"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." -- Clarence Budington Kelland

Okay, bear with me, this is a few days late. I just wanted to take a second to brag a little bit.

I have THE BEST dad in the world!! The quote I picked for my title of this post really describes how I feel about my dad. Here...since I am willing to bet that most of you just now had to re-read it, I'll go ahead and put it here too :) "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." -- Clarence Budington Kelland. I don't know who Clarence Budington Kelland is, but he must have either known my dad or had a father that was very similar to mine. (AKA fantastic!).
My dad sets an excellent example for me, for all of us kids. I know that by watching and doing not only what he says, but how he lives, I will be a better person - the type of person I want to be.

There are so many qualities my dad has that I hope to develop! His desire to help people(everyone), his generosity, his testimony and understanding of the gospel, his speaking and writing ability, his humility, his obvious love for his family, his desire to learn and teach, his work ethic etc...The list goes on and on! The only "problem" with having such a great dad is that now my standards for my future husband are very high because I can see how great it can be.(But I think that's a "problem" I can live with ;) )

I love you Dad!

"Do not use orally." -- On a toilet bowl cleaning brush.

Alright, this weekend, while at home, my parents bought a few chairs to put out in the yard and by the pond. But after reading the manual – maybe we should be rethinking this purchase…

Comfortable Natural Fir wood Adirondack rocking chair – Assembly and Operating Instructions. (yep, operating instructions)

Safety Warnings and Precautions

Warning: When assembling this item, basic safety precautions should always be followed to reduce the risk of personal injury and damage to equipment.

• Keep assembly area clean. Cluttered areas invite injuries. (okay, fair enough, common sense, but fair enough)
• Observe work area conditions. Keep work area well lighted (unless you plan to assemble this chair via sonar)
• Keep children away. Children must never be allowed in the assembly area. (Sorry Jorin and Jantzen, you guys are going to have to go next door for this – faaaar away) Do not let them handle machines, tools, or extension cords. (free parenting advice offered as well) Avoid small fingers being pinched. They could be accidently pushed between slats. (accidentally pushed?? By who??) Avoid rocking over small children’s hands or feet and even pet’s tails when sitting in the chair. (oh man, I’m glad I read this before operating) Children should supervised closely when using this product. (Or else what??)
• Do not exceed weight capacity of this chair. To do so may cause personal injury or property damage. (Phew, property damage?? we need to watch out for our cement pad out there we’re putting it on, not to mention your Real Estate!) Rocking too hard could cause tipping of the chair and injury. Do not use the rocker near pool, pond, spa (I was going to take it with me to the spa, but I guess not now ) or water source: tipping of rocker could cause injury. (Didn’t they already say that?)
• Use the right chair for the job. (What chair? What job? What even could have possibly lead to the necessity to put in that warning?) Do not modify this chair and do not use this chair for a purpose for which it was not intended. (Like what???)
• Do not overreach. Keep proper footing and balance during assembly. (Yep, during assembly. Be sure you don’t lose your balance while putting this chair together. Feet shoulder width apart, back straight…)
• Stay alert. Watch what you are doing. Use common sense during assembly and use of this chair. (See warning below step 13)
• Use eye and ear protection. Always wear ANSI approved impact safety goggles during assembly. (Will this chair be exploding?)
• Take caution as some woods contain preservatives such as copper chromium arsenate (CCA) which can be toxic. When handling these materials, extra care should be taken to avoid inhalation and minimize skin contact. (Avoid skin contact when assembling and operating the chair…)
• Check for damaged parts. Before using this chair, any part that appears damaged should be carefully checked to determine that it will operate properly and perform its intended function. Any part that is damaged should be properly repaired or replaced.
• Replacement parts and accessories. If contents are damaged, use only identical replacement parts. Use of any other parts will void the warranty.
• Do not assemble this chair if under influence of alcohol or drugs. (If I were to get drunk, assembling a rocking chair would be the first thing I would want to do…). Read warning labels on prescription to determine if your judgment or reflexes are impaired while taking drugs.(Again, moving away from assembly instructions, but ensuring you know how to take pills safely. Man they are so thoughtful!) If there is any doubt, do not proceed with assembly. (Just in case you are not sure that you are intoxicated-always better to assume you are.)
• Maintenance. For your safety, service maintenance should be performed regularly. Check the alignment of all parts, and check the tightness of all fasteners.

