Las Rayos

So my first day of school went well, I suppose. We got to our school, COSI, at 7:30 a.m. so that we could take a verbal test and I did alright. I tested higher than level 1 but not quite level 2. I was informed that they did not offer the exact class that I would need during the morning, so instead I would receive private tutoring in the afternoon for 3 hours. I was a bit overwhelmed with the thought of having to talk an entire 3 hours in Spanish one on one, but then I found out that 2 other mujeres had been added to make an afternoon class. Whew!!! I really enjoy my teacher and my classmates, 23 year old Charlotte from London who is spending 6 months in Latin America, and 50-something Pamela from D.C. We get along well and have fun together.



It rained like crazy yesterday and the lightning and thundering continued to get closer and closer until literally it was 10 yards away from our classroom window. We saw a spark from the telephone lines and knew then that we should move to the inner part of the school. One of the staff girls from Holland doing an internship here came running out of the office freaking out because she said the lightning had gone right through the office. Everyone else was really frightened and nervous, but I thought it was all really cool.

Some interesting things about Costa Rica & Quepos:

• Costa Rica is almost directly south of Florida, yet it is only one hour ahead of California time. They don´t do Daylight Savings Time.


• Map of Quepos, where we are staying with our host family who live one block south of the campo de futbol.


• Quepos has a really good high school band and really cute kids who play futbol.

Bienvinidos a Costa Rica

Let the adventure and pure life begin in gorgeous Costa Rica! After a complete day of flying my mother and myself landed in humid San Jose. We were driven to our swanky Hotel le Bergarac in an over packed muggy van with the most obnoxious girl I have ever met, Jenna from Ole Miss. She was drinking and smoking on the mini-van and saying the most retarded things, and then started to read some sexually graphic phrases from her Spanish/English phrase book. We soon found out that she would be studying at the same Spanish school as us, and our hearts began to ache.

Our hotel and staff were very nice, but informed us that the electricity would be turned off the next day from 7 am - 4pm for repairs. I just figured I wouldn´t blow dry and straighten my hair the next day, no big deal, but when I went to get in the shower there was no water either. Not something I wanted to deal with when I hadn´t washed my now greasy hair in 2 days.

After a yummy breakfast of juevos, tostada y frutas, we decided to ask if they knew where the San Jose temple was and how far, el temple de Mormones. The luggage boy, who spoke pretty good English, said there was la iglesia not far, like 2 blocks. Could we possibly be only 2 blocks from a church and not even know it, and could he have the right church? So I changed into a skirt and off we went, down one block and over a block to a big white building with a sign reading, La Iglesia de Jesu Christo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias. We got there in time for Sunday School and Relief Society, but I understood about 5% of what was said.

The Interbus picked us up around 2:30 and we were in for a fun 4 hour ride through the mountainous back country of CR on our way down to Quepos. The scenery was quite lovely but with no A/C the trip was a bit lacking, especially when it started to rain and would come in through the open window. Good thing I didn´t do my hair after all.

Hectic day in the city

Well, today was quite the opposite from yesterday. I didn't have a care in the world yesterday as I relaxed at the beach and soaked in the sun. Today I found myself running from place to place like a chicken with it's head cut off, which unfortunately included me locking my keys in my car. Yep, halfway through my jammed pack day of picking up my pay stub, stopping by the ATM to get money out for tithing (I hate writing checks and haven't written one in over 4 years), returning some pants to Express for them to take the security censor thing off, getting my bangs trimmed, buying a new straight iron because my new one is already defunct, getting a pedicure, taking my brothers dog to the vet to have his ears re-wrapped, dropping a package off at the post office for my cousin serving a mission in the West Indies, picking up some new face moisturizer, I found myself outside my car and the keys inside, with the doors locked. Mind you this happened about halfway through the carefully orchestrated schedule that I had going on and it really brought my day to a screeching halt.

