About Me

Hello! My name is Shari. Rhymes with "starry."

If you need to contact me, just leave a comment on any post. I'll reply there.

I live in my adopted hometown of Las Vegas. Well, that's my postal address, anyway. Very few people who live in Las Vegas actually live in Las Vegas, you know? Even the Strip's not in Las Vegas proper.

I love it here. Snowy mountains, state and national parks, isolation, plenty to look at, lots of food-and-free-stuff deals for locals, and a short commute to Disneyland and the Pacific ocean. People do drive like idiots, though, and it's probably pretty bad that I've started using expressions like, "It's only 108 degrees today. Not too bad."

I arrived on a cold Thursday in January 2005, and I doubt I'll move again until it's time to settle down overseas. Which brings us to...

I'm married to a splendid man named Mike. He's Australian, tall, cheerful, kind, and smart. And super funny. (I'm just saying.) We met online back in 1997. He wasn't able to move here until 2006. That was difficult. But, so worth it. Never let a little geography get you down, right?

Because I have a pulse and a license and perhaps because my heart is essentially good, someone has seen fit to give me a job as a high school English teacher. In theory, I love this job. I love empowering people, love the content, and love the schedule (even if the timetable is never quite as breezy as people think).

In practice, I teach at an inner city school, and it's beginning to wear me down. The daily lack of preparation, the apathy, the tensions over speaking Spanish vs. English, the struggle to get people to stand for the pledge and not say "The United States of Mexico"... I could go on. I often do.

However, I've temporarily "unpublished" most of my recent posts about teaching - even the venting was getting me down. (Update: The 2009-10 school year seems better. Could be the AP classes talking. Ditto 2010-11. I may be on to something.)

(Oops, 2011-2012 broke the chain. My district is undergoing many changes. My school is undergoing many changes. I feel that we are aggressively discouraged from commenting publicly on these changes, despite the buzzword "transparency" in every other sentence since the coming of the new superintendent, so let's just put it this way: "I look forward to saying more on a future occasion." Damn.)

Mike and I have several little Russian dwarf hamsters. We've had a "hamily" going for tenish years, and we're just crazy about our pets. Just when we think we're done (the average lifespan of a dwarf is 18 months), we do something stupid like pop in to the SPCA to "just look around." (The SPCA, where every hamster is pre-loaded with special bonus hamsters that arrive after you get home.) So, every once in awhile this turns into a hamster blog. Try not to squirm.

Before I was a teacher in Las Vegas, I lived in Texas and ran the web development operations of an ISP. (An ISP that my entrepreneurial father started within weeks of me showing him the Internet, so amplifying the bonding and the stress by 100.) I was also the technology columnist for a certain newspaper of respectable size. All of that lasted about ten years and feels like a long time ago. For now, it's better that way. There are a lot of crazy hours and crazy people I'd like to put behind me.

Before that, I was all kinds of things in all kinds of places. Clerk, catalog operator, fortune teller... Before moving to Texas in my mid-teens, I grew up in Michigan, amongst other places, with my southern parents, which left me all kinds of messed up. I can't even pronounce "pecan" in front of other people now.

For someone who probably (and regrettably) sometimes comes off as exasperated and intolerant, I really like a lot of stuff. Genealogy, geocaching, photography, ancient coin collecting, stamp collecting, paper crafts, reading, experimental cooking, experimental eating, postcrossing, astronomy, cruising, "hasbeen" concerts, performing Shakespeare in the living room with my agreeable but long-suffering husband, traveling, writing, musing, dancing, Irish language, research of any sort, movies, TV, theatre... pretty much everything except getting a proper haircut, moisturizing, or knowingly offending others.

(I'm not claiming I'm good at any of these things; I just really enjoy them.)

If you want to feed me, I adore Indian, Italian, and Tex-Mex. (I'm also a vegetarian. Mike isn't. Thus, any eye rolling is completely good-natured.) But don't feed me too much because, not to scare you away, but I'm pretty fat. I wasn't always fat, but now I am, and it takes time to change these things. I know I'm fat, what with being wealthy enough to own several mirrors (that's my luxurious teacher salary talking), but sometimes people feel a need to tell me. Like, in the comments of a post they don't like. And that's just good common sense, really: if someone happens to mention that they didn't enjoy your favourite movie/book/song/recipe, call them FAT. That'll show 'em.

