Sweet Relief!

My audition, nor my tears were featured on my city's audition episode for "So You Think You Can Dance."
I couldn't be happier!
It was actually fun to watch and see people I knew in the background of different shots. You could also see me and Bradley sitting in the background during someone else's audition. haha, that's definitely how I'd prefer it.
It's all over with, and it was totally no big deal after all.
Whew!

Hallelujah!

I officially have a phone again. (!!!!!!!)
Feel free to call or text me.
Actually, please do because I got a new (well, new for me, but it used to be my neighbor's) phone and since I lost my other one I couldn't transfer my contacts to the new one. Pretty much I don't have anyone's numbers except for ballroom people whose numbers I got off the team list I have. So please, text me your name or something so I can re-add you as a contact.

Also thanks to all of you who commented on my "Let it all out" post. I felt much better after putting that out there, and that was what I needed. I decided to delete it and move on. Thanks though, for the encouragement, y'all are awesome. :)

All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.

The other day we were talking about home school vs. public school during some down time in the lab. It got me thinking, if I were ever to home school my kids, what would I teach them? The result is Katie's own personal [idealized] curriculum:

I would teach them to read by the time they could speak in complete sentences. They'd be on college reading levels by the time most kids were on a 6th grade level. Required reading: The Great Gatsby, The Chosen, Jane Eyre, The Book of Mormon (haha, no separation of church and state with home schooling!), The Giver (while they were still on a lower reading level), Animal Farm, and To Kill a Mockingbird. They'd have to write a paper every month on the topic of their choice, but the genre of my choosing. One month we'd do research papers, the next essays, the next short stories, the next poetry, until I ran out of ideas and then we'd start over again.
Science would be super fun. They wouldn't learn the "electrons orbit the atoms like planets orbit the sun!!" false doctrine, they'd learn about energy levels and quantum mechanics and wave-particle duality. I guess I'd have to go through all the basics with stuff like, "what is matter?" and memorizing the planets and all that stuff, but honestly, if people are just going to change what's a planet anyway, what's the point of learning the solar system song? I think time would be better spent learning Newtonian mechanics and other basics of physics and more basic chemistry and biology things. None of that geology "this is a [insert type of rock that i can't remember anymore since it's useless information] rock!" or the whole "chemical change vs. physical change!!" We'd learn how to balance chemical equations and do stoichiometry and if we felt really ambitious maybe we'd tackle equilibrium problems and thermodynamics. Of course, in order to do thermodynamics properly, we'd need to learn some calculus...which brings me to my next subject: math!
Basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division would be mandatory of course. Fractions, decimals, geometry, trigonometry, etc. would have to follow. Extensive algebra would be taught as well as calculus before age twelve. That's right, my kids would be taking derivatives and integrating things before your kids know how to solve for x in 2x+3=5.
For social studies, not only would we cover basic American and world history, we'd actually get caught up to current events! In school, I swear I never once learned about anything post WWII. I'm still not really sure what the Vietnam or Korean Wars were about...also, they'd have to memorize the preamble just because it's so fun to sing the School House Rock song.
As for art and music, we'd take frequent field trips to art museums to learn in a real-life setting. We'd learn about daVinci, Matisse, Monet, Renoir, Picasso, etc etc. For music, we would not only discuss Bach, Mozart, Chopin, etc etc but the Beatles, Billy Joel, Boston, Aerosmith, etc etc would be required listening. Plus they'd have to take piano. It's a tradition.
As for electives, they'd definitely have to learn about computers, and also learn how to type 90+ words a minute. Ballroom dance would be highly encouraged (hehe, but not forced, I promise), but they could pick any activity that they were interested in and I would pay for all lessons, costumes, competitions, gear, etc that their activities entailed.

Whew, it was kinda exhausting trying to come up with all of that, and I know that I left a ton of stuff out. I don't know how parents can actually home school their children...it would take so much time...but you know, I really like the idea of having complete control over my children's education, which makes me sound like I'd be one of those control-freak anal parents, but it's true, it would be nice to pick and choose what they'd learn. Eh, anyway, there's something to think about.

