Jewels...and all that Razz

Color me flummoxed

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:21:00 +0000

I did not vote for Obama and still am not sure I'm a fan - I need to see him materially deliver on some of his promises before I can be won over.

However, I do NOT understand why people are so up in arms over his speech to our nation's schoolchildren. As a kid, I can remember being enthralled when listening to President Reagan. Kids look up to the president. Why the HELL is it a bad thing for kids to get encouragement to be responsible and take their educations seriously? I just don't get it.

I'm fairly certain that if the tables were turned, the other side would be in a tizzy. But it all just seems so damn silly, and I do not understand why the controversy has reached a fever pitch. How amusing that we consider ourselves an educated and civilized people. Educated and civilized my ass - the rest of the world is pointing and laughing at our asinine behavior.

Back to School

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:21:00 +0000

Yesterday was Aaron's first day of 4th grade. I could write pages full of stuff like, "where has all the time gone?" and such, but that's so blase. Instead, I figured I'd share his first-day antics.

At 6:45 when I went in to wake him, he informed me that he is "severely allergic to Mondays." No anaphylaxis ensued, so I took him on to school after feeding him a yummy omelette and some toast.

He doesn't look like he's too allergic.

When I picked him up, he was almost bouncing. He had a great day, which is good news because, you know, his severe allergy could have gotten in the way. *snicker*

He had lots of great stories to tell about his new teachers, and was very excited that one of his teachers filled them in on the truth behind some rumors about her. I sort of think he was more excited about the fact that she also detailed the rumors for them... This kid is oblivious to things going on outside his immediate sphere, so he had no idea about her supposed bad behavior. Apparently, there was a rumor that she threw a kid against the wall, which is absurd considering this teacher, but he was wide-eyed and buzzing with the excitement of relaying the story to me.

Fun times - now if the second day goes as well as the first, we'll be in business!

The Young Sage

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:12:00 +0000

Aaron: "Mom, Michael Jackson died."
Me: "Yes, he did."
Aaron: "He looked creepy."
Me: "He didn't always look that way. He had surgery to change the way he looked."
Aaron: "Oh."
. . .
Aaron: "Who was he, anyway?"

Freebie-cycle

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Freecycle is a fantastic network that allows people to re-home unneeded items. The benefit is two-pronged: 1) the items don't end up in a landfill somewhere, and 2) people get stuff they need for free!

Around here, however, its name would be more appropriate if it were Gimme-cycle. One post out of 10 might be an offer for something. The rest are pleas for things people "desparately" need. The rules clearly state that you should always try to offer something if you request something, but as you might guess, that rarely happens.

Just for grins, here are this morning's posts from our local Freecycle list (misspellings and poor grammar are left intact; my comments and snarkiness are in italics):

From: Tasha
WANTED: Fencing, t-posted, barb wire materials
"Looking for barbwire, fencing, t posts, ect. will pick up any amount. Thank you"

From: Amanda
Wanted:Bunkbeds
"we are in need of bunkbeds, willing to pickup"
Wow - willing to pick up free bunk beds. These folks are serious!

From: gbuchanan
need parts for yardmachine
"I am trying to find a transmission for a yard machine riding lawn mower can anyone help i have a bent axle. Thanks"
Sounds like what you really need is a hammer, an anvil and some elbow grease.

From: alicia
wanted: microwave cart
In need of a microwave cart.
If someone out there is upgrading or down grading or just plain getting rid of their's- we'll be glad to take it off of your hands.
We're also looking for a new, unused spice rack. Thank you & God Bless
Because, you know, it would be tacky to give Aunt Edna an old, used spice rack for her birthday. Notice the "God Bless" - that makes her seem more sincere, dontcha think?

From: alicia
wanted: bookshelf
any type of bookshelf would help us out. We have tons of books that are just sitting any boxes that we'd rather be reading and have access to.
First, I'm going to guess that none of that ton of books are grammar or spelling texts. Next, it sounds like you might want to familiarize yourself with the public library: there, they have tons of books that are on shelves, and you would have access to any number of them, for FREE! (so you could sell your ton of books and maybe buy Aunt Edna that spice rack she's been dreaming of). Or you could, I don't know . . . take a book out of a box when you want to read it!

