Halloween Baha'i Club Meeting

baha'i club
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

At tonights Baha'i Club meeting, it was mandatory for everyone to come in costume.

omid in fat suit

omid in fat suit
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

Omid Sarvian aka Senior won the Costume Contest. He was a Obese tourist...classic omid...classic. I've got a really good video of him and Negin trying to fit in my door. If you are interested in checking it out, please e-mail me.

Frida, Mad scientist, barbs

Frida, Mad scientist, barbs
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

Confession of a Cheater

keyv on chair
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

Every adulterer remembers the day they cheated on their loved one. Today October 29th marks the day I cheated on my beloved Mishka’s and went to another coffee cafe, Common Grounds found in South Davis. Many adulterers are consumed with guilt, shame, and dirtiness. As I sit in the plush swivel chairs that are part of the homey ambience provided by Common Grounds, I am filled with guilt and shame, but definitely not the dirtiness. Any regular of Mishka’s knows that you sacrifice comfort, spaciousness, customer service, and clean bathrooms for free internet, people watching, and a damn good Americano. Although the Americano doesn’t quite match the Mishk’s, the bathroom was tidy (it actually had seat covers) and the chairs provide a comfortable place to sit for hours upon hours.

Common Grounds seems to live up to it’s name of a common standard commercialized coffee shop like it’s fellow Davis competitors Starbucks and Pete’s. It does lack the unique character of Mishka’s. Mishka’s regimented social rules are masked by what appears to be a free-spirited fair trade coffee shop. It’s hard to match a cafe that has strict social rules of ordering before sitting and then limiting where a given individual can sit. And where rules may just be guidelines at other coffee shops, at Mishka’s the owner, a 30th something Eastern European with a tight white shirt and an equally tight pair of blue jeans, is constantly lurking throughout the closely placed tables making sure each customer is sitting in the proper area, has purchased something and doesn’t bring outside food in.

Perhaps I am an abused coffee child who finds comfort in strict social cafe rules. And in some masochistic way, I like the uncomfortable wooden chairs, the stiff non-ergonomic benches, urine filled bathroom floors, and the loud roasting of coffee beans. I am the battered wife that can never leave her abusive husband.

The above picture is of Keyvan sitting in a miniature rocking chair added to homey family like ambience of Common Grounds.

Bosch-Ba

Bosch 2
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

This past weekend I went to Bosch Baha'i School in Santa Cruz for the College Club Weekend. Here are a few pics that I took this weekend.

Bosch

Bosch
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

riddle for the week

Here's a riddle that one of my sixth grade boys shared with me today:
Our President has a short one.
Our Governor has a long one.
Madonna doesn't have one.
And the Pope has one but doesn't use it.
What is it?

Another Busy Weekend

Youth Gathering Photo
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

Last weekend Amy came up and visited. This picture was taken at the Youth Gathering in Davis. Shout out to my peeps...Negs, Me (may), Amy, Mel, Jeff, and Brisn. I think Armie aka Arman's in the background. Thanks to amy for the pic.

Welcome to the School of Ed

Ice
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

For all three of you who are regular readers of my blog, I apologize for not updating recently. I've been really busy the last six weeks with my graduate program. This is a picture of my partner in crime Danice aka "Ice." She's holding up her final project for our literacy project.

Post-Arcade

Post-Arcade
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

1 am on a sunday night, hanging out at a donut store with a tootless bum...must be San Fran

Captain Black Spot and his wench aka mom and dad

wench and pirate
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

Most children in college go home a few times a year and sit around their parent's house for a pretty uneventful weekend. My family is far from typical. As one can tell by this picture, going home for me is always an action-filled exciting weekend. This weekend marks the Second Annual Shelley Family Pirate Party. If you like what you see...stay tuned for more pirate pictures from monday's beach party!

Say Goodbye to Wednesday Night's Guilty Pleasure

For the past four summers, I have been working at an alternative education school. Most of the students are great kids who have fallen behind in credits, but we are also a probation school, so we get some “bad kids.” This summer it was the Shelley family Wednesday night activity to sit down and watch “Brat Camp” and discuss amongst the ladies of the Shelley family the various disciplining methods of these troubled kids. Since I’ve left my lovely home in Orange County and returned to academia in Davis, I did not get to finish watching the rest of the “Brat Camp” series. I stumbled across this very entertaining article from Slate magazine about the writer’s obsession with Brat Camp. If you have some time to kill, I suggest reading it. Feel free to post what your favorite line is in the comment section.

