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Hello Rain

2011-11-08T17:37:00.001-08:00

So lately I have been trying to find new things to entertain myself during the cold weather. The latest being chocolate cakes for no one and practicing the art of flipping fried eggs and cleaning them off the floor.
I am two days away from the end of my first term and then off to round two.
I have been attempting to stay on top of the mountains of leaves with my handy leaf muncher but seem to have lost the battle to the rain.
Other than that, I am still moving and trying to stay on top of the mountains of projects I look forward to each day.

Back in full swing

2011-09-08T21:53:00.001-07:00

A few shots from summer.
And I maxed out the space on my phone, so no more till I clean it off.

Finally

2011-09-08T21:48:00.001-07:00

Blogger put out a free app.

2011-07-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

2011-07-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

Day Two in the Sun

2011-07-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

So today marks our second day enjoying the sun out in Maui.
We did quite a lot today, which is not too surprising when you equate in that we woke up at the crack of dawn to get breakfast at cheeseburger in paradise...
Keep in mind, deals out here are few and far between... so when I say we got the early bird special, try to imagine the sun coming up and the waitresses clocking in as they begin their shifts... sure they have deals... you just have to get there when they open...

Anyways, it was a fun day...
We hit up Mama's fish house, got some guri guri, and Corky even found a "Name your own constellation" stuffed dog at Ross...

The Green Pan

2011-06-11T00:35:00.000-07:00

From the title you will guess this is going to be a thrilling tale...

For the longest time I had been trudging along in my kitchen with a mismatched collection of hand me down pots and pans. After sitting through a particularly thrilling presentation at the home and garden show on the evils of aluminum I got it in my head that it was time to make a change.

Soon after I happened upon a beautiful set of Rachel Ray cookware at my local Ross, and in a moment similar to the end of Gone with the Wind, I clutched the giant box in my arms and never looked back.

The thing about having a huge set of pans is that people are always borrowing them; and as luck would have it, my best friend had just moved in next door.

So out went my little green pan.

Time went by and I started to miss it, so when I came across the very same set in a different color, I rationalized the purchase as a replacement.

In the end I tried to give the set to my new neighbor as a gift, and after noting that she didn't need the whole set, mentioned that she'd just take one pan and leave me with the rest.

As luck would have it, she took the very same pan that she had taken before, again screwing me out of my medium sized pan. You know, the one you need to make eggs, bacon, quesadillas, pancakes, and every other thing you would use a medium sized pan for.

So I went a little overboard...
I scoured the shelves of the kitchen department at Ross... Always searching for my little green pan. Eventually I decided I had had enough and thought surely I could just find a new one online.

So after searching endlessly on Amazon, I finally found it. It was only $20 and I knew it was the one I had been searching for.

So I was surprised to find a box on my doorstep three days later that did not contain my little green pan, but instead, the biggest, most ridiculously oversized wok on a stick I had ever seen. It turns out that I can't read, and measurements never have been my strongpoint, since I ended up with a 18-25 in (I have no idea, it's huge) pan.

Anyways, that monster had been sitting in the cupboard collecting dust until just the other day, when I was attempting to make Pad Thai for the first time.

As I was reading the directions on the package, I thought to myself, "I wish I had a wok".

Then I remembered, I have a big green one on a stick.

Round Two

2011-06-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, now that I see that this is an ok solution, I will try to do my best to get back in the game. But anyone who finds any typos will just have to keep it to themselves.

It's really funny to be surrounded by technology all the time and to realize that I don't really spend too much time with my own computer at home anymore. The one we have hooked up at home has such a wonderfully high resolution set on it that I actually need glasses to read it.
We tried scaling it down a bit but in the end it was either giant icons and reduced screen space, or micro-print and a loss of interest.
I really do just about everything from the phone so it seemed like a huge pain not to be able to post from here too.
Anyways, quarterly update...
We are three days out from the end of the year, the yearbook is done and in student hands, all of the major presentations and celebrations have gone by, and all I have left is grading, the building celebration, picking my raspberries and heading out the door to see my family.
The house is coming along, with the next major undertakings being a new fence, windows, carpet upstairs, and perhaps insulation here and there.
And painting the deck, knocking out a few walls, more painting and finally burning it down when we are tired of working on it.
And as usual, when I say "we", it means any able bodied person besides myself. I just trim the hedges and alert others to the presence of flying bugs that need killing. I'm not much help past that.
Speaking of unwanted visitor, we had a snake in the house the other day...
It was a little thing, bout the size of a pencil, and I definitely handled it better than I would have expected, though I am not looking forward to any others.

In other news, very excited that I will be seeing Circus Soleil tomorrow afternoon. It's been on my list for a long time. So I hope it's a lot of fun, though that is definitely what I have heard from all the kids in my class who have been talking about it all week.

Trying to find a simple way...

2011-06-10T23:42:00.001-07:00

I have been looking for an easy way to post images to here from my phone and have been less than excited about doing all of my writing with my thumbs. But we will see how it goes.

Chickens

2011-03-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

2011-03-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

This week has been a thrilling one, with the highlights being getting two major fillings before heading off to work.

That was a good time. I head in for a cleaning, with the team of people that I see on a routine basis every six months, who made no mention of anything to be concerned about during my last visit, and after getting my x-rays done start to see furrowed brows and lots of head shaking...
"looks like we better get you in for that filling..."
"I would say we should take care of that as soon as possible... so it doesn't get much worse..."
Translation:
"How long would you say she has?"
"Oh I'd say if we didn't get her in here in the next 24 hours her head would probably fall off."

After my cleaning, I head over to the billing station, where I am greeted by a receptionist who's blank stares do anything but inspire confidence.
I sit down and am handed a printout of my bill for the procedure. She asks when I would like to come back in to get things taken care of.
I mention that any time after 4 would work for me, since I will be in class all day.... So she stares off into the computer screen as though she is looking through a window and comes back saying that the only time she has open is 8am on Monday morning.
I tried to explain to her that having your face pounded in with drills and needles immediately followed by 6 hours of public speaking is not my idea of a good time...
But that was the way it went down.
I walked into class, missing most of the feeling in my face, attempted to sip coffee as it dribbled onto the floor, and had to great everyone with a smile, though the act made things hurt worse.
On the bright side, that is over and done and I don't need anything else, yet.
Go team, good times.
Remember to floss.

The Unicorn in the Garden

2011-01-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

So I wake up early, the sun streaming in my windows and decide it's a great day to head outside and take a look around the garden... I throw on my flip flops, grab my hedge trimmers and walk out the door.
No sooner than I had just begun to assault the closest bush, swinging at it with both hands in a weak attempt to free it from the onslaught of leaves that had pilled onto the top of it when I am suddenly aware of the presence of a nearby visitor...
I glance over to see my next door neighbor charging towards me while shouting, "I have a message for you!"
I think to myself, time to start the car... the gig is up... but I fight my instinct to run and try to look interested.
Again, she saunters my way and repeats, "I have a message for you... from the man who used to own the house!"
Now I am really thinking the worst... he changed his mind, there are bodies in the back yard, his bookies are coming to settle his debt, now what?
Now she is standing right next to me, I grasp my clippers, ready for the worst...
"It's about your deck...." (This lady is really great at stringing me along... can't take much more of this)
So I am thinking that it must be falling over her side of the fence or infested with termites....
"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that when summer comes, it will be time to refinish it with a fresh coat of paint..."
Time to switch to decaf...
So just as I am beginning to feel silly about how stressed this lady was making me, she turns toward the back yard, stretches out her arm pointing off in the distance and proclaims, "I hate that!"
Not again, so I am scanning the area she is cursing, and ask, "What do you hate? The fence, the deck, the gazebo, the tree, the Christmas lights, the side of the house?? Give me some info here!"
"No ,that!" Pointing more dramatically...
"I hate that plant!, it grows everywhere."
Of course I see no plant and decide to wander off in another direction with my clippers... only to find that I have a new sidekick...
"That's a weed, you better get rid of that holly... gotta tear out that one and split up the bulbs... you just killed all your ferns, your tree is dying, bout $600 to have someone look at it..."
Alright, having enough pep talks for the day I wander back inside and shut the door behind me...
After finding that the coast was clear I cautiously headed back out with my rake for round two...
Hadn't been out there five minutes before a hispanic man walking by with his family gave me his card for lawn care... Apparently he wasn't too confident in my abilities to tackle this thing... Or maybe it was the fact that I was using half a rake... maybe that was the tip he picked up on...
Either way I am having loads of fun out here... Tell your friends.

Hear no Evil

2011-01-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

After weeks of packing, moving, sawing, raking, burning, and rearranging I am slowly getting settled into my new home.
One of the perks of the new neighborhood is that there is a recreation center with an indoor pool right down the street... The pool is about the same distance away from the house as the mail box is...
So after getting sworn in as a new member at the pool, Autumn and I started checking the place out...
We soon found that the usual crowd was a less than talkative bunch. At one point I was sitting in the outdoor hot tub, relaxing after a long week, only to look to my left and see an older man with both hands covering his ears, sinking low into the water as not to be disturbed by our banter... I thought it seem a little strange, till I noticed the woman on the right who had chosen a less subtle tactic by holding her breath and trying to drown herself, face down in the pool...
Perhaps we came on cult night, we will see...

By the Way

2010-11-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

No good deed ever goes unpunished... and I will always make the lie come true...
Here's the scenario...
Last week, one of my students asks me if I have ever read (Insert random book title here). She insists that it is one of the best books ever written, and after reading the first chapter, I will surely understand the latest craze and be hooked for life.
So of course, not wanting to let the little girl down, I accept her challenge and she leaves me her book for the day.

I sit down to lunch with the book in hand and attempt to keep my word by starting the first few pages.

I soon realize I have been given an epic tale, of Lord of the Rings proportions that is all about cats.
I make it through the first part, learning all about the secret ways of the warring cat people, their leaders and rituals...
At that point I was torn away, and vowed to finish it after school...

Of course I lost track of time and soon found the student standing in front of me the following day, inquiring how I had enjoyed my preview of one of her favorite things.
I mentioned that I was right in the middle of a chapter and that I needed another day to finish where I left of...
In reality, I had put the book down in my room and it had magically disappeared...
So she agreed to give me another day...

After spending two days tearing my room apart and seeing her hope dwindle as she asked when she would get to continue reading her new book... I realized that it had probably walked out the door with one of my other students. Not wanting to let her down, I only had a few hours to make the lie come true and produce a new copy. But the issue was that I didn't even know the name of the book... Only that there was a picture of a cat on the cover... Not much to go on.