Warning: The warnings, cautions and instruction discussed in this instruction manual cannot cover all possible conditions and situations that may occur. It must be understood by the operator that common sense and caution are factors which cannot be built into this product, but must be supplied by the operator. (I cannot even comment on this one…)

Yeah, I'm a fan.

Brittany "I'm pretty sure my cat's been reading my diary"

Sue Sylvester: I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat. I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat. And then on some dark cold night, I’ll steal away into your home and punch you in the face.
Brittany: You look terrible. I look awesome

Rachel: Do you wanna hear my research that proves my mother is Bernadette Peters?
Mr. Hummel: If things get serious, use protection.
Brittany: Does he mean like a burglar alarm?

Sue: I'm gonna make it a habit to not stop and talk to students because this has been a colossal waste of my time.

Artie: I'm kind of getting cold feet.
Brittany: Can you even feel your feet?

Artie: "Well, you're irritating most of the time, but don't take that personally."
Brittany: I had a cold and I took all my antibiotics at the same time and I forgot how to leave.
Sue: Anything else?
Brittany: Sometimes I forget my middle name.

Kurt: Someone get me to a day spa! Stat!
Sue: While they were in there, I told them to go ahead and yank out those tear ducts. Wasn't using them.

Emma: Ken has convinced me we need to at least be in the same room when the marriage is certified.
Ken: What can I say? I'm a traditionalist.
Sue: When you hear your name called, cross over to this side of this black shiny thing.
Will: That's called a piano, Sue.
Puck: "The wheelchair kid's right. That Rachel chick makes me want to light myself on fire, but she can sing."

"Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?" A. A. Milne

Another "I'm concerned for my sanity and the sanity of my future family" post...

2 Random things that I do forget:

Music. I have a lot of music on my itunes, probably not enough to brag about, but enough that I do not ever need to listen to the same cd twice for a very very long time. However, I get stuck in this rut and listen to the same cd/playlist/SONG (thank you Michael Buble) over and over again! I even think to myself, what else do I like, what else do I want to listen to? I can never come up with anything else beside what I have going, day in and day out (which is the glee soundtrack right now - I'm hooked!) So the first thing on my list is forgotten bands that I love! Coldplay and Lifehouse. I never remember that I like them! Because I don't remember, I never choose to listen to them, I just love every minute of their songs when they come on Pandora.

Ice Cream. I hate chocolate ice cream. I know this. I love chocolate, and I love ice cream, but I HATE chocolate ice cream. For some reason, I can't seem to remember this fact when eating ice cream. I think that I get distracted by creative title like Chocolate Brownie Peanut Butter Thunder Crunch. Umm, yum! That sounds amazing! So I try it, and without fail, I never like it. Chocolate ice cream never gets better, no matter how hot it is outside, or how much I need something sweet. Why can't I just accept the fact that I do not and probably never will like chocolate ice cream?

2 Random things I should forget:

Laundry. Okay I shouldn't forget about DOING laundry, but I should forget that I have a washer and dryer in my apartment complex. Of the 4-ish times I have done laundry here, something has been stolen, 2 times. That is 50%! It is not very good odds if 1/2 times I do laundry, I end up with less clothes than I started with. I guess I shouldn't be selfish, and if someone needs those clothes more than I do, I should be happy to share... Ooh, also maybe someone thinks I have an incredible fashion sense and they are envious of my style and just can't keep their hands off of them. (They might change their mind, however, if they were to see the one shirt that I wear each week to church). I guess I should take this whole thing as a compliment huh?


