Snorkeling in Utah..No, I'm Super Serial! (aka serious for all you non-South Park watching people)

Well today was exhausting but very fun. I woke up with a call from Evan! Yay! But I couldn't really understand him because it was a bad connection. Boo! :(

He could hear me just fine though. We got to talk for almost an hour! YAY! :) So, for all of his family, he's doing great and having a blast! He's staying in a Buddhist monastery and then heading out to another small town in the Yellow Mountains. I'm jealous.

Ok this blog is not about Evan, it's about me ;) sorry love. Besides, you said you wanted to know what I was up to...not have a re-cap of what you've been up to, right? I'm glad you're having tons of fun though! Only one more week of being girlfriend free! ha! ;)

So today I went snorkeling in Utah, really really! There's a place in the MIDDLE of NOWHERE called Bonneville SeaBase. It's near Grantsville, Utah... by the Great Salt Lake. I swam with sharks which was actually really nerve-wracking because you couldn't SEE the sharks, but you knew they were somewhere down below you. dun Dun DUN! The visibility was terrible because they're having an algae problem right now. Basically you couldn't see any of the fish unless they were eating from your hand. I bought an underwater camera so if those pictures turn out I'll put some up here. Really cool though, the water was warm and there is all this coral growing on the sides of the geothermal bed. I'm also assuming it was on the bottom but my ears hurt too bad if I dove too far. So here I was swimming around with a piece of lettuce (that's what we're supposed to be feeding the angel fish..but maybe it's just a garnish for the 'Erinne a Salade' I was about to feed the sharks) when all of a sudden I see something white flash in front of my hand, just barely out of visibility. So I hold really still. Duhhhhh-na, a flash of white again, duhhh-na, duh-na, DUHNADUHNADUHNA! (Jaws theme in print :) and yes, that's how you spell it :) ) Suddenly it's coming at me, swimming really really really fast! The creature opens its jaws.................

and eats the lettuce. Yes, just a really big angel fish..about a foot is size. They eat lettuce right out of your hand! SO COOL!

My mom and I got bored in the warmer water (and quite frankly I was a little nervous swimming around in that pond, not only because of the sharks, but um, they had this plastic roofing ONLY A FOOT over your head to hold in the heat and there were HUGE GYNORMOUS AND VERY HIDEOUS LOOKING spiders..Hundreds of them...spinning webs right above your head. Ew, I still feel all itchy just thinking about it. These things looked like black widows but they were a little larger than a silver dollar. I'm pretty sure if they had been all stretched out they would have been twice that size. YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK!)...anyway, we were bored so we decided to swim through this tunnel (...ok sorry , another diversion..this tunnel was beyond cool. The water was green because of the algae right? So all you could see in front of you was this big green glowing circle. It was like those movies where people are searching shipwrecks! I felt totally like Indiana Jones underwater or something, so fun!.....) into the next pond which was very cold. There were no fish either. I started getting way too cold (shivering and unable to get warm no matter how hard I swam) so we got out. Well ok, my mom got out and I got distracted by this school of angel fish for about another fifteen minutes in the warmer water, still shivering though. Anyway, after we were out, there was no one else in the pool (pool is not the right word, this looked like a mucky pond) and all of these HUGE fish started swimming up to the surface! I was so disappointed that we didn't see more of them when we were swimming! My mom hadn't even seen any, just me. She did see one of the sharks though and I didn't get to so I guess we're almost even. Anyway, remember the boring pond that was cold through the tunnel? Well it was chock-full of TUNA! HUGE TUNA! Weird, because that part of the pond was completely DEAD when I was swimming in it. We were tempted to get back in but we were both tired and had already showered.