Not much to say, but a whole lot to think

This is getting to be ridiculous. Gas just keeps going up and it's never going to come down. People cannot keep paying $4+ a gallon. Something's gotta give. And to anyone who says, "Well people in Europe pay $6+ a gallon!" this is my response: Europe actually has public transportation. There are trains, buses, subway stations, etc. They don't need to drive cars! People in Utah can't live like that! There are no trains or metros here! The sad truth is you need a car to get places. And yet we still can't drill in Alaska. We're heading toward a crisis, but oh no, we need to save the lemmings or whatever the heck lives there. Gah, stupid environmentalists.
Honestly though, with all the technology we have nowadays, you'd think we could come up with a solution to this problem. Here's your conspiracy theory for the day: I bet someone's paying off the scientists who've already discovered it. Ok, not really, but it is a little frustrating. The best thing we can come up with is fuel from corn, which apparently creates another problem in and of itself? There's got to be something better out there.
Think about it, think, think about it. :)

Vienna

I hate money. I hate money. I hate money.

Why couldn't I just have stuck it out? It was almost over anyway. Every time I walk past the computer lab I see people from my class working on homework or lab reports, and all I can think is how I should be in there too. It has never crossed my mind how lucky I should feel to not have to do that...I'm just going to have to do it all again anyway.

GAH.

And I'm still missing my phone. If you need to get a hold of me, you'll have to call my home phone or facebook message me. MEh.

:|

Foux de Fa Fa

Why is it in car chases in movies no one ever shoots the car tires of the vehicle they're trying to stop? Come on, if you're holding a gun in your hand and shooting aimlessly at the driver because you want to apprehend them, wouldn't it just be easier to shoot the tires? Wouldn't that stop the car so you could get the person you're chasing, or is there some weird thing about puncturing tires that I don't know about that somehow makes that impossible?

Also, I am missing my phone. It feels more like I'm missing my right hand.
Stupid, I know, but I was going to make an important phone call tonight, but now I can't because I don't have the number...ok, I guess I could find the number on the team directory, but I don't remember where I put it...

And Flight of the Conchords are hilarious. If you haven't already, go to youtube and watch the following videos by them:
The Issues/Think About It
Bowie's in Space
Sello Tape
I'm Not Crying
Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring
Rhymnocerous vs. the Hiphopapotamus
The Humans are Dead
Foux de Fa Fa

Anyway, I had some sort of great idea for a post subject, but I seem to have forgotten it, so enjoy this for now until I remember. Good night!

Plans

Dropping out of spring term has yet to give me the relief I sought because the burden of homework and tests has been replaced by the fear that I will never find a more convenient time to take chem 227. Oh well, what's done is done. To help forget that I may have just made a huge mistake, I need to keep myself busy, so here's what I'm going to be doing with my life this summer:

I want to wake up every morning and go running. Anyone care to join me? I went this morning and you know what, the junior high is not as far away from my house as I remember. Going to college and walking everywhere has greatly changed my definition of "far away."

I'm going to spend way more time in the lab. Instead of a couple hours every day, I want to be in there at least 6.

I'm going to keep TAing for Brent twice a week. It'll be good to get up early a couple every now and then.

I think I'm going to either go to institute or keep up with my New Testament reading as if I were still in the class.

I want to practice cabaret every day (hope that's ok with you Eddie!) and by myself every day as well. I also want to go sign up for conditioning or pilates in the dance training room, plus alternate taking lessons with Brent and Kirstyn by myself every other week.

I should do something to keep up my chemistry and my French...not quite sure how I'll do that, but I'll come up with something.

I'm going to take vacations. I'm going to California with my family and then on a California/Mexico short cruise. I'm also planning a bit of a road trip to California with my friends. Plus, I might be going to Lake Powell....? Maybe...

Anyway, there you have it folks. Voici l'ete que je desire. (blogging in French! hmm, there's an idea...) This summer is going to be awesome, and I am going to forgive myself for being rash and lazy. :)

Click

Goodbye classes, homework, and stress.

See you in September.

:D