Kite Adventures

Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height!

Dave and I bought a kite!  It was just a few bucks at Walmart, and we've already got quite a bit of enjoyment out of it, as you can see below:

Here is Dave, getting the kite ready.

It's a cute fish, and the flaps that move are its fins!

Moving out into the field before it's airborne.

You can just barely see it up in the left corner.

The tail that you can see is a school of smaller fish!  Fun!

We had a lot of fun just hanging around and watching it.

Another day we went to Walmart and got some more string to add to the length we already had.  But I didn't get any pictures of it higher up because we probably wouldn't have been able to see the kite in the pictures anyway.  It was way to high!

And, just for fun, here are the lyrics from the song in Mary Poppins:

Mr. Banks:
With tuppence for paper and strings
You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You're a bird in a flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite

Oh, oh, oh!
Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Oh, let's go fly a kite!

Bert:
When you send it flyin' up there
All at once you're lighter than air
You can dance on the breeze
Over 'ouses and trees
With your first 'olding tight
To the string of your kite

Londoners:
Oh, oh, oh!
Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Let's go fly a kite!

Little Miss Muffet

I was killing spiders the other day, much to Dave's chagrin.  He has a soft spot for spiders.  One once saved him from almost certain death...Anyway!  He compared me with Little Miss Muffet, and the silliness went on from there.

[Curds and whey are basically like cottage cheese]

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating cottage cheese.
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her

[And said, would you share with me please?]

[And said, my what lovely knees!]

[And said, my what knobby knees!]

[And said, would you share with me, geez!]

My first speeding ticket

Yes, I got a speeding ticket about 2 weeks ago.  And yes, it was the first one ever in my 10 years of driving.  It was my goal to never get a speeding ticket!  So I guess it should also have been a goal to not ever speed!  :D

I went to pay for the ticket yesterday, and (since I at least want my official record to be perfect) to pay for traffic school, which will erase my ticket from my record.  I HATE spending money on things that I won't use, or things that are a complete waste of money, and paying for this ticket felt just like that.  Of course, I've learned from this experience, and I've been extremely good the last 2 weeks at setting the cruise control and not giving in to the temptation to speed.  But I would much rather have learned this lesson without having to pay for it.

After paying for the ticket, I went to the counter to pay for traffic school.  It's going to be a 3 hour class in the evening.  I picked the day in September and waited for the dispatcher behind the counter to charge me and get me my receipt.  She had been working on it quietly for a minute or two when a man came up to the counter, also looking to pay for traffic school.  The other dispatcher talked with him about it, took his credit card, entered his information, and got his receipt for him, and all of that took about 2 minutes.  And I looked back at my dispatcher, and she was still entering information into the computer.

I was surprised to see this man walk away with everything complete, and then still have to wait for about 3 minutes for my dispatcher to finish the process.  Apparently, I should have chosen to approach the other one.  In other words, I chose...poorly.

However, there could be an explanation for the circumstances.  Maybe she was trying to get a little schooling in early, and was trying to teach me to not SPEED through the process of setting up traffic school.  :D

Kitchen Apprehensions

Have you ever been concerned about the safety of your fingers while you're peeling something with a peeler?

Have you ever felt in danger of stabbing yourself with your fingernail while twisting the handle of a can opener?



Does the motion of stabbing a potato (before baking it) ever make you worry about stabbing yourself?


Can you tell that I have some serious apprehensions about cooking?  :D

Funny Things, by Merry and Dave

Dave and I have been very silly lately. We really like telling jokes and laughing. Some of our recent gems include:

"Honey, I won a ton of wontons!"
-Dave

"Get that corn out of my face!"
-Merry

"Did something die in here?"
-Merry
"No, it's just a week's worth of stinky tupperware in my backpack!"
-Dave

Updates

So, updates for the months of April, May, June, and July:

Dave and I have been running pretty regularly. We try to run about 3 times a week. We don't always make it, but then we count in our Sunday walk! When we go for our runs, we have several different routes that we take, to keep things interesting. One is in the field at the junior high behind our house. Another is around the big block (that's actually really a few blocks together). One is through the neighborhood that's across the Jordan Parkway from us. That one is my favorite because I like to look at the houses that we pass and plan what our house will look like one day.

