Ode de Olympics

Lone Star State eh?

Texas school district to let teachers carry guns

In what appears to be U.S. first, board cites remote location.

HOUSTON - A Texas school district will let teachers bring guns to class this fall, the district's superintendent said on Friday, in what experts said appeared to be a first in the United States. The board of the small rural Harrold Independent School District unanimously approved the plan and parents have not objected, said the district's superintendent, David Thweatt. School experts backed Thweatt's claim that Harrold, a system of about 110 students 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth, may be the first to let teachers bring guns to the classroom. Thweatt said it is a matter of safety.

"We have a lock-down situation, we have cameras, but the question we had to answer is, 'What if somebody gets in? What are we going to do?" he said. "It's just common sense."

Board members estimate it would take first responders nearly 30 minutes to get to the rural school in an emergency.

Teachers who wish to bring guns will have to be certified to carry a concealed handgun in Texas and get crisis training and permission from school officials, he said. Recent school shootings in the United States have prompted some calls for school officials to allow students and teachers to carry legally concealed weapons into classrooms.

The U.S. Congress once barred guns at schools nationwide, but the U.S. Supreme Court struck the law down, although state and local communities could adopt their own laws. Texas bars guns at schools without the school's permission.

(Armed teachers and students? Are you kidding me???)

Tis the Season

Teachers are back in the classroom, getting ready to begin the new school year. Me included :) I am guessing that teachers and parents view the upcoming 1st day of school a bit differently...

...15 days and counting...

You unnerstand the words that are comin' outta my mouth?

This to a former roommate (and any others who have ever had a difficult time understanding me)- One day as the two of us are finishing up washing and drying the dinner dishes (back in the days when there was no dishwasher!) I looked directly at her and asked,

"Can you hand me the reehg?"

All action slows, "Huh?" she looks at me with a curiously blank stare.

I point this time, hoping to make myself more clear, "The rrr-eeehhh-g."

Still no response. Apparently I am difficult to understand. To avoid further difficulties, I leaned over to grab the reehg myself. I have an accent. Who would have thought?

I should have realized and made some adjustments. But I remember my very first day of teaching 2nd grade. Very first ever(mind you). I was doing a tour of our classroom with the little kiddos, when I pointed out the Pledge of Allegience poster and begin explaining that we would be saying this pledge, with our right hands over our hearts...to our fleehg. I turn to move on to our next stop when I hear,

"Miss HPLuvr...Miss HPLuvr!! Don't you mean flag?"

I knew right then that I was going to spend the next 179 days trying to keep up with them.

Need further evidence? The results of said quiz:

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
The West
The Midland
Boston
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have">What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

So yes. If I had seen the movie Fargo, apparently I would have understood them without any difficulties.

Would you like paper or plastic beehgs for that?

Product Review Time...again

Product: Smart Taste Penne Rigate- cost $1.29

HPLuvr Review: A new recipe using this fiber enriched pasta. At first I was going for the new wheat pasta (which I have tried a few times and have loved), but then I saw this fancy packaging and I was a goner. It was an easy recipe to follow (calling for canned spaghetti sauce) and took no time at all to cook. Which is ideal because with the temperatures around here, I have not wanted the stove on for extended periods of time. I would recommend making your own spaghetti sauce, or me choosing a different brand. Other than that it is worth at least a try.

It is also probably a good idea to invite others over to share in new recipes...if the amount of leftovers in my fridge is any evidence. You can only eat so much of the same thing.

HPLuvr Recommendation * * *

Product: Drinkwell Pet Fountain & Aqua Garden- cost $34.99 + $9.99

Ronald Review: I'm not much of a drinker, of water that is. That pet bowl of water that sits all day getting stale. It just reminds me of Tantor from Disney's Tarzan...

...and that my friends is why they invented this fabulous product. I can play in the water, drink the water, relax to the sound of a gentle waterfall, and best of all because of the hydroponic wheat grass- "Aqua Garden" -I can eat in this baby too! My caution to others is this 'if you are too tempted to gnaw on those enticing electrical cords, I think the water bowl deal is best for you.' This treasure also came with a special deal- 3 filters and a 5 piece cleaning brush pack. To keep my water tasting fresh and wheat grass crisp.

The little blue basket clipped onto the left side of the drinking fountain contains the wheat grass seeds, that amazingly took only 3 days to grow. 3 Days!! And took me only 2 to eat.

+

=

Ronald Recommendation * * * * *

Product Review

I have recently begun trying some new products. After the 3rd or 4th new item, I decided that I was going to sprinkle some practical product reviews in this blog. Then thinking some more about this...lots of me time right now...I realized that Ronald was trying out some new items of his own as well, so...

Note: 'It's my thing. I love it. Let it go.'