Cartwheels. So, I probably haven't really done serious cartwheels for the past 8 years. What, you may ask, are "serious cartwheels?" Well, how about continuous cartwheels across the soccer field? Yes, that would qualify I believe. On tuesday morning I woke up sore everywhere. Every muscle in my body was in pain (even my forearms) and I had no idea why! I haven't had sore forearms since I worked at the bakery. Ooh, have I mentioned I get to work at a bakery again?? ;) Anyway, it wasn't till pretty late into the day on Tuesday that I remembered the origin of my sore muscles. The cartwheels!! After an intense game of Frisbee with the sisters, Sister England and I decided to do as many cartwheels in a row that we could. It was so fun, and pretty easy then, but the next day I was definitely feeling it. Tuesday night I made the next foolish decision which was to go running. Yeah, that didn't help at all. Wednesday morning was even more painful. I was actually concerned with my ability to get out of bed that morning! Needless to say I chose not to go running that day, instead went on a 3.6 mile walk.

"And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be BAKERS " - 1 Samuel 8:13 (emphasis added)

I got it!!!

You're looking at the newest member of the Amycakes baking team! I am so excited to start - training begins on Monday. I just can't wait! Its definitely a smaller scale than Great Harvest, but there are definitely perks to that. (I am sure my hand will be much safer here...)

This is a picture of the type of mixer at Great Harvest - the one at this new bakery is much more friendly-sized.

Ask me about that one (if you haven't already heard because I have told everyone...), I LOVE that story. Its basically the most exciting injury I have ever had...next to the swollen face. (Ask about that one too if you don't already know!)

Anyway, I'm going to be the evening baker so I'll be there primarily when its closed to do prep stuff. I actually am excited about it though, it should be really fun!! I am also happy to no longer be a waste of space as I have been these last few weeks!!

Callback!!

No, not for an audition, but for a JOB!! A few months ago I found this little bakery downtown called Amycakes. I just decided to take in my resume one day in the hopes that they were looking for a 22-year-old-female-wanna-be-baker... No luck :( They said thanks, but we're all full right now, but if you want to bring in a list of what you like to bake that would be fine. It probably would have been easier to bring in a list of what I don't like to bake (that would be limited to Irish Soda Bread)!! Anyway, I took it in and they looked at it, and said again, "thanks but we're all full right now." So basically I wasn't really holding out for that dream job...
A week ago however, I got a call at 8:30 in the morning from them saying they were looking for someone quickly and they like my resume, so can I come in for an interview tomorrow?? Of COURSE I said yes. Then yesterday I got a call again saying they want to meet with me again today so I can meet a few more of the owners. I hope hope I get this one. I would LOVE this job! It would be an evening baker, so I would be their mostly alone from 4-8 pm everyday. The other exciting thing about this job is that there is cake decorating which I have never done but would LOVE to do!! Ahhhh, keep your fingers crossed for me! Its today at 4:00 that I have my interview!!

Ooh, check out the bakery!!
Blog

Website

Hopefully next time I post I will be an official baker again!!!

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. ~John Dewey

Yes I AM still alive. This will be a short one, as I am at the school. Currently I am reading a packet called "The Process of Diagnostic/Assessment" with three diagnostic batteries that are each probably anywhere from 1-4 hours long. (Anyone familiar with the Test of Word Reading Efficiency, Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery, and Test of Adolescent Language-2??)Doesn't it sound like so much fun to be back in school?

Yesterday I had my three clients at 9, 11, and 1; saw 4 dead cockroaches; put back on the blue lab coat and name tag; began paperwork; met with 3 supervisors; resumed using words and acronyms such as ASHA, CELF, oral mechanism examination, aphasia, apraxia, TBI, pragmatic langauge, prognosis, cochlear implant, (and dare I throw out diadochokinetic rates?) etc...; and talked about beginning treatment summaries that are due in less than two months!!


Ooh, I can't forget that I also got to see all my girls again! I am lucky enough to be with 24 amazing girls who I really have missed over the past month!!

Does this mean anything to anyone? Probably not, I am sure no one cares even - but I am so so so excited! Every semester I am reminded how much I LOVE my job/school. It is exactly what I want to do! I can't picture myself doing anything else right now, and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to do it. I hope that this semeseter I can help one of my clients do something that they couldn't do before. I hope their life will be a little bit better because of something I was able to do.