Very fun experience but not really worth the money or the drive more than once. I thought it was really cool though for a first time deal. Now I just need to find a place with clear water, no sharks or spiders, and some kind of something for my ears...and having help getting used to breathing underwater...that was also really weird and I started hyperventilating that the beginning because it was so odd. I finally got sort of used to it but I don't think I'd like scuba diving because if you hold your breath you get the bends...from what I hear. Man I'm a wimp when it comes to water (breathing, ears, choking)...or spiders...or not being able to see. Because if I had been able to see the sharks I probably would have been gutsier...they were only Nurse Sharks, so not too bad. Now a Great White, Bull Shark, Tiger Shark or something and I'd pee my pants and hop right back into the boat and speed away to land...not my cup o' tea. Anyway, I hope these pictures turn out! Oh ya, I got a funny tan line on my forehead from the goggles and didn't notice it until I got in the dressing room at the mall...after my mom and I went to a bead fair for a few hours...talking to lots of people...and the walked around mall... I am awesome ;)
Anyway, love you all, especially you Evan. :)

Cake

So I decided while Evan is in China I needed to learn how to make topsy-turvy, mad-hatter style birthday cakes. What possessed me to do this... still trying to figure that out. Luckily, I had a way to get rid of the cake so I wouldn't eat the whole thing...let's call it "I'm saving me from myself" or, "Happy Birthday Sarah Miles" :) Anyway. I'm sure most of you will find this boring but here's how I did it....

First, I lined the pans with parchment paper, then I baked them.

After the cakes were baked, I repeated the process so I would have two layers of each size. Then each of the four cakes went into my freezer overnight.





Then I made the frosting, cut a hole into the bottom cake the size of the top layer, shaved down the edges to be angled, cut the tops of both at an angle, and I frosted both the top and bottom and in between each layer.








After I finished all of that, it was back into the freezer for both layers (now two).

The next day, I put two cakes on top of each other and made one big cake.
After my big cake was completed I decorated it with decorator's frosting...not quite what I wanted to do but I was already late for the party!





Ta-da! It looks kind of silly but it tasted really good since I used butter-cream frosting instead of fondant. Next time though I would need maybe two more days so I could do a few more layers of frosting (this is only one and you can kind of see the cake through it cause it's so thin)

San Francisco

My trip to San Francisco last week (June 9-13) was A-MAzing! This was my first trip to this part of Cali and I had some very interesting experiences. I got into town Monday night, after the free shuttle to the hotel had cquit running for the night. Luckily, Evan was there to pick me up at the airport and we caught a taxi (twenty-seven dollars for a ten minute ride! OUCH).

On Tuesday I saw the Golden Gate park for the first time! It took me 2 or three hours to get there... RIDICULOUS! I also ended up taking this random way there which ended taking me through a sketchy part of town. I had to wait at a bus stop in the sketchy part of town for 45 minutes. During that time, I was the only white person...the only one...I saw for the whole time! Also, I got to sit next to a few gangster kids smoking and swearing up a storm, before another girl showed up talking on her cell phone about how this girl at school got jumped with a knife...she thought this was hilarious! Wow, I am really glad I teach school in rural Utah. No one bothered me though and the gang members (I really think they were from what they were talking about) actually gave me their seat and helped me figure out when the next bus was coming. Anyway, that was interesting adventure. Once I made it to the Golden Gate Park I headed for the de Young art museum, only to find it closed in a few hours. Not wanting to pay fifteen dollars for an hour or so (I was meeting Evan for dinner and had to leave this area of town soon since it was way out of the way), I headed for the Japanese Tea Garden. Four dollars well spent! I would say the hardest part of my day was figuring out how to get around without a car. After Evan got off work he wanted me to meet him at 1 Market Street...due to a funny miscommunication, I ended up at 1st Market street and we walked back and forth between several streets trying to find each other. Kind of annoying at the time but also very funny! We went to this FANTASTIC Thai restaurant called Osha. I tried my first Thai
Pumpkin
Red Chicken Curry....DELICIOUS! We also walked around Fisherman's Warf, Ghiradelli Square where we got free chocolate, and we sat by the ocean for a bit. Very fun but very awkward because there was a couple making out a few yards away from us!

