Tanner Huffines LIVE: 2010

My friend Alessandra worked at a calendar place over CHRISTmas break and our friend Tanner who is on a mission has a little bit of an obsession with Zac Efron (the star of High School Musical). So she bought this calendar and we put our own pictures over the faces throughout and mailed it to him. It was awesome. It was a ridiculous amount of work because we had to measure each head after we perused all my pictures and found a picture that was roughly the right angle and size it in Word and then print it off. Oh, then cut it out and glue it on. Wow, may never do something quite to that extent ever again. Whew. Way too many hours...but it turned out AWEsome!! Here are my most favorite pages--though it was all great. A mildly more complete set of pictures is in a facebook album.
The main six of us: Bryn, Megan, Ryan, Me, Tanner, Alessandra. These pictures were some of the most fun to pick.

Devin and Sean do love to play basketball. It was fun to put people's faces over Corbin's face because his hair almost always stuck out.This was a favorite too!! I had to flip Cam's face so it was facing the correct way. Lol. Too perfect though and Bryn brushing his teeth--so funny.

I love that in this one we put Tanner and Devin on girl bodies--SO funny!
I can't believe how funny Amy's face turned out here, and Kennedy's was great. We had to leave some Zacky-poo's as himself. I can't believe I already had such a perfect picture to take over Corbin's picture here! (It's from a dance from a couple years ago.)
This was July, and I love these faces. They're hilarious! Look at my face--scary! (Course Vanessa's face that was in that same picture with me was pretty great too.)
The three girls--I just think our expressions are way funny. And now I know what I could look like with dark hair.
Look at the hands here--no words to explain...
Way too perfect that Ryan was the name of the character in the show and we could put Ryan in as the "Most Stylin' Dude." As a cowboy too--Tanner's companions will always think he's a cowboy--lol!
I think this one is hilarious. Ryan's face ended up a little bigger than it was supposed to be, but my face here is awesome with the hands the way they are...oh man, these three are one of my favorite pages.
Kristin and Bryn's faces here are priceless. And we got a 3rd arm in there--all in honor of Alessandra in Loaded Questions. :)
This always makes me laugh how huge Cam's head is in comparison to the picture, but also in comparison to Josh's!
We decided to put our back bumpers from our drive-in movie on the back! Haha. We made little smart cars.

WAY too much fun, hope you all enjoyed it! Probably not as much as we did though for sure.

New York, New York!

I went out to Massachusetts to visit Maureen after CHRISTmas! Her Birthday is New Year's Eve so we celebrated that and had a GREAT time being together. I loved getting to be with her.

This is pretty much the only picture of the two of us while I was there--we were cracked out. This is at the end of her Birthday.

The main thing we did was go to New York City!! Yee-ah!
Unfortunately we couldn't go to a show because no one was in town to take her shift for her.

This is New Jersey, we didn't get to go there either, but at least New York was a new state for me...

The Manhattan New York Temple! It's all hidden... ;)

When we first walked by we missed it because we thought it was on a different corner, and this was all you could see as you walk by...

Angel Moroni in the middle of Manhattan!
BROADWAY!!!!
It was just so amazing to get to walk down Broadway, it's just sad I didn't get to see Lion King.
Ahh, Dave...
And we walked through some of Central Park, it was great.

This should be familiar to some people...hehe
I loved all the bridges, they were all so cool!

The skating rink at Rockefeller Center.
I decided I had to buy something from a street vendor in Central Park. I decided on a pretzel. It was pretty good!
I loved the bike light! Look at how cute it is...
This is me with my spoils of the day. I bought some postcards as I always do, and if I wasn't going to buy an I heart NY shirt (I decided I have probably too many t-shirts as it is) I had to buy an I heart NY magnet. It's actually pink, and I thought it was cute. And I don't remember how much it was, but it was cheap. I really didn't spend much money.
Well except for our lunch. We ate at a place called the Stardust Diner on Broadway. I didn't take a picture. I'm way sad! I wanted to, but we walked for quite a while trying to decide where to eat, she said I needed to get a deli sandwich. We walked in just to see what it was like, but it was awesome! I loved it. Well my sandwich was actually dry and not very good, but it was the coolest atmosphere! The waitresses sang and it was SO cool. When I go back to NY, I wanna eat there just for it. I'll get a burger next time. :) It was freezing while we were there, there were times I thought my face might fall off, but it was really fun. I enjoyed my day a lot! And of course all my time with Maureen.
It had definitely been too long since we'd been together. Hopefully it'll be closer together next time I see her.

Test, this is only a test

I'm checking out Microsoft Word 2007 and its ability to type up a blog post and hopefully easily upload it to my blog. We'll see how this goes. My hope is that this will increase the ease with which to post pictures, because pictures are my favorite things about blogging and I hate blogger's photo uploader thingy.