From: alicia
wanted: antenna rabbit ears
wanted working antenna rabbit ears for our t.v.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
Um... rabbit ears? I don't think there is any help for you if what you want are rabbit ears. Didn't they quit making those in the '80s? And after the HD switchover, they'll make a great sweater drying rack.

From: alicia (yes, the same alicia; 4th post in a row, no offers for anything, even though we know she has a ton of books that she's not using)
wanted: window unit
We need a working a/c window unit. It's getting really hot and it's not even June yet. We have an 18 month old son and 5 year old. I just want to make sure they stay cool this summer. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
(but no God bless, so she must not REALLY want it that badly, but bonus points for playing the poor, helpless children card)

Apparently alicia is trying to furnish her entire house, but the stuff she's asking for is sort of pathetic, so I almost feel badly for making fun of her... but she does have a computer with internet, so...

And my VERY FAVORITE POST from today:

From: dwayne.h
wanted: pocket knives
im looking for any kind of pockt or boot knifes that i can get and and swords if u got them thank you dwayne
Please hurry because Doltoron from the fifth ring of Xansadalrupt has vanquished my high queen and I need the sword of Galgathanroy to slay him and free my queen. Okay, not really. I've got a booth at the fleamarket this weekend and I need some stuff to sell.

It's official!

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:51:00 +0000

I just got my grades for the semester and I got all A's! WOO!

Just for the record, I never, ever, ever EVER want to take 21 hours again.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my husband and son who were more than understanding and self-sufficient while I played student. Thanks, guys!!

I have two more semesters before I student teach, and both of those will be regular 15-hour schedules. *whew*

Don't look now, but

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Sat, 09 May 2009 02:07:00 +0000

It seems common sense has made an unscheduled appearance. LOL The day our school decided to shut down due to a suspected case of the piggypiggyflu, the CDC chastised such actions, so instead of being closed until the 18th, we'll resume our regularly scheduled program on May 11th. Don't know yet whether we'll have to make up the missed time, but the general consensus is that TEA won't require schools to make up the time.

In other news, I have almost finished the semester from hades, and promise I will never, ever take 21 hours at at time again. I have one more test on Monday night that isn't worrying me too much, then I can officially say I'm done. Thanks to the support of a very helpful and understanding husband, I was able to concentrate on schoolwork when I really needed to, and it looks like I'll pull off another 4.0! Don't tell anyone, but I'm shooting to graduate magna cum laude, and it looks like I might just do it.

One of my professors tells me that I have what it takes to earn my PhD and get paid to do it, but I would have to be willing to relocate to a school that would offer me a fellowship. Unless that school is in the Dallas area or UT Tyler, that's not gonna happen. *sigh* I can't get caught up in the shoulda coulda wouldas, though - I have a pretty darn good deal going here - a fantastic, supportive husband and wonderful son who are both such blessings. And really, what would I do with a PhD at this point? Maybe I'll work toward that slowly if the public school teacher gig doesn't float my boat.

This little piggy...

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Tue, 05 May 2009 02:27:00 +0000

closed our freaking school down. Thanks to a friend who is in the "know," I found out about 5 minutes before it was posted as breaking news on our local newspaper website and about 10 minutes before the school sent me a Flash Alert at 9:00 p.m. There has been a "suspected" case in our district, so...

Hey folks, I know you sort of count on us watching your kids for, like, 8 hours a day while you make a living or do some other worthwhile stuff, but SURPRISE! we're closing down for two weeks, starting....NOW.

Seriously, it's not such a big deal for us because we have family that can help us out, and we actually got the message about there being NO SCHOOL TOMORROW, but what about those hundreds of parents rushing, rushing, rushing to make it to work on time tomorrow who drive up and find out that they gotta make some other arrangements for the next TWO WEEKS? Or what about those kids whose parents kiss them on the cheek and tell them to have a good day before they run out the door, leaving the kids to wait for the bus?