Wednesday Drew and I headed to Chinatown where we went into some very interesting little tourist shops. We also took a lot of pictures, and played around. If anyone were to go to Chinatown, I would recommend eating at a little side shop rather than a major restaurant. I would say that there is more authentic food, less Americanized. The restaurant we went to for a snack was set up more like a bakery and the food was DELICIOUS! Too bad we couldn't find it again. They had really good potstickers for sixty cents! The restaurant we went to for dinner however was AWFULY DISGUSTING. Evan and I got duck...which wasn't cooked...so much for trying to save some money. We wanted to try the Empress of China (which was pretty expensive but we were going to share) but Drew wanted to go even cheaper... funny though, we ended up spending about what we would have spent at the expensive place. But now I can say I've tried duck and I never have to eat it again :) ... Afterwards we walked around Little Italy, went into a funny shop where we bought Sarah's birthday present, then took the bus and the Caltrain back to the hotel (which was way nice by the way! I love the Marriot! Free Bath and Bodyworks shampoos, very comfy beds and pillows, flat screen tv's in every room...so nice!) and we all sat in the hot tub for a bit.

Thursday Drew and I had an adventure! We took model shots in the Emporium Gardens, walked about eight miles to the Golden Gate Bridge, and took a bus to Sausalito (a little town across the bridge, SO FUN!). In Sausalito, we went to a few art galleries, had a clam chowder bread bowl, and took pictures for an hour or so. I also got to ride my first real ferry!!!! I've been on ferries that take cars across but this was a real boat! :) For dinner, we met up with Evan and headed back to Little Italy. The food was very authentic and delicious...well I thought so, Evan didn't like it. We ordered Gnocchi Romano, which is a potato pasta covered in a veal cutlet tomato sauce. YUM! The service was awful though. It took us forever to get anything, and forever to get our check. We also stopped and bought some Gelatto (of course) and Tirimisu! DOUBLE YUM!







Friday Evan had some time off so we headed to Boudain on Fisherman's Warf and had bread bowls for lunch. I saw the famous seals and we saw a very weird street performer. Evan tried to find somewhere quiet to call a co-worker he was going to meet up with and instead we found a "Got Milk" wagon. They were giving out free milkshakes and taking pictures of people with milk mustaches. A lady from the San Fran Examiner was also there taking pictures for the paper. She took our picture and got our names but the article hasn't run yet. Oh well. We also hiked up to Lombard Street..The winedy-est road in the US, or the World...I'm not sure. Then we went to Grace Cathedral and looked at some cool art. The flight home kind of sucked because it was totally full and Evan and I couldn't sit together but we made it home! :) All in all, a very fun week!!!

A Hidden Treasure

It looks like this might be a daily new habit of mine. :) Today I'm writing about one of my favorite restaurants, House of Tibet.

145 E 1300 S Ste 409
Salt Lake City, UT 84115-6109
Phone: (801) 364-1376

I learned last night that the word Tibet in the Chinese language is very difficult to pronounce but means something very cool- a hidden treasure. This restaurant is definitely that. It's owned by a little old Tibetan couple and the food is AMAZING. If everyone I know would go though, I'd never be able to get in! :) So go, but make sure it's not on a night I want to go :) haha, jk. Anyway, I'm not big on writing reviews, just recommendations. Well, alas, if I want to get anything accomplished today I'd better trudge along.

Mr. Bingley: Well, I think it's amazing that you young ladies have the patience to become so accomplished.

Miss Bingley: Whatever can you mean, Charles?

Mr. Bingley: You all paint tables, and play the piano, and embroider cushions! I never heard of lady but people say she is accomplished.

Mr. Darcy: Indeed, the word is applied too liberally. I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen young women in all my aquaintence who are truly accomplished.

Elizabeth Bennet: My goodness, you must comprehend a great deal of the word.