I participated in National Multiple Sclerosis Society MS Walk in Salt Lake City this year. This actually took place on April 24, but I never blogged about it. It was a 3-mile walk to benefit the MS Society and its research on Multiple Sclerosis. I did this with my friend Tara Hoppie (Jenny's sister-in-law) and a bunch of her friends and family. There were a TON of people doing the walk, and it was a blast. I keep meaning to post pictures of this, which has kept me from posting at all. So I am just going to go ahead and post without them, and then write another post with pictures if I ever get around to it!

Dave had his birthday on May 21. He's a few months younger than I am, and let me tell you, it's so much fun to rob this cradle! We had fun, and I am looking forward to growing 1 year older with him.

The show Lost finished on May 23. Wow! What a journey. I was personally very moved by the ending. My interpretation is that the people from the island ended up in some kind of afterlife, where they are somewhat distracted from that fact because they are busy living the lives that they wanted to live. But they are reminded of what was really important to them (their experiences on the island) by the people who truly mattered to them. It was a beautiful ending. It motivated me to really live my life spending time on the beautiful things that I will want to remember after this life.

Halfway through the summer I finished teaching 2 classes and started 2 new classes. The evening writing class ended on June 17. Then my new morning reading class started on June 21. The daytime writing class ended on June 23. Then the afternoon reading class started on June 24! So at most I've been teaching 3 classes at once. Right now all I'm teaching is reading, and I'm so glad to leave behind grading essays, until I start teaching another writing class in the fall!

On June 24, my sister Erin found out she's having a boy! I am so excited for her! This is her 2nd child, and my 20th neice/nephew! Whew!

We just bought a pet pig!

I really like this swimsuit and I want to win it!

Dave is starting to work at the District Attorney's office in Slat Lake instead of the Attorney General's Office. He is going to be doing criminal work now (criminal law that is, not criminal activities). He's enjoyed his time at the Attorney General's Office, but he's looking forward to getting experience in what will hopefully be his line of work after he receives his JD next year.

So that's it for us! I have been meaning to post this for quite some time now, and I'm forcing myself to post it without pictures. But know that we are alive and well, and we'll be updating again soon!

No Cool News, but in Other News...

1. Our Christmas Cactus is blooming again, twice in seven months. Why, you might ask? Well it's been super cold here until today and we think that might have something to do with it. Also, the pot it's in is now too small, so it can't get any bigger and now it's putting energy into reproductive efforts, I tried to think of some life lesson there but Merry didn't think there were any good ones.

2. For the first time since 2008 I'm working full time, and actually a little more than full time since I'm clerking for the A.G. and interning for a judge, busy busy.

3. Merry has started living in Provo, while I live in Salt Lake, too much drama in South Jordan.

4. Just kidding about #3, we all know she can't live without me...but seriously it's a rough commute.

5. Join the Red Robin Birthday Club and they give you a free gourmet burger with bottomless fries on your birthday, not to shabby.

100k of angst for sale at your neighborhood Art College

Just read a Wall Street Journal article about how parents aren't able to pay for their children to go to school any more because of the recession. I could rant about how parents aren't supposed to help their children get through school, but I'm not going to because I realize that my parents have helped me a ton, even though it wasn't financial.

What I am going to rant about is how many of the children i.e. students interviewed for the article are artists, photographers, or writers. That got me thinking, is it really worth it to go to school to be an artist? I don't know, but if it's anything like getting a Ph.d in history (which I briefly considered) there are no jobs and you love what you do, but then you also have to love living with your parents and eating Ramen noddles. Besides who needs college to be an artist, Rembrandt did not go to college and he painted some fine pieces. Add a six figure college loan to the mix and you've got enough artistic angst to compete with the best artists out there, maybe that's the plan. These kids had such posh and coddled lives before they went to college that they knew they'd need more angst to hack it as an artist so they took on a crushing debt load with no forseeable way to pay it off.

Of course I know law students who do the same thing, they go to third tier law schools, take on 100k in student loans, and then they never pay it off because, frankly, lawyers don't make the kind of money people think they make unless their name ends in Kennedy, especially if they go to a law school with more than 5 words in its name. This makes no sense because the life of a lawyer is so angst filled anyway that there's no need for more angst. In fact lawyers could probably make more money selling extra angst to artists than they can practicing law.

Any insights from angst filled artists?

My New Hair Cut!

