Bits n' Pieces

I got to attend 2 baby blessings yesterday.  Matt and Vicky blessed their little girl, Katherine Elaine, in the morning.  They will call her Kate which also stands for (Katherine, Amy, Tyler, Emily).  Fun, huh?

Jesica and Brian blessed their little boy, Joel Brian, in the afternoon. 

Devn was in town and attended both blessings.  No surprise for Matt and Vicky.  It was their Fast and Testimony meeting so Devn bore his testimony last.  However, he had said he wouldn't make it Joel's blessing, so they weren't expecting him.  Then, as Elaine said, "he repented," and came.  It was Jessica and Brian's ward conference.  (Timpview 9th Ward)  So Devn was the concluding speaker. 

Devn told about being in Haiti.  They recently spent a week there.  They divided a ward.  Apparently the brethren don't like dividing wards in Haiti because the church is growing faster than they are able to build buildings and more than 4 wards in a building doesn't work.  However, Devn said there were 600 people at sacrament meeting.  Then he divided a stake.  Previously there had been only 2 stakes in Haiti.  The first stake was divided the week before by another one of the 70 and Devn divided the second one.  So in 2 weeks, Haiti went from 2 stakes to 4.  Devn said that there were 1800 people present for the stake division.  He also said that the gospel is very precious in Haiti.

When Devn, Elaine and Reid arrived back in the Dominican Republic, Reed said, "boy this place is sure rich."  The Dominican Republic is the 3rd poorest country in that area, but Haiti is the poorest.

I'm happy to report that both babies are well and truly blessed.  And as my mother would say "cute as a bug's ear."  They are darling babies born into good families.  Sorry I didn't take any pictures of them.

***
I rode my to work today.  I didn't get to ride at all last week.  There are many reasons I enjoy taking TRAX and riding my bike to school.  1.  It's fun.  2. It's way less stressful than driving.  3. It's good exercise.  and
4.  It saves me money. 

The downside to all of this is that if I need to bring some things to school, run errands, or I need to be there early or late, I can't ride my bike.  So, it seems that 2 or 3 times a week is about all I can manage.  Darn it!  My goal is to ride my bike for a whole week. 

***
The school district, years ago, decided that as we moved into the 21st Century that some new technology would be required.  So they set aside some money.  Last year they made a plan to use the money.  They have or are, buying iPads and Apple TVs for all of the teachers in the district.  That means that I now have a NEW ipad!

I've spent the last 2 Saturdays at district training to learn how to use the ipad and the Apple TV.  I know, you wouldn't think it would take that long, but we're teachers, we can find a way to do it the hard way.  The first assignment was to come to the class with a personal apple ID and password.  Believe it or not, almost half of those in the class had not done the assignment.  Did you know that you can only do 4 or 5 new accounts from an ip address before Apple locks you out?  You would think the district could call them and tell them "Hey, we're setting up all of our teachers with ipads, how about you let us sign up a lot of people at once."  But no, they couldn't do that.  Getting everyone signed up was a PAIN.

As you can imagine it didn't take long to learn how to use the new technology, so they proceeded to introduce us to some great apps to use while teaching.  If you don't know, the idea is that we will be able to hook up to the Apple TV so that what we see on our iPad is shown through the TV for the students to see.  Which, by the way, IS really cool.  They showed us dozens of apps and explained how to use them.  I wish I could say that I actually understood and processed all that they showed us, but I can't.  They moved too fast.

So there are many cool things that I can use this for in my classroom.  There's just one problem.  I don't have a place to hook up my apple TV, nor do I have wireless in my room.  It was all supposed to be finished before school started, but one month later it isn't installed.  It will be "Tomorrow," whenever that arrives.

In the meantime, I'm trying to learn all the new apps, find great music apps and having fun.

***

Last thing.  Scott and I have been in the condo for about 3 weeks.  I'm sorry to say that we are far from "settled in," but we are loving it.

***

I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive and kicking.  Life is busy and hectic, but good.  If you don't hear from me for a while, give me a call.  I love you all!

Mom

Living Down Town is Great

 

I love living in the city!  It is such a grand adventure.  Who would have suspected that when I took Molly for a walk this morning I would come across this?  Ok, it wasn't night time, but this is the piano and the place that I found.  As I crossed the street to take Molly to Washington Square I heard someone playing Bach's Prelude #1.  In the middle of the street I turned around and saw this piano.  Wow!

Molly and I continued on to the park where we ran and walked for a while.  Then we headed back the way we had come so I could see the piano.  I have to admit, I might have walked and run more if I hadn't felt this urge to get back to the piano.

I sat down and started playing.  A little Barber, a little Debusy, a little Beethoven, a little Bach, a little Joplin -- little was right, I could usually only remember the first 8 to 12 bars and then I'd get stuck, but I played them anyway.  Then I just started fiddling around playing my own thing.  Now I have to see if I can remember what I played because I came up with a fun little melody.  I need to memorize more music!