This lead me to Borders in the middle of the night, searching the isles of the children's section for this illusive book that I had only seen for a matter of moments, once upon a time.

I then come to find that this cat book was actually part of a forty book series. Super... Why not make things more challenging by setting the room on fire... add a little more excitement to the search...

So here I am, looking through a bookshelf that had no less than 200 cat books on the shelves, searching every book in the series, scanning the first few pages for any reference to the "medicine cat" which was the only thing I could remember from the whole thing.
But at least I was not alone in my search...
I was soon spotted by the Borders Troll, who after hearing my story, decided to tell me one of her own... She went on to help me by telling me the titles of all of her favorite books and how excited she was about the upcoming Harry Potter films... I asked her if she had ever read (Random Cat Series). She said that she had never taken the time, but that her manager might have...
I had to pretend to be listening to her fascinating stories while scanning each page. (So I guess we did find a way to make my task more difficult...)
In the end, I stumbled upon the last copy through pure luck.
I get to the counter where the cashier inquires if I would like to donate a book to a child for $5, I smile and tell him I already am.
The next day, I peel the sticker off the back, hand it to my student as she walks in the door, and pretended I found it in my desk...

Hey Dad, Here is the House

2010-11-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

So it is covered in leaves from all the oak trees, but under it, there is a yard. (Just use your imagination)

There are a ton more photos, but I will post more as the redo is complete...
Right now the paint inside is getting redone, new floors, lights, and everything else that used to be tied down.
Keep in mind it doesn't need anything, these are just cosmetic updates...
So we will see what we will see when the project is farther along.

920 soon to be 985

2010-11-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

So this week has flown by in the usual fashion...
Running back and forth between buildings, trying to get everything up and running while keeping track of around 120 students and all of their assignments and work. Monitoring student projects and posting thoughtful comments to every photo that my students turn in across all of my classes, including photography, which entails at least 160-200 photos per day depending on the assignments that have been given and the progress the students make.
It is one of those things, the more work you give to the students, the busier they are, and in return, the more work you have created for yourself to respond to.
I have taken to creating elementary style progress monitoring to help the kids stay on track and be motivated as well as independent... This entails creating 6 pages of class rosters with a colored star for each step in each project that is achieved. This serves as a detailed instruction graphic that tells all the steps required in each activity... and ends with me starring at a screen with a clipboard for hours each week, checking off each comment and image that students have turned in.
Of course this takes forever, and I update it on a weekly basis...
It's my way of helping the kids keep track of all their work and showing them that I notice all the effort they put in each day in class...
Yesterday was the last day of the term, which means I have this weekend to post grades, get ready for conferences, and plan for the next term of new classes... I will be doing advanced levels of all of my courses in the coming term, which means new projects, new assessments, new examples, tutorials, screen casts, and accounts for all of my students.
We set up a great system that allows students to turn their work in directly to me and share their work with the class. The system works perfectly, and allows students to give constructive feedback on the work being turned in... But again, with the additional opportunities, comes more fun for me, as we have a system that has me approve each comment that students make... This is wonderful, as it ensures I can help students learn about appropriate and constructive feedback and help students that need assistance with these comments, but it also means that I need to approve each one, and with classes often posting 3-5 comments each (across 120 students) each day, I end up having to approve them at all hours of the day just to keep up.
I am still getting the hang of the system and soon will figure out a schedule that allows me to stay on top of all the work and not end up spending all of my time outside of work working...
But it seems that the demands of what I do are just part of the plan.
I really enjoy it for all the extra time it requires.
I just hope that I can continue to keep it all up and keep giving the crew a memorable experience.

In other news, I did something brilliant today.
I ended up driving on an expressway at around 55 mph with my emergency brake on...
Needless to say, I was surprised to find my back tires on the brink of bursting into flames when I got home.
The brake accidentally got set when we were moving cars around at the new house, and I was so tired and focused on getting home to go back to sleep that I didn't notice the little red light on the dash, right in front of me.
So I headed over to Les Schwab, ready to accept my fate and take the news like a champ.
This after having just getting my brakes redone only months earlier.
Turned out that they said everything was just fine, but I was halfway through looking up the bus schedule for the area just in case...

So the car is fine, next week is all half days and we are off to Thanksgiving Break, where I will be putting my things into boxes and mentally rearranging my kitchen.

Good times.

2010-11-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

Captain's Log, Man Down

2010-10-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

So today was just an average day... the kids were all doing the usual, working along, when out of nowhere, I tripped over a backpack and went flying across the room.
I don't think I have ever fell as hard as I did today... and seeing as I have fallen out of planes, that means a lot.
I was on the ground for a while, with little reaction from the kids, and finally picked myself back off the floor in time for another three hours of teaching.
I ended up limping around the building and sat down to my lunch break with ice packs on both of my knees.
I have been cursing the man who invented stairs and tried to relax at home taking extra care not to move too much.

Tomorrow I'll be off at a tech conference, which should thoroughly convince the class that I broke both my legs...
So I definitely made the most of my one day school week...
I hope that the next one is a little less painful...
I now understand why all the other classes are no bag zones, and it was also brought to my attention that that policy should go double for a tech room with lots of pocket sized equipment...

Good times.

In other news, I had a nice time spending my weekend in Bend, near Sun River, where I had the opportunity to spend time spelunking in caves and celebrating Juliet's derby birthday.
We ended up covering Owen's 5 bedroom mansion in Justin Beiber posters and accomplishing all house related tasks in skates...
It was a good time.
We even made sure to make use of the giant triangle out on the front porch by sending everyone out to the font yard to pretend they were working (which amounted to picking up pine cones) until Diana rang the bell, at which point we all started yelping and cheering like hillbillies and stormed into the house for breakfast, further cementing the deep hatred we were feeling from the neighbors...

917 Tragedy in the Tank

2010-09-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

So people that know me know I don't have kids... I have eleven toasters, a roomba and a goldfish...
Well as of Tuesday it's down to just the vacuum and the toasters...
After a long day at work and a longer workshop down town that kept me till around seven at night I came home to my little home to find my one little friend was lying at the bottom of the tank next to my plecco.
I had a little mini melt down at this point.
I am sure it was a combination of things including the stress of getting the year going, taking on a lot of projects and who knows what else. But the point was that it all kind of came crashing down when the one thing I worked so hard to keep happy gave up and left me.
I felt abandoned, and it really hurt to see the one thing I cared about more than I should have decided to give up and leave me.
So I had a hard time with it... and looking at the empty tank made me break down each time.
So today I mentioned the latest casualty to a few people at work and finally got the reaction I had been waiting for... Apparently these guys actually knew what this little fish meant to me, and my friend Neshay jumped in the car and drug me back to the place where I got goldie to find a new start for me.
I got two little guys, one fancy tail that looks a lot like my old one, and a new little yellow one that is all of it's own.
Names never last, but from the bag they are Phoenix and Delilah.
The last pair was Lenny and George, but after George died in the castle, Lenny became goldie.
So we will see if having some fresh little ones to care for will help fill the void and get me to stop melting down over nothing.

Anyways, school is going pretty well, with the kids working on a variety of projects.
I have four clases rolling at the moment and just introduced a new way for the class to share their work.
They seem to have caught on to it pretty well and are helping me to learn new things about how it works.
This new system is a cool twist on a site that allows them to share their photos and videos and even comment on each-other's work.We are practicing giving each-other positive feedback and helping each-other try new things.
We will see how it goes, but so far, so good.

Latest Find

2010-09-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

This was added to the financial report for my district.
I thought it was interesting that they deemed the beach a better location for my class than my room...
I love how the distant mountains are radiating with radio waves, and that I am staring off into space...

Every now and again, a photo crew will appear in the building and we never ask why...
Apparently this was the perfect photo to introduce the new chapter on our current finances and expenses.
Good times.

I have found that my image appears often related to education; on the news websites, video clips, and now random education related digital articles...

Guess I look the part.

Not So Subtle Hints

2010-08-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

So the powers that be drug me out from my bed before I had hoped.
The splatter of rain on my windows informed me that my laundry, freshly dried in the sunshine was receiving an unexpected extra rinse cycle from mother nature...
I stumbled down the stairs and out the back door to find that my cobweb of string that had formed my clothesline was now a watery web that held my shirts and towels fast as they drowned i the change of season.
Dripping wet, along with all my clothes i drug all my belongings back in the house in a basket that was heavy enough to remind e of my brief days of carrying wet sheets from the Gorman Motel.
It always seems that shortcuts are the longest distance between any two points, and in the case of my clothesline the same is true...
My attempts not to be taken by the rising prices of on site laundry turned out to not be worth the trouble, and the dollar I saved in dryer time I am sure will come back ten fold in the cost of medication to combat the side effects of wrestling with laundry in the rain before one is meant to be awake.

Today was my first day back to the daily grind.
It was two hours shorter than the usual work day, but half an hour till it was due to end I was dragging my heels and barely able to keep my eyes open as I half heartedly skimmed the text of our new handbook for our grant.
It isn't easy getting out of routines only in time to have to dive back in.
I am still of the mind that I need to find employment with some travel channel and call in Vicarious.com, where bored millionaires send me their life savings and I tell them about how much fun I had letting it fall through my fingers.

At any rate, this marks the beginning to the new term with d-day being next Wednesday.

I am still getting all the materials for this term in order and will take my first dizzying step into my classroom tomorrow.
I plan on locking the doors and turning all the lights off to discurage any disruptions from my task.
I still have quite a lot to do.
Though laundry is no longer on that list.

Catching Rides with Strangers

2010-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Off to Les Schwab for the estimate I have been waiting for for a long time...
I walk in the door like a escaped con awaiting his sentence, knowing that after a few moments of inspection and a few questions that all will be revealed and the tire irons will come out to prevent my unlikely escape...
Well that was the scene I was expecting, and probably the one that deterred my visit in the first place...
I had been on borrowed time for longer than I can recall and it doesn't make sense to dodge them forever...
So I am working on being more responsible, with working being the ongoing endeavor.
Anyways, I got the wisdom teeth out last year, so the car was next on my list...
I came in and asked about an alignment, and they offered to do a quick once over to make sure nothing was about to fall off, and shortly returned with a three page estimate that I had known was long in coming.
I need:
New breaks (front and back), new rotors, and a few other things...
We are set to operate tomorrow, with a projected damage list of no more than $700
They will call when it is finished...