The "overweight internet nerd" stereotype wouldn't be complete without mentioning that I often like to play World of Warcraft. For the Horde, baby!

I'm 42, I don't have/want kids (society can thank me later), and I refuse to finish either of the grad programs I've started no matter how much long-term financial sense it makes. (Because I swore the next degree would be for love, not money, and that means astrophysics or archaeology or maybe even art history, not more English lit. Basically I'm looking to enter the Stargate program, I guess.)

That's all I can think to say about myself. All I would add is that this website is just a little personal thing, a diary, a habit, an unpredictable tic, a shady porch you've chosen to stroll past in your walk to somewhere more important. If you aren't satisfied with the view, keep walking. If you want to sit down, here's another chair. I'm not fussed. (Again: if you need to contact me, leave a comment on any post. I'll reply there.)

(Note: this post was actually written on 5 December 2007 and is updated as needed.)

Comments

[shari clement]

hi shari,
my nanme is shari too.
i live in australia. i like your web page it's funny and interesting.

[Shari]

Hi Shari in Australia - thanks, and it's great to hear from one of those rare Aussies Sharis! :) (Or at least by husband says they're almost unknown in Perth?)

(Bobby, howdy! I don't think I have anything further on Asa, but I'll look. I'm mostly on hiatus from genealogy again; my Ancestry subscription runs out on Thursday, so that will be that until summer at the soonest. Note: Bobby's comment has been temporarily unpublished to avoid some search engine problems.)

[Shari]

HI! My name is also Shari! I am in lame old Iowa though. Funny. Three Shari's wonder how many more will find their way here!

[HEather in PA]

I've been reading your blog for HOW long and I've been saying your name wrong the WHOLE TIME.

Not that you would ever have known that if I hadn't admitted it. Starry Shari. Not Stare-y Shari. Ok. I'll have to practice that.

:)

Oh, did I ever mention my Bachelor's degree was in Art History?

I love sitting on your porch. It's comfy and the view is fantastic.

[Shari]

Wow, you've been saying my name? ;)

A PERSON WITH A DEGREE IN ART HISTORY HAS BEEN SAYING MY NAME!

I will put an extra soft rug out on the porch just for Sherman. :)

[Heather]

aww, heck, it's just a Bachelor's....

:)

Sherm wags thanks and we both hope you're feeling better soon. How about trying some sorbet? or popsicles? No dairy to make you more phlegmy, nice and cool on the sore throat.... and really, it's just frozen liquid so the upchuck factor should be low, right?

O

[Shari]

Hello Shari, I was walking down the street and seen you relaxing on your porch and thought I would join you for a tea. My name is Shari as well, rhymes with stare-y though. I've never been to vegas but I watch the show (Las Vegas) and I love it, thats as close to the action as I can get. I live in the wonderful country of Canada in the beautiful province of Ontario, not far from Niagra Falls, thats where our casinos are haha, been there TONS of times, I think I'd go bankrupt if I lived in vegas, and its a darn good thing that The fall is about a 45 minute drive from me, not worth the gas money to lose more money, just for fun once in awhile. Well thanks for the tea, Take care
Shari from ON

[NIkky]

Hi Shari,
I read ur blog , really interesting . I read it twice. Yu seem so be interesting dude.
~Nikky

[Nikky]

Hav a look @ my blog too, and let me knw how I can make it more interesting and nice.
http://awaitedfriend.blogspot.com/

[shari aslam]

OMG
mi name is shari tooooooo
i have never known anybody with the name of shari in mi entire life that's why i typed in www.shari.com and look wat i found ike 4 peepz with the name shari hey i like experimental cooking and art too. Experimental cooking is fun even though it dosen't always taste nice.

luv ya
shari

[Shari M]

Hi Sharis everywhere!!!
Yes I am indeed another.
I aldo love experimental cooking cant use a recipes to save myself! Boyfriend wants to put camera in my kitchen to be able to write down recipes, Good Luck.
I am formerly a fashion designer but now manage holiday apartment on Manly Beach Sydney Australia.
I have Much better lifestyle now.
Ciao

[sharie]

hello!!! im sharie 2 very nice nme!!! well!!! hehheheh,, lots of things in common!! hmmm,,, i think we can get along well too..
by the way tke care and glad 2 c ur site!!