I am sooo thankful for family who can and is willing to help us out on such short notice! I have finals this week.

One Wish

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:03:00 +0000

Aaron: Mom, if you could ask for anything in the world, but only ONE thing, what would it be?

Me: I'd wish for my family to always be happy.

Aaron: We'd be kinda creepy if we were happy all the time, like when someone dies.

Touche'.

Monday Amusement

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Seriously. From Gadling.com - some bizarre laws you may need to know if you enjoy international travel:

In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself while standing up, after 10 P.M.
Oooookay.

It is an offense for women of "ill repute or evil looks" to enter a cheese factory in Italy's area of Ferrara.
Because everyone knows ugly women are cheese thieves.

In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals -- so long as the animals are female. It is illegal to have sex with a male animal, however.
So.... oh, forget it.

In Scotland, it is illegal to be drunk while in possession of a cow.
Nope. Better go to Lebanon if you plan on getting your drink on while accompanied by your favorite cow.

In Thailand, it is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear.
Who's gonna . . . oh, nevermind.

In China, women are prohibited from walking around a hotel room in the nude; a woman may only be naked while in the bathroom.
Because God forbid your bed or closet door be forced to ogle your nude boobies.

In Hong Kong, a woman is legally allowed to kill her cheating husband -- but only if she uses her bare hands. The husband's lover, however, may be killed in any manner desired.
This one made the list?

The Difference

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:13:00 +0000

The difference between being a high achiever and an overachiever is slowly, painfully becoming clear to me. It's not something I've given much thought to during the past 10 years or so, but since I'm back in school and find myself being "graded," these concepts have thrust themselves back to the forefront.

I've always known I am a high achiever and do an especially great job when I really care about something or there is the promise of some sort of payoff (a good grade, a nice raise, some praise or a compliment from someone who 'matters'). It's just part of my personality and a trait I thank my mom for. The flip side is that tasks for which there is no reward or payoff are left to languish. For that, too, I can thank my mom. But you know what? I'll take the good with the bad - the net result is good!

Speaking of taking the good with the bad, I've sort of suddenly realized that I may not just be a high achiever, but an overachiever. This, I'm afraid, is not a good thing.

Case in point:
I find myself, having made the highest grade on a test, setting the literal and proverbial curve for the class, and being disappointed that I *only* made a 96. WHAT?!? That is craziness. Pure lunacy, I tell you. But it's true.

Case, part deux:
The professor picked my essay out of the entire pile of class submissions to illustrate his ideal. Awesome. Except look at that typo and that comma splice, and oh. my. God... he put my paper up on BlackBoard and now the whole class can see all my mistakes!

I've determined that I must be diligent to guard against the self-criticism, let go and just be happy with the 96, damn it. Now, if anyone can tell me how exactly to go about doing this, I'll be eternally grateful.

p.s. It was a 101 after the curve because I found an error in his grading after he'd added the curve so, bonus point!.
p.p.s. Okay, maybe I still have some work to do on this letting-go thing....

The Emperor's New Clothes

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:07:00 +0000

Image copyright Louise August

In my Adolescent Literature class, we're reviewing fables, folktales and fairy tales. The best thing about these stories, I think, are the universal truths that are interwoven. I think my favorite folktale of all time is Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes."

A full version of the story can be found HERE, but my very favorite part is the end:

"But among the crowds a little child suddenly gasped out, "But he hasn't got anything on."

And the people began to whisper to one another what the child had said.

"He hasn't got anything on."

"There's a little child saying he hasn't got anything on."

Till everyone was saying, "But he hasn't got anything on."

The Emperor himself had the uncomfortable feeling that what they were whispering was only too true. "But I will have to go through with the procession," he said to himself.

So he drew himself up and walked boldly on holding his head higher than before, and the courtiers held on to the train that wasn't there at all."

By parading his folly around for everyone to witness, he made an even bigger fool of himself. In the classroom, stories like these are great to teach kids lessons about human nature as well as to use as a springboard for creative writing. For example, I wonder what the emperor did next?