(You might be asking why I felt the need to do all of these errands in one day, and why I couldn't do some of them tomorrow, but the answer to that will come in my next post, so stay tuned. )

Back to my crazy story of the keys. I thought I had a Hide-a-Key under my car, so I humbled myself to get down on the dirty, hot asphalt of the Target parking lot and look under my car. But, to my misfortune I could not find it anywhere. A kind lady allowed me to borrow her phone to see if I could call someone to bring me my extra set, seeing I had also locked my purse and cell phone inside, but no one responded to my calls. While inside at the Target Customer Service desk, escaping from the 97 degree heat, I became even more aggravated as I called locksmith after locksmith who said they had no one available. What really got me was when one of them said that because of my car's make and model they would not be able to open it, and that I would have to call a tow truck to take my car to the dealer to have them open it. What asinine nonsense! Short of the long, I finally found a company that could get a guy to my location within 10 minutes, he opened it up, and $125 dollars later I was on my way again.

Where to next?.........

For those of you who know me, you're aware I have a pension for travelling, in fact an infatuation with it. These are the places I've been thus far, and as of tomorrow I will be able to add one more.

1. Australia- Opera House and Harbor Bridge

2. New Zealand- Maori invitation dance3. Canada-Niagara Falls
4. Mexico- Taxco 5. France- Eiffel Tower

6. Monaco- Lamborghini in front of Monte Carlo Casino 7. Italy- "Roman" soldiers in front of Colosseum 8. Vatican City-yes it's a country state,

and I was this close to the Pope

9. Austria- Sound of Music gazebo10. Germany- heading to Schloss Neuschwanstein 11. Switzerland- Swiss Alps 12. Thailand- Grand Palace, Bangkok 13. Cambodia- Angkor Wat

14. Vietnam-Chu Chi tunnels left from Vietnam war 15. Japan- Kintai Bridge in Iwakuni 16. ?

I want you to guess.

• Technically I've ridden the train through Belguim, but don't have any pictures from there, so does that country count? I'd like to think so. Belguim #17
  

Lazy day at the beach

Today was a good and lazy day at the beach. I drove down early and got an excellent parking spot at one of my favorite beaches, Calafia, in San Clemente. I like this stretch of beach because it is hidden, small and has a great little food stand. Every hour or so the Amtrak Surfliner train passes by which is fun to wave at the passengers on board.

I have one complaint and gripe about the beach. Well, it's not really about the beach itself but what happens there all too often. My question is this: with a stretch of sand that is at least 20 yards across, why must children choose a path that leads them over the corner of my towel?!?! Honestly, you could have the whole beach to walk on and you decide to walk right over my towel and flip sand on it and me. Not cool!!!

Parents, this is my advice to you. PLEASE teach your children how to correctly and repsectfully walk while at the beach. Avoid leading your youngsters through a collection of sunbathers to get "your" spot if possible, or at least instill within them the respect to keep as far away from towels and people. I know the sand can be awfully hot at times, but little feet with little flip flops sure can do a lot of damage when it comes to sand flying everywhere. I hope you get the message I am trying to relay and that you will take this responsibility upon yourself to teach your children how to be courteous and polite while at the beach. Thank You.

Gone to the Dogs

I don't know how it happened, but everyone in my family is now a dog person. Let me explain. We had a Doberman Pincher named Duke when I was a still in diapers, who we had to put to sleep when I was 8, and that was the last of any dogs in our household.

While serving a church mission in Michigan I came to despise and loathe dogs of all kinds, especially the ones who shed on my black skirts and black tights meant to keep me warm from the biting cold. Nothing bothered me more than to have some four legged creature rub up against me and deposit their nasty pelt on my clothing that could only be laundered once a week on preparation day. Well, maybe having doors slammed in my face or appointments falling through, or perhaps contentious investigators or non-supportive ward members actually bothered me more, but you get the point about how I felt about dogs.

So, going back to my first line in this post that everyone in my family is now a dog person, I must include myself in that statement. Back in November 2006 my mother (and father) fell in love with my brother and sister-in-laws Teacup Yorkie, Chloe, and thought it just might be fun to get a dog. So on December 10 they did just that, they went and got a Morkie, 1/2 Yorkie 1/2 Maltese. They named her Bailey and we are all smitten.

She has now been in the family for over 6 months and is a little ball of energy.

So about 2 months ago my youngest brother got a boxer and named him Dash, which is quite the opposite of his personality, because he is the most sluggish dog I have ever seen. He recently got his ears cropped, which explains his "party" hat.