[shari jenkins]

Hi! Yet another - Shari, that is. I live in Reno, Nv. Not too far from you, but a world of difference. I, like you, love it here. We have less sever weather than Vegas and so much to do.
Anyways, I enjoyed reading your blog, and just wanted to add another "Shari" to your list.
Good wishes to you!

[shari s.]

hi!:) just adding myself to the "shari list".. this is fun.. Btw,my name also rhymes with starry.. take care!

[shari s.]

one more thing in common, I'm also a teacher.. :)

[Shari BB]

It's a Starey-Shari here, since all the other Sharis are dropping by to say hi. I'm from Canmore, Alberta, a lovely mountain town. I have enjoyed your stories about your hammily, the oddities and perks of LV, and your struggles to educate inner city youth. I'm in marketing now, but worked in community newspapers for the first 15 years of my career. I like how you put yourself out there, so bravely, for all to see. I admire that. It's really the only way to be, I think. I have always liked people who are those 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' kind of folks. I come from those kind of people. Good luck to you, enjoy your hotter-than-Bejesus summer, and know that you have admirers, Sharis and surely many others!

[mcbrecycle]

"the Strip" IS in what you call "las vegas" proper. what the hell are you talking about?
i hate transplants...
-LV native

[Shari]

Sorry to incur your ire (if not actual "hate" - my goodness), but I was referring to the funny fact that the actual city of Las Vegas is north of Sahara, leaving out most of the (popular part of) the Strip.

Obviously the cultural boundaries of Las Vegas are different, but that wasn't my original point. It was just a fun bit of trivia to share that not everyone knows.

That said, the legal boundaries of LV have been important to some of us at times, such as when the city was offering incentives for teachers willing to live in or work in actual Las Vegas.

I hope this clarification helps. I'm sorry that you hate transplants, but some of us are a necessary evil. I was recruited from out of state because there weren't enough local teachers.

Hopefully this, along with a willingness to respect the existing culture of my new hometown (from changing how I pronounce "Nevada" to even caring where the borders of things are), might mitigate your low opinion of me.

[Allie]

Hi Shari!

I'm a huge fan of your blog. I wanted to give you a heads up about a new site, ideeli, that you would enjoy. I actually work for the site, and we sell really great bags and accessories at unbelievable prices. I thought you might want to check it out and see what we've got coming soon, because you (and all of us who read your blog!) should always be in the know about sites like this one. It's members-only, but if you'd like to see what's up on the site, you may use my private code: vip1. Just go to www.ideeli.com to see for yourself :) If you like the site, we'd love you to feature us, and I'd be happy to set up a special invite code for your readers - just let me know!

Best,

Allie

[Shari]

Thanks Allie. Hey, are you related to Emily?

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2007/12/17/diamonds-were-a-girls-best-friend-now-its-ideeli/#comment-229466

:)

[Jeri]

Shari,

WOW! Apparently, we are related somehow. I've been trying to trace the Montpellier line as well - as Sara Montpellier was my great great grandmother (and also the granddaughter of the Montpellier-Nezat line.) Would love to hear from you and find out your connection.

Best Wishes -

Jeri

[Lauren]

Hi, Shari! I actually found your website in a (thus far) unfruitful quest to find a way to get the delicious Smart Watermelon soda to my little apartment in Michigan. My husband and I will have to console ourselves and our cats for a bit longer, I suppose. It's a neat place you've got here, though, and I'm glad I stopped by.

For the horde!
-Lauren

[Jason]

Hi Shari,
I was reading your very interesting page (and great pictures) of the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. The history there is so interesting, as are the ghost stories. I recall my trip there back in 2003. I have this fear of getting stuck in an elevator, and the members of my "party" decided they really wanted to take the elevator, as old as it is. We did, and we survived, but the waiting for the door to open (which took about 25 seconds after the elevator had reached the floor) about drove me crazy. I took the stairs the rest of the day there.