It's also easier for kiddos to recognize and recognize the the moral of a story and relate to their own lives when it isn't written directly about them. Even though this tale was written in the late 19th century, it still offers a valuable lesson.

p.s. If you like the print I used, you can purchase an image plate from the artist, Louise August

Camel Poop

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Aaron has learned to IM.

Well, to be fair, he has done a little IM-ing before, but only while one of us was standing by telling him what to type and do. Tonight I was sitting with my laptop in the living room and a Yahoo Instant Message popped up from Aaron (who was in his bedroom, a mere 25 feet away):

Aaron Bonner: you rock.[and smell.]

so, of course I responded ~
Jasmine Bonner: LOL
Jasmine Bonner: I don't smell as much as you
Jasmine Bonner: PeeeeEWWW
Aaron Bonner: ow ya
Aaron Bonner: like camel poop?

The internet is awesome. I did a quick Google image search for "camel poop" and found some real gems. Back when I was a kid, if I wanted photos of camel poo, I would have had to search a multitude of encyclopedias and scientific-type books, and even then, I may not have found one.

So, in honor of "Camel Poop:"

I have a new nephew!

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:51:00 +0000

Welcome, sweet Christoper Michael!! I cannot wait to meet you and hold you and give you a smooch right on the forehead!

Unfortunately between school, 3+ hours in the car commuting, a kiddo of my own who needs some sort of schedule in order to function and a husband who is STILL plugging away at work as I type this (at nearly 10 pm), I couldn't get to the hospital, another hour+ drive each way, today. I'm going to try try try to go tomorrow morning, but if I can't make that work, It'll have to be on Friday since Thursday is a 14+ hour day for me.

WAH! I wanna meet my nephew!! I have a photo (thanks, Jaelan!!), but it wouldn't be fair for me to post that on the internet before my photographer sister gets the chance to post one of her own. He is, after all, her child.

January 18, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:22:00 +0000

A day's worth of pictures. :)

Our relatively new kitty - we got him on Christmas Eve. He was nameless for a long time, then mom came to visit and decided his name must be Sylvester. I sort of think he looks like he just crawled out of the Pet Sematary in this picture.

Katy - THE happiest dog on the planet.

Sylvester and Chelsae are hunting partners.
No telling what they've got in their sights here.

Kitty and Katy are not the best of friends - maybe it's because
the cat doesn't respect Katy's toy boundaries.

Aaron thinks he and kitty ARE the best of friends.
I'm pretty sure I see fear in those feline eyes.

Forced kitty love. At least Sylvester's a pretty good sport about it. He purrs his fool head off when Aaron picks him up.

Sweet Chelsae Butter. She's getting to be an old girl!

Aaron and Daddy going over the airplane controls

This airplane was a Christmas gift for Pressly.

He and Aaron built it and he has deemed it Aaron's trainer.

Happy Birthday to my Fave Hippie!

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Here's an awesome cake from PinkCakeBox for my Dr. Seuss loving mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Love ya'

Manna from ... heaven?

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:44:00 +0000

I think once I poked fun at my sister Jessica for owning a rice cooker. Why would you buy a rice cooker? I think I said something to the effect of "I have a rice cooker - it's called a pan with a lid!"

After several failed attempts at cooking edible brown rice I decided to buy a cooker. The rice turned out perfectly and I didn't have to watch the pan for an hour or more!

So remembering some yummy cafeteria fare from my youth, I mixed some butter and brown sugar into the leftover rice, took a few bites then shared the rest with Aaron. His reaction? "This is SO DELICIOUS!!" I agree - it was pretty darn tasty. Plus, it was long grain brown rice, so it was chock full of fiber and other tasty nutrients. :D

I don't talk to hippies!

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:12:00 +0000

Me: Are you ready for a hair cut? You’re starting to look like a hippie.

Aaron: What’s a hippie?