This is a picture from Free various museum type places down in Denver. This is at the Botanic Gardens (Jan 18^th isn't the best day to see foliage, just sayin).

Emma Came!

Sigh. My copy of the new Emma came! It's so great, and I'm so excited that I had to just announce it here...I'm glad I don't have to watch it in 10 min increments ever again.

I first opened it, popped it right into the dvd player and had to watch the end! So happy...

Anybody have the time?

So I teach 3 labs right now, O-Chem 1 wednesday afternoon, and 2 O-Chem 2 labs thursday morning.

Not that big of a deal. Well labs are 3 hours long. Today was the first real wet lab of the O-Chem 1-ers. It's a full lab-time deal. It involves a simple and a fractional distillation. Kevin's lab last night went over apparently. So I was feeling the push for time.

They had a 15 minute quiz, started at 2:30, and they ended at 2:45. Fair enough. Then I had to teach them everything I know about distillations and setting them up. So I lectured and walked them through everything they would be doing. I look at the clock when I'm done saying everything I HAVE to say before they start working. It's 3:00. Well, for some reason I had a brain aneurysm (is that really how you spell it? that's what spell checker went for), and I thought, oh gosh, I just talked for 45 minutes! They only have 2 hours to get through all this stuff!

I then proceeded to 'run' around the lab like a panic-stricken crazy person trying to make sure everyone had things set up correctly with no water condenser tubes popping off and spraying water everywhere (I in doing so did cause one groups to spray). Seriously I was all rushed feeling and worried that we wouldn't get out of there ontime.

For almost an HOUR AND a HALF! At 4:20 I'd checked on everyone, had been all along, going around fixing things, making sure they all understood. I was walking back to my stool to sit for a minute, and it dawned on me! Lab had started at 2:30, it was Wednesday, this was not a Thursday 2:00 lab! My students had another hour to finish, not a half hour! I felt so relieved. I immediately started laughing, and proceeded to announce to everyone that they had a full hour and since they all had their fractional set up they'd all be good and didn't have to feel rushed.

They all (really I think all 14 did) looked at me like they weren't sure what I was talking about. They all knew they had another hour. No one else had gotten all mixed up and tried to cut the lab time short. It was hilarious to me. I asked if they had felt rushed because I'd been feeling very panicky and pressed for time. But somehow none of them picked up on that attitude of mine.

It was just me. It was really funny to me, I really did keep laughing. One of the students thought it was funny how much I cracked myself up.

Anyhow, it was great. Thought I'd share. I thought this could be short to type up, hah, I should never think things like that. I still have some grading to finish for tomorrow morning. I'm nuts.

Good night.

My Birthday!

So it's been WAY too long since I've blogged. I'm a slacker. I decided that on Sundays (as I had planned when I started my blog) I need to update it. Yes, my Sundays are crazy busy for the most part. But so are all my days. But on Sundays I don't have to feel guilty about blogging instead of school work.
So the next thing that really happened since my last blog was my Birthday--which of course this year (November 26th) fell conveniently on Thanksgiving.
I am poor-ish, and so I didn't get to go anywhere away from here, but I did start my celebration on Wednesday of that week!
I went to the Temple and did my favorite (Initiatories)! Alessandra was with me (of course). Really, she stayed in Greeley so that I could be selfish and have her with me for my Birthday, hah, sad that I'm so crazy I know...
We then went to Sweet Tomatoes (a fantastic buffet, of course I had to pre-pare myself for Thanksgiving the next day) because it'd been years for me, it was yummy!
This picture was taken because I had to try all 3 of the pastas, and it was funny how little of each there was, I'm nuts.

Alessandra was worried about using the ice cream soft serve machine itself straight on the wee Sanra-size cone, so she scooped it in herself. I just thought it was really funny, she's just the cutest little girl ever!

This is what happened when I did put the ice cream directly in the cone. Lol, I thought my face was funny here!
Alessandra was then cold.
We then went to Riverdance downtown at the Denver Performing Arts Center! It was one of the most amazing things I've ever been to in my life! I drank in the whole thing and felt like I couldn't get enough. The music was phenomenal, and of course the dancing was ridiculously good! Sigh. Just remembering how good it was I wish I could go again...
We thought this statue outside of the Center was so cool we had to try to pose like them (this is with us placing the camera on a wall and using a timer, we had to run down stairs--about 20 feet away after pressing the button, haha).
Then we went to the IMAX theater in Westminster (N. Denver) to see A Christmas Carol (very appropriate name choice) on our way back up to Greeley.
We even then stopped at the Denison's (a member of our Bishopric's house) in Johnstown on our way home for their pie party. We missed some of the best of the ~20? pies they had. It was still fun.

