Cookie Color

I started cleaning the garage on Saturday and was suddenly informed by Felicia that we needed to  paint the kid's bathroom today. Huh?

Well, happy wife means a happy life so off we went to home depot. She liked this color called Pecan Sandie.

I started wondering why one would mix pecans and sand. That does not seem to conjure up positive appetizing thoughts, but it is much better than the TP color in the middle of the pallet above. The rest of the color names were very appetizing.

But then I remembered a cookie my mom used to buy that was made by these little guys that had a factory in a hollow tree.

They were called...

I wonder if they got in trouble with Home Depot for trademark infringement.

Anyway, the rest of Saturday involved preparing the bathroom for painting (removing mirror, cupboard, towel racks, non-brown teepee, etc.) and then spreading the Pecan Sandie.

Commonness

Is a Volkswagen beetle longer than a new crayon?  That is the question asked in this Common Core test. I guess rulers will no longer be used in schools.  The new unit of measure is a crayon.

A bunch of people have posted examples from tests their children are taking. How would you answer the first question in this math test? I don't understand how coins and cups are related.

 

The concept of standardized testing for measuring school performance seems like a good idea, but the devil is in the implementation details. The  Common Core is not only providing standardized testing but is also dictating teaching methods from some central pool of academic theorists experimenting with ways to learn. Call me a skeptic. It doesn't seem like a good idea to stifle local teaching innovation. Standardized math is one thing; I shutter to consider what centrally controlled standardized history and culture tests will emphasize.  Here is one last math problem, sort of.

I had time to ride a little this weekend, so I rode the Honda up to Charouleau Gap.  Here is a view from on top.

On the way back I found some 4x4s stuck at the "Bump Dump". They try to go up this steep rock hill and they get where they don't have traction to climb and their rear bumper is dragging the bottom so they can't go backwards.  To the left and right of this spot are easily negotiable trails.

One of the jeeps climbed up the easier trail and attached a tow strap.

After watching this, another guy showed how common his core was and tried the same thing with a Grand Cherokee.

They were hooking up the tow strap to him when I left.  Here is a video from You Tube of another person's experience.

Now for the uncommon...It is two down and one to go for California Chrome.

Organ Player?

This year's derby winner, California Chrome, was bred for only $10K and looks capable of the winning the elusive triple crown. It has been 36 years since Affirmed won, 41 years since Secretariat.

I went to San Jose for work this week to learn of a product from a small company there. Several of us went so we rented a black SUV ...

 It made us look important.  We stayed here...

We ate at this Guy's restaurant...

...at which I acquired this shirt (forgot workout shirt).

It snowed on Mt Lemmon last weekend so I though I'd go see the remnants. There were none, not even a puddle. It was hot in the valley and nice on the mountain top. The sent of pine was noticeable.

Felicia and I tried to go Mother's Day shopping but the Brighton store was closed when we got there.  Earlier we ate out at Zona78. The waitress was an art major who decorated our to-go boxes.

Eric tried out for a choir in Rexburg this week. 

I think he made it in.

Haley enjoyed Spiderman with roommates...

...And baby John slept through the night.

I talked to Grandma Reese. She is doing well at Janet's house. They went back to Brigham City on one weekend to begin cleaning and removing unneeded items. I will need to help with that sometime.

Big mystery going into Sacrament meeting...Who will play the organ? All the organ players were cut out of the ward with the boundary change. The bishopric were calling around.  I was told than one young man has learned "If You Could Hi to Kolob' on the organ.