Me: (squirming a bit) A hippie is someone from the 1960’s and 1970’s who let their hair grow really long. They also didn’t follow all the laws or rules of society, but instead had their own ideas of how society should be and they believed in peace and love.

Aaron: Was your grandpa a hippie?

Me: No, my grandpa was not a hippie.

Aaron: Well, were any of your ancestors hippies? (ancestors?!?)

Me: No, Not that I know…. Oh wait! Your Nana was a hippie! (how could I have forgotten about my own MOM?)

Aaron: (in a fit of giggles) Really? Your mom was a hippie?

Me: Yep – you want to call her and ask her?

Aaron: No! I don’t talk to hippies!!

Me: You talk to your Nana all the time!

Aaron: That was before I knew she was a hippie.

Maybe someday I'll make us some cream cheese, alfalfa sprout and black olive sandwiches like his hippie grandma used to make for me.

You Can't Hit a Home Run Every Time

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:46:00 +0000

Or so my wise husband says.

Christmas was really nice this year. I didn't battle the usual range of emotions I typically face around the holidays. Usually, I get really excited early (around Halloween), then in the midst of preparing for Christmas, sometime between Thanksgiving and the middle of December, I slip into a real funk. This year that wasn't the case at all, and it was so nice. I did miss the "up" part of the manic cycle a bit, but not having to deal with the "down" part was more than worth missing the euphoric phase.

So we prepared for Christmas, decorated the house, bought our gifts, wrapped most of them before Christmas eve, and had everything ready for Christmas. Here's where the not-hitting-a-homerun part comes in. Aaron's reaction to his Santa gifts was flat, to say the least. He got a new bicycle, some Batman legos he's been asking for, a game for his Wii, some puzzles and two coveted Webkinz. Oh, and a 4' tall stocking crammed full of stuff. He walked into the living room, looked at the bicycle, looked over it to see what was behind it, looked around the room without even cracking a smile then went for his stocking. Pressly and I were sort of just stunned. All we could do was look at one another and shrug.

In retrospect, I think we identified the problem. You see, Santa didn't bring Aaron anything that was on his list this year. Maybe because that blasted list contained things:
a) that simply don't exist (a particular Transformer Mini-Con that exists only on the video games)
b) which were unreasonable (the minifigures from various retired Lego sets selling for $50++ EACH on ebay - just the figures, not the sets!!)
c) that were simply not possible to get (a Webkinz that hasn't been released yet)

Oh, and his list changed about 48bazillion times. No exaggeration. (c'mon - I don't exaggerate!)

We explained to Aaron that Santa's magic can only stretch so far. I'm afraid the boy is doing the "math." He's very smart, but also a real dreamer who believes in magic and miracles. At least he hasn't cracked open the Encyclopedia to look up the entry on Santa Claus. (yet).

Success(es)!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:57:00 +0000

I got my grades for this semester - 4.0 bay-bee!

Pressly and I got all the Christmas cards addressed last night, and I actually got to the post office with them this morning!

I finally purchased frames and mats for some prints I've had for quite a while. Now I need to decide where I'm going to hang these beauties.

Many of our Christmas gifts are wrapped.

I got groceries and the last few stocking stuffers purchased today, so I don't have to fight the retail crowds any more!

I used up some brisket that's been in our freezer for a while - I made yummy taco soup with it!

Christmas Excitement

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:10:00 +0000

We're in the midst of preparing for Christmas around here. Gifts have been purchased, (some have even been wrapped!), and school's out until early January.

Aaron built a fabulous Gingerbread house and only ate some of the frosting and candy decorations. As the photos progress, notice the direct correlation between the amount of frosting on the gingerbread house and the amount of frosting on Aaron's person.

And I got a pedicure with a gorgeous Christmas shade of red w/ red sparkles. It was over 70 degrees on Friday, hence the flip-flops. ;)
Pressly still has shopping to do, bless his heart. He'll be out in full force Monday with the rest of the last-minute-shopping crazies. I offered to buy for myself, but he would have none of that.

I designed and ordered our Christmas cards today (yes, I do realize it's December 21st. They will go in the mail tomorrow, and they will either show up before Christmas or after, but they will get there, at least!

