS AT WORK TOO:


They call it the Senior Rock. Kids get to paint it with pride blah blah blah. it just ends up looking like paint ball fodder and i think it is funny. some of my teaching allies, don't. We have spent about 68 minutes worth of meeting time discussing paint type, paint color, paint legibility, the times of the day when paint may be applies or removed, who in fact can do the applying and removing, and whether or not it should be sand blasted and rendered untouchable. once again, i think it is funny. Maybe that's why this stuff keeps ending up in front of my door...

OH COME ON:

I bought a new camera. i got a polaroid, with the ASSUMPTION that ALL pictures would come out in those nifty squares that youshake, shake it like a polaroid... but NO!!! Digital! What is this, the 2000's? There isn't even an OPTION for the shaker kinds. No choice at all! And, i can't seem to be smart enough to get the date off the pictures, which is the wrong date anyway!

Just because: there is an iTunes Free Down load, doesn't mean you have to take it. it is usually really bad and there is a reason it is free and all the others are $0.99 plus tax.

Just Because: iTunes makes you a list of songs, Just for You, doesn't mean you have to buy them, for $0.99 plus tax. Top of my list today: Bodies by Drowning Pool, Album SINNER. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE and how have they found me!!! i hope my mom doesn't see my list.

Oh, i totally forgot: I'm like an athlete, so trick this, i'm gonna go ride my bike!

Why my Job is Way Funnier Than Yours

"Dear Coach Dee,

(KID A) Has a banquet tonight. Please excuse her from all physical activity so that she does not mess up her hair. I curled it. Thank you."

Signed: MOM"

Duerksen Fit Camp 2008

"What is this, some sort of fit camp?" Whined Matt as Jeremy and i planned our adventures while everyone else worked.

Jeremy, the brother from Boulder, came to the IE for a bit of "down time." I so tricked him. We had a plethora of bikes to fit him on, free gym use, and list of honey-do's that i just didn't want to do on my own.

DAY ONE: Sent us to the gym where i teach spin for a 5:45am session. I tricked him on this one too. I told him the time, just not AM. After that, we did our circuit weights and headed to the hills for some mountain biking.

Not without a little trouble though. I seemed to find some mud. Pfff.


I won this stage.

Being from Boulder, he arrived with a bit a TUDE in regards to the Empire and our cycling options, but was soon smitten with the snow capped "peaks", clean air, and the accessability to trails from the front door!


DAY TWO: That's right, short sleeves, sweat on the brow, its January 4! This trek lasted just under 4 hours, hit 3 trail systems, and bit of pavement between.


Secret Trail Head: Although i have been told that training is no longer allowed to be called Covert (Items that fall under covert would be: Binge eating; lounging on the couch; not shaving the legs; ice cream or something silly like Tae BO)
BUT, some trail locations just CAN NOT be divulged on the NET! I won this stage too, but only because i knew the way, and riding through the Wash can be dicey between the rocks, TV's with bullet holes, and low-laying shrubs.



DAY THREE: Found us on the road with Adam where Jeremy realize we boast more rideable hill climbs than Boulder. You can only tell people SO many times, then you just have to show them! This was a neutral stage, yesterday Jeremy came to the conclusion he had lost his high altitude moxie, thus was feeling a bit winded.

DAY FOUR: Hampered by strong winds, a deluge of rain, and severely low temps (47 degrees) we decided to skip the Saturday Morning Road Championships and waited till the rain dwindled to a sprinkle and rolled out on the MTB's.

This was a funny day. Jeremy SAYS he raced a Boulder Cross race in 13 degrees, Fahrenheit. It was 50 out and he didn't want to go because it was cold. He put SO many layers on, i thought he was on a mountaineering expedition on Mt. Hood.

As soon as we rolled, he started to sweat.

Since it was the weekend, we invited friends.

Shelli and Matt were very happy to oblige.

Here is a photo of them riding, in the midst of the Worst Storm in Three Years. Pfff.


For this stage, we broke into divisions. Girls, and Boys. I think Matt won, or just rode away without us.


Perhaps next year will have an early camp so the trails in the mountains can be checked out and weather will be clear for a nice big group road ride.

Perhaps next year you can get an invite. or the call up. there is always wishful thinking...

So They Say

My hair has grown again. Now i look like Tina Turner. If only i could get a set of those legs too...