When we got back we popped in Funny Girl and I worked on a puzzle. Alessandra almost fell asleep on the couch--it was a crazy long day! She did move to Kristin's bed to sleep, but we did stop the movie early so she could sleep.
On my Birthday itself, I started the day giving a friend a ride to work since jumping his car didn't work. Then I slept more, then we finished our movie, and I did more puzzle.

We double booked ourselves so we had TWO Thanksgiving dinners! (Remember, I'm crazy, and selfish about my Birthday.) Hehe. So we started at 2:00 with a dinner at The Coleman's (the Institute director here in Greeley).
The oldest Dalton boy who was there was cutting his roll on his second helping and the butter knife sliced his finger open and blood was squirting all over the table. This is the crime scene, there was blood that squirted over to my side of the table and we had to wash it from the wall and carpet. It wouldn't stop, he ended up at the ER with some stitches, it was crazy!
They could only find this votive candle for me when they sang to me over the pie, it was awesome! I loved it. Two years ago I had a cream puff 'cake' with tea candles. Love it!
After that we went to our Bishop's house with the Sisters and a few other kids. This is one of the only pictures I have, lame right?! I know. They were folding the napkins under Alessandra's direction. This was SUCH a great ending to my Birthday. They sang to me before we ate, and it was really really fun! Alessandra and I played the piano and sang for forever after dinner. It seriously was at least 2 hours. Hah. Perfect. Their son David even sang with us some, made me feel like I was at home with my brothers. Awesome. We ended that night with a conversation about Jane Austen/Elizabeth Gaskell!! Yeah, how ya gonna go wrong with that?!?
Josh and Serena called and talked to me, lotsa ppl wrote on my facebook and/or called/texted me. Great Birthday.

Friday was 'still' my Birthday, we got Bryn to work (4:30 am) and to buy a battery after. He passed out in my back seat. I got an oil change.
We (Alessandra of course, and Corey joined us) went to dinner at TGI Fridays (in true tradition), and I got my vanilla bean cheesecake!
I gave Alessandra the strawberry since she shouldn't have much cheesecake.
We then went to Ryan's where we played Rummikub (yes, a more complete Birthday) and watched Star Trek (I actually hadn't even seen it yet before then, whoops). I got a letter from Tanner! (He'd just gone into the mtc.)
After getting home a bit late I started watching the new Emma online...it's fanTAStic!

Saturday I also decided was an extension of my Birthday, haha. Corey's Birthday was Monday, and she said, oh, well maybe mine can start today, and I said of course, so we decided our Birthday's overlap even though their 4 days apart. Funny I know. So our ward had a Temple trip on Saturday, so I went and I did sealings which turned out perfect. Then we went to the mall and to the Container Store (the BEST and only place to get hangers, thanks to Vanessa). It was good because I hadn't gotten to stop there on Wednesday. Yes I'm crazy.
Saturday night Ashley joined us, and we had some fun leaving notes for our friend Ryan who had an eye infection in one eye and pink eye in the other.

Anyhow, the point of this was to tell about my Birthday, which of course was forever ago, and this is insanely long (though believe it or not I did leave details out), so I must be done! Maybe I'll get another blog in before it's been 3 months or something! Lol. I'm ridiculous. But I do want others to know what I'm up to. I, as any of you reading this probably know, love to just let everyone know what's going on with my life. Hence, the title of my blog site. Hah.

Oops, August, September, October?

So we've all discovered I'm AWFUL at blogging! Lol. I always want to do some sweet clever elaborate post with pictures and witty captions. Then I get behind, then I can't get caught up. And I'm always busy with something, so it just never gets done. :( But I decided that I can still post something without pictures. Though it makes me sad. The pictures just drive me crazy because I want them to upload a certain way, and I have to post them in backwards order if I don't want to have to move them around. It makes me tired just thinking about it. Sigh.

August started out with me in California with my family. My friend Alessandra came with me and that was awesome, we got to do some fun things. See some wonderful people who I wasn't expecting to get to see, it was great. My newest nephew was blessed. Then I got back and school started. Not teaching what I wanted, and ended up taking a class and started to get ready for my huge "Comp"--a comprehensive chemistry exam I have to take for a masters degree. And started as the Choir director for our Institute Choir here in Greeley--very daunting! Our school is known for teaching, and for music! We have bunches of music majors--singers even--and I am very underqualified. It was terrifying for me (believe it or not) but it's working out well so far! They're amazing!

As school started and life got crazy (since that seems to be always the time that things start to work out?), I decided to finally revamp my scripture study, with the little prodding from my new Stake President. And that's been wonderful! I think it's better than it's ever been. As it should be, right, we should always be improving our scripture study huh? ;) And I go to way too many Institute classes! At least one everyday, literally...crazy I know. Ugh. But there were too many I wanted to go to. One is a Spanish Book of Mormon class, I haven't gone every week, and I don't understand a whole lot, but it's been good. My Spanish reading & translation has been slowly improving (though I'm starting to feel at a wall because I'm not doing enough Spanish to really get very good).

September, still school, preparing for the comp, teaching, helping with a Best of EFY day camp, a barn dance, finishing up our Temple Prep class at church for the last few missionaries who've left or who're leaving shortly. Oh and throughout all of this having started sometime in June or July I think, I may have been getting caught up on all the seasons of 'The Office.' ;) Zuchinni, summer squash, tomatoes (oh reaping the benefits of knowing people with gardens), cooking, studying for my comp. I did get to fly home to California for a weekend for my niece's baptism! That was wonderful, and I got to sing with my family and hold baby Paul some more.

October, my Comp finally came. Ugh, had to be the worst test of my life! It took me 6 hours!! Very literally, I started at 8:00 am friday the 9th, and did not finish till 2:00 and I had not really finished everything because I couldn't figure it out. It was an Analytical Chemistry Comp (for any of you that it might mean something), and it just worked me over like I haven't been worked very often. I was wiped out beyond belief. But I did get to end that day wonderfully in the Temple with a girl who leaves on her mission soon, it was beautifully perfect. I did get my results the next week and I had failed--a 60%, but my professor let me redo it all, with notes and he and I discussed the problems and I got that back this week, I passed with an 89%!! I'm happy with that score! It has been a huge relief.

Now I get to focus on research somehow. :( Someday soon--like next week. I also get to finish getting ready for our Institute Choir fireside! Eek, November 22nd is the day, it's going to be pretty intense finalizing the preparations. My pianist is thankfully AMAZing and pretty close to literally a professional! So she's been a HUGE help for me, who knows close to nothing about directing a choir. But she is also the lead in the Opera here the week before. So she's insanely busy, got the swine flu and will have missed a few of the practices beforehand. A little crazy, but I'm flexible. I'm trying to learn how to use my left hand while conducting--it's so inept and I haven't been successful yet. Hah. So sad.

Well that's sorta a quick rundown of my life right now. Oh, haha, so part of the reason why I'm having a successful choir experience is because I've promised treats every week. And I make them. It's way fun for me, and a stress reliever so I love that. And they really love it. I try to make them somewhat interesting. It's helping me get to flex my domesticity skills. ;) And we're getting more guys in choir than they've ever gotten here and than I've seen in any ward choir, I'm pretty sure that it really does relate to the food.

Conference was WONDERFUL right at the beginning of October (of course)! I loved every talk, and have already gotten caught up on Priesthood, which was awesome. Then I got to start teaching the 'Teaching, No Greater Call' Sunday School class. I just love that book--it's amazing! I have amazing people in the class, I have something like 30 people who are on a list that are supposed to be in it. But some are teaching during my class, and some took it last year from me. So I've had 22, 19, and 20 in there each week so far. It's great, and I love it!

Oh, exciting, I started a puzzle before school started, a 1000 piece puzzle (my favorite), of daisies, and once school started and I wasn't around, and if I was, I always had to grade, or study. Anyhow, it's just been moved all around our living room for months, and I finished it this morning! Yay! There is one piece missing, but I bet it's around our living room somewhere, it was moved around so much. But that made me really happy.

I'm gonna try to not let it be 3 months till I post again, course it won't be 3 months till tomorrow, lol. ;)

Love to all,
Carol Joy

Grapes of Frath Murder Mystery Dinner

The year was 1920, and here are,

The Suspects:

Fearless Captain Mal, with his medals from war where he received the injury necessitating the use of a cane

Jules, the jewel thief

Bella Maria, the conturasoprano

Nadya, the Russian brothel owner

Lucie

Miles, the race car driver

Desiree Fambeau, businesswoman, proprietor of Flambeau vineyards

Wellington, businessman and expert on fine wines

or could it have been Lily, the flamenco dancer on board?

Some of the facts unravel...

Miles and Desiree may have had something going on, and Miles kept trying to hold her hand, but she was resistant in public.

She had to hold his wrist to stop him.

Jules didn't only like the jewels, but he also liked the ladies!

And liked to share the jewels with the ladies...

Miles likes to drive the cars. Fast.

It was quite the night of crazy mayhem. Lots of French accents, accusations, laughing. Good food. Good times! 'Twas a blast. As for who committed the murder?! Well guess you'll just have to do this one yourself sometime... ;)