So this left me just a few blocks from home waiting to wander on my way in the wonderful 94 degree sun...
After the polite young man had absconded with my keys he mentioned that Les Schwab offers drop off for customers in transition from repair work.
He told me to take a seat and that Kirsten would be back shortly to help me on my way...

So I hunkered down with my popcorn, watching in terror at the little screen in the lobby as all the year's escaped murderers and celebrities scrolled across the screen...
But what was more interesting was the scenario that was developing up at the counter.
A seemingly well off older man with a gold watch and a cheap wife were arguing with the man behind the counter over what was often being referred to as a dissolving front axil. All I could do was listen and hang on the words I had been afraid would have been meant for me... Things like, legally I can't let you drive it off the lot, and your options are fix it or have it towed, and the trashy woman at the counter insisting it wasn't that bad and that she had been driving her kids to church in it like that for years...
The conversation went back and forth, with the hillbilly asking to use the phone to call all of his cronies and see if he could find a better deal elsewhere... In the end they looked like they were seconds away from a major altercation and the total being argued over sounded as though it was only 70 dollars... a far cry from what I was signing up for...
Kirsten ushered me out the back door and off into her truck before I had the chance to see how it all panned out, but it seemed like an above average day in customer service...

Sorry I don't have the grand list of items to be replaced, but it is a long one... I am sure they are all very important and needed items... I should have done it sooner, but I thought having bad rotors was the next best thing to getting those massaging chair inserts or the car...
One thing at a time...
Next I will probably be getting a new transmission, engine, and finally car...
One thing at a time.

Off to the Lemon

2010-08-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

After spending way too much time in the airports, and having to switch planes due to technical difficulties, I have finally arrived back at home. Just in time to head back out the door to go work in a giant fiberglass lemon and start working before the school year starts.
I will be doing Saturday and Sunday at the Scandinavian Festival and then another few days at the County Fair.

It's been a long week, and I will be looking forward to doing some fun work with people before having to get back in gear for the school year.

So I am off to search for my wooden shoes and put my hair in braids before heading out to my favorite sleepy little town, filled with Scandinavians.

2010-08-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

Cusco

2010-08-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Post 910: Cusco or Bust

2010-08-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

So this morning Autumn and I packed the rest of our things and began our journey to the airport.
There was a little mix up with the printing of the tickets, which left us to stand in the line to have our boarding passes printed at Peruvian Air. I had to check my bag since I was a few stones over...
The guy at the security point asked me about the stick I use to hold up my hair, and after explaining that it was a bamboo knitting needle with the dullest point in existence, I watched as he shook his head, said, "No possible" and added it to the large bin on items deemed unfit to fly.
I thought it was funny that he would put on such a show about safety and security when I had four more in my cary on.
Oh well, I will get more...
Anyways, our flight was delayed for about 2 hours, which meant that when we finally arrived, we were to join the tour, already in progress with out the much needed time to decompress and adjust to the new altitude.
We started out in a church and went from there to just about every site there was in town in 20 minute increments.
No sooner had we arrived at our destination than we were talking about our departure.
We left different members of the tour numerous times.
I would announce the moment of silence for the lost companion and the bus would roar back to life and begin moving down the avenue only to be chased moments later by whatever unfortunate person and children in toe who had been left behind.

During the course of our travels today, I heard one visitor from California go on and on about the restaurants in Cusco and all the wonderful things to try. So as soon as we got off the death march bus, we headed over to a little restaurant near the center of town called Inca Grill. We had some really wonderful food and had a chance to hear how other visitors were enjoying the local favorite, "Cuy" which is the ferocious beast, a pig by the name of Guinea.

Dad, I am sure you will be disappointed to know that the only pan flute I saw today was the one being chewed on by a toddler. There are no bands lining the streets and selling CD's.

2010-08-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Day Two

2010-08-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

Today Autumn and I had our tour of the city and had a chance to explore around town.
We saw lots of stuff...
We even got to go to the catacombs in a wonderful Catholic Church.
Ate lots of chicken and am way tired.
Tomorrow we head out to Cuscu.
It takes over half an hour to fill up the bath tub.

Should the man who cleans our room be rearranging my toiletries and putting the cap back on my toothbrush?
These guys go way past above and beyond. They even took all our things off the two beds before making them and then artfully rearranged the things again.

Day One: Photos from the Front Line

2010-08-02T23:15:00.001-07:00

So today has been quite an adventure... We have gone about 4,000 miles today, not counting the drive to San Fran...

Autumn and I made it down to San Fran in style and spared no expense when it came to resting up in style...
Ok, we drove non stop all the way down and almost ended up sleeping in a strawberry patch.
Finally, around 2 am. I casually mentioned that I had the address to a nearby camp site in my phone and the reaction was pretty funny...
We showed up in a KOA outside of Sacramento and it was everything I could have hoped for and more...
I had never been to a KOA camp site... I was very impressed by the showers, pool, crafts, sports, and even free go-carts that were available for the kiddos passing through...
After getting just a few hours sleep we headed off into the city and began our adventure around Golden Gate Park...

I was very impressed with how easy it was to get through the airport in San Fran... When we reached the counter for Taca Air the man behind the counter printed our passes and asked how many pieces of luggage we would be checking... We said none and without even looking at our things we were sent out on our way... Prior to this we were shuffling and repacking over and over trying to meet the weight requirements for the carry on luggage. After getting in line with the rest of the passengers I saw that no one was anywhere neat matching the limits and the airline couldn't have been less concerned.

We had two flights throughout the day... 5 hours to El Salvador and then 3 more to Lima.
The flight was awesome... Free drinks, mimosas, headphones, movies, meals, snacks and friendly staff. All of our flight attendants were men who were sharply dressed complete with ties and waistcoats...

When we arrived in Lima, we were greeted by our tour and taken to Miraflores. I immediately crashed, took a dip in the jacuzzi, and started charging every device I own...

We had a Pisco Sour with dinner and had a great time trying to communicate with the kitchen staff... I pointed to a dish and asked what it was... moments later the kitchen (which is behind glass in view of the dining area) was filled with smoke and our chef was har at work... He just took the liberty of making the first thing I pointed at, which turned out to be great.

Tomorrow we tour the city and from there we are off to Manchu Pichu....

Good times.

Free at Last, Free at Last!

2010-07-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the way things went down, but really, it is the way it had to be.
I don't have children, I have a collection of toasters, one robotic vacuum, and a goldfish.

For the last few years, I have been the source of refuge for the lost and the homeless... The fish that were left behind...
Taking on a huge plecco, a strange little tetra, and a pair of rainbow sharks...

It seemed strange to me, how concerned the owners were with the wellbeing of their former pets. It also seemed odd that their attachments would appear to run so deeply, and yet not somehow persuade them to take their little dependents with them.
The former owners would drop by, call, and do all sorts of things to reassure themselves that the little creatures were doing alright and having a happy life...
Leaving me with the added responsibility and guilt if I did less than a perfect job of changing the water and feeding them on a regular schedule...
At any rate, it is a well know fact that I can't keep houseplants alive, so it should come as less of a shock that I assumed all of my little refugees would not be long for this world.

I spent way to much time worrying over a pastime that boasted its ability to calm and relax, and spent large amounts of money all in the hope that my little guys wouldn't be miserable.
During all this time, all the upgrades and concern I noticed that there was a bit of a conflict forming in my tank..
The rainbow sharks were eating my goldfish, and the poor little guy couldn't do anything to get away...
I spent way too much time shouting at the little sharks, wishing they would leave my favorite fish alone...
I threatened to blend, hit, flush and burn the little critters each chance I saw them, and wished there was a simple way out...
I knew I would feel bad just killing them and with no one to turn to I scanned the Internet for a way out.
I read the posting guidelines for craig's list and saw that there was a clearly outlined no free pets parameter of the site...
So I posted that the two evil rainbow sharks would be available to the first person who could tell me a joke and show up with bucket in hand.
The lady who showed up turned out to be the joke, and happened to be an avid collector of lost fish and particularly loved rainbow sharks..
She said that she has a few that are about the same size and that they will probably begin schooling together within the week.
I knew I had the right lady when she started asking me about the PH level of my water and if they would be apposed to the possibility of soft water conditions.
She could tell by my blank expression that I had no clue about what she was referring and that she was lucky they were even alive to be taken...

I did a little research and the goldfish's fins should recover in the next few months...
Hope it all goes well...
Josh, I am sorry for abandoning my charge, but they are in a better place where they will be loved far better than I would...
The Plecco is doing fine... He is gigantic and scares everyone who sees him. You'd be proud.

Newton the Newt At Blue River Reservior

2010-07-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Yarn Ball is Orange

2010-07-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

What Next

2010-07-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

So this whole month has been a bit of a fiasco at the Gardner House...
I have returned home many times this week to find the little world I have called my own turned upside down with little forewarning.
First they sawed down a tree in my back yard, then they took away my picnic table, then they took away the sidewalks, leaving me to jump over caution tape and walk through wet cement to get to the laundry room and check my mail, now we have all been told to vacate the parking lot so new asphalt can be lain down, in the mean time they have taken down many of the bows of the large trees that shade the back of my home, unleashing millions of displaced beetles to fill up my house, land in my coffee, and cover every available surface.
Now I walk out my door onto my gravel walkway to find the only dumpster in the lot is missing and half of the complex is hastily painted green...

I think someone is playing a joke on us, and feel like I might be the newest unwilling contestant on a lovely show called Boiling Point.

What is it going to take to get a discount in this place...

FLight of the Mosquito

2010-07-14T16:15:00.001-07:00

I thought that this picture was particularly interesting. I liked the way that without knowing what was really going on, it was definitely open to interpretation.
It looks like a small child who has heard enough and might be receiving a talk on a variety of topics, be it his constant leaving of toys on the floor, to his father trying to get him to focus on what he wants to be when he grows up and being more goal oriented.
But in fact, this simple moment was of a father explaining all the wonders that were around in the view of the lake. He was telling his son about how all the mountains and the crater itself were formed by geological events and the volcanos that fill the surrounding area.
I liked seeing the animated way this parent took the time to demonstrate the creation of crater lake, complete with wide gestures and the sounds of explosions. So simple and effective, even a small child could understand.

This little critter was one of many tiny visitors that we encountered on our trip. I was happy to see a little beetle on the windsheild, as apposed to the millions of mosquitos that were actually in the car with us.