Okay, Dave and I couldn't help ourselves! We had so much fun creating all of those pictures to "show off" my hair cut. We actually took some good pictures that same day, and meant to post them a day or two later. Well, this last week has been pretty crazy for us. I was teaching a lot, and I was filmed while teaching so I could be evaluated. Needless to say, I haven't been thinking very much about the blog.

Here are the real hair cut photos. Enjoy!

We Have a Little Announcement!!!

Life at the Gravett casa keeps changing. It's funny how sometimes things come up when you least expect them to.

The other day, Merry decided to go and get a hair cut and she never looked back (or better, whoo whoo!)

Pictures below, let us know what'cha think about the new do.

The Truth

Actually, we operate a ponzi scheme out of our home and so we use the budgeting software to help ensure we've brought in enough new customers to pay out the old ones, the math was getting a little too difficult.

Btw-let us know if any of you peeps are interested in the investment opportunity of a lifetime, investment in Greek off-shore assets, 25% annual returns on your investment, guaranteed success, a no-brainer. Call me now! This isn't a get rich quick scheme, it's a get-really-rich-really-quick-plan! It changed my life!

"I made more money than you can shake a stick at, even if it's a very large stick!"
-Charles Ponzi, satisfied customer, San Quentin, California

Princess Leia is Ukranian?

Pictures prove it, the princess and diplomat from Alderan has settled down in Ukraine and is trying to save the free world from there. Apparently she got her hair dyed, weird:

It would be sooo cool to do that with my hair...

Cow Jokes!

I got some new cow jokes from some friends of mine. So now you've really been Cow Jokes!ed!!!

What do you call a cow with epilepsy?
Beef Jerky

What is a cow walking through tall grass?
Udderly Tickled

What do you call a cow that gives no milk?
A Milk Dud

There were two cows talking with each other. One of them says to the other, "What's your opinion on this whole thing with Mad Cow Disease?"
The other cow replies, "I don't have to worry about it. I'm a helicopter!"

List of 100

When I was a freshman at BYU, for a combined Priesthood/Relief Society meeting, our high councilman told us that he had created a list of 100 things that he wanted to accomplish in his life. Here is my List of 100...although you can tell that I still need to add quite a few items to my list before I'm done. There is an asterisk next to the things that I've already done.

1. Visit every LDS temple in the world
2. *Earn a BA
3. Earn an MA
4. Get married
5. Become a mother
6. *Serve an LDS mission
7. Serve a mission with my husband
8. Write a book
9. Own my own house
10. Own my own car
11. Go skydiving
12. *Save a life (I've saved several by donating blood!)
    
13. Learn to play a stringed instrument (the cello)
14. *Teach at a university (I'm part-time faculty right now!)
    

Cow Jokes!

Here is the much awaited continuation of the cow joke post! I was able to make a video of the jokes that really needed to be heard, rather than read. And I have a transcription underneath for those who want it.




What do you have when you combine a brown chicken and a brown cow?
Brownchicken-browncow!

What do farmers say when they receive a gift of a cow from their neighbor?
Aaaaaaaaaaaa-freecow!


I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did. Cows make me happy!

My Non-Death Day

Okay, so I have started 3 drafts for a blog post this week, and I have finished none of them! So I'm going to just combine the three ideas into one post (this one) and start forcing myself to finish whatever drafts I've started, every night. Deal? Deal.

Topic the first: Last Thursday, I went to my first Arabic class! I have been interested in learning Arabic for a while, and have never had time to take it. But I graduated this December, and I can do whatever I want to fill my time! And my boss just happens to be in charge of the Arabic 101/102 classes at BYU, so he encouraged me to sit in on an Arabic class.

Last Thursday, I also went to my last Arabic class! For this semester, at least. I didn't go to an Arabic class at all during the first week and a half because I was going crazy trying to get settled into my new job responsibilities, and working really hard to be able to keep that job when I found out about the hiring freeze. So I have missed a LOT of the first part of the semester. And I decided that I had better start again another semester, when I can start from the beginning.

Topic the second: My diploma arrived! I got it in the mail on Monday. It is so sweet looking! And it makes being a graduate seem so much more real. And getting accepted into grad school will make it that much better! Please let it happen!

Topic the third (and the reason for the post's title): Today I almost died choking on a piece of snickers! I have choked on snickers before, and actually I would say I almost regularly choke on chocolate. It's not every time I eat chocolate, though. And it's not getting a piece of it actually stuck in my throat, but it's like I salivate too much (okay, I really like chocolate!) and I choke on the saliva and it makes my throat close up. I began to wonder for the very first time today if I might have a mild undiagnosed allergy to peanuts or chocolate. And every time I choke, I always tell myself I'll be more careful the next time I eat chocolate. Well, this time I will!