Written While Listening to “Farmer Chords” by Benjamin Gibbard

Only in Davis

farmers market
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

$6.50 Caesar Salad
$1.50 Large Lemonade
$0.75 Parking Meter

Watching a Kid "discover" the Fountain at Farmer's Market....Priceless

I Rock Peas On My Head

For those of you Who Didn’t Believe Me, Here's a link to an article proving that Andy Milonakis is not thirteen years old.

Written While Listening to "My Radio" by Stars

Almost more Stressful than Finals Week....Almost

I’ve returned to the fourth happiest place on Earth….Davis, California. I am currently taking my first class as a graduate student. EDU 120: Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education…it’s pretty much as boring as the title sounds. A milestone of my new academic career was my first official test as a graduate student. The test wasn’t for EDU 120. It was a pre-requisite test that I must pass before beginning my student teaching in three weeks. It’s a very critical test because the State of California has very high standards and if you do not pass this test you are not permitted to be in the classroom. With my teaching credential and Masters riding on this single test, one can imagine my anxiety. I don’t get the results until I return back to the Health center on Wednesday, but I’m feeling pretty darn confident that I don’t have tuberculosis and therefore, passed my TB test. But, I can’t get too confident….it is a test.

Written While Listening to “Let’s be Still” by Yo La Tengo

Only 64 more days until the World Beard and Moustache Championships!!

randall moustache
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

I stumbled across this website for the World Beard and Moustache Championships. Randall's baseball season ends in late August, which gives him adequate time to grow a sweet beard...best of luck to you brotha!

AAARRRR!!! Matey! It's me a Captain Black Spot

Black Spot
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

The Shelley’s 2nd Favorite National Holiday is unquestionably “Talk Like A Pirate Day.” Every September 19th (starting last year) we get on me wooden legs and me eye patches and yell out pirate profanity at all who will listen. Luckily, talking like a pirate isn’t limited to only one day a year. Since Randall’s baseball team is the Long Beach Arrrrrmada, we have taken advantage of this opportunity and bought out the whole pirate section at the party store and with hooks in hand and eye patches on head, we have become the Arrrrmada’s most energetic, perhaps only cheering section.

Inspirational Clip for the Week

Here's a video that shows my love for documentaries and short shorts. Enjoy!

Wow Wee Rickey Henderson!

rickey
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

If you were a baseball fan in the 80’s and 90’s the name Rickey Henderson may sound very familiar. Henderson played most of his years with the Oakland A’s and is best known for stealing bases. To this day, he still holds the most career stolen bases with 1406 and places second for most stolen bases in a single season with 130. Rickey Henderson currently plays in the same Independent baseball league as my older brother Randall. This past weekend I went down to San Diego to watch Rickey Henderson and Randall Shelley duke it out for second in the league’s stolen bases. It’s still very early in the season, but it will be an exciting summer following the Long Beach Armada. The picture provided is the leagues leader board.

Lesson One on How to be a Hippie

On my way to my Ruhi Study Circle class, I parked my car near the host’s house I noticed a lone object in the street caught my eye. A four drawer deep mahogany dresser lay on the corner with a single spotlight shining down upon it through the overcast, hazy sky. The hippie gods were casting a light onto this piece of “trash” calling the inner-hippie inside of me to pull my car around and take this dresser. I waited to investigate further into this mysterious dresser on the street, but upon leaving the Ruhi class I noticed it was still there. I mustered up some courage, pulled my car around and threw that dresser in my trunk. Tonight marks my first solo trip of dumpster diving.

My Aunt Juliet owns a book called The Hippie Handbook. I remember glancing over it a few years back and took notes on the proper etiquette of dumpster diving. I have included these rules:

1.Identify your target neighborhood. Concentrate on areas where young people rent. Stay away from wealthy neighborhoods. It is a surprising fact that rich people do not throw good stuff away. They give their trash to charity and deduct it on their tax returns.

2. Determine when trash is in your target neighborhood (by observation or calling the city).

3.The night before trash day (“Trash Eve”) drive your VW bus slowly through your target neighborhood.

4. When you spot a dumpster or trash pile that is teeming with bounty, approach is cautiously. (Do not get in the dumpster. Dumpsters can be very dangerous and also dirty.)Bring a footstool so that you can get a good vantage point for sifting. Stay away from clothing, sealed trash bags, and diapers.

5. When you see something you like, carefully free it from the dumpster and load it in the back of your bus.

6.Continue cruising and repeat.

Written While Listening to “Speed of Sound” by Coldplay