Yesterday a short drive turned into a three hour tour...
Back to Crater Lake, and the infamous swarms of "Glacial Mosquitos".
Having been away from the park for months, enough time had elapsed that I had forgotten about the epic swarms of bugs, in tidal wave numbers.
Upon paying the fee and passing the gate, the attendant in the booth called, "Enjoy your park!"
I didn't realize that she must have been joking or issuing a dare, cause it is all but impossible to enjoy anything when you are being eaten alive and running for your life with camera in hand...
At one point, we tried to stop in the section of the park that boasts a gorgeous display of wild flowers...
The last time we had been visiting the flower garden had been under repair and out of bounds for visitors. So seeing as it is summer, we thought we would take a moment to survey the scenes and see if we could check it out and make up for lost time.
No sooner had we left the car and begun ambling down the winding path across a little brook than we found ourselves once again under attack from above.
I took the opportunity to come prepared with park brochure in hand, fearlessly smacking my companion in the head repeatedly to save his life.
Truthfully, I think hitting my companion with a rolled up newspaper is definitely the highlight of my journeys to Crater Lake and probably the major element of motivation to take on such a long drive.
So to summarize, the glacial mosquitos are out of hand and I think a well timed fire might just be in order...
The park is definitely in on the whole thing and is probably breeding the evil creatures in a lab and unleashing them on a daily basis to justify their $14 bug repellant that I am sure is made on the spot...
By the time you get back into the car and realize that you aren't safe from the little stowaways that have highjacked their way into your car and are feasting on you and your friends as you frantically try to find the next gift shop to end your suffering, $14 dollars sounds like a steal and you can't get your credit card out fast enough to make it stop.

So again, I love nature, I hate bugs...
Unleash the Bats, and let the battle begin.

Funny Story

2010-07-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well not really,
didn't mean to get your hopes up there...
I know lots of funny stories, none of which I can post here...
But another time, back to the point...

So I mentioned that my morning was something of a project...
It starts with me and my minor eye irritation, depriving me of sleep and unleashing me onto the Internet to search for the latest ailments and life threatening illnesses that match my symptoms...
This in turn, leaves me to dialing the wellness clinic's appointment line on speed dial repeatedly until someone finally decides to take my call...
Upon hearing my request for an appointment, the receptionist apologizes and says that since they are a little short handed today, the only person who is available to see me is Courtney, and asks if that is alright...
I immediately respond with, "Anyone but Courtney, I've heard about her... anyone but Courtney!"
I just thought it was funny that when calling a doctor's office, to have the receptionist try to talk you out of coming in and apologizing for the only working doctor on staff being less than desirable...
After walking in the door and being greeted by nurse Chuckles, and guided to room six, I instantly realized why they had tried to persuade me to take a different practitioner...
Yes, it turns out that Courtney was the very same doctor that had previously made such astute observations as: "It looks like you may have been wearing a V-kneck lined shirt" "That may be a blister, or a pimple, I can't tell" and "There is no end all be all medication for sun burns" and of course the infamous detailed description of how to make an ice cube that took 20 minutes... That by far was the most helpful...

So yes I was less than thrilled to see my favorite hospital helper back in front of me...

I was particularly nervous about the combination of maladies that Bullwinkle would be treating today... I knew that one thing needed soothing eye drops, and the other was to be burned off with Nitrogen and prayed to God that she didn't mix them up...
Either way, I was just hoping to get out a live as usual...

So we have a small discussion about the latest issue, being the debris in my left eye that drug me out of bed at such an early hour in the first place...
She mentioned that if I had the slightest concern that there might be something that could have scratched my cornea that we should be on the safe side and go through the procedure to check it out...
This of course I totally agreed with...
So she tells me the plan and seems a little excited to get it all underway...
She pulls out a vile and says that she needs to numb my eye before dying it with fluorescent orange dye and blinding me with a black light at close range... She warns me that the numbing drops will burn like hell and to brace for impact...
Then while I am blinking in pain, she sets to the task of attempting to turn on the black light that must not have been removed from it's special box since it was last needed in the sixties.
Ten minutes of probing and poking with q-tips and flashlights, and oozing orange dye our of my eye like a statue of the Virgin Mary, she tells me I am fine and says that she will be prescribing a treatment of antibacterial ointment to help prevent infection...
The funny part is that before I went over, I did some research on the treatment of scratched corneas...
Guess what it is...
That's right, that very same antibiotic ointment...
So basically she would have given that to me either way, and there was no real point in all the torture since the treatments would have all been the same...
Good times...
Next time they tell me the only one working at the snack bar is Courtney, I am taking a rain check.

Weekly Update

2010-07-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Good times had by all,
This week I had the opportunity to visit the Country Fair with Autumn and her family.
It was a perfect day, with plenty of sunshine and events to fill the afternoon.
Autumn and I got into the fair with work passes before all the crowds showed up. It is a totally different experience to be behind the scenes and see the whole event for what it is, without the huge groups of people.
The first event we hit up was a poetry slam group from Eugene. There were about 8 acts that went in turn sharing their work. The highlights included a man who did a Shakespearian rendition of a tale of love lost on account of Ninja Chipmunks and zombie crows, complete with theatrical death scene.
He was the best part for me...
And on a side note, there happened to be a pair of signers who joined the event to translate the poetry as the presenters went along.
I learned that one of the longest words to sign is Jellyfish...
I heard about how Jason Webley had messed with the poor signers during earlier fairs, by ending every statement with the word jellyfish... just to slow them down.

On another note about signers... God love them...
I had one unusual observation while watching the poetry slam events...
During one poet's contribution, one the female form, I noticed the signer doing overtly obscene gestures, licking her lips, and flicking her tongue in a seductive manner at the other signer...
I only looked at the signer in the first place to avoid looking directly at the speaker who was telling such a graphic story in the first place...
This lead me to wonder if there is a second component to signing that helps to portray the speaker's tone and intent...
I guess understanding how a story is meant to be interpreted is just as important as the content, I just found the additional flurishes were definitely off putting and a little on the strange side...
I wondered how the 10 year olds in the front row next to the signer felt about the whole scene...
That and it seemed as though the only people in the audience who could interpret the signals where the signers themselves... Who is to know what they were actually talking about...
Like Star Wars, translated into Japanese and then back into English again.

After the fair, our crew headed back out to the car, hoping to beat the rush of people making their exits in a similar fashion, only to realize that the battery was dead and wouldn't start.

The brilliant group of young adults that I was with put their heads together and quickly came up with many fantastic plans to remedy the situation... Ending with me finally flagging down a fair worker with a radio and getting a OCF van to show up and jump the car.

Initially, as I went out on my mission to flag down strangers and enlist the assistance of others I assumed that the rest of the kids in my party were doing the very same thing. I thought of the embarrassment I would experience upon eliciting assistance and finding that the car had already been revived and that my team had just been waiting for me so we could leave... This was not the case...
I walk over to the car to inform them that help is on the way, only to discover all of my comrades lying on the ground almost under the car in search of shade from the sun overhead. They had pretty much given up and just accepted their fates....

Glad to know that in the case of emergencies, my team is a solid crew that bands together when things get tough and really applies themselves when it counts...
Or at least they were smart enough to stay with the car and not wander off into traffic...
After seeing the display of heroism I am just surprised they didn't manage to get run over by a horse while wandering around aimlessly.

So disaster averted, and back on our way.

Hotdogs on a Monday Morning

2010-07-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, living in Bandon, there was one thing that I would look forward to each time we got in the car and started driving south of town. It was a little country store in the center of Langlois. The store was the only major sign of life in the heart of a tiny town and it boasted on item on it's menu that drew people from all around: the famous Langlois hotdog. Over a million had been sold over the years and it was a main attraction for many from up and down the coast.

Even in the years that I have lived in Eugene, I have made new friends based only on this simple treat.
I once visited a small bar on campus and soon found that when people inquired as to where I was from, their immediate response was, "Is that near Langlois?"

Being close to the 4th of July I have been stricken with the amazing urge to track down a hot dog of a similar caliber in my own town and wondered if such a place existed.

This quest lead me to a small hot dog shop on 17th and Pearl called Dog in a Box.
I did a little research before heading out on my mission, and found that this little shop has at least ten kinds of hotdogs and sausages hot and ready each day by 11 am.

When I walked through the door I was greeted by the owner who was standing at the ready, waiting for the latest passerby to stop in. The shop was covered in posters of famous jazz musicians and the familiar red and white walls with checkered black and white tiled floors like a soda shop out of the 50's.

It really seemed like something out of a movie about summer. They had it all, chips, sodas, sauerkraut, potato salad, chips, even ice cream.

I was sad to think that on account of the location, the shop might not get as much business as it should and wished that I had known about it when my dad had come out to visit earlier in the year.
Dad, I really think you would have liked this place, and the next time you need to renew your license, or just feel like a 12 hour plane ride, it will be well worth the trip.
Breakfast of champions and the cornerstone of any nutritious meal: hotdogs.

Captain's Log

2010-06-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

I taste blood.

Have you ever been sitting next to a complete stranger, attempting to keep up with conversation, while simultaneously attempting to separate a sub-zero temperature popsicle from your face?
Well I have, and it was no small feat.
Apparently I was in the right place at the right time for snack distribution, and among various treats, including candy bars and cupcakes, they were also giving out strawberry popsicles as a pick up for the waiting guests.

I was thrilled when I started seeing the familiar wrappings of one of my favorite frozen treats, and waisted no time in acquiring one of my own.

Little did I know, that in order to keep these concoctions in their frozen state, that the powers that be had put them into some cryogenic chamber complete with what I can only guess must have been dry ice.

Soon after attempting to take the first frosty bite, I was instantly informed that I had made a terrible mistake and had cemented the treat to my face.

This was not however, apparent to the person I was previously talking to, who went on to ask me questions about my line of work and the tasks I was in charge of.

I made every attempt possible not to give away my embarrassing predicament, and in between drooling profusely, while trying to plan out an exit strategy, I did fairly well in responding nonchalantly.

Finally, after giving up on all attempts at avoiding injury, I gave in and just focused on freeing myself from the frozen demon. After all that I was in instant pain and immediately looked up to see that everyone who had made the same unfortunate mistake as me was in a similar situation.

The room filled with people glaring at their chosen treats and digging for pocket mirrors to help assess the damages.

I was lucky, I only lost a little skin and the better part of my taste buds, leaving me with the unsatisfying taste of blood and nothing to show for it.

I finally solved the puzzle by stealing a water cup and dunking the arctic treat into water before making any other ill planned attempts at consuming the thing.

The popsicle came in handy, soothing my latest injuries.

You learn something new every day, and I will be wiser if ever the situation presents itself again in the future.

