WooHoo!!!

Well, school is “officially” over for the year. Of course, I will still “get” to go in on Monday to try and finish getting my two rooms ready for the summer. I did get the majority of the computers ready on Friday. I burned CD’s with all the student files and then deleted them, put the backgrounds back to a neutral picture, disconnected the drawing tablets and covered them with black garbage bags. I still have one computer that the CD burner isn’t working on, so I’ll have to transfer the files to another computer to save that data. Then I have to clean off MY computer and man does it have a ton of files on it! It’s kind of ridiculous. I need to figure out a better way to organize my files. I can spend a LOT of time searching for files that I know I have, but can’t remember what “logical” title I gave them and where I put them. It’s pretty much the same thing as me putting stuff in a “safe place” at home. Any suggestions on how you organize your files to keep track of them?

I would like to actually get rid of a bunch of stuff in both of my art rooms, but that would take time and from now until the middle of July I’m sort of booked. As I said, on Monday I’ll be cleaning my school rooms. Tuesday I have to get ready for the big “Trek” in Wyoming, plus go to a retirement party for two of my friends. Wednesday I get up bright and early for the trek and get back Sat. early afternoon. Then Jaron and Jenette will be here for a week! I’m REALLY excited for that. Tyson and Angel will bring them up from SLC on either Friday evening or Saturday morning. So, I get double pleasure for a couple of days with both the boys and their fun spouses here. I guess I’m going to have to fit in some time Monday or Tuesday to get the rooms ready for their visit too…After that week it's off to a conference in Boise for two days, then I fly to Italy to spend time with Celiac for two weeks, I get back to Boise and Chuck will pick me up on the way to the Oregon coast for the family reunion there over the 4th weekend, then it's back and off to the Wildhorse get together. That takes it right up to the middle of July. fun stuff, but pretty well packed in there eh?

Apparently most wards that go on these treks spend several years planning and organizing for the event. Our stake got to go because some stake canceled last fall so the leaders have been hurriedly trying to get all the info out and have people prepared to go. I have been to one meeting (yea, I’m a slacker) and they gave me a 30 page stack of papers to read through. I just thumbed through and looked at the “what to bring” section. I’ve always wanted to go on one of the handcart treks (not sure why really) but the amount of “stuff” that they would like you to do to prepare seems a bit over the top. I can see the intent I guess, but I thought the idea was to provide a “somewhat” realistic experience to help relate to what our ancestors had to endure. I do like the idea of trekking for an ancestor. We were asked to find a specific person who was part of a handcart company, family or not, and find out about them. Mom sent me the information about my great, great grandmother, Esther Morris. It has been good to get to know her situation through reading her history and I’m sure I’ll gain a little better perspective of some of the things she had to endure. I’m pretty sure she didn’t have nalgene bottles of water, plastic buckets with padded lids to sit on, a camp cot and dutch oven cooking everyday though. So, I fear that the experience won’t be “exactly” in line with hers… We’re supposed to dress in the pioneer mode so I made a bonnet to wear. Yeah, I look like freakin Mother Goose in mine. By the time I get a long skirt and apron on the image should be complete. I’m hoping that the weather will cooperate and not be too hot or too cold. I don’t ask too much eh? The way things have been so far this year, I’m guessing we’ll get rained on at least once a day, if not more.

Today I got up and went for a run/walk up Rapid Creek Road. It was the first time I had gone that way but I decided to try it after we went up it last night for a little drive. It was really lovely and green what with all the rain we’ve had the last month. It was pretty chilly and for the first part I was wishing I had worn my gloves cause my hands were cold. And sheesh, it’s the last day of May. Anyway, after I got back we drove the route I took and I had actually gone 7.6 miles! I ran a good deal of it too, so that’s good for me. Not any 13 miles like Miste, but not bad for an old broad like me. We’ll see how stiff I am tomorrow.

I finally got the pots out, some plants and got them planted today. It was pretty pleasant when I started but by the end it was starting to spit some rain. This has been one cool, rainy, blustery spring that’s for sure. But like I said, it’s nice and green on the foothills. Well, enough babbling for now.