But the most interesting part comes at the ever-so-popular propeller box. Much like you, this scares the absolute daylights out of me! You put it perfectly when you said something about boat propellers and running gear looking scary underwater, it's so true! I am a boater and own a mid sized twin engine boat. I am afraid to put on goggles and go under the water, the site of the propellers makes me so scared. So you can imagine how nervous I got while looking at the propeller on the Queen Mary. I couldn't even imagine being the guy who's in charge of collecting the change from the bottom, or cleaning that tank. No way!!!!!

Was there a mannequin dummy diver in there when you went? They had a mannequin dressed in a diving suit, complete with a mask, air tank, etc when we were there. That was freaky looking too, but not nearly as bad as that prop! Ewwwwwwwwww!!!!

[Shari G]

Hi Shari
I was wondering if you wanted to sell your domain name shari.com?

[Shari]

Gee - more Shari's in this world. I say my name as S-Hary. but you are right only WE say it correctly.

Love the site and learning more about US - those that call themselves SHARI

and i though there were few of us. I am from New Jersey - but now in a small town in Georiga, USA
Dahlonega.

thanks

shari

[Tobias]

Hi there...
I was just sitting here writing code for a customer's website and looking for some random comment to hide in one of the files (one of way we coders amuse ourselves).

Suddenly I remembered the phrase "Have you found the lost Hawaiians" which was etched around the inside track of one of my sisters Adam and the Ants albums.

We used to puzzle over that question. I think I looked up the phrase on Google a few years ago, but there wasn't much about it.

Anyway, I thought I'd give it another shot, and your blog was right there near the top of Google results.

So I thought I'd say hello.

Hello!

[Shari]

LOL Tobias! Thanks for the howdy. The vinyl whispers of Adam Ant live on!

I used to be in web dev, but I never wrote anything that cool in the HTML/perl/whatever code. I was more the "ARGH! FIX THIS FLIPPIN' KLUDGE LATER" type. Kudos to you for raising the bar of cleverness. :)

You inspired me to poke around the web and I found VinylRemarks.com, but no one has listed the Ants there. Shhhh - I guess the secret handshake of the new wave movement continues...

[Rhonda]

This is your cousin. Would love to hear from you

[Shari]

hello

im called shari also.. but my name doesnt rhyme with starry.
Its said like .. "shar -ree"
Im from Belfast Northern Ireland:)

[Shari]

Lol! another Shari here...and from Nevada too...Winnemucca...and although I am not a teacher I am an aide for Spec Ed at an elementary school...liked your postings...

[Shari]

Wow!!! My name is Shari too,,, I live in Jakarta, Indonesia =)

I enjoy reading your blog, they are entertaining esp during working hours =)

[Ryan]

Hello I am studying for my astronomy 201 final at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and I was wondering if you could tell me the answer to question #2 on this post: http://www.shari.com/2002/04/phys_1412_quiz__1.html

Thank you so much!
-Ryan

[Shari]

Hi Ryan, alas, I don't remember and don't trust my rusty star skills enough to hazard a guess? (But if I did, my gut says one or three.) Sorry!

[Ryan]

It was number 3! Thanks for the help!

[shari]

hi8 my name is shari and i also live in australia didnt think there was many sharis in the world

[Lisa santana]

VirginMary-site


TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN, I LISA SANTANA HAVE UPTO 11.7 ACRES OF LAND FOR SALE OR OTHER IN PUERTO RICO, USA.THIS IS A MUST SEE WITH PRICLESS VEIWS OF THE OCEAN AND MOUNTAINS OVER LOOKING THE TOWN. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR PHOTOS PLEASE EMAIL ME EVEN IF NOT INTERESTED AT LTAKER2419@AOL.COM
YOURS TRUELY ,LISA HERRING (Irish)

[Shari]

Hello Shari!
Yet another "Shari" I say rhymes with "sorry" from So. California. Just stumbled upon your blog and had to say hi. Read a few of your blogs, will come back to read more when I have the time. I too am a Adam and the Ants fan. One of my favorite concerts of all times was Adam and the Ants at the Greek Theatre early 80's. Hello to all the other Shari's out there!