Viva Las Vegas

So I made a very quick trip up to Las Vegas yesterday and am already back. It helps when you only live 2 hours 45 minutes away. My mom says it should take 3 1/2 hours, but obviously we don't have the same driving habits, nor driving records and number of tickets, but oh well. The reason for the quick trip was to help out a friend. Her mom is going to visit her other daughter in Canada for a whole month and it was $500 cheaper to fly out of Las Vegas than LAX or Ontario. So, we took off Friday around 10 am, did some shopping at the Outlet Mall in Primm, where I got some hot slingback heels, a sundress and a cute shirt. Her mom flew out Saturday morning at 7 am, where I had to make a mad dash up the airport escalator to a store to buy some more luggage, in order for her to evenly distribute the extra weight of 25 pounds so as to avoid an astronomically high extra fee. I hate that the airlines lowered the weight limit, but I guess they have to make money somehow.

We did manage to fit in 2 shows while briefly there.

• KA: a Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand which I must sadly report I was a bit disappointed with. I have previously seen Quidam and Mystere with much enthusiasm and astonishment, but was left wanting with KA. I kept waiting and waiting for the excitement to begin with acts meant to dazzle the mind, but it never came. I must admit the set and design was beyond imagination, but I came to see little people in tight leotards jumping, spinning and flying with incredible ease and fluidity.

• Bodies-The Exhibition: a traveling exhibition which was on display at the ghetto old Tropicana. This exhibition is not for those with a fear of cadavers, because the entire display is made up of dead bodies in various conditions. One room has a skeleton person with only the muscles remaining, where another room focuses on the major organs, or the nervous system. My favorite was where they had injected some colored dye into the bloodstream which had then hardened all the arteries and veins different colors. Very interesting and incredibly fascinating. Also, evidence and proof to me that there is in fact a God who created us, for there is no other way that our intricate and perfectly designed bodies could have come about.

Changes in Zion...All is Well...All is Well

Changes are good, changes are a natural part of life, but this one I didn't see coming so soon. The stake I am in has been getting progressively smaller and smaller as stalwart families pick and move to Utahrd or baking hot Arizona. We knew and suspected that sooner or later some changes would have to be made. Change isn't even a big enough verb for what took place, but perhaps transformation is. In the lovely city/area of Riverside there were 4 stakes. One really big one, one medium sized one, and two rather small ones. Mine was one of the smaller struggling ones. Struggling in numbers mind you, not in spirit and testimony. So, this past Sunday the other small stake held their stake conference where a General Authority came to break the news to them that their stake no longer exists. Kaput, just like that, no more. So now this area has 3 stakes instead of 4. Lots of changes where made which impacted my stake in the fact that we lost one of our wards but gained 4 others and a Spanish branch.



We had a Stake Welfare Council meeting tonight outlining all the changes and things to keep in mind through this transition period. This impacts me in a serious way as our small Girl's Camp of only 45 young women, which is to be held the third week in August, has now jumped to the astonishing number of 140. We have some major re-working and shifting to do, as we try to accommodate the increase in volume and the mindset that these young women and their leaders bring with them. I know that things will work out as the Lord sees fit because I felt the spirit of these changes and the power of the priesthood as my wonderful stake president outlined what is expected of everyone involved. Doubt not, fear not, for all is well in Zion.

Master of Education

While we are in the graduation and end of the school year mode I thought I would upload some pictures from my recent graduation from Azusa Pacific University where I received my Master of Education & single subject teaching credential. The year and a half went by very quickly but I am glad to have it over with.

I will take the next couple of years off from furthering my education to see if I can talk myself into going for a Ph.D. It's a possibility but nothing I want to jump into right now.

Class of 2011

Congrats to the class of 2011 who promoted today from 8th grade. Woohoo, they are out of middle school and now freshman in high school!! Some of you may be wondering, "what's the big deal? It's just 8th grade, it's just middle school?" That may seem true to most of us, but my fellow teachers and I have learned that the parents of our students put so much emphasis on this rite of passage because many of them aren't sure they will get to see their child in cap and gown at high school graduation. Sad, but true. Sure, most of our students do make it all the way, but there is that slight chance that they might not, so parents go all out for this small but significant social activity.

You would think our quad area would lift off and fly away with the shear number of balloons in attendance.

Shop Vicariously Through Others

Why is it that shopping can be so dang addicting? I mean honestly, I go to work to get a paycheck, I get that paycheck and the first thing I do, after paying an honest tithe of course, is go shopping for more clothes. No matter how many black shirts/blouses I already have, I can always find one more cute one to add to my collection. These past two days I have found a wonderful way to go shopping where a ton of things are bought, but not a dime of my own is spent.

My friend who is leaving for BYU tomorrow just came into a small fortune of money on her 18th birthday. She asked if I would accompany her while she shopped for a whole new more-mature wardrobe and of course I was happy to accommodate. The first store we hit up yesterday was Urban Outfitters, seeing that she had fallen head over heals in love with this store when I first introduced her to it about a month ago. She went hog wild in this store of unusual oddities and funky yet chic styles with a receipt totalling a staggering $1,032.00. Today we found some oldie classics but always goodies at Banana Republic, where the total came to $780. Another $630 was spent at the eclectic and whimsical Anthropologie, which included the cutest apron I have ever seen in my life.

I find it easier on the checking account when I go shopping with other people who do all the spending and I can just go along for the ride. So if any of you out there have a free afternoon and find yourself in need of a shopping companion, hit me up cause I'm always down for some spending, of your money of course:)

Good Food, Good Friends, Good Times

I like my friends and I like to eat, so why not have both at the same time?! A group of 6 of us women, aging from 16 to early 50's, have decided to get together one night a week and go out for dinner. We have a wonderful time and come home with some interesting memories. At Chili's we realized that although we couldn't finish the appetizer, salads, and entrees that we ordered, we could quickly put away two Molten Chocolate Cakes with ease.

Last week we went to Ooka's, a Japanese Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse. This was a blast as none of the other women had been to a place like this (think of Benihana's or Tepanyaki) and found it a hoot to have our personal chef entertain us with fire, tricks and magical skills with sharp knives. I am happy to report that I caught the shrimp in my mouth the first time. If you have been to a place like this you know what I mean, if you don't have a clue then you need to go. Enough said.
Only 5 of us were able to make it to Ooka's.

So tonight was a toss up between CPK and Olive Garden. Well, Olive Garden won and we were all pleased up until our server got switched on us. We started out our lovely meal with Miguel, who was polite, prompt and and soft on the eyes:) About halfway through the meal this skinny white boy with hair that looked dyed, fried and compromised came to our table and informed us that he would now be our server, as Miguel was now on break. Not only was his appearance a bit scary, but then he lingered a bit too long at our table if you know what I mean. It was just a little bit creepy. Overall we had a fabulous time and are a bit sad to lose one of the the girls as she heads up to BYU on Wednesday for Summer Term. We will miss you Brooke!!

Again only 5 of us could make it to Olive Garden this week.
P.S. I love my calling as 2nd counselor in the Stake Young Women presidency which allows me to be around amazing young women, those still in the program and those who have been out a year or two, and wonderful leaders I get to work with.

Fahsha, Fahsha is Dad...with the mahsha and the fahsha

Here are a few of the many reasons why I LOVE my dad:

1. he is a humble & obedient servant of the Lord


2. he is an extremely hard worker


3. the goofy things he says: "porkchops & applesauce" & "Bob Dole said.... Bob Dole"


4. the way his crooked glasses sit just at the tip of his nose


5. how he falls asleep at the dinner table, or when watching TV while standing up, or during Sacrament Service, or pretty much everywhere for that matter.

This is a tribute to the dearest man in my life, my dad. Sometimes he is a goober and complains that we mock him, but in reality he loves our mocking.

Weddings & Readings

So this past Friday, 15 June 2007, my cousin, Camellia, was married in the beautiful San Diego temple. It was a wonderful sealing to attend, and quite the comedy act as well. The sealer, a Brother Bramwell if I remember, was a riot. He had us laughing and crying as he cracked off appropriate jokes and then quickly got spiritual and then back to jokes again.

On the 1 1/2 hour drive home 2 things were confirmed to me:

1. I can read in the backseat of a small car and not get sick


2. I read rather quickly

I started reading Jeffrey R. Holland's book However Long & Hard the Road which is 150 pages long and had about 90 pages done by the time we pulled into my driveway.

Testing, Testing, Is This Thing On?.......

As a fan of other peoples blog, I have finally conceded to the idea that I should have one as well. Why not, right?