If cupcakes could have a Halloween party...

...what would their costumes be?

What about you?



Happy Halloween!

Another from Gary Larson - my hero!

Gosh I remember this cartoon from like ?20 years ago??  Even though I am a big time cat lover, I thought this was just hilarious.  I have the postcard of it hanging in my office.   Enjoy and thank you Mr. Larson!

What's for dinner tonight: Tri-tip steak with romesco sauce!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/dining/131mrex.html
Click here for the video - worth watching 

I can't wait to try this! 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons almonds,shelled
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped,
optional 1 to 2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar,or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pimentón or other chili powder, optional.

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Generously season both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Put a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add steak to one side of pan and tomatoes, almonds, garlic cloves and jalapeños, if you are using them, to the other. Sear steak for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring tomato mixture once or twice.

2. Once a nice crust has formed on one side of steak, turn it over, carefully transfer the now-charred tomato mixture to a food processor, and put pan in oven. (If tomatoes are not a bit blackened, leave them in pan and check again after a minute or two in oven.) Cook until steak is rare to medium-rare, about 6 to 12 minutes longer depending on its thickness (an instant-read thermometer will register 125 degrees when steak is medium-rare). Transfer steak to a plate and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. While steak is cooking or resting, add vinegar and olive oil to tomato mixture in food processor, and season with salt, pepper and pimentón or chili powder if using. Process, adding more olive oil or vinegar as you like, until mixture reaches desired consistency. Sauce should still be a little crunchy from almonds.  4. Slice steak thinly, against grain. Serve with sauce. Yield: 6 servings.

George Michael - Star People

The way George refers to modern day living is almost prophetic (this song was released in April 1997) : "...Just look at all the wonderful people...trying to forget they had to pay for what you see...its a dream with a nightmare stuck in the middle... but listen brother where would you be without all of this attention? You'd die- I'd die-we'd die would'nt we? WELL WOULD'NT WE???


Star people
counting your money till you soul turns green
star people
counting the cost of your desire to be seen

I do not count myself among you
I may be living in a dream
it's just there seem so many of you
can't help but hope
there's a difference between...you and me

you're a star
(I'm talking to you)
you're a star

I said
maybe your mama gave you up boy
(it's the same old same old)
maybe your daddy didn't love you enough girl
how much is enough?

star people
never forget your secret's safe with me
just look at all the wonderful people
trying to forget they had to pay for what you see

it's a dream
with a nightmare stuck in the middle
but listen brother where would you be
without all this attention
you'd die
I'd die
we'd die wouldn't we?
(well wouldn't we)

big, big star!
should go far!

you're a star
(I'm talking to you)
you're a star

I said
maybe your mama gave you up boy
(it's the same old same old)
maybe your daddy didn't love you enough girl
how much is enough?

talk about your mother
talk about your father
talk about the people
who have made you what you are
talk about your teacher,
the bully boy who beat you
talk about the people who have paid
for that new sports car

did you get off on a bad  foot, baby?
do you have a little tale to tell?
is that why you're a star?
is that what makes a star?

Nothing comes for nothing, baby
That fame and fortune's heaven sent
and who gives a f**k about your problems, darling
when you can't pay the rent

how much is enough?
how much is enough?

The Oatmeal: I hate your email signature

I love Matt from "The Oatmeal". My comic hero up until now was Gary Larson, the creator of "The Far Side" and Matt says he was a Gary Larson fan too...so there's the connection! If you want to check out a really funny site to kill some time at work, go to www.theoatmeal.com and tell him I sent ya! Oh and he has a bunch of cat comics and posters that are awesome :-)  P.s. No, I am not a fan of the "D" word, but I still think this is hilarious!

Wonder Valley's Location is Perfect for Outdoor Education

Next week, my son, Christian, is going with his 7th grade class to Wonder Valley located in Central California in the Sierra foothills.  We are really excited for him to go and spend a week with his teachers and class from Arcade Fundamental Middle School while they enjoy their "Outdoor education Experience." 

Wonder Valley's Location is Perfect for Outdoor Education

Sequoia National Park - The Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Parks and Visitor Center are the highlight of this Outdoor Education experience. Students will see the oldest living things in the world: the Giant Sequoias. A lecture on the history of this National Park and the environment is accompanied by a slide show presentation given by park rangers. Hikes through the forest reinforce what students have learned in class about ecosystems and habitats. Lunch and bus transportation are provided for the field trip.
Physical/Earth Sciences Outdoor Education Program - The following is a brief description of the types of classes offered in our Physical/Earth Sciences Outdoor Education Program. These classes can be modified to accommodate most grade levels. They were designed to meet the criteria set forth in the California State Science framework. Each class can stand independently; therefore, sequential teaching is not necessary.