HPLuvr Review #1: Chicken-Bacon-Artichoke Pizza a la Papa Murphy & Pizza Cutter

Review: I for one have not been a regular patron of Papa Murphy's for quite a long time. My Dad loves their calzones (which I must admit are tasty!) But when I usually think of pizza, I think of places that actually cook them before sending them home with me. So when the idea was suggested for my recent girls night, we decided to check out what they had to offer. Well, I was thoroughly impressed with the prices and then saw this little number on the menu - I haven't looked back since. This pizza is one of their deLite crusts (thin crust) and the ingredients were as fresh as you could probably get. The wait was short and the cooking of the pizza made my entire apartment smell deLicious. Plus, I was able to buy the most efficient pizza cutter that I have had the pleasure to use. But if you already have one of those cutters- I still say you should make a trip to your local Papa Murphys to try this pizza.

Recommendation * * * * *

Ronald Review #1: Pet Window

Review: For a price of...free...you too can enjoy front row window seating. Thanks to family back in Seattle, I am now able to appreciate "Neighbor Spying" from the comfort of a cushy seat. This is especially good when I am on my own in the morning (ie only one awake) and the window I am sitting next to is open...and it is still cool air blowing in. So if you really want one, I'm pretty sure PetSmart or Petco is selling them for around $30. The only issue is that one has to always move the pet window around in order to open/shut the window, because it hooks onto the window frame- other than that -Have fun!

Recommendation * * * *

spoof@paypal.com

The other day I received this in my inbox:

---------------------------------------------------

Your case ID for this reason is PP-423-132-206
From: accounts@paypaI.com (accounts@paypaI.com)
Sent:Fri 7/11/08 4:13 PM
Reply-to:donotreply@paypaI.com

To: HPLuvr

Dear Customer,

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the PayPal system. We recently contacted you after noticing an issue on your account.

We requested information from you for the following reason:

We have reason to believe that your account was accessed by a third party. We have limited access to sensitive PayPal account features in case your account has been accessed by an unauthorised third party. We understand that having limited access can be an inconvenience, but protecting your account is our primary concern.

Reference Number: PP-423-132-206

Due to this, you are requested to follow the provided steps and update your informations details for the safety of your Account.
Please Click Here To Start

(Your case ID for this reason is PP-423-132-206.)

In accordance with PayPal's User Agreement, your account access will remain limited until the issue has been resolved. Unfortunately, if access to your account remains limited for an extended period of time, it may result in further limitations or eventual account closure. We encourage you to log in to your PayPal account as soon as possible to help avoid this.

We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect you and your account. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Yours sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department

---------------------------------------------

It did not go to my junk box which peaked my interest...but it made me suspicious because I had not previously received any emails from them, AND the donotreply email address- odd. So being cautious, I went to my paypal account (which by the way I rarely use anyway) and followed their instructions to contact them with any suspicious emails. I got this reply within 10 minutes:

---------------------------------------------

RE: - Your recent report to Paypal
From: spoof@paypal.com
Sent:Fri 7/11/08 5:45 PM
Reply-to:spoof@paypal.com
To: HPLuvr

Dear HPLuvr,

Thanks for taking an active role by reporting suspicious-looking emails. The email you forwarded to us is a phishing email, and our security team is working to disable it.

------What is a phishing email?------

Phishing emails attempt to steal your identity and will often ask you to reveal your password or other personal or financial information. PayPal will never ask for your password over the phone or in an email and will always address you by your first and last name. Take our Fight Phishing Challenge at https://www.paypal.com/fightphishing to learn 5 things you should know about phishing. You'll also see what we're doing to help fight fraud every day.

------You've made a difference.------

Every email counts. By forwarding a suspicious-looking email to spoof@paypal.com, you've helped keep yourself and others safe from identity theft.

Thanks,
The PayPal Team

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Note: if something seems odd; it probably is.

Smokey the Bear says...

Happy 4th of July! During my girls weekend, Yanaj and I watched the Stadium of Fire, fireworks display from her back porch. The cheap seats one might say. I was amazed at how big the fireworks were and was enjoying the peaceful evening.

I wonder why we celebrate our nation's birthday with fireworks?

...here comes the Smokey the Bear part...

Only we can prevent 'forest' fires!

With Love, From Hawai'i Day 8

So this is it folks. At least for this particular trip. Mom and I dropped Lisa off at the airport around 11am. Which meant that we had nearly 7 hours to kill before we had to be back. Too bad there was not much beach in this part of the island. But we made do. We did some more shopping. Found our way to a Barnes & Noble to pick up a few books and read for awhile. And before heading to the movie theater...(Get Smart is a funny and entertaining movie)...I happened to notice a like-minded vehicle owner that would have gotten along well with the Dad.

Who needs a front seat when you've got a surf board?

And what is it with flights and pick-up...lines?

