And they just keep coming...

It's amazing to me how tiny little vegetable plants can grow so many vegetables! I have been having a lot of fun harvesting and eating my veggies this summer. I pick everything that is ripe, only to find a whole new crop a few days later. I think I literally have about a hundred roma tomatoes still ripening on the plants - they are outta control! I can't wait, though - I have grand plans to make loads of salsa! We'll see if I get that motivated! Anyway, just thought I'd share this morning's abundance - roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, hot chili peppers, green peppers, onions, and zucchini!

Customers!

Okay, you'll really only completely understand this post if you've seen the movie Cars. You know the scene where all the cars are gathered at the gas station and see headlights coming down the road? Well, everyone gets really excited and yells, "Customers!" You see, the town rarely has any traffic roll through, so even one set of headlights every now and again gets them super excited. Well, after today, I can relate. Let me explain...

I had high hopes for my afternoon. After two weeks of going, going, going non-stop at work, I decided to take a break from the office and help out at the residence hall move-in. I specifically signed up for the 2pm-4pm shift, thinking it would help my Friday afternoon to fly by. Think of all that energy - hundreds of new college students moving into the dorms, excited for this next big step. Yeah, that's what I thought. I arrived at my post, received instructions on where I should direct people to park, and then waited and waited. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the students arrived before my 2:00 start time. I felt like those cars in the movie when every once in what seemed like a loooong while a car pulled around the corner for me to direct - "Customers!" I thought. Instead of flying by, my afternoon drug on. Oh well. Now I know for next year - if I want excitement, sign up for an earlier shift!

Freebies!

I love working at Boise State. The campus is beautiful, it's right on the greenbelt, and there is always one activity or another going on. I really enjoy the start of a new semester - yes, we're crazy busy, but there is so much energy on campus. There also seems to be a lot of freebies - and I'm all over that! In the last two days I got two free lunches and two free shirts. Wahoo! And what great colors to add to my wardrobe - makes me excited to watch some Bronco football :-)

Me, A Teacher?

As part of my job, I conduct several trainings a year... whether it be teaching faculty members how to use the new online grading feature, conducting a focus group for a new scheduling application, or showing new administrative assistants the tools available to them with our student information system. I love offering these training sessions. When I feel comfortable with the material, I really enjoy presenting. On Friday, I conducted a session at an orientation for concurrent enrollment instructors - instructors who teach college-level classes at high school for which students can earn college credit. When I was finished, they all clapped for me and told me what a good job I had done. After the presentation, one man who has been teaching for over thirty years came up to me and said, "You missed your call." He told me I missed my call in life - I should have been in education, that I would make a great teacher. That man made my day :-) The funny thing is, I was never one of those girls who dreamed of being a school teacher. The idea never sounded interesting to me. Since I started working at Boise State, however, and have realized how much I do enjoy presenting and teaching classes, I've actually pondered teaching some basic business classes at a college level. Maybe they'll need help once the planned community college opens... Guess we'll see where life takes me!

The Platinum Rule

We've all heard of the Golden Rule before - treat others as you would want to be treated. I really liked this comment on a LifeHacker post about the "Platinum Rule" and thought I'd share:

"The best advice I ever got is what someone called the Platinum Rule: Treat others the way THEY want to be treated. Not everyone wants to be treated the way YOU want to be treated. So, for instance, buy your mother-in-law the earrings SHE would want, not the ones YOU would want. Give your husband the 10 minutes of quiet time HE wants when he walks in the door even though YOU like to be greeted and chatted up instantly. And so on."

Relief From the Heat

It was so nice this week to check weather.com and see that there aren't any 100+ degree days in the 10-day forecast. In fact, several days are in the low-90's with a day or two dipping into the upper-80's. What a relief from the almost unbearable heat we experienced last month! Is fall going to come early for us? Not sure, but one thing I am sure of is that I need to enjoy every minute of my summer while it's here. The water level at Lucky Peak has already drastically decreased, so we decided to take the boat up to the lake yesterday before the water is too low for us to go boating anymore. I love spending my days at the lake, and had a great time picnicking, tubing, and riding in the boat, and watching others wakeboard!

There's No Such Thing As Global Warming?

I don't pretend to be an expert on the environment. I haven't studied even a fraction of the information surrounding global warming - for or against it. I do, however, know that it is a topic that is coming up more and more frequently. There are conferences, movies, news stories, magazine articles, etc. on an almost daily basis where science points toward the fact that the temperature of the earth is rising. I also see evidence of this in my own town. Just last month, Boise experienced the hottest July on record. I believe that God created this earth for us and our use, and that we have a responsibility to take care of it. Just as He created our bodies, and we need to care for them, we must do our part to cut down on pollution and decrease our carbon footprint. I continually look for ways that I can care for and protect the earth that we have been given.

Line Dancing Lessons

I haven't been country dancing since my BYU days, so when Kris asked if I wanted to take advantage of a line dancing class being offered in town tonight, I jumped at the chance. I love dancing, especially country dancing... I'd rather dance with a partner than line dance, but I'll take what I can get :-) When we walked in the door to the lessons, we almost turned right back around... the majority of the other participants were old enough to be my grandma. After a couple minutes of hesitation, however, we decided we were up for the adventure. I'm so glad we decided to give it a shot. We had such a great time learning steps to two line dances and got some good exercise too. We'll definitely head back to line dancing lessons in the future!

Community Garden in Boise

I had heard of community gardens before, but had no idea that there was one in Boise. This morning I joined in with other Boise State students/staff to weed the common areas and the rows between the garden plots of a community garden located near the Jewish Synagogue in Boise. When we arrived at the garden, the coordinator explained that the garden is maintained & harvested by several refugees who live near the synagogue. We were able to look through a notebook that included pictures and information on the refugee families we were helping. I learned that the garden is significant for several reasons. One main reason is that it helps the refugees provide food for their families. Another reason is the religious significance - that the majority of the refugees are Muslim, and they are gardening on land provided by Boise Jews. In a time where Muslims and Jews across the world are in discord, it is neat that these two groups in Boise can work together in peace. We weeded for three hours in the hot August sun, but it was so rewarding to see the fruits of our labor and to know that we helped those in need.