Rocketry - Students will learn concepts of force, momentum, gravity, and vectors (i.e. Newton’s laws). The students will explore speed and velocity. Hands-on class project will be making rockets with 2 liter bottles. These rockets will be launched using compressed air and water. Students will also learn triangulation, which will enable the students to measure the height of the flight of their rockets.

Animal Science - Domesticated farm animals provide the students with the opportunity to experience hands-on learning in the physiology, behavior, care, feeding, usage and adaptations of the animals. Students are encouraged to participate in the care and feeding of the class animals.

Geology Rocks - Learning the three basic rocks and how they are formed is just the beginning of this class. The students will also explore the world of geology, geomorphology and petrology as they inspect and learn about rocks in our seasonal creek bed. This class will teach the students that Geology is more than just another science; it is the foundation of the earth.

Living Things - Students will acquire knowledge of the differences and the similarities of many different animals through hands-on exploration of skeletons, skulls and other visual aids. Students will learn to identify Predator and the Prey.

Indian Culture - Sounds of Native American flutes and drum rhythms of Mother Earth and Father Sky invite students in to experience the rich history of the Sierra Nevada tribal communities. Hands-on-learning teaches students the different aspects of the various local Indian communities.

Ropes Course Challenge - A two-hour experiential learning program challenges students to interact with each other through a variety of elements while safely reaching and exceeding their own capabilities. Dramatic results are produced in team building, problem solving, communication skills, leadership development, decision-making, self-esteem, exercise and more…all while having fun!
Nature Crafts - Students learn the history of various craft projects. This knowledge will be used to make a keepsake of their lesson; whether it’s t-shirt tie-dying, candle making, yarn spinning or a variety of other old-fashioned art projects.

Orienteering - Can you find true north? Do you know what a topographical map is and, if so, do you know how to use it? After this course students will be able to answer “yes” to all of these questions. They will learn to use a compass and map to navigate a predetermined course with ease.

Understanding Horsemanship - Students explore the uses of horses throughout history and learn why various methods of handling horses have become standards, such as why you mount from the left. The class lecture is followed by a group trail ride that allows students to see the valley from horseback.
Food Preservation - Teaches the history and science of food preservation along with microbiology and nutrition. Students also learn how the food they preserve in this class pertains to the agriculture found in the Central Valley.

Geez I wish they offered something like this when I was school.  Lucky!!

Arcade Spartan LipDub... Celebrating the Best Middle School Around!

Hey everyone check out this clever music video from my son's middle school, Arcade Fundamental in Sacramento. They did a terrific job making this  plus every Arcade student is in it! (Also featuring Katy Perry's song, "Firework".)  Arcade Fundamental Middle School is an Open Enrollment school, with students coming from all corners of the district, and for good reason. Arcade has the highest API of all the middle schools in Sacramento County at 904, and has been selected as a California Distinguished School three times, and is the only school with a 10/10 rating in the San Juan School District.

Google introduced "GMail Motion" ironically on April Fool's Day!

This is Hilarious!

Click here to learn even more!  http://mail.google.com/mail/help/motion.html

National Geographic Magazine the most typical person on the planet

National Geographic Magazine released a video clip, below, showing the most "typical" human face on the planet as part of its series on the human race called "Population 7 billion." The researchers conclude that a male, 28-year-old Han Chinese man is the most typical person on the planet. There are 9 million of them. The image above is a composite of nearly 200,000 photos of men who fit that description. Don't get used to the results, however. Within 20 years, the most typical person will reside in India. You can check out the video below:

7 Billion: Are You Typical? — National Geographic Magazine @ Yahoo! Video

Cleaning for a Reason :-)

If you know any woman currently undergoing chemotherapy, please pass the
word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE
housecleaning - once per month for 4 months while she is in treatment.
All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming
the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid
service in her zip code area arrange for the service. This organization
serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these
women. It's our job to pass the word and let them know that there are
people out there that care. Be a blessing to someone and pass this
information along.

January—Honoring Amelia Earhart

I am proud to be a part of an organization that Amelia Earhart was in. I also publish our local Zonta Club of Greater Sacramento blog, here is the link.

 On July 2, 1928, as Amelia Earhart, world- famed aviator and the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean as a passenger, approached the shores of the United States on her triumphant return home, she was handed this radiogram: Boston Zonta Club is proud to welcome you as a member. Signed Alice Bradley, President A few weeks later, she was inducted into Zonta International and served as an active member first in the Boston club and later in the New York club until her tragic and untimely disappearance in 1937. An outstanding woman with a charismatic personality, Earhart was Universally admired around the world for her "wildly daring" but "never reckless" courage. Epitomizing the ideals of Zonta International by actively promoting women to take on non-traditional fields, she wrote articles about aviation for Cosmopolitan magazine as an associate editor, served as a career counselor to women university students, and lectured at Zonta club meetings, urging members to interest themselves in aviation. In these years, Zonta was the only non-aviation organization to which Earhart belonged, although she was besieged to join and to sponsor numerous organizations at the time. Source: ZI Website