[Stacy]

Hi Shari,

I found your blog while doing a Google search for Carnival Spirit reviews. We're terrible people because we're taking a Thanksgiving cruise and we're abandoning our family. It seems worse because we have such a small family. My husband is an only child and I have one sister. My parents have passed. We only have one kid and she'll be cruising with us for the first time. (Yikes- I hope that goes well!) My daughter will be twelve and she is only half as annoying as the kids you describe in your blog. :-) My husbands parents and my sister are the ones we will be abandoning. But my sister has her own family and I'm planning on asking one of my Aunts to invite my elderly in-laws for Thanksgiving Dinner. So, I'm managing the guilt as best I can.

I hesitated to post because I'm sure I have grammatical errors in my writing that will annoy you. Are you thinking 'if you know you are a terrible writer why don't you do something about it?' I'm lazy. However, I over came my fear and decided to say hi anyway. You are so funny, sarcastic, and smart I can't stop reading your blog!

I had hammies too at one time. I got up to 13. It's been a while since I had one though. We went from hammies to rabbits to cats and now we have two dogs.

Ok I'm rambling.

[Shari]

Stacy, lol - got a big smile from your comments, thanks! Then I took two weeks to reply because I can out-lazy anyone. It's almost a skill.

(For what it's worth, I'm the only person who can make grammatical errors that annoy me. Well I guess multi-million dollar companies can annoy me with bad grammar, too, but only since I wish they'd pay me to find the goofs!)

I think your 12-y-o daughter is at the perfect age to embrace cruising. Old enough to appreciate a little bit of everything, but too young and sweet to throw candy at people or block elevators/stairs - ha! (I know that's the minority, anyway.) I hope you'll pop by after Operation Abandon Family (sorry - totally just teasing) and say how it went. (Or pop by anytime.)

I have to respect anyone who had 13 hamsters. Not only is that, like, a little hamster coven, but you know what it's like to have people repeat the number after you ("THIRTEEN??!!"). I seem to be operating in reverse of your plan: dogs, then cats, then hamsters. I have somehow completely missed the bunny stage, but bunnies are on the list for when we move to The Land Down Under That Doesn't Permit Hamsters. And chickens.

Thanks again for commenting. I'm off to slowly slam out (that doesn't even make sense) another Carnival Splendor post!

[Stacy]

Hi Shari,

I just read your post about your Mom and what you are grateful for. I couldn't post a comment but wanted to tell you that I loved it. Really, don't delete it. My Mom passed away last October and she was only 58. She died of a heart attack and it was sudden. Some people say a sudden death of a loved one is easier than living with knowing your loved one is still here but gone. I think it just SUCKS!

Operation Abandon Family On Thanksgiving is in full swing! A little more than 3 months and I'm sailing on the Spirit. The descriptions of the vegetarian meals you ate sound yummy. I hope they have palenta and stuffed mushrooms! I'm not a veg head but I love my veggies, pasta, and Indian!

Love your blog and wish you would write more often. I know you do it for yourself but you have a Blog Fan in me. :-)

I know, don't tell me, tons of grammatical errors. :->>>

Stacy

[Milad]

Hi Shari:
Are you intrested to sell your domain name(shari.com)?
Regards,
Milad.

[Jo]

I have to tell you that you are an incredibly talented and hysterically comical writer....I have not laughed out loud so much in years....Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading about more of your adventures...Also, you should write a book!!!!My teenaged son and I are booked on a Feb 2012 Carnival cruise and are looking forward to the behind-the-scenes tour......all the best to you and yours....
Jo

[Shari]

Hi Jo - wow, thank you! I'm glad I finished my ice cream before I read your lovely comment or I would've had no excuse to sulk over a bad day at work (and thus no excuse for ice cream) - now I get the best of everything! :)

I hope you have a great time on your cruise and especially on the Behind the Scenes Tour. Take a few big gulps of sea air for me!

(Now off to walk on clouds for a bit. What have you done? I was hoping to have an excuse for chocolate again tomorrow!)

[Shari]

Stacy, if you see this, I just realized that your T-Day Exodus is imminent. (Where did the time go?) Do report back with details!

[Shari]

Hi Shari!
From another Shari in New York! I'm a teacher, too! I like your blog. I stumbled upon you as I randomly typed in my first name. Looking forward to reading more from you.