Sadly I happened on this on the last day of the exhibit.  In fact, the guy came to cut the cables on the piano and bench to load them up in his truck.  I would have loved to play some more.

While I was sitting there playing a guy on a bike stopped to ask me the time, my name and for my phone number.  I didn't give it to him, obviously, I haven't lost all my marbles.  (Just the pink ones)  But I was flattered.  What is it?  This is the 2nd time this week some one has tried to "pick me up."  Okay that's surprising and flattering.  The first was a guy at the Deseret Industries Bakery.  No interest in either but I'm flattered, I think.


I've got other work to do so I'd better go.  Love to All!

If you want more information on the street pianos go to:
http://streetpianos.com/saltlakecity2012/highlights/#photos

Dark vs Light

 

THE DARK SIDE

• Moving is never fun!  I have too much stuff, still even after all of the DI trips and things I threw away, gave away or downsized. 
• Can I complain that my house sold too quickly?  Okay, really I'm glad, because I don't have to worry about it, but on the other side, this was not the time period that I would have picked while moving, because...
• This is a very busy time at school.  We have had 6 performances in the last 2 weeks.  I enjoy the performances but they are time consuming.
• Grades need to be finished and turned in.  I never liked teachers who didn't get all the assignments in until the last week, but that's me this time.
• Fines need to be turned in.  5 classes with "fees" each one different and over a hundred students.  Then there are almost 2000 pieces of music to account for.  
• Then there was moving.  We got most of the stuff out last weekend.  However, there was still way too much left.  Ansje and Jared cleared out the basement.  Scott and I were able to whittle what was left down to some stuff in the family room and some in the garage.  I decided on Wednesday that there just wasn't time to finish, so I hired a moving company that I seen and heard advertisements for.  They agreed they could rescue me.  So they were supposed to come Thursday morning.  But lo and behold, they didn't come.  Finally when I got a hold of them they said, oh no, they said they would come on Friday.  Well, I've made that kind of mistake before, but I was pretty sure they'd said "tomorrow" on Wednesday night.  So instead they were coming on Friday, at 8:30 am.  But they didn't come, I called, they were running late, maybe they could come between 11:00 and Noon.  Then it was between Noon and 1:00.  Then not until 2:40.  I was supposed to be totally out of the house by 4:00.  So after the last call I fired them.  I wasn't sure when they'd get there, but at the current rate it would have been 10 pm. So I hired a U-Haul Van and a storage unit that is on 13400 South so Scott and I could just get the stuff out.  We did and it all worked out, but it was very stressful.
• Now I have 2 storage units.  Thank goodness school is finished next week.  I plan to be out of the one on 13400 So.  before I have to pay for a second month and the time limit for the other is 6 months.  I got a great deal on that one - 6 months for half price.  There is some stuff in that one that Scott and I don't want to put together until we move into the condo; like the bookshelves. 
• I HEREBY PROMISE THAT I WILL NOT HAVE ANY STORAGE UNITS 6 MONTHS FROM NOW.  
• Yes, there are problems at work, but nothing that is unsolvable.  Yes, I would love to get a different job, but when I pray about it, I think I have to stay a little longer.  And no, I am not running away from problems.  

The Light Side

 

•  All the research I did before I moved has paid off.  I have viewed the condos at city creek.  The ones in my price range were very small and not super nice.  They are new, but the colors are picked out already and to you get different colors you have to go up a floor with is an extra $5 - 10,000.  They are fine, carpet, tile in the kitchen, no balconies on the less expensive condos, and the windows aren't as large as I'd hoped. The outside of the buildings, however, are gorgeous. And there is a swimming pool.
• The Parc at Gateway also has a beautiful outside but the dog walking area is less desirable since you have to go out on 500 West which is a little close to the homeless shelter for me.  The insides are even a little smaller, but very similar to City Creek.  You do get 2 patios though. 
• This condo is a little farther from "city center" or "city creek" but only by 3 to 4 blocks.   The original apartments are kind of the same decor as the others, but older.  However, after the remodel they are amazing.  The outside is ugly concrete and no swimming pool.
• Other amenities are similar between all 3.  Covered, secure parking; secure entry into the buildings; exercise rooms; nice front entry areas, a living room kitchen area; and secure entry into the building.
• I am going to have hardwood floors throughout, granite counter tops in the kitchen, composite counters in the 2 full bathrooms, with tile floors and tile on the shower surround.  Bath/ showers in both bathrooms, but the tub is one of those cool deep ones.  A large balcony with a beautiful city view and large windows in every room.  
• The shopping area across the street is done in a kind of boutique look with awnings over the shop windows.  There is an amazing bakery around the corner and lots of cafes in the area.  There is even a bicycle shop just a block away.  We are only 2 blocks from City Creek. And the surrounding office buildings are mostly government and lawyers.
• The apartment is quite open and the condo will be even more so.  I will explain the layout even more in a later blog.
• In terms of dog walking we have Washington Square just a block away as well as the City Library and the Leonardo.  

So, all in all, I would have to say the Light side wins!  Particularly since the dark side parts are over!!!