On other notes, I had a nice time at the day's activities and made my way to the convention center with plenty of time to spare.

I did find that after a long day of meeting new people and mulling about that the tiny laptop I had brought soon hung like lead from my shoulder, causing continuous pain and dragging me down, leaving me to find any excuse to put it down like the nagging child it had become.

I am hesitant to bring it with me, and am even considering reviving the long dead art form of note taking with a pen and paper to help cover all the new information and contacts, though I know that would not be the best for helping me to remember all the fantastic tools I will be introduced to in the coming week.

The last event of the day was a keynote presentation by the leader of our convention, and a special guest who was formerly the head of the World Bank.

The arena filled to the brim with excited new faces all waiting to hear from our leaders. After the introductions had been made and the awards for various accomplishments relating to the technology field had been doled out, oru key speaker took the stage.

I was curious as to how his background would relate to the integration of technology and the different strands we were trying to help be incorporated into teaching, but I was excited to find out.

After the show began, I became increasingly confused as to how the topics under discussion were going to relate back to the topics at hand and as the performance went on, I finally realized that there wasn't going to be any.

The presentation was on a series of important topics relating to global issues that need to be addressed in the near future, and our need for a unifying team that will take on the task of enforcing our goals across the globe. The issues that were covered ranged from the depletion of forests and over fishing, to emission levels and our dependency on other consumable resources, such as oil, water, and food.

I admit that with such a large group of people in attendance, it was nice to know that the message was being heard loud and clear from participants around the country, but I wish the connection between helping students to become involved and concerned about the choices being made would have been stronger.

Knowing about the issues is one thing, but helping students to get involved is another, and I would have liked to have heard more about the different steps and programs that were being implemented with that goal in mind and the kinds of projects students were creating.

There will be an exhibition of student work that we will be able to see throughout the conference, and hopefully that will fill in the rest of the gaps for me.

So the lesson of the day kids is... don't eat a popsicle strait out of the cart without a glass of warm water and a pair of tongs.

The Road To...

2010-06-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Oh My Goodness, did I have the day from hell…
After getting all my ducks in a row and making my way to the airport, getting through the open threats on the number of bags you can carry, and listening to the crazy woman complain about her lost toiletries, I finally made it through all the thunder storms, the insanely large airport, to the bench under the budget sign. After watching numerous shuttles pass by every minute from the competitors, I finally made it to the rental agency, to be greeted by an hour long line and a bag of chili Fretos, which would be my only meal for the day.

After making it through the gauntlet of people waiting for the four assistants behind the desk I encountered some new issues and events.

To make my trip more valuable and not to miss out on the major events that were to take place on Sunday, we amended my reservation to include Saturday. We just added an extra day to the bill and I was told that since it was reserved through Expedia, that I would need to put the small fee on my own card and be reimbursed when I return home. Sounds simple enough… Not if you are talking to the guy I got.

He takes my credit card and lisence and looks at the screen. He informs me that since the two reservations are being paid separately, I will need to return the next day to re-check out my car. I explained that we had arranged the purchase ahead of time and had been told I would be signing two separate rental agreements at the same time and that I would just return the car on Wednesday on my way out of town.

A simple arrangement turned into a straight out screaming match, with me trying to keep my cool at each turn in the conversation. After giving in to the ridiculous terms of having the car for a matter of hours and needing to return again, only to stand in line just to get the same keys handed back to me, the evil man inquired if I would like to get the additional insurance. I asked if the additional insurance had been purchased for the other dates that had been arranged and he said that they had not, so I said I didn't want it.

From there he went on and on, insisting that I needed the insurance. I explained that I was perfectly covered by my school's insurance from being on a business trip and my own. He insisted again… So basically I said "no" quite clearly around 5 times, and each time he shook his head and said that I really needed it.

Finally I gave up and asked how much it was… In an inaudible tone he mumbled a number that could have been anything, so I asked again… He printed out my bill and I looked at the charges, and said, oh sixteen dollars, that isn't too bad. He immediately corrected me, fifty three dollars…
So I finally made it out accomplishing nothing and in a complete haze as to my whereabouts in this state that I have never seen before.
I watched as the helpful woman at the next kiosk cheerfully handed her patrons maps and helped them with their journeys. I asked my guy for a map and he wandered around as if the request was out of the ordinary and through off his concentration.

I know the line is long and that people are waiting, but it doesn't do me any good to be in a parking lot in the middle of nowhere with no clue where the freeway is.

So I head out to the car and give the latest report to Mandi, the one who made the reservations… She calms me down and explains that I need to call the 1-800 number and get the ball rolling, lucky for them it was past their usual hours of operation and there was no one to hear my story.

So I head back in and Bullwinkle seems surprised to see me back in line. Mandi told me that there should be two forms and that it was all set up so I made my way, since I had nothing better to do.
As I reached the front of the line I hoped that I wouldn't be paired with Grumpy Bear a second time.
Thankfully I was matched up with the smiling map girl from earlier. I mentioned my problem and she said that it would be no problem to fix. Of course she was a trainee and needed to ask for help in setting the final changes… That is when Grumpy Bear came back on the scene, yelling at me and telling me that I needed to come back and that there was no way around it. I explained again that I was going to be at the convention center all day and that there was not a convenient time to drive an hour out of my way after a long day of classes and networking…
From there I saw Grumpy storm off to his manager and yell quite clearly (for the first time in our dealings, as all other attempts at speech had resulted in garbled consonants that couldn't even clarify billing questions) that he didn't know of any conferences that went past nine o'clock at night…
I was really upset after that one, implying that day or night I should find the time to drive back to the boondocks to put an X on a line and drive away again.
And for the record, though he may find it unfathomable that a conference will go late into the evening, I do not and have even gone as far as to sign up for classes that go till that time. While there I made a complaint that the man had also badgered me into the insurance that costs double what the car rental was for and brought my bill into the triple digits on a school trip. I asked for the guy's name and the frightened trainee did her best to recall, but you could tell that she wasn't about to ask him.

Good plan, offer the insurance, and then get the driver so upset that they storm off to the parking lot and out into the darkness, not even knowing where the lights are.

I had a thrilling time with it all…
Thankfully after barely making it the 45 minutes on the freeway to my hotel, the wonderful woman behind the counter explained that there is actually a light rail train outside my door that goes straight to the conference center, avoiding the freeway, (which she mentioned she wouldn't go onto if her life depended on it) and avoiding the issue of parking fees. She even said that there is a shuttle from here that goes straight to the airport for a whopping six dollars as well…
So now my final mission is going to be getting to the rental agency, getting rid of the car, finding a bus, and making my way back to the hotel. I am guessing that the switch may be a lot of work for me, but perhaps the best plan.

Off to ISTE

2010-06-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

The forecast for the area of Denver Colorado is a gloomy, overcast scenario with a major probability of thunder and lightning.

I am excited for my arrival in this new state, and am continually impressed by my own lack of general knowledge relating to the country I live in. I have been flying over sandy desert and snow covered mountains, each one looking more mysterious than the last, leaving me to wonder where I may be and finally leading to the conclusion that I haven't a clue what the names of any of the states are or where they might be in geographical relation to one another.

Getting out of the airport was the usual endeavor. I had the rare opportunity to leave out of Eugene and avoid an extra two hour drive on top of what is already going to be a long and tiresome day. When I arrived, I was surprised to find how small the entire operation was and was very impressed with the local artwork that is incorporated into the whole area.

I was not, however, impressed by the local options for food, where I was presented with an $8 dollar burger and a $16 dollar bill. That was just a funny oversight, but I thought it was a little entertaining.

On the topic of entertainment, I was fairly amused to find after arriving at my final terminal in waiting for my plain, that the rest of the passengers and I were joined by a very pushy woman with a knack for projection. This lady sat on a bench for over an hour, calling everyone she knew in turn and screaming across the terminal how she had been robbed of her most prized possessions and hated the airline industry on account of it.

After the first two calls I started collecting data on the frequency in which she repeated herself. I heard toothpaste about 11 times, mouthwash about 9 times, and hour mouse about 12, which was the most displeasing to her…
It was a fairly interesting spectacle, with the rest of the waiting passengers in complete silence and not wanting to disrupt this obviously disgruntled passenger. I knew that she would be joining us on our flight, but am hoping in the back of my mind that she is no one of consequence and will not turn out to be one of our keynote speakers and end up holding a grudge with me for mocking her pain and taking data on the subject.

The Picnic Table

2010-06-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Long ago in a far away land, there was once a complex that was home to a picnic table.
It was a modest thing. It just served a purpose...
Many a day would be filled with the merriment of book clubs and old friends, gathering around in it's presence...
No one minded that the table had been well worn over the years and that the paint was chipping in certain spots.
The true joy came from the simple function that it served, it was a place to eat, chat, and hang out...

But soon the powers that be learned of the picnic table's power and they were jealous....
They took it away for "Maintenance"....
The seasons passed with few noticing it's absence, but for the rest of us, we waited patiently for the return of our long lost friend.

Finally, a year later, I see a little college kid, sanding away at the table, promising that it will be done any time now...

As the final touch they have covered it in caution tape and given up completely...

I want my table back, how hard can this be?
I mean really,
What is the hold up.

Over and Done

2010-06-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the year and the first day without students.
We ended the year with our final field trips, having sent the graduating class off to Oaks Theme Park near Portland and Shipping the 6th and 7th graders off to a fun filled day at Skate World and Fall Creek.

I wasn't slated to join either of the ventures and was looking forward to a peaceful day sorting electronics in my room. At the last minute, I was discovered enjoying the calm silence in my room and immediately recruited.
I was put in charge of bus three, which boasted more than it's fair share of misfits.
Not looking forward to the 10 hour adventure, I drug myself out of bed and prepared myself for my post.

The morning was filled with popcorn and movies, starting the countdown till we headed out on the buses to take over a forgotten skate park that has frozen itself in time and ignored progress at all costs.

I recall visiting skate world as a child and was surprised to find that the rumors were true that they had not done a thing to update it in the last 20 years....
The very same retro carpets, stained with coke and iceys were right were I left them, and even the prices had gone unchanged.

The students really impressed me with their skills, flying around the rink and crashing into the walls.
I was very impressed to find that some of our teachers are also master skaters and make short work of showing up the kids every chance they could.
I opted to wear flip-flops and guard the munchkins instead of injuring myself in any attempt to pretend I could skate.