Today Aaron and I are wrapping gifts, then I suspect I'll need to do some laundry - I'm pretty sure my poor husband wore the same pair of jeans to work today that he wore yesterday. Fun times!

No Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:07:00 +0000

I realized today that my skin has cleared up. I can't attribute it to any change in my skin care routine, but I have been aware of feeling calmer the past week or so. This first semester back at school has been thrilling and more gratifying than I could have possibly imagined. I'm sure at some point I'll be fed up with school and be ready to be done, but for now I just love learning.

Tomorrow I have two final exams and must turn in a field work report which I thought was a relatively minor assignment, but it turned into a 24 page monster. I think I did a good job on the report, and have no anxiety over the exams. I have to score a 52 on one of them to ensure an A for the semester, and I haven't calculated what I need on the other one because I only have 2 of the 4 grades for that class, but I'm confident that I'll pull an A in that class also. The only unknown is my writing class, and making an A in that class is contingent upon making a B+ or better on that paper. I never got to the point that I felt overwhelmed this semester (well, not after the initial adjustment period anyway). Granted, I took only 9 hours, but after being out of school for so long I didn't really know what to expect. Pressly, Aaron and I are adjusting to the changes that have come with shaking things up and I think we'll all survive. Next semester I'm taking 18 hours.

So maybe the title of my post isn't completely accurate. I do have a little bit of stress, but my psych teacher says small amounts of stress can be beneficial. At least my skin has cleared up. I never had breakouts as a teenager, but as a 33 year old woman, I'm paying my dues. Nice.

Oh, hug someone you love today. You never know when they might be gone for good.

Sly Fox

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Look at this sly fox we spotted hiding amongst the trees.

Don't worry - there aren't a lot of red foxes roaming the wilderness in Kaufman these days. Aaron has a report on the Cherokee tribe due Monday, and we've been working on it for almost two weeks now. He had to research their habitat, housing structure, food, and social habits and write a report with illustrations. While he presents his report to the class, he is supposed to have a 3-D visual aide. He wanted it to be a lot more elaborate, but mommy's paper mache and hot glue skills only go so far.

He is pleased with the final result, and has some very green fingers to prove his involvement in the proces. we needed to make trees, and I had originally thought we'd just paint some cotton balls. Have you ever tried to paint a cotton ball? It doesn't work. So plan B (improvisation is my middle name) called for a little water, some green food dye and the use of our clothes dryer. It worked, but cleaning the dryer wasn't so much fun.

Here's hoping A-Rock enjoys giving his report to the class. He's learned a lot about the Cherokee, including the fact that they were not nomadic and did not live in teepees. And some of the men wore scaplocks and 'porcupine roaches,' which you can Google if you want to know more.

Holiday Baking!

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:47:00 +0000

Aaron brought home a small pumpkin from his fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch before Halloween. Somewhere between there and here, he hatched a scheme to make a pie with it. Not wanting to be the mommy who dashed his dreams, I agreed.

So I faithfully cleaned out the pumpkin and steamed it last weekend in preparation. And found out that even though my recipe says one 8" pie pumpkin is enough, this one wasn't. A mad search for pie pumpkins ensued, and I finally found a few at Brookshire's. I had to pick through what was left and find two that weren't rotten. Luckily, I got what we needed. So I steamed those last night. And managed to run the pan out of water, which smelled up the entire house.

Finally, FINALLY we had enough steamed pumpkin for a couple of decent pies. The next step was to make the glop smooth and creamy.

That stuff is messy! Eeeewww, my finger!

Once the pumpkin glop was sufficiently silky, Aaron and I rolled out the crusts.

Then we measured out all the ingredients. Aaron thinks it's funny that I crack eggs with a butter knife. Interesting how the granite guy forgot to mention that rounded edges on countertops do not lend themselves well to cracking eggs.

I let Aaron do the mixing. Power tools, y'know. Notice all the flour on his sleeves. He loves to cook!
(Don't worry - we didn't put any Karo Syrup in the pumpkin pie - it's for the pecan pies we're making next.)

