Amanda Wants You to Still Be Her Friend

(So did you try the ABC thing? If you don't think I am too strange already, I want to give you a hint: 'w' has three syllables, so you have to account for that somewhere (like 'eh-eh-x').)

Now I want to take the opportunity to tell you that if you think I am totally off my rocker for thinking about things like this: I don't. Forget I ever mentioned it. Me singing the ABC's starting on B? Never!

Amanda Finds Strange Things Amusing

Do you want to try something amusing? Sing the "ABC's" but start on "B" and end with "A." I dare you to actually do it instead of just thinking, "Amanda sure is weird." Can you make it through? Do you think it is kind of funny? I think it is pretty hilarious myself.

Amanda Loves People Who Love to Give

Here is some interesting data on organ donation:

Waiting list candidates 100,799 as of 02/18/2009 Transplants January - November 2008 25,625 as of 02/13/2009 Donors January - November 2008 12,931 as of 02/13/2009

Based on Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) data

I know one of the 25,625 people whose lives were changed last year due to the kindness of a stranger who donated his organs.

I hope you are an organ donor.

Amanda Loves Internet Competitions for Beautiful Houses

So, I have been obsessed with HGTV's Dream Home Give Away for some time now. (I'm still expecting them to tell me it was all a big misunderstanding and ask me to move in to the Colorado home!) But this year, I've expanded into something called the Blog Cabin.

It is a DIY competition where people vote for features to a log cabin home online, DIY builds it according to the winning votes, and then gives it away. This is super fun and exciting for people named Amanda, but do other people think this is cool? (I secretly hope not so that I can increase my chances of winning.)

Go to Blog Cabin Central and please only vote for the things that I like (right now, it is color option A). You can help me design the perfect log cabin and then I can invite you over to my cool new house. But please do not start getting any ideas of actually voting your own opinions or trying to win this house for yourself, because it is mine, all mine!

Amanda's Favorite Video (Someone is as confused as Me!)

If you haven't seen this yet, you've gotta check it out.

David After Dentist

Love the questions:
Is this real life?
Why is this happening to me?
Is this going to be forever?

(I ask myself these things every day of my life:)

Amanda Considers Alternate Professions

Do you like the picture at the top of my page? I took it in Alaska. I was just looking at it and contemplating a new career in postcard photography. Either that or design. See the shirt I designed for our family reunion? (Click on it to see large size version:)

Amanda Works in a Funny Place

Kids can be super funny . . . you know, "Kids Say the Darndest Things?" That is my life as a teacher. Since they have no filter (sort of like yours truly:) they sometimes say things that you don't really want to hear (are you pregnant is a popular one that lots of kids seem to ask lots of teachers!) Over the past few weeks, the kids have been in rare form.

Evidence #1: Quotes from my students:

"Miss Chow, your teeth look really clean today," (hidden meaning: they looked really dirty the last time I came up here!)
"Miss Chow, you look a lot prettier with your glasses on" (when I was wearing my contacts, thanks self-esteem killer!)

Evidence #2: Situations
One day, when the kids were eating hot dogs for lunch, one of the fifth grade girls had ketchup on her right sleeve (I'm talking up close to her shoulder, almost on her back). I'm thinking, "How did you manage to get ketchup THERE?" So I was puzzling over this when I saw her turn to her left to talk with her friend and lean her shoulder right into her hot dog! Ah, ha! Mystery solved!

One more cute story: One of the teachers has a class that likes to have what I call "parades" which means, one kid gets a tissue, five kids get a tissue; one kid asks to go to the bathroom, thirteen kids want to go too; one kid has a stomach ache and, poof, three other kids have one too. Well, they were on a tissue kick, and I said, "No more tissue parades." Then one of them couldn't stop sneezing and I told him it was ok for him to use a tissue. Well, a few minutes later, I sneezed too. One kid gets up, gets a tissue and brings it to me! So cute!