Finally towards the end, I noticed the air hockey table in the corner and wandered over to see what was going on...
From there I took on each of my students and dominated them in an undefeated streak ten kids long.
I had a great time destroying them on the table and taking on a few of my favorite students, especially the one who took the time to write, "I had a good time annoying you all year"in my yearbook.
I was finally taken down by one of the smallest students in the entire 6th grade, who took his rightful place as the air hockey master.
It was nice to actually be good at something for once, and I had a great time.
From there we headed out to Fall Creek Reservoir, where the students swarmed the cement lined pool of water that we call a lake.
Even though it was freezing out, the kids dove right in and had a blast.
It was nice to see all the students enjoying their last day with their friends and showing a new side.
We got back at around 6 in the evening, and I immediately went home and passed out from all the excitement.

I am happy to see the year has made it's way to a close and the rest of the summer is in sight.
Next up for me will be a dizzying schedule of activities and events that will lead right back up to the return of school in the fall.
This week is my only time to prepare for the events that will follow.
I have today and possibly a bit of the coming week to shut down the lab, get all the equipment in summer mode, take 350 batteries out of all the computers, deconstruct the lab and get ready to leave for Denver where I will be attending the ISTE conference for 4 days.
I will be on the outskirts of town and be traveling by car to reach the event each day. It is my hope that I will even be able to find the place, let alone find parking...
As soon as I get back to town, I will be right in the middle of teaching Super Summers, where I have 6 hour classes daily for three weeks straight...
After that I will be working in a lemonade stand until it is time to get out of town, on what will be my only break, traveling to Peru.
We have all the pieces together for the final excursion and as soon as I get back I will have about three days to design 12 classes for the fall and get back to work, imaging and resetting all the computers in the building and significantly increasing the stock of the company that makes our labeling tape.
Looking forward to making the lies come true and getting a minute to relax when it is all through.

2010-06-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Dinner with Autumn

2010-05-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

So last evening I headed out with Autumn to catch up and split a burger...
We arrived at our destination and were carded at the door before being seated at our table...
We then began perusing the menu while waiting for our waitress...who carded us again...
She stood waiting for our drink selections, as I flipped the menu over back and forth, looking for my options...
She looked down at me and said, "You looking for drinks? You won't find them there..." and pointed to the special leaflet.
I asked if she had anything like tea...
She said, "Sure, we've got tea with peach vodka, mango vodka, vanilla vodka, we can do what ever you like..."
After a few impatient moments and a clear look of confusion on my part, Autumn finally speaks up and asks me, "Did you just want tea?"
Which was the correct answer...
The lady apologized for trying so hard to push the booze on us and wandered away...
I just thought it was funny that the idea of a regular drink was unheard of and she seemed mystified by the proposal.

Irises from the Meadow

2010-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Me

2010-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend I will be headed out to a major showing of irises and other flowers in record numbers...
I will be taking some photos and getting caught up on classes as well.
Today was a grading day and I spent the majority of my time gathering photos for the yearbook which will be up for publication in the coming week...
So time to buckle down and make the lie come true by putting together a photo archive of all the year's activities for the whole K-8 building.
This should be a fun one.
Other than all that, I will be dipping strawberries in chocolate for a treat for the teachers on monday and planning out my next year's courses for technology....
Good times.

Rainy Days and Thunder Storms

2010-05-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hey there,
I have been informed by numerous parties that I need to give a few updates, as it has again been a while since I got on here and posted any news.
I have been busy getting the wind up for the end of the year ready to go.
We have five weeks left in the year and the kids are ready to be getting out the door.
This Friday will be the end of the first grading period and then just four more Mondays and we are all done.

This week has been an interesting one, with a few exciting developments in the baking department.
I had two orders for baby showers in the same weekend and ended up making 113 cupcakes between the two events.
It required three batches of icing and the majority of my weekend, but it seemed to go nicely.
Sierra is expecting her first child with in the next month, and we had a nice time getting together with all of her family to celebrate the new arrival.
In other news we are experiencing some very strange weather here in Eugene, with summer just around the corner I have to admit I am a little surprised by the thunder, lightning, monsoon style rain, and occasional hail storm.
Along with the baby showers, I had a chance to see my long lost friend, Kristy, and catch up a bit with her over the weekend. It was a nice change of pace to have someone back on the couch and get a chance to spend some time around town and hear how everyone from back home was doing.
Other than that, like I mentioned before, I just received my new teaching license, which puts me back in the green for another three years... All my observations are in, and I am all set till the next round.
Other than classes, I am getting ready for the first round of visitors over at my second school site. We will be hosting a number of visitors that will be checking out the new additions to our classroom and the ways we are putting our new tools to work to help our students learn new things.

Last but not least, this week we found out that Corky will be joining Tom Arnold in an upcoming comedy show out in Maui. She will be up on the big stage in front of 300 people for her latest production.
I hope it goes well and that this is the first step in the long process of her successful repayment of many loans starting when I was around ten years old.
I have an entire photo album filled with I.O.U.'s and haven't forgotten about our little arrangements...
So here's to hoping she is a big success.

And lastly, this past weekend, I had the chance to go out and see the latest Iron Man movie...
The theatre was packed and I thought it was a great show...
Full of excitement and fun new twists.
Definitely not as disappointing as many of the others out there...

Happy Taxes

2010-04-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

So this week I am trying to be on top of things, clean the house get my act in gear in time for Wednesday.
My dad will be making his way to town this coming week. We are looking forward to heading out to the world renown Olive Garden as well as a few other sights in town.
Should be a good time...
In other news, I finished the paper work for renewing my teaching license...
This was the first round for me, though we are required to do this every three years...
The process is a little vague and there are always conflicting stories in regard to what the actual requirements are... In part this is because there are different rules for different groups of people depending on the type of license they hold and the time that they were first issued it. If for example, you were issued a license in the 70's or 80's you are "Grandfathered" from complying to the current requirements, which dictate that you must have passed your state testing from Praxis and CBEST. Those teachers only need to have informal reviews completed by their peers and be showing progress toward continuing education, shown by district professional development units or course credits...
Along with that they need to fill out a form describing the areas they have been improving in...
I get to do the masters level courses route and had to come up with 4.5 credits. The paperwork is pretty confusing.
But at any rate, I drove all the way down to headquarters and dropped it all off...
The main concern of the man behind the counter was to ensure I drafted my check correctly...
Past that he said everything else I turned in looked fine.
I am really glad I made it all the way down there and had them check me off in person. I would have hated to have waited for acknowledgement to find later that I had incorrectly filed...
So that is a big relief and I should receive my new license within the month.
In other news, I recently had a chance to hang out with a few old friends, one I hadn't seen in around ten years...
It was nice to catch up and we made a modest attempt at making sushi, only to mess it up at every turn.
But in the end all went well and we had a great time.

I will keep you posted on the coming week...
Our Apple visit is coming up soon.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the absence...
Over the last few weeks we finished with the Saturday Class... All the munchkins got their sites up and running.
And as planned I finally had a chance to get out of town for Spring Break.
We went down the coast on 101, through the Trees of Mystery and down to the Avenue of the Giants.
It was fairly rainy throughout the journey which I found to be an added benefit, since it kept competing visitors at bay.
I had a chance to stay in Redway and was very impressed by the little communities in the area and how they refuse to give up even though their little towns have been ravaged by floods for hundreds of years.
One of the highlights on the trip was stopping into a small conservatory where you could read information about the area and learn about the interesting events that have happened in the area...
While exploring the scene I was impressed to find one of the most complete displays of dead native animals that I have ever seen.
When these people go on a killing spree, they sure are thorough.
I saw around 80 specimens all crammed into on space, baby bears next to baby squirrels and so many others...
On the way out I wandered past a setup for children to explore... They were so often seen boxes with covered lids and the invitation to use your sense of feeling to guess what is inside.
I decided to skip the whole guessing process and just look inside...
I was shocked to find a taxidermied limb from a mountain lion...
It was obviously falling apart, smelled horribly, and had patches of fur that had fallen off and been worn away by the children...
That was a little startling, but other than that the whole thing was pretty neat...

After making our way though the Avenue of the Giants, we wandered down 101 and made our way to Fort Bragg.
This little town was actually where I was born, and I can't recall visiting it in quite some time.
Getting down there was no small feat, traveling down the infamous highway 1 through it's nauseating turns and bends.
It really was a sickening road, with little relief once through the passage.
After that with the rain and fog on the coast, the little towns on the side seemed pretty sad.
We finally made it into town in time to find a fun little restaurant in the middle of town.
As I wandered through the building, looking at art on display, I was surprised to see a small woman standing next to me, who moments later walks up and announces that she knows me and that I teach her son...
That was a bit of a trip. It really is a small world, and even driving hundreds of miles into what I would sum up as the middle of nowhere, there are still people out there waiting to hop out of crevices and say hello.

This week I am off to the Sheraton Inn again, up in Portland, for the latest round of conferences on integrating technology into the classroom curriculum.
Lately at my sites, I have been working on getting the teams up and running with their clickers, Proscope microscopes, and other fun new tools. I have just gotten three out of the four classes up on Apple Remote Desktop and had a little chance to show them how the tool looks in action.
At the last part of the day in one of my classes, I heard the teacher announce that it was time for all the children to begin shutting down their machines and getting ready to go home. I could hear the reluctant sighs as the kids looked at their screens, not wanting to stop what they were doing. Just for fun I asked if it would be alright if I took care of it, and my wonderful host agreed. With just the press of a button I sent out the order for all the machines to shut down, and within a matter of seconds all the kids were looking around trying to figure out what had happened...
Clean up was accomplished in record time and many of the kids came up to inquire about the magic I had just performed.

Good times,
though I am not looking forward to being away from my class and the fun planning that goes into being out of town.

Week in Review

2010-03-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

This week we are rounding the middle of the term and getting ready for Spring Break.
Tomorrow is grading day, and I am ready to get going with the second half.
Quizzes are in, reflections are done, and tomorrow is a half day for our school.
This means 25 minute classes and the rest of the day to get ready for the next few weeks and grading.

Our next Apple visit is coming up at the end of April, and I will be sending out all my paper work for my first renewal as soon as it arrives.

This coming weekend will be the last for our Super Saturday program and we will be ending with a bang in both the science and the HTML classes...

After that it will be time for some upcoming classes for teachers over the beginning of break and then a few days to unwind before the long haul till Summer.

The year is going by quickly and the kids seem to be having a good time.
We will see how it winds down.

In other news I am fighting off the inclination to succumb to the latest round of illnesses that my munchkins are bringing in on a daily basis...
Trying to lay low and make it to the weekend to recover...

