Every year, I make a goal to have my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. I never make it, but I think it is a good goal to have. In keeping with this tradition, I purchased my first gift yesterday.
I have a pro and con list for having the shopping done early:
Pro side:
1. Have the stress gone before the holiday season starts, so it can be enjoyed more fully.
2. Purchase things as they go on sale before the season starts.
Con Side:
1. Gift recipients changing their mind after the gift is purchased.
2. Limited hiding spots
3. Can't get Husband's gift early because he will know where it was purchased, and how much it was.
4. Having better gift ideas after the gifts were purchased
5. Better sales during the holiday season.
6. Nothing to shop for on the Day after Thanksgiving.
7. Forgetting about gifts that were purchased and hidden away.
Wow, why do I even stress about this? When I put it in writing, it is clear that the goal has more con's than pro's! I guess I won't stress too much if it isn't done this year.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
School Politics
I spent the last two days conducting student elections at the junior high school were I work. I am the Computer Lab Supervisor. This year, the Student Council adviser decided to try an online vote instead of a paper ballot. It took a little organizing, but by the third class in the lab to vote, I had a system. The last class of the day finished voting at 2:00 pm, and the winners were announced at 2:30. For the most part, the election went smootly, but it got me thinking.
It was interesting to listen to the students as they came in to vote. The majority commented they didn’t know any one on the ballot. A few of the students chose not to vote, but most just picked the first name on the ballot, or one with a name they liked. I realize these were 7th and 8th graders for which school politics had little meaning to, but I wonder how many adults take voting the same way.
How many people go to the polls just like these students and say, I don’t really know anyone on the ballot, so I think I will just pick this one… he has a cool name. Would it be better if you just stayed home on election day if you didn’t do your homework first?
…Just thinking.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
So Much for Posting Every Day...Life after Mauii
I guess it didn't take long for me to ignore my goal of frequent posting! I guess life happens. I have pretty much dropped everything for the past two months.
The trip to Mauii was perfect. We loved every minute of it. We did so many thing and had so much fun. We didn't want to leave and come back to the real world... The world of end of 3rd term at school and trying to get the basement finished at home. Back to the middle of winter.
Reality hit hard when we walked off of the plane and the frosty air hit our lungs in the tube leading from the airplane to the terminal. We were again reminded of it when we went out to get our car and had to walk though the snow while dressed in our summer wear we had on while leaving Mauii. And on of the biggest reality checks was the alarm clocks going off at 6am (utah time, (3am Mauii time) just 5 hours after pulling into our driveway after arriving home from the airport.
3rd term ended just a week after we got back. The girls couldn't miss any classes since they are in highschool, and my son decided he needed to go to school so he could tell all of his friends about the trip. My husband and I didn't feel so obigated to jump back into things so quickly, and had arranged things before we left so we didn't have to return to work that first day back.
While in Mauii, it rained EVERY day, but it was beautiful. We got to see many rainbows. I don't think there was even one day we didn't go swimming in the ocean. We saw lots of fish, and evan turtles. We rented snorkeling gear for the whole time we were there and were able to go snorkeling by ourselves just off the side of the road.
We did one perfessional snorkel trip with a boat. While out, we decided to try Snuba Diving... a combination between snorkeling and scuba diving. We were paired off in groups of 2 and attached to a small raft with an oxygen tank on it. We had 20 foot tubes that were hooked to the oxygen. It was so much fun. My husband and I decided we are going to be Scuba Certified and go on lots of fun trips when the kids move out and we can afford it.
The kids and my husband took surfing lessons. With only one 30 minute lesson, they didn't become great surfers, but they all made it up at least once, and had a good time. My husband drove with his mom up to Haleakala, the Volcano crater. It was cloudy so they didn't get to see in, but the drive was beautiful. They also did the drive to Hana. I opted to stay back on both of those trips. I get carsick, and had already done the drive on a previos visit. The drive is like Poy... you are obligated to make it (or taste it) once, just so you can say you did, but after the first time, you don't have to repeat it if you choose not too. :-)
Other highlights included the Luau on Christmas eve, boogie boarding and body serving at the DT Flemming Beach, and the Sunset cruise on our last evening there. The sunset cruise was a whale watch cruise and not only did we get to see a spectatular sunset (the only one, since it rained so much,) but we got to see 3 or four humback whales up very close. We got to see the green flash the sun makes as it sets in the horizon of the ocean. It was beautiful. The whales didnn't jump completely out of the water, but we did get to see them floating near the top of the water, and see the dorsal fins as the went down for thier deep dives. It was the perfect ending to our trip.... It is almost enought to make me warm just thinking about it...even with the snow raging outside, and the temperature in the teens. Almost.
I am out of time tonight, but will try and post some photos tommorow... or at least by the weekend.
The trip to Mauii was perfect. We loved every minute of it. We did so many thing and had so much fun. We didn't want to leave and come back to the real world... The world of end of 3rd term at school and trying to get the basement finished at home. Back to the middle of winter.
Reality hit hard when we walked off of the plane and the frosty air hit our lungs in the tube leading from the airplane to the terminal. We were again reminded of it when we went out to get our car and had to walk though the snow while dressed in our summer wear we had on while leaving Mauii. And on of the biggest reality checks was the alarm clocks going off at 6am (utah time, (3am Mauii time) just 5 hours after pulling into our driveway after arriving home from the airport.
3rd term ended just a week after we got back. The girls couldn't miss any classes since they are in highschool, and my son decided he needed to go to school so he could tell all of his friends about the trip. My husband and I didn't feel so obigated to jump back into things so quickly, and had arranged things before we left so we didn't have to return to work that first day back.
While in Mauii, it rained EVERY day, but it was beautiful. We got to see many rainbows. I don't think there was even one day we didn't go swimming in the ocean. We saw lots of fish, and evan turtles. We rented snorkeling gear for the whole time we were there and were able to go snorkeling by ourselves just off the side of the road.
We did one perfessional snorkel trip with a boat. While out, we decided to try Snuba Diving... a combination between snorkeling and scuba diving. We were paired off in groups of 2 and attached to a small raft with an oxygen tank on it. We had 20 foot tubes that were hooked to the oxygen. It was so much fun. My husband and I decided we are going to be Scuba Certified and go on lots of fun trips when the kids move out and we can afford it.
The kids and my husband took surfing lessons. With only one 30 minute lesson, they didn't become great surfers, but they all made it up at least once, and had a good time. My husband drove with his mom up to Haleakala, the Volcano crater. It was cloudy so they didn't get to see in, but the drive was beautiful. They also did the drive to Hana. I opted to stay back on both of those trips. I get carsick, and had already done the drive on a previos visit. The drive is like Poy... you are obligated to make it (or taste it) once, just so you can say you did, but after the first time, you don't have to repeat it if you choose not too. :-)
Other highlights included the Luau on Christmas eve, boogie boarding and body serving at the DT Flemming Beach, and the Sunset cruise on our last evening there. The sunset cruise was a whale watch cruise and not only did we get to see a spectatular sunset (the only one, since it rained so much,) but we got to see 3 or four humback whales up very close. We got to see the green flash the sun makes as it sets in the horizon of the ocean. It was beautiful. The whales didnn't jump completely out of the water, but we did get to see them floating near the top of the water, and see the dorsal fins as the went down for thier deep dives. It was the perfect ending to our trip.... It is almost enought to make me warm just thinking about it...even with the snow raging outside, and the temperature in the teens. Almost.
I am out of time tonight, but will try and post some photos tommorow... or at least by the weekend.
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