The Air Show and Women Role Models

We went to an air show at Paine Field. They had a lot of historical airplanes, which I really appreciated. It made me want to wear WWII clothes and be cool like that. I would probably dress up like a woman in the WAC, or the Women's Army Corps. Don't they look awesome and military and helpful and smart and attractive?


Source

I did see a few women dressed up in WWII attire, but they were dressed as pin-up girls. Seriously women, dress up like something motivational from history. OK, OK, pin-up girls were motivational for soldiers and airmen, but I think there are much better role models from history than sexy women. Intelligence is sexy!

This article where I got the photo from is interesting and informative about the WAC.

Back to the air show.

We saw a lot of airplanes, and if Andrew wants to blog about those, he can, but I will just post pictures of Rachel. Because she is very cute and smart, therefore a good baby role model.


Andrew and a thirsty Rachel in front of a Navy airplane.


These two have so much fun.


Rachel sitting in the airplane model for children.


We went with Ric, Claire, and Dallon.

We had a lovely time watching airplanes and walking around and thinking about interesting things like "women in the military" and "how rich people must be to own and maintain antique airplanes".

Mark Twain, Goldfish Extraordinaire, 2006-2012

In February 2006, I asked my neighbor Nate to the Sadie Hawkins dance at Davis High School. I think I sent him fortune cookies that had my name in them or something, saying "I would be so fortunate if you went to the dance with me!"

He answered me back, "Of all the fish in the sea, I'm so glad you picked me." And then he gave me four comet goldfish, most commonly known as feeder fish. One was dead by the time I got home from wherever I was (maybe school?) and I named the other three Henry VIII, Cleopatra, and Mark Twain. I named Henry VIII thusly because he had a dark spot that looked like a beard and Mark Twain thusly because he had a dark spot that looked like a mustache. Cleopatra and Henry VIII died in a few days, and I fully expected Mark Twain to go any day.

But he was a survivor. He continued to live.

I noticed his "mustache" was getting better. My mom had some fish medicine to help with ulcers and infections, so I put it in his tank. And he lived. His "mustache" went away and he lived.

After my freshman year, he got a new friend named Squishy. In 2007 they moved up to college with me. Mark Twain and Squishy were inseparable--mostly because they lived together in a small tank.

Here they are in their clean tank--be shocked and amazed. I really did try to keep it clean. Mark Twain is above Squishy. Mark Twain was also bigger, had a more flowing tail and fins, and was a more yellow gold color than Squishy.

And he lived with Squishy for many more years. Sometimes in a clean tank, but when I put them in the windowsill (where I like it the most) it got covered in algae.

Mark Twain on the left, Squishy on the right. This was after their sucker fish friend Zorro died and I went on vacation for a week.

Sometimes I just like to take pictures of my pets. And since these are the only pictures of Mark Twain and Squishy that I actually knew where they were saved, you will just have to look at the nasty fish tank (which I promptly cleaned--the pictures were also to document its green algae).

"Hey, you should feed us." Squishy to the left, Mark Twain on the right. They are little pig fish and love to snarf food.

I was always amazed that they had lived so long. My Mom even started calling them her "grandfishes."

Mark Twain swimming around.

And then on Tuesday, when I had the flu, I hear a fish splashing around. Andrew said, "Mark Twain is freaking out." I shrugged and fell asleep. After I threw up and did other things one does when they are sick, I checked the tank and saw Mark Twain on his side and the bottom. He was just breathing slowly. "Oh no!" I said, "I think Mark Twain is going to kick the bucket." And by bedtime he was gone. And I said a nice eulogy, flushed him down the freshly cleaned toilet, and didn't let Andrew poop for a few minutes to give Mark Twain's body time to find a final resting place.

Mark Twain in the back and Squishy in the front, checking out the view of the windowsill.

Good bye, Mark Twain. You were a good fish. You lived a long and happy life (I think it was happy). I'm sorry you hurt yourself and died from your injuries. You had the longest life of any cheap goldfish I have ever heard of. Rest in peace in the sewer.

Davis High School Class of 2006

Today I realized that I graduated from high school five years ago. It was sometime in June 2006. Go Darts! I was ready to leave high school, but I had a great time. I don't have any pictures of my graduation (those are all at my parents' house) so you will have to live with some senior pictures.

Me, sitting on a very cold rock.


Me being skinny. Note to self: get skinny again. (What am I doing differently? I don't do colorguard, I don't walk my dog 2 miles a day. Also, nowadays I take birth control, which I secretly suspect for my weight gain; sit on my butt for four to five hours at work; and walk/stroll to and from campus each weekday (one-way is about 0.89 mile, but closer to 1 mile if I go with Andrew to the engineering area). But anyway, this post isn't supposed to be about how plumpy I am.)


Me with my cello, trusty Sam. Can I just say that I have never seen such an attractive cello as Sam? I love that he isn't glossy like all the other cellos. I was really good at the cello as a senior. Maybe someday I'll get back into it, but we'll see if I ever have two to three hours a day to devote to an instrument until I'm 70. However, I still play. :)


Me with my flag. I think I look a lot like my mom in this picture. I was in colorguard all through high school. It was a good time, but it's a part of my life that is over. I still enjoy a good spin every once-in-awhile.

High school was a great time. Here are some of the highlights:

• Being in colorguard.
• Getting a driver's license.
• Going on some ridiculous dates that make for great stories (involving blood and another time involving gasoline, Febreeze, and exotic fruit juices).
• Having a boyfriend.
• Having said boyfriend's mother think my sole purpose in life was to make her son unworthy to serve a mission. Ha ha.
  
• Having so much fun in a string quartet.
• Getting awesome bruises from my flag.
• Getting a dog.
• A first kiss.
• Kissing two guys in one night for the fun of becoming a True Dart.
• Being a Social Sciences Sterling Scholar.
• Being wooed by different universities throughout the country.
• Summoning the courage to tube on the lake again (but still no waterskiing)
• Getting all A's and never getting all H's (on citizenship). Getting all A's and all H's is embarrassing.
• Making my English teacher cry.
• Crocheting through English class (different year) and making the teacher mad.
• Being stung by a wasp on my boob.
• Being really really really tan.
• Going to band camp. Wait, that wasn't a highlight.
• Passing the AP Calculus BC test with a 5!
• Not having to take science classes for two years.
• Being in a civics classes with brainless cheerleaders and braindead football players and having the teacher wonder how I keep doing so much better than my classmates.
• Learning an awesome cello concerto.
• Having way fun with my friends.
• Chilling in a place we christened the "Beer Hall"--not that any of us drank beer.
• Having a curfew.
• Making my parents enforce my curfew so I wouldn't have to stay at stupid parties.
• Founding a major weekly holiday still celebrated today (I think) called Cute Butt Day, which is celebrated each Wednesday and is a celebration of butt slapping.
  
• And making tons of other crazy memories with my friends Erika, Monica, Nicole, Kayleigh, Becky, and Kevin.
  

I have done a lot of other amazing things since then, but high school was a great time. But I'm really glad it's over.