Miss Bingley: Indeed; she must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and all the modern languages to deserve the word. And something about her air, and manner of walking....

Mr. Darcy: [glanced at the book in Lizzie's hands] And, of course, she must improve her mind with extensive reading.

Elizabeth Bennet: [closes the book she had been reading] I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women, I now wonder at your knowing any.

Mr. Darcy: Are you so severe on your own sex?"

Elizabeth Bennet: I never saw such a woman. Surely she would be a fearsome thing to behold.

:)

Recipes

As many of you know, I love to cook! This last week I made Evan and I Chinese Stir Fry and Indonesian Banana Dessert. The dessert looked disgusting but was DELICIOUS!!!! For my friends who also love to cook ethnic foods, I got this recipe from About.com

Indonesian Bananas

• 4 Bananas cut into quarters lengthwise
• 1 can coconut milk (do not use lite, you need the cream)
• 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• Mint Leaves

Peel and cut bananas. Steam in a double boiler. (Or try breading and frying the bananas for a fattier, more crunchy recipe)

Mix together dry ingredients: cinnamon, cornstarch, and sugar.

In a saucepan (NO HEAT YET) whip together coconut milk/cream and dry ingredients. Slowly bring to a boil.

Place steamed bananas in individual serving dishes and pour sauce over. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve warm.

Thursday is the first day of the rest of your life...

So, today I decided to write a blog to keep up with all of my non-facebooking friends... that, and my work blocked anyone from accessing facebook.... I am in school today and tomorrow and then I have about two months of "freedom" cough, cough. Anyone who says "Well at least teachers have the summer off, that's gotta make up for the crappy pay" should be flogged. Teachers work WAY over 40 hours a week, many work 12-15 hour days, and then also work on the weekends grading assignments. I spent most of my Christmas "vacation" writing curriculum (lesson plans, rubrics, assignment documents, handouts, powerpoints...etc). This summer will consist of sleeping in (that means waking up at 7:30 instead of 6:00) and writing curriculum. I am taking a few of my students on a study abroad, which means keeping them in-line :) in a foreign country. This will not be a vacation for me as I also work as a part-time photographer. Teachers are not only the 'experts' in their field, but they are maids, police officers, therapists, computer geniuses...etc. You see where I'm going with this? Teaching=WORKING HARD. So why do we do it? Why all the work for very little pay? I've concluded that teachers are generally people who are happiest when they are busy. The best teachers I know have at least six or seven things to do on top of their normal daily activities. I have a very hard time relaxing because I'm usually thinking of the 50 other things I should be doing.

So reason # 1 to become a teacher: Glutten for punishment.

Reason # 2: Look what I can do. :) I get to go to a job everyday that I love. I do not have a day where I wake up and think "Ugh, I have to go to work today." I may think "Ugh, I don't want to be up at this ungodly hour." But once I think of what I'm teaching my students, I'm out of bed and ready for the day.

Reason # 3: I think most teachers are people who love to be the student. As a teacher, you are constantly working on curriculum ideas. Let me explain... what I mean by constantly, I mean every second of every day (especially if you teach art) you come across ideas you can use in your classroom. Or someone will say something that triggers and idea. Or you see something you absolutely have to have because it's perfect for that one lesson you want to teach next semester... Anyway, teaching is a continual learning process. You have to be up on the most current technology, social events, and teaching methods or you are out of the loop. Thus, I say I am a perpetual student as a teacher.

Anyway, enough of why I love my job.

This last weekend I went to St. George with two of my favorite people Evan, and my mom. The weather was perfect. The company was "brilliant" :) and the activities were fantastic. We went boating with my cousin, her hubby and some of their friends at Sand Hollow. I tried wake-surfing for the first time and I was able to get up and stay up!



Evan also tried it and he got a bloody nose! but he was much, much better at staying up than I was.

I found out my cousin has a wake-boarding tower, a kayak and a wave-runner so we'll have to try that next time.