[Joe]

Hello Shari,

I have commented before, but now it's because I have a question.
So my family and I are booked on the Carnival Spirit and just got off the Inspiration, and well, I think I am about ready to break up with Carnival. Nothing messy, just give them their box of things and be done with it. Anyhow, we are checking out the dry docked version of the Spirit in March, and then calling it quits. However, I just had a revelation...WE HAVE NEVER CRUISED THE SPLENDOR!!!

My question is, is it really that different? I mean I want something new. I don’t exactly know how to explain it, but it goes something like this. In this modern world we live in all I hear about is these new, cool, modern ships. I don't think I have been on one of those. So I was beginning to think it was the line I chose. (8 times on Carnival). However, maybe we just need to try a newer, larger ship? What are your thoughts?

p.s. we have only been on Fantasy class 4x and Spirit 4x

p.p.s. Makes me very nervous to type something to you, due to your kick a** grammar skills.

[Shari]

Hi Joe!

Your question is giving me quite a lot of pause. I'm a big fan of Splendor, but I'm also kind of tired of Carnival, and I'm not as new to cruising as the first time I went on Splendor (with the perspective of coming straight from Elation). Our second trip on Splendor was great fun, but it's probably significant that our next cruise will be on Norwegian.

Even if Splendor were going to Alaska (with her thalasso pool/aroma room - which is what kept me off Spirit for Alaska since competing ships have them and Spirit does not), it's time for a change.

I don't think Splendor is reeeeallly that different. Not different enough for a vet such as yourself, perhaps. I don't think Splendor quite falls under the category of new/modern/cool that people are talking about... which feels weird to type since just four years ago, she was. So maybe I'm jaded. Yes, she has that spa that I'm crazy about, the okayish burrito bar, the Tandoor, the Serenity area, but Dream/Breeze has more, and RC's Oasis and Norwegian's Epic have more than that...

...On the other hand, there are all of those little touches that make me prefer Carnival Splendor (and not just because I like more room to explore). Like, the booths in the buffet area, the spacious Morocco room for Punchliners, the tapas (instead of always sushi), all that pink... ha!

So, hard to say. I love Splendor, and I'm a bit bummed that when we move to Australia, Carnival Spirit is going to be the biggest ship there. (Although I do like Spirit and am looking forward to the new, exotic itineraries down under.) But if you told me that this summer I could be back on Splendor for Alaska or I could stay on with Norwegian Pearl, which has a less impressive thalasso/spa and is 20k less tonnage, I'd still go with Pearl. Maybe I'm just tired of Carnival's (comparatively) limited vegetarian options (even with the new menu) and definitely loooove the idea of not having to book ages in advance to have Your Time Dining, but - despite the urge to press on to Platinum (not sure why) - I'm just ready for something new.

But, ask me again in August. Maybe after Norwegian I'll be running back to Carnival!

P.S. You're silly to be nervous when typing to me - that makes me nervous to type back and try to live up to this imaginary kick-assery. Now I need a cookie. No, don't try to take it back, I'm going to eat a cookie! (Whew - was hoping I'd have an excuse...)

[Joe]

Well, it sounds like you have made up my mind. I just needed to hear that the Splendor was not that different. I mean, if they would have at least thrown in a "cherry on top" store where I could get cheesecake on a stick, yes on a stick, like they have on the Breeze, Liberty, and Magic, maybe I would have reconsidered.

Funny you mentioned the platinum situation. I am right there with you. I mean the fame, the glory, the lording over I could accomplish while embarking V.I.P. style. I want it, I need it. Did I mention free laundry? Well, in the end with their big switch of the past guest recognition program I guess it's a sign to let it go and move on. RCI here I come!

[Vicki]

Hi Shari, just wanted to drop you a line to tell you how much I have enjoyed your trip report to Orlando and Las Vegas. Having bought it for my kindle about a week ago I have been avidly reading it since. We were in WDW in March 2002, shortly after you, and it has been a good trip down memory lane....we are off again in 7 weeks - hence all the Disney reading I can find for Kindle. It was good to see some of your photos from this trip on your website and would like to send you and Mike my best wishes. Thanks for the laughs xx

[Shari]

Hi Vicki - awww, thanks! *high five for Kindle solidarity* I have all of the photos in a set on Flickr, if you're interested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamsters/sets/476323/

I'm madly jealous that you're going back again. So much new stuff! Have lots and lots of fun for those of us living vicariously!