Cow Jokes!

I started this post a long time ago with my friend Jonny, with some help from his sisters. But I put it off because I was going to make a video to put on here for some of the jokes that are funnier in person. But I've decided to just go ahead and post these. I love cow jokes!

If a cow laughs, does milk come out its nose?

Why were there bones on the moon?
The cow didn't make it!

What do you call a cow with two legs?
Lean beef!

What do you call a cow with no legs?
Ground beef!

What do you call a cow with short legs?
Udder drag!

What do you call a cow jumping over a barbed wire fence?
Udder disaster!

How do you get dragon' milk?
A long uddered cow!

And, for your viewing pleasure, a cow cake, made by my friend Xan:

I think so, Brain; but where are we going to get rubber boots our size?

This is a tag from facebook. I'm supposed to write 25 random things about myself, and then tag 25 people; but instead I'm going to just write the 25 random things! Feel free to follow my example, if you want to, after you check about my random facts. Here they are:

1. I am eating salmon and spaghetti right now.
2. I love new clothes, but I hate shopping or paying for them!
3. I like cleaning lint.
4. I have lived at the feet of mountains almost my entire life.
5. I am a part-time faculty member at Brigham Young University
6. I love fries with a chocolate frosty.
7. I have 7 siblings.
8. I have way too many books and not enough room, so most of them are in boxes.
9. I have turned in my grad school application to BYU!
10. I'll be turning in more grad school applications elsewhere in the next couple of weeks.
11. I like listening to music while I do anything...and usually humming along.
12. I'm listening to "Nervous in the Light of Dawn" by Leigh Nash on Pandora right now.
13. I am gluten-intolerant.
14. I have never worn braces, and I'm mostly satisfied with my teeth.
15. Daisies are my favorite flowers.
16. I speak Spanish and Chinese, and I'm going to start learning Arabic this semester.
17. I like sleeping. I can sleep in pretty much as late as I want. If I wasn't concerned what people thought, I'm sure some weekends would be spent entirely in sleeping.
18. I want to be an ESL teacher.
19. I think ward choirs are great!
20. I read a lot of blogs, and I add new blogs to my reading list frequently.
21. I love the Harry Potter books...don't be a hater!
22. I have a foreign coin collection.
23. Even weirder, I have a sugar packet collection.
24. Now I'm listening to "Merry Happy" by Kate Nash...no relation to Leigh Nash...at least I don't think.
25. I'm almost 25!

I yelled at my students today!!

That was the first line of a post I started on Friday. Now it's Monday, and I don't feel like blogging about my Friday frustrations. But, just in case some of you were wondering, this shows that I am not perfect! I was really embarrassed by it, and I was really glad when one of the girls came up to me after class and thanked me for helping them during class. I could tell she said it just to make me feel better, and it worked!

So, last year I had an engagement calendar (a book to keep all of my appointments straight) that was called The Reading Woman. It was a weekly planner that had pictures of women reading throughout. I loved this planner, and I wanted to buy another one for this year. But I use Google Calendar all the time now, which makes a paper planner still useful on some occasions when I'm not near my computer but inconvenient when it's a huge planner that I don't use that often. So, instead of getting another one this year, I decided to cut out the pictures that I liked the best from this year's planner, and creating room on the back to write things down, and using them again this year! I get to see all of the pictures again that I've loved for a while, AND I am reusing instead of throwing away! Sweet!

Here are a few of the pictures from the 2008 calendar that are making it into the 2009 Life, by Merry edition!













This last picture is my favorite. I love the little girl sitting on her mom's lap while she reads. I'm sorry that these are all different sizes, that's the way I could find them on the internet.

The Room of Requirement

I went looking for a computer lab today in the Widtsoe Building. I had visited it once before when I was desperate for a computer, and had found it rather easily. But today I wandered for quite a while looking for it. I asked two girls, and they didn't know about it at all. I began to think it was kind of like the room of requirement, that would show up according to true need, but not when I was just casually interested in having a computer. It turned out that I was getting a little confused about which building I was in (the Marb and the Widtsoe connect on the second floor) and I had been very close to it several times. Funny.