Weekly Update

2010-02-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

Impressed to have actually lived up to the title of this post and gotten my latest entry in on time...
School choice wet just fine, and the kids did a great job of being wonderful examples...
Each time we saw feet approaching the doors, I would throw a smile at my class and they all put on their best smiles and waited to greet the latest tour...
In other news my classes reached their first goal for good behavior and earned a day off...
In the usual fashion, we put all the equipment away and busted out the karaoke setup.
I only heard one person from the room next to us pound on the walls, signifying that we weren't too crazy.
We had a great time, and I am happy that we have the chance to do fun things to recognize the students...
Everyone needs a break once in a while, and it is fun to let the students see what happens when they use their time well and work together...

Every time I head through the checkout line with all of my supplies, someone always asks where I work, since it is obvious we are going to have a blast.

The latest installment of HTML and schience went well, though there was a bit of a turf war over the space...
Turned out that there was an employment conference in the same building and that the science class had been 86ed to a new building on account of the trails of slime that ended up being tracked all over the building...

This week we worked on creating media for our sites, and showed the students super fun tables...
I crack up thinking about it... I gather the class in close and tell them that we are about to learn about ordered lists... Their eyes light up as they get their fingers ready to try the latest tip...
One of the students informed their family that they now plan to drop out of school and do professional web design as a career.

Past all that,
I finally finished my paper for my upcoming renewal...
I am a little leery about the process since there is so much pressure to get everything in on time... From what I have heard from other teachers, it should be a simple process, with the main idea being you send $100 to the powers that be every three years...
I spent a good part of my afternoon fighting with the archaic fax machine that lives in our school office...
After five attempts to send a twenty page document to another state, I was feeling a little slighted by the contraption... Inches from pulling an office space move and with bat on hand, it finally went through...
So I should be done with the next step in the process soon and move on with the final mailings...
Props going out to Liz for being my cheer leader and helping me answer the silliest questions...
I really appreciate all the patience and not blocking my frequent calls...

Last of all, after the blur of the week and weekend have passed, I made it outside and have evidence to prove it...
Most of them are ducks and puddles, but they are my dcks and puddles, and I like them.
So you will have to check out the latest...

Weekly Update

2010-02-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

This week has been a pretty big on for us,

We received our recognition as an Apple Exemplary Program for integrating technology in a two to one atmosphere with our students and creating a 21st century learning environment for our school.
An Apple representative came all the way down from far across the state to present us with our award.
I had the honor of being the one to take the plaque home and had a great time putting it up around the house.

The week went well with my students finishing up on some of our latest projects and making it through the four day week in style.

My Friday and Saturday were spent in preparation for my two classes for the University Youth TAG program I am working on. I have one class on Kitchen Science and another on HTML for nine and ten year olds.

Both classes took an amazing amount of preparation, but ended up going great.

The HTML class was a hit with the students continually impressing me with their abilities to understand difficult concepts and wanting to do more... I even had one student who wanted to take home all of our handouts so that he could practice at home. Pretty cool... Though I thought that a three hour class would prove daunting for any group of individuals, especially 3rd and 4th graders...

In other news, I got a call from my friends to meet up down at Sam Bond's Garage for drawing and catching up... I was quite surprised to find that the one night I chose to actually make it out of the house and to local bar that I had shown up on the same night as a benefit for one of my schools... It was really fun to see all the parents getting up and entertaining the crowd throughout the evening.

The highlight was definitely the puppet show, where a strange fury cyclopes got up in front of us and sang Bobby McGee...

Next week will be school choice week, where families have the chance to tour our school and see if they want to enlist their students in the lottery to join our crew next fall. So we will have to be sure to have some great activities ready to go just for the occasion.

In other random news, we had the best fire drill ever...
In past years, getting everyone outside has never been an issue, but students were often fidgety and noisy while waiting to head back into the building.
I was proud to see that my class was absolutely wonderful as an example to the younger students around them and even did a nice job of facing away from the imaginary blast while they sank down in the squishy grass from the latest rain..
Go team.

My Three Day Weekend

2010-02-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

So today is the last day in the long break before heading back to work.
Weekend in review goes as follows:
Day one: Head out of town, down to the coast, and up to Waldport.
Stayed in a sweet little green A-frame for Friday and Saturday, checked out Newprot, took advantage of the rogue brewery's annual garage sale, took lots of photos of pelicans and seagulls down at the pier...
Got lots of shots of what turned out to be a very stormy day at the beach, and explored a little beachside shop that boasted having the largest insect in the world...
After Waldport and Newport, we headed back down the coast and went to one of my favorite restaurants...
Long ago when I was a child, living in Florence, we would get up early and head over to the Blue Hen.
The blue hen was a tiny little house that boasted some of the best homemade biscuits around and had breakfast down to an art. Sadly the employees in the back also had arson down to an art as well, leading to its mysterious combustion (which occured three times) over the next few years.
They tried to rebuild, but again, when they least expected it, fire struck again...
Finally the little Blue Hen closed it's doors for the last time, and the choices for a decent breakfast in town seemed lost as well.
Fast forward ten years, and to my surprise, there was a reincarnated version just across from where I first went to school. It is now called the Little Brown Hen, and sports a trailer trash looking chicken with it's arms held out, as if it were saying it just didn't care anymore...
The food was great, and we took a moment and added it to Urban Spoon, so others will be able to find this little gem.

After breakfast, we made the rest of the trip back to town, where dear Autumn was waiting with truck on hand to move all of her belongings out of my apartment and into her new home.

We ended our day with a wonderful meal at Beppe's italian restaurant, There was an hour wait from the moment they opened, but as usual, it was well worth it.
I had the lobster ravioli and they were fantastic!

Getting Control

2010-02-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

I wander into my house after a long Monday and take a moment to survey the scene and assess what should be done first...
After squishing the latest cluster of ants that have wandered into my pristine kitchen, I settle on the dishes...
Scrubbing my way through the daily accumulation of coffee cups and bowls, pondering what to make for dinner.
The living room is the first thing I see when I walk through the door, and always takes a little time to get used to...
the dying plant on the coffee table, piles of things, and then the green fish tank...
Always the fish tank...
So I will focus on the small things I can control and take them all on one at a time...
Dishes: Check
Dinner: Next...
Yumm Bowls Again...
Off to make the lie come true.

I was just thinking that we are long overdue for some cookies...
Hopefully that will find it's way into the schedule to help boost spirits in this long week of schedules, retakes, and testing.

Collard Lake Cabin in Florence

2010-02-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

This is the little cottage I had the chance to spend the weekend in Last weekend...
It was an awesome chance to get a change of scenery, chill out, and just relax...
It was nice to be cut off from the daily routines and be in a place without cable, wireless, or dishes.

Also had the chance to see why all the restaurants that are next to the river opted to be on stilts...
Major high tide washed out most of the bank and left the beach a swamp...

Instant Recognition

2010-02-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

So I had a chance to meet up with Autumn's sister Sierra...
I haven't seen her since she announced she will be having a new arrival in June.
She just found out she will be having a little boy and is excitedly preparing for the new addition to her family.
We met up at the Fisherman's market for lunch and to catch up.
Upon entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a familiar face in what used to be a staple in my foraging routine.
Back when I first started working at my current building, I would seldom find time to eat with my busy schedule and often found my way to the market as a way to relax and unwind.
I always liked watching the crab tank, where the inhabitants would take turns strategizing their escapes and climb on top of each other in a meager attempt to cheat death.
On certain occasions, some would find their way to the top of the tank, even getting as far to reach one leg into the air towards freedom, only to have some imbecile on the bottom of the pile screw it up and send the unlucky crustacean sinking back down to the bottom of the holding tank.
I liked the water that was all over the floor, and of course, I thoroughly enjoyed the food.
I never really liked the crabs, though I tried them from time to time... Instead I found that the best deal they had to offer was in the form of their fish tacos... Being little fried bits of goodness, smothered in salsa and sauce, over a corn tortilla.
They were always fast, delicious, and just what I needed after a long day of ringing phones and endless emails for assistance.

At any rate, I became a familiar face and frequented the market on a daily basis...I came in so often that one of the fish mongers went out of his way to introduce me to his mother when she came in on his birthday...

So at any rate, I wasn't surprised to find that as soon as I sat down with Sierra and our food that a familiar face appeared, calling me by name and inquired as to how we were enjoying our meal...

I assume Sierra might have been a little surprised, seeing as she didn't know the history and picked the place at random as a place to meet... But as usual, I made no attempt to explain, thanked our server, and went back on with the conversation as if it were nothing notable...

And of course, to make things even stranger for her, upon leaving, my friend made a point to shout his farewell across the restaurant just to make sure I felt special...

Definitely one of my favorite restaurants.
Always a good time.

Happy Sunday

2010-02-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

So as of yesterday, Autumn has again left the building...
She is on her way to Washington to visit her family...
Her predicted absence is two weeks, where upon returning she will be vacating to her new home and studio space in central Eugene.
In other news, this week she had some of her artwork presented at a prestigious gallery in town.
We also celebrated Steve's 31st birthday at the Sushi Station.
Mine will be the next one in April.

This week at my new placement we are still organizing and rearranging equipment and getting it ready for roll out to students this week...
I have a training on Google Tools session I and II coming up, and am still trying to finish all the requirements for updating my license...
I am almost done, and just need to hunker down and get the final pieces collected and sent out.
We finished the tax info this week, only to send it all out and then receive more documents that will need to be added in.
In other news, I am battling it out with the fish tank today, and disappointed to find that the tank is in a perpetually green state, in spite of the numerous algae treatments I add into the tank on a biweekly schedule.
My giant sucker fish has decided to give up.
I am contemplating replacing the current inhabitants with a gerbil or plastic creatures.
I feel they might be less work and just as rewarding as my filthy little ingrates.

Back to coffee and dishes.

Week in Review

2010-02-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome back folks, we are still alive and kicking in the Gardner House...

This week I have just stated a new term of classes with my students and so far it looks like a good batch...
I have one class that was accidentally loaded with ten wonderful children... There was a glitch in scheduling and my ten were all that weren't moved.
I am looking forward to the projects we'll be able to create...

In other news, this week I had the opportunity to teach a class for the Eugene Education Association... It was a two hour session on communication tools, and was held in my own classroom.

I was told there would be around thirty people signing up for the workshop and that they would be getting credit for being there as part of a continuing education series...

The final count was thirty-eight... with people crammed in all along the tables and windows...

I think the event went great.

