Thanksgiving 2012

Emma came to visit.
Played football.
Made Mac & Chz
Black Friday Success
Slept in
Twilight 4.2
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Visited Scheels
Found a new snowboard (iWant)
Played Phase 10
Ate leftovers
Temple Square

Macaroni and Cheese!

California: 5 pans
South Carolina: 5 pans
Tennessee: 2 pans
Utah: 2 pans

Yes. We Johnsons do it right. And it's spreading!

Tennessee Orange Moment

Ended in being attacked! Can you tell I missed you today?

Liberace's Piano

At a gala in Vegas with Allison!

An Important Encounter

Dean Hughes, author of The Children of the Promise series.

Back in Fall 2007, when I made my teaching video to enter the BYU English Teaching program, I had no idea where I would be five years down the line. I didn't know that I would be in Las Vegas, Nevada at two professional conferences, surrounded by my mentors, now colleagues, in the teaching profession. I'm presenting tomorrow to a room full of career teachers, and I'm only a second year teacher! I didn't know that I would be walking down the strip with Dean Hughes, author of The Children of the Promise, Cris Crowe, author of Mississippi Trial 1955, Deborah Dean, author of Strategic Writing and What Works In Writing Instruction and my former professor, Jon Ostenson, my grammar professor, Joe Wiederhold, my co-worker and a teaching coach, and other new friends like Cris Thompson, my roommate here at NCTE. I didn't know that I would have the chance to talk over a burger, milkshake, and fries with Dean about his life as a writer.

When I was in high school, I read his books at least 2-3 times. His novels, historical fiction, made me fall in love with WWII. I laugh to think and laughed while telling him that I had decided to name my children after his book characters. "I would name one of my children, Wally!" He laughed at that. Here are a few notes from our dinner conversation. Thank you Fat Burger.

• I asked him what advice he would give to someone considering to write creatively in the current times. He laughed and said: don't. I liked the answer, noting that he was somewhat kidding, but also acknowledging the challenging market. We later talked about how 1/3 of his books are still in print and sell because of eBooks. I knew that kindles and iPads were affecting the book business! (That's what deters me from going into publishing.)
• He told Joe and I that when he was young, he wanted to be a great writer. Later, he realized that he was a writer. He could at least be a writer. He had accepted the fact that in 100 years, no one would be studying his work; he had accepted that, which seemed to show his pressure at decreased.
• He is expected to release a book every year. A lady at the mall asked him when he was going to publish his next book. He told her it was hard, but she responded, "no it's not. You're at the mall. You should be home writing!"
• He was offered to be Caroline Keene once. Background moment: in 5th grade, I read all of the Nancy Drew series. I was horrified in college when Jon Ostenson informed me that Caroline wasn't real. A group of authors were given storylines and constaints. Back to Hughes:they then wrote the story. He recieved a letter, which outlined things about Nancy. For example, Nancy could have a "sort-of" boyfriend, but she couldn't kiss him. I had always wondered why she never got together with Ned!
• He took a year off-leap of faith.
• Baseball books- publisher sold them before he had even written.
• BYU people looked down on him for selling to the masses, but he realized that sometimes he would write for the love of writing; sometimes to make a living. That was okay.
• Work through an agent.
• Biased towards fiction vs. memoir.
• Released as a high councilman; didn't like it. In charge of activities and men are too competitive. No one wants to reff.
• There are rules in writing and publishing according to what people want to read, but just when you think you have it figured out, you see someone break the rules and be successful. For example, J.K Rowling. People would tell her that children won't read such a long book, but look at it now. Kids don't read about characters younger than them, but Junie B. Jones is a kindergartener and second and third graders read her.
• LaRue and Bobbi are some of his favorite characters.
• He starts with envisioning his characters because they shape his plot lines.
• Soldier Boys is my next read by him.

Renewed

Why Google?

Yesterday, I celebrated Google’s birthday.  Fifteen minutes ago, I emphatically said, “YEAH!” as my fellow CUWPER Jenny said, “I’m going to write Google a very strongly worded letter!”  That’s right—a very recent memory associated with the Central Utah Writing project comes from trying to find this place. 

Why Google? Why? Why do you have two addresses listed for Daniel Summit’s Lodge? And why does your map system go out, just when I need you?

We stopped at a gas station to ask for directions, finally, as though we were men.  Jenny said to the Gas Station lady, “you probably don’t have many people ask you for directions anymore.” Well, to all gas station employees, next time, expect to see me.  I will ask for directions—or read my email.

Two Diet Coke Stories In One Day? Yes Please!

First off, I have begun eating lunch with some science and social studies teachers; I'm venturing out.  As an avid people watcher and analyzer (don't be creeped out), it's interesting to see and sometimes join their conversations--how many ounces of Diet Coke would you have to drink in order for the caffience to kill you? 

Today, while discussing the lunch habits of male teachers eating their leftovers cooked by their lovely wives as compared with the frozen meals and soups us single teachers bring along, the subject of Diet Coke arose again. 

I may have mentioned needing another one--yes, it was one of those days.  A smiling co-worker said, "yeah. We need extra strength diet coke."  Someone else said that's what Red Bull is for, but I thought: for me that's a 44oz. :)

As per usual, 4th period follows lunch, and it brought me such hyperactive students today.  My sweet sophomores from last year have now turned into my juniors this year. 

The thing about summer is that over the summer the sweetness they had transfers when they get their driver's licenses.  Yes.  It's happened to two more. 

In they walk with giant Mountain Dews.  With veins brimming with caffiene, 4th period sydrome, and teenage boy, these wee ones, both named the same name--we'll call them Brayden-- were verbally bouncing off the walls.  I moved them twice and talked to them in the halls, but neither boy could calm down.  I was saying, "Brayden(1), stop talking." "Brayden(2), stop talking." "Braydens! We're listening to Kylie."  The problem I found is that they are really funny so it's hard to react as a teacher supposedly should react.

Well, at the end of the day, Brayden(1) says, "Ms. Johnson, because I make 4th period hell for you..."

 I interrupt, "language please."

He continues, "sorry for that too, but because I make 4th period hard for you, I'm gonna start bringing you a coke to class." 

That's when it happened. Right when I should have said, "no, just stop talking" I may have said "diet" instead.  Though I'm going to have to figure something out for my Braydens, I must admit I won't be too upset if at the end of a very long week, my 4th period Friday class starts with a giant Diet Coke. Oops!

Limbo Land

This is the time of year when I live in limbo. I have to be moved out of my apartment tomorrow morning and can't get into my new one till this weekend. Thus, we're staying at Emily's Grandma's. That's right. She's going to her Idaho house for a week so we can stay there. We've officially kicked an old lady out! And in the middle of the week, sandwiched between moving out and moving in, I'm also moving from an office to a classroom! I will be so sick of moving by the end of this week! But hope is alive. And so is my back!

You Make Me Smile 2012!

Mamas At Dollywood

Hillary and I took our mothers to Dollywood. You would think these photos were staged, but in actuality, only one was posed for, and neither mother knew why. Secretly, we paparazzied them all day as they in unison refilled Diet Cokes or Coke Zero, fed ducks, took pictures, stopped for shops, and waited for us as we rode the roller coasters!