My mom and I were actually sitting together for our flight home. No finagling required :) And as we headed back to our seats...and by back I mean the 2nd to last row from the back tail...we were thinking out loud and to ourselves,

"Hey, we might get this entire row to ourselves. How nice would that be? Make sure to spread out our stuff strategically...I mean this is a red eye, so hopefully we will be able to get comfortable enough to sleep. Oh yes, grab another pillow and blan..."

"Yeah, I think that's my seat."

Says the young, dark, and curly haired guy while taking out his earphones.

Well, we began to move, making a couple of light jokes while my Mom moved to the center seat and tried getting comfortable. What was a relief was that the guy started making jokes back. Hello Friendly Guy. This flight wasn't going to be half bad if he was willing to see the comedy in our being stuffed in with strangers reclining into our laps on the way home.

By the end of this vacation, I had forgone all makeup and hair products...in a good way :) Note: Salt Water does amazing things to your hair! I was dressed in pj's and looking forward to putting on some headphones and watching the in-flight movie and then getting some sleep. But apparently my look said, "Talk to me". So he did. Chatted and joked with me in that when Mom got up to stretch her legs, he introduced himself, asked my name...and my age.

What the heck??

But all in all, it was for the best. Because I knew he was young, but I nearly pulled my first Yanaj: he was 16...almost.

And when I told him my age? He convincingly sounded shocked. He thought we had been born in the same decade. No Sir: I am not 18. I remember waiting for the original Nintendo to come out. But I will say, Friendly Guy certainly made my flight home much more entertaining (especially considering that the in-flight movie was Fool's Gold).

Thanks Young Guy. And Good Luck on taking your Driver's License Test.

With Love, From Hawai'i Day 7

The Road to Hana. I had been told by many who have visited Maui, that this was not something to miss. Saving this for our last full day on the island, we made sure to pack food, water, and put in the Road to Hana tour CD. All necessary items. It was yet another beautiful day, and driving with our windows down and adventure in our brains, hit the road.

To tell you the truth, the road that we took to get to the beginning of the Road to Hana, almost had me turning back. It was the skinniest, unpaved and unguard railed, rockiest, cliff riddled drive that I have ever had the experience to drive. Our car was hugging the side of the cliff and if I were to have tried looking out the opposite window, I would not have been able to see where the roadside ended and empty air began. But all things come to end, thank goodness. We made it to the beginning, only a little apprehensive about the drive ahead.

This is one flat palm tree! Instead of growing out in all directions, the fraunds (leaves) grew out creating a fan-like pattern.

According to our lovely (CD) guide the Road to Hana has 59 bridges. This may not seem like a very large number, until you calculate that the Hana Highway from start to Hana is only 52 miles! That's alotta bridges.

Then consider that all of the bridges were one lane bridges. With traffic wanting to go both ways. Talk about a lesson in sharing and taking turns! I was amazed to learn that all but 1 of these bridges, dating back to 1910, is still in use.

The Road to Hana drives through the East Maui Rain forest. This made our drive cooler (temperature and well, awesome-ness). The vegetation and flowers were unreal.

At one stop, we had the fresh Banana Bread and the famous Hawai'ian Shaved Ice. The only thing I can compare it to is a luxury sno-cone, and even then I would tell people that although you may not care much for sno-cones, there is no excuse to not give Shaved Ice a try.

So while enjoying our Ice from Heaven on the Road to Heaven, we were able to listen to waves, and soon after see one of the most beautiful sights I have yet seen.

The turquoise water, the white surf, and the black rocks.

Heavenly Father certainly has an aesthetic talent.

... yes ... one more picture.

And if I had any doubts that I was driving in a Rain Forest, they were cleared up around the 4th rain storm. It had just stopped raining and I took a picture of the water cycle at work, the humidity just skyrocketed!! And all those green leaves and plants...whew!

I know that this isn't the best picture (the lighting is all off) but I continued to see trees like this one. An otherwise healthy tree, covered up to its canopy with a gigantic cousin of ivy.

Not cloud cover, but branch cover.

We were astounded when our CD tour guide pointed out that we were actually driving through the Bamboo forest section. My lucky bamboo doesn't look like this...

An Africa Tulip (which actually grow at the tops of large trees) I just happened to be on the highway above this particular tulip tree.

And after 600 curves, feeling like I was driving in a Nintendo game, we were welcomed...

Note: If you are interested in reaching the 7 Sacred Pools, it is not actually in Hana, but rather another 45 minutes past Hana. Due to the lateness of our arrival in Hana, and wanting to avoid driving this highway at night...sans street lights...well you get the picture...we turned around to make the 600 curves and 59 one lane bridges back.

With Love, From Hawai'i Day 6

What do you do on the 1 hour boat ride out to Molokini?

Fish. Of course.