As usual, with a limited amount of time and users from all levels of expertise, it is often hard to gage what the participants will be successful with. I introduced some of my favorite tools, and the time went by pretty fast for me...

I like doing trainings...

I really get a kick out of sharing.

This is kind of a surprise when I think of how I would have felt giving such an event as a younger version of myself.
I was never a shy person, but I think it would have been pretty intimidating.

At any rate, this weekend will be getting ready for the next round and trying to get control of my living room.

Hiking Spencer's Butte on a Saturday

2010-01-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

Priceless

2010-01-13T22:36:00.001-08:00

So I head out of school, after taking care of all the little things I need to square away before leaving town to the new location for our meeting, make it all the way home, have a bite to eat, pack what I need, hop in the car, drive all the way up, get out and stretch my legs to find that I forgot my bag with everything I packed in it.
Thankfully I still have all the things I need, but I couldn't believe I was so close and left it there...
And really the reason was in part due to the new cell phone thing... I put my phone in my purse in the back seat so I wouldn't end up using it on the drive up, and apparently I would have got the message seconds after I left but missed it completely..
Oh well, we will see what we will see...
No worries.

Just a Thought

2010-01-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

So yesterday morning, I come down stairs, make a random reference and my friend responds with, "Yeah and we can slash the bloody stumps where his limbs used to be..."
I look at him like he has finally gone too far, and even I am not keeping up...
He tries to back pedal and explain... "You know, cause of what happened in the book..."
I continue to look mystified and completely alarmed...

So it turns out that we had been reading a few chapters in the last Eragon book and I must have fell asleep, since I didn't recall any of that...

It was pretty funny.

Concentration

2010-01-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Same Old Thing

2009-12-30T17:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, Oregon is just like Maui, except for the snow...

Here is what I did when I made it home.

Live From the AIrport

2009-12-30T14:36:00.001-08:00

Today has been a thrilling day and I am sure the fun will extend well into the evening.
So yeah, I have issues with numbers...
I always have...
So when I tell you that I will be leaving on the 31st, you can bet I got the wrong day...

Last time I came out I actually mixed up the departure and arrival locations and accually paid in full for a pair of tickets leaving from a different state.

So it should come as no surprise, after casually glancing at my online ticket info, realizing I had the wrong day, and driving as fast as I could to secure my place in line in these times of heightened security... ready for my new and improved pat down...
That I am 5 hours early and after getting a hundred feet from my gate I am told that the kids that need to screen my bag are still on their lunch break and to come back later...

Good times...

On the bright side there is free wireless...
And I can work on my paper that I never gave a second glance.

Not Your Everyday McDonanlds

2009-12-28T23:06:00.000-08:00

Here in the islands and throughout the world, McDonalds likes to bring in a certain flair by taking on the customs and favorites of their surroundings.
This is demonstrated with tailored side dishes to fit the pallets of local visitors.
Examples include, removing beef and beef products in India, refried beans in Mexico, Beer in Germany, and out here in Hawaii, Spam in the Extreme Breakfast... and chickens watching you eat.

2009-12-26T00:13:00.001-08:00

Where My Frogs At?

2009-12-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

Merry...

2009-12-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

Today I have seen the worst movie ever.
Ok, one of the top 15 worst...

It was cruel, painful, and un-ending...
The writing was bad, the sets were lame...
I can't say enough...

My sister had the empty popcorn bin on her head through half of it.

They wined on about....
Words can't possibly do justice...

Worst film...

You should see it...

Have you heard about the Morgans?

Captain's Log

2009-12-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

3:30 on a Monday afternoon...
83 degrees and visibility off the port bow as far as the eye can see...
Time for my daily nap and then back to the beach.

I was going to say that was all...
But I just remembered my William Shatner story...

So I was on the plane and overheard the lady in front of me mention that Shatner was going to be in Lahaina signing books at the Hard Rock Cafe...
Later my sister calls to tell us that someone bailed out and that her friend gets to be his opener.
Corky is totally stoked that her friend is going to be on stage with Shatner (and national television), and tags along to wish him well...

Of course she isn't about to shell out the $50 door fee to get inside, so she stands in the windows... Cheering on her friend from a far.

Seeing as this was a book signing, it was a tough crowd from the get go, but after the first round of silence, it was obvious that her friend wasn't going to make it...

After crashing and burning, he walks off the stage with head hung low...
That is when he was informed not to worry about it, since they would be pumping in the laugh tracks later...

This is where things get interesting...

One of the local characters in town is a lovable young junkie that specializes in origami art... primarily in the form of tinfoil...
This art has yet to be recognized by any major galleries, but when compared with the alternative of getting an actual job, seems more appealing.

This skilled young man has a knack for creating fanciful works with the sole objective of winning free passage into the show of his choice.... he searches for shows that are new to town and sets to work designing a spellbinding homage that will surely win over his prey.

This time he set himself the challenge of creating the entire Star Trek Space Ship Enterprise out of foil... complete with Data and semi-functional laser beams...

After waiting patiently outside for his opportunity to share his craft with his newest idol his opportunity finally arrives...
Keep in mind that this kid just spent over a hundred hours folding an entire spaceship and has been waiting all night...

Shatner walks out the door, sees the foil ship, crushes it and throws it in the trash...
Leaving the kid crushed as well...

It's Not Easy Having a Good Time

2009-12-21T01:08:00.000-08:00

Tis the Season

2009-12-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

For department stores to start selling creepy Christmas elves, with metal crab claws, invented with the sole function of choking unsuspecting shoppers...

I mean really, come on. What else could this thing be good for?

Right Place at the Right Time

2009-12-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Seems to be the element to success...
And for me, yesterday, it really was.

I had been invited to a little get together in honor of a friend's birthday...
At some point in the evening, someone arrived with a small blueberry cheesecake.

I was instantly thrilled... Since it is one of my favorite things...

Being his birthday, I patiently waited for him to do the honors of cutting the first slice. This was a bit of a challenge as he was very preoccupied with the festivities...

I did what I could to help the inebriated birthday boy find his way to the cake... Strategically placing the knife nearby and clearing the table of other distractions...
Many times over the course of the evening, he wandered into the kitchen, looked at the pristine cake, even going as far as to pick up the knife and hold it precariously near the cake; only to have one of his guests announce their departure and demand his attention yet again...

Knife back on the table, and guests looking down with disappointment...

After around an hour of this charade, I gave up...

Upon returning home, I realized that I felt sad for missing the cute little cheesecake...
I stared at the clock, realizing the patisserie would only be open for ten more minutes...
Finally as the clock inched towards failure, I couldn't take it any more...

I jumped in the car and made a mad dash for the only place I could think of...

I made it with 6 minutes to spare and the bystanders cheered my efforts...

I walked in the door with more determination and purpose than I had applied in years. I had one mission, and hell or high water I was getting that cheesecake...

When I hit the counter, I scanned it carefully for my prize, but sadly there was no blueberry cheesecake to be seen... I asked if there were any in the fridge, and after taking a moment to check, he said that they were all out aside from the full size $40 one... He took a moment and asked me if I wanted that one...

I explained that I just waited an hour for a slice of one earlier, but that the instigator was too intoxicated to find it, and how I had given up.

After another 3 seconds and said I had to have it.
Ha asked if I wanted anything written on it.
I said, "Poor Impulse Control".

Off he went and returned again, with some bad news... He had realized that the only one he had left was slightly imperfect and that he couldn't sell it to me.

He asked if I was ok with that....

And handed me the cake.

So that is how at 11:00 on a Saturday, I was gifted a blueberry cheesecake and all was right in the world.

Nothing Like Coming Home...

2009-12-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

After a long day...
And getting Blasted in the face with high powered remote controlled flashes....

Good times...

And it only took about ten minutes to regain partial sight... So all good news.

We were testing them out for a friend, and being all about quality control, had to ensure that they were working properly...

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2009-12-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

It is 13 degrees in the morning, and it takes 20 minutes to defrost my car... The car next to me has to be plugged in at night...
This is getting a bit ridiculous...

My students have taken to skating in the drainage ditches near my house, which have frozen solid, and the ducks have taken to our school parking lot as an alternative meeting spot.

I don't mind the weather, but we are all looking out the window and thinking the same thing... What is it going to take to get some snow?

Thankfully I only have a few days left till I am out the door and on to better things, namely frozen freeways, traffic, airport terminals, and baggage fees...

I can't wait to stand in line with a 40 pound backpack, slowly being herded through the crowd, only to have the first person I am able to make eye contact with riffle through my purse and demand I remove my shoes...

At least I have a good sense of humor about it all... but still, the experience is usually a trying one and takes it's toll...

So in other news, today was midterms for my students...
We are half way through our 9 week term and things are going pretty well...

I have four classes and some of their projects are pretty interesting.
In one class we are doing ten step movies... they pick the topic and walk away with their own movie on the subject.
Here are some of their topics: making a bomb out of diet Pepsi and Mentos (can't wait), a flash dance tutorial, a skateboarding trick film, and a film that thus far seems to be about eating my lunch.

The lunch one always happens... I make the mistake of telling the class they can demonstrate simple food items. Inevitably they end up asking if they can make a sandwich, this usually requires multiple takes and multiple sandwiches...
But what do I care, I am all for quality, and if it takes five sandwiches to get it right, so be it.

In other, other news...
I just signed up for a fun class on behavior management... The course books sports a dramatic photo of a little girl melting down on the playground... It looks like a good time. I think you can never have too many tricks up your sleeve when it comes to conflict resolution, so I am going to see if I can rack up a few more...

Alright, that is all till I can get you some more pictures.

The list is pretty much complete

2009-11-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

The only thing that was left on my list of items to acquire was a vita mix blender.
I haven't named it yet, but it is sitting in my kitchen, waiting to obliterate what ever I feed it.
Maybe I'll call it Seymour...

Day three...
My teeth, or at least the holes where they used to be, hurt.
I was doing good for the first few days, not needing anything to get along, but over the last day or so I have finally started to notice the throbbing and am looking forward to the end of it.

I got to keep two of my molars, which I know sounds odd... But that was just the last thing the nurse asked...I thought well if I am going to have a $2,000 procedure, I might as well have a keepsake...
So I said I would take the bottom ones.

I handed the bag to Autumn when I came home, she freaked out slightly and dropped the bag onto the floor.
I was worried they would break, but so far so good, they are hanging in there...

I suppose they will probably go in the curio cabinet, seeing as the coffee table might not be the best place for them...

Thanksgiving should be an interesting one for me...
I just want to sleep, sip smoothies, and watch movies... And I feel I have earned that privilege. It hurