Check out my countdown

1 month

1 week

1 day

until I go to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands!

5k x 2 = unplanned 10k

A few weeks back, I signed up for a Harry Potter-themed 5k.  I love running.  I love Harry Potter.  What a great combination!

Well earlier this week my roommate asked if I wanted to run her school's Red Ribbon Week 5k this Saturday.  For the third year in a row, I had to turn her down because of another race (last year I was running the SoJo Half and the year before was the Halloween Half).

This morning I headed up to West Jordan for the Potter Run at 8:00.  I can't say it was the best organized 5k.  It seemed like none of the organizers had ever participated in a race.  The course consisted of 4 laps on a sidewalk around a park.  But that's okay...there were all sorts of people dressed up for it, which made for excellent people-watching. :)  You better believe I listened to the HP soundtrack while running. :)

Plus I got a sweet shirt and medal!

After the race, I got right in my car and headed to Annie's school to cheer everyone on at the finish line.  When I got there right at 9, the race hadn't started yet!  So when the race did start...so did I. :)

Did I mention I haven't been running since my half marathon in June?  And I did a double T25 workout yesterday.  Let's just say I'm going to be sore tomorrow (and by that I mean I'm actually sore right now).

Indiana Selfies

This one time I went to visit Carie in Indiana, and we did what we do best...we took ridiculous pictures of ourselves

 

Cover your mouth when you sneeze

A couple of weeks ago, one of you (maybe Katie?  I really don't remember...sorry) asked me when I was going to post funny student stories again.  I know I've had some good laughs this year, but I forget about them by the time I get home.  Well, I didn't forget what happened today...

My 9th grade class was working on a project.  This boy came up to me to ask a question, and as I was explaining it, I saw him gearing up for a sneeze.  Then the sneeze came.  Simultaneously, more snot than I've ever seen in one place in my life shot across his shoulder and down his arm.

It was disgusting.

I tried to be the mature adult that I am and pretend I didn't notice.  I was very impressed by the lack of shame from this kid.  He yelled out, "Oh sick! It's everywhere!"  Again, trying to be the mature adult that I am, I turned to another student who was waiting for help.  By then, the rest of the class had noticed and started coming over to look as he wiped himself up with some tissues.

That's when I lost it.

I couldn't stop laughing.

In fact, right now as I type this, I can't stop laughing.

It was all topped off when he asked if I had a washing machine he could borrow.  Or perhaps it was when he said, "Well, I guess that's why we turned our head into our shoulder when we sneeze.  Just think, Miss Lacey...that could have been all over you."

And for that I will be forever grateful.

Fun at the fair

I've been feeling a little sad that I didn't get to go to Montana this summer, so I thought the next best thing might be going to the Utah State Fair.  Okay, so it's not Montana.  However, it was still pretty darn fun.

There's something about a ferris wheel that completes a fair.

 In fact, it's such a symbol of the fair that they made a k'nex model.

The highlight may have been seeing Santa in the goat barn.  I was trying to take a secret picture of him, but apparently it didn't work.  He and his little apprentice are staring right at me.  I didn't realize that until I got home last night and looked at my pictures again. Oops. :)  Come on...if you're going to look like Santa, you've got to realize people are going to try to take a picture of you.

And the butter sculpture was so awesome!  It was a cow being abducted by aliens, and the farmer was trying to hang onto her. :)

Better brush up on my Indiana accent

Dear Carie, please forgive me for not posting about Indiana before Ecuador.

My next adventure really is to Indiana for Fall Break.  I can't even tell you how excited I am to go visit this girl...

Can't wait for scary stories in the cemetery, covered bridges, and some amazing people-watching!  Oh, and I'm sure we'll have a Johnny Friday...and I'll fall asleep...and Aaron will take a hideous picture of me with my mouth open. :)

Better brush up on my español

In case you haven't talked to me or haven't seen my cute turtle countdown on the top of my page, you may not know about my next adventure.

Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, here I come!

I'm going with the same friends I went with to Ireland.  I don't think it was until tonight that it finally hit that I'm going, and I got really excited.  I've been doing some research and thinking it would be fun, but now it's becoming a little more real as we book hotels and plan a few of the details.  I even thought it would be fun to read the Origin of Species by Darwin as a little preparatory reading.  I changed my mind.  It's not a fun book to read.  Though it does help put me to sleep at night...one paragraph does the trick!

We'll be spending most of our time in the Galapagos with giant turtles, cute penguins, and these funny looking guys they call blue footed boobies.

 Look how massive these turtles are!

I'm also excited to spend a little time exploring some culture and architecture in Quito, Ecuador.

And of course standing on the equator!

 South American has never been high on my destination list, but I'm getting excited for this adventure.

Did I really do that?

During the first week back to school, I always have my students tell me their favorite thing they did over the summer.  In my advisory class, one of the kids asked me what I did this past summer.  I told them about my trip to Arizona, my half marathon, and my family reunion.  When I started telling them about my trip to Thailand, I had one of those moments where I thought Did I really do that?  I did so many amazing things, and now it just seems so unreal.  Good thing I have somewhere around 1000 photos to remind me that it was real.

I hope your mango's ripe

First, bonus points to the person who can name the movie from the post subject...

On our first day in Thailand, we hadn't quite become accustom to the heat and humidity (let's be honest...we NEVER became accustom to the heat and humidity) and were thrilled when we discovered frozen fruit drinks from a street vendor on Khao San Road in Bangkok.  We got them almost every day while we were there.  I particularly loved the mango drinks.

Ingredients:

-mango

-ice

-water

That's it.  No sugar.  No fruit juice.  No yogurt or milk.  Just plain fruity, icy goodness.  So good!  The mangos are all so ripe and amazing!

I made one this morning.  My mango wasn't quite ripe, so I had to add a little sugar.

It was delicious, and I felt like I was back in Thailand...only my hair wasn't as frizzy and there isn't a weird smell.

My countdown has reached zero. Here comes an adventure!

Two things I haven't done in a long time...

Blog and sew (for fun, not for work)

Last week I attended a workshop that taught how to fit patterns.  My favorite class in college was patternmaking, so this was so much fun to me!  In spite of what you may think, it can be kind of tricky and make you think, but I needed that!  I haven't been making my brain work lately...not to say I don't have things on my mind...just not the knowledge/learning part. Sometimes I miss being in school and learning.  I know I could sit down at a computer or with a how-to book and learn something new, but until I sign up for a class, I don't REALLY try to understand it.

This was my little work station all week.  I finished 5 patterns and had fun chatting with the ladies around me.  I heard everything from birthing stories (yikes) to unsolicited love advice (hilarious, but still yikes) and sagging body parts (yikes)

After I got done with this class last week (and by after, I mean on my way home), I stopped by the fabric store.  I know myself all too well and knew that if I didn't finish creating what I had worked on for 4 straight days, it would never happen.

I got home and set up my sewing station and did something I haven't done in years...I sewed something for myself.  Two days, an entire season of The Amazing Race (in 24 hours), and a neglected to-do list later...

Now, I am morally opposed to all those stupid pictures people post of themselves in a mirror, but it's the only way I could get it.  It's actually not done.  I haven't hemmed it because I still need to fix the side seams, but I have to be honest...I kind of love it.  I was worried that the pattern on the fabric would be a little too much, but I love it.

And just a side note...I leave for Thailand in 2 weeks.  Freaking out!