Once Chef Aaron was satisfied that the mixture was adequately beaten, I poured it into the crusts.

The pies are in the oven now, and they smell yummy! Maybe I can get photos before the pies are desecrated so I'll have something to post about tomorrow.

It Never Hurts to Ask

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:23:00 +0000

First, a little dose of humility:
Last Thursday, Pressly surprised me out of the blue with an iPhone 3G. I was surprised and more than a little touched. I was also quite enamored with my new phone. I found myself fondling it repeatedly on Friday any time I had a break from wrangling a class full of 5 year olds.

Friday night while I was at the football game to watch my youngest sister twirl, I was excited to show everyone some photos I had snapped with it. After showing it off a little, I put it back into my pocket and turned my head. About that time, Jaelan exclaimed, "Oh no!" and I looked just in time to see my phone fall. Jordan and her boyfriend graciously retrieved it for me. I was worried someone else would snatch it up before we could get to it. What I discovered next never even occured to me. The screen was shattered! Heartsick, I immediately called Pressly to tell him. I wanted to cry, but I was so upset and in the midst of many, many people I just couldn't.

I was just sick. Pressly suggested I go to the Apple store on Saturday and see if they would do anything at all. After hustling Aaron into the car (one badly stubbed toe and a walleyed fit later -- his toe, both of us may have been involved in the fit), I realized we were too late to make the appointment I had made with the Apple Geniuses. I decided we'd go ahead to the store and see if they could work me in, which they did! To my dismay, the only thing they would offer me was a replacement phone at the "promotional price" of $299. I calmly explained that I was not buying another phone for $299 and asked if there was anything else at all they could do. After going through the ranks, I ended up with the same answer. I really hoped they would offer to replace the screen for a reasonable price since, in my opinion, the fall should not have resulted in so much damage.

Still, the humility. I should not have taken such pride in a material possession.

I called Pressly to tell him the news and headed toward home. He had done some research and found a replacement screen for around $70 that he could replace himself.

It Never Hurts to Ask
This is a phrase my mom used to tell me all the time, but I've always had a problem practicing it. I have always felt like I am imposing if I ask for something outside of the norm or special consideration.

Once home from my fruitless trip the the Apple store, I posted my sad story on a message board for a group of friends who have been posting together on the internet for 10 years or so. One of my very wise virtual friends suggested I email Steve Jobs directly and tell him the story. She even provided an email address. I figured I didn't have anything to lose at that point, so Sunday night I sent an email to the address. It was pleasant and simply laid out the facts. Later that night, DH mentioned that he needed to order the screen and I half-jokingly told him not to bother because I had sent an email to Steve Jobs. He laughed at me and proceeded to order the screen.

By noon on Monday, I got a call from the general manager at the Apple store at NorthPark. She told me they were very sorry about my experience and that they want to replace my phone with a brand new one at no cost!! She then apologized that I'd need to come back to the store to facilitate the replacement. Hello? I'll spend some time and a little gasoline for that!

I hope I didn't come off as unappreciative on the phone because I think my reaction was a little flat. I was honestly in total shock and didn't know how to respond. That's not at all what I had in mind when I wrote in my email, "Is there anything Apple is willing to do for us?"

And since I closed my letter by telling Mr. Jobs that I would love to be able to tell friends and family how well Apple treated us when a freak accident caused unreasonable damage to my BRAND NEW phone (which incidentally, was our first Apple purchase ever):

APPLE ROCKS!!!!

soooo Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Jasmine Bonner) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:24:00 +0000

I'll be MIA for a while longer because I am SICK. This is what I get for bragging to someone recently that I have never had a flu shot and never get the flu. Don't think it's the flu, but I'm not a good sickie. Oh, and spending 7 hours a day with kindergarteners probably doesn't help. Do you realize that those little buggers are, well, booger factories? Ew. I have a funny story about subbing Kindergarten last Friday that I'll maybe write about when I feel better.

TTFN