So we finally make it to the crater. Looked as gorgeous as all those postcards portrayed it as being. If you were to see it from above, it would be a large "u" shape, with the open end towards the inlet. This position protects everything inside from the majority of winds; and because there is no beach, the waves crashing at the base of the crater do not stir up muck, reducing visibility. Before unleashing all of us into the water, our Captain accurately described this experience as,

"Snorkeling in an Aquarium"

Want more good advice from Yanaj ... Bring a water noodle.

Mom, Lisa, and My Finger in Molokini crater

I was astounded by the beautifully clear turquoise water. It was the perfect temperature, and although all the active and flashy fish were playing at the base of the crater, I could only get myself to fin my way so close before turning and paddling like mad away...before the surf pounded me into those sharp looking rocks.

Soon I peeked above the water to see where my party was. There I was bobbing in the water, when I realized something. My stomach was beginning to roll a bit...that mango and pineapple I had for breakfast that morning wasn't sitting so well anymore. We had been told that if we felt ourselves getting sea sick on the trip here, that we should make it as quickly as possible to the nearest railing and go for distance. Fine with me, until I am the one floating IN THE WATER. Thus, distance or not, this was an unoption.

Who ever thought of becoming sea sick IN the water?

Needless to say, I slowly finned my way back to the boat, arriving just as the Captain came over the loudspeaker to call everyone back. Apparently we were leaving to our 2nd location because the wind and waves had arrived, making Molokini dangerous once again. Thankfully as we sailed away I sipped on some ginger ale and began to feel better.

On the way we slowed to a stop and were treated to a visit from a friendly Bottlenose Dolphin!

This was our morning! A good way to begin rounding out our vacation.

Note to self: I would actually consider paying to swim with dolphins! The one we met appeared friendly and playful (and very cute!), as he swam to check out the passengers on each of the 3 boats that had slowed to a stop to say "Hi".

With Love, From Hawai'i Day 5

This morning we drove to Kihei to meet up with our Molokini and Turtle Town snorkel tour. It was comforting to know that we were going to be going with a small group. Some of our party had to drug up in order to prevent some motion sickness...until we were told that the 10:15 am trip to Molokini would not be happening. Apparently in the late morning to early afternoon, winds kick up around the edges of the crescent shaped crater and make it dangerous to go snorkeling there. We were given the option of going elsewhere right then, or be given a refund (book another time/tour). Because we had our hearts set on the Molokini crater, we opted to change to another time and date. This left us with so much time (we had awoken fairly early to make it to Kihei on time) and no set plans.

So while in Kihei, we followed Yanaj's advice and hit up the Big Wave Cafe.

Product recommendation? One MUST try the Macadamia Nut pancakes with coconut syrup! More a dessert than breakfast, but that is why you share with everyone at your table.

So driving back to Kahana, we stop in Lahaina and The Banyan Tree on Front Street. Did you know that there was such a tree as the "Upside Down" tree? My fourth graders did. We read Amazing Plants and discovered that the roots drops from the branches and attempt to plant from skyward down.

All the hanging vines are actually the Banyan Tree's roots!

P.S. Lisa, Mom, and I all took turns attempting to swing upon the Banyan Tree roots. Just like the little kids everywhere.

Until we came upon the "Do Not..." sign, afterwards, oops!

Overall it was a pretty quiet day, especially after our Oahu adventure (all done in exactly 24 hours!) We took today to sit back and visit yet another beach. Many more people and much more wind. We didn't last nearly as long. Just enough to maintain the beautiful tan we were all accumulating. And what was going to be the Number 1 thing to set Mom apart from all her Seattle-tonian counterparts.

With Love, From Hawai'i Day 4

Here we are on one of the most beautiful islands in the world...beaches galore. Yet we spend hours...yes hours...over the past week trying to find this beach that the locals say is perfabulous.a.must.see. After asking workers at the Maui Dive Shop (and by workers I mean at least 3 different guys at different times and different days) the last one put it simply and honestly:

"Just drive north on that road out there until you reach...uh...well...I mean I've been going there so long its just natural to turn at the road on the left."

Note to Maui Dive worker- of course there are roads to the left; left is the way to the beach, all roads lead to the beach on Maui.

But perseverance pays off on Day 4.



We found it. Once again, very quiet, very few people. I spent time attempting to use a body board (unsuccessfully). But I did successfully spend time watching the Kite Surfer. He was incredible to watch. Riding the waves and flipping in the air when the wind caught his kite. In the above picture you can see the crescent kite in the mid-left.

We settled in to spend some of the daylight hours relaxing on this windy beach. Soon, I was covered with layers of sand- sticking to me AND to all my stuff. Eventually we tossed in the towel (literally) and packed it in back to our condo. Where I napped, and Mom and Lisa checked out our pool and beach front view.

My next trip to Maui will include surfing lessons.period.