Dress up, Science, PW...

Today was AMAZING! I received a call yesterday and was asked to sub for today. The great thing about getting to sub today, it was Halloween dress-up day at the school. I was super excited not only to get to dress up but that I was going to get to teach at my favorite school in my favorite subject.

I taught a science class (I have my BS in biology w/ a minor in chem) so I always love it when I get the chance to teach my favorite subject. The great part about today is we were just doing demonstrations for the kids that were sort of Halloween themed. We worked with dry ice, a fog machine and special paper that reacts with ammonia to make a "bloody message" (the chemical in the orange paper reacts with the ammonia to make the paper red).

Here, there is dry ice in container and then I filled it with water. I ran a soapy rag across the rim of the container to make a bubble. The release of the gas from the solid state makes the bubble get big and make a "crystal ball". (There is a video at the end. I just couldn't get it in the right order)

This is the "witches brew" effect when I first put the water in with the dry ice.

I didn't think I was going to get a reason to dress up this year but as soon as I got the call yesterday, I was thinking up things to be! I was going to be a cat but I could not find one cat ear/tail combo at Target. The best they had was zebra.

I went on http://www.youtube.com/, searched "zebra face paint" and watched a woman do a 3-4 minute tutorial on how to make a zebra mask. Until yesterday, I had never been on youtube. Now I know that I can learn almost anything from the brave people willing to post their own videos.

I even had ears and a mane!

Then I had a huge dilemma while at the school. I saw on the net that The Pioneer Woman was doing a book signing from 3-6 in Tulsa. Here I was dressed like a zebra and not sure if that is how I wanted to make a first impression on her. After much debate (and coaxing from my mom) I headed to Tulsa as a zebra.

I'm super glad I did because I ended up getting to the store at 3:20 to wait in a nice size line and I didn't leave until 4:40.

While standing in the nice size line, I spoke with some wonderful women that were super friendly and made the time pass much faster. Also while in the said line.... I SAW MARLBORO MAN!! This is PW's husband. He runs a cattle ranch and seemed to be super nice.

There she is... PW herself.

I'm a goober and left junk in the book when I got up there. The zebra and the Pioneer Woman. She is so poised and beautiful... and I'm a zebra!

After reviewing the picture, I really wish I would have knelt or something. I kind of look like a goober (and not just because of the costume). I'm glad I went though. How many times do people get to meet the blogger, writers, cooks, etc. that they look up to?!

Zebra and all, I had a TERRIFIC day!



Here is the "crystal ball". Sorry I couldn't start it from the very beginning. I was practicing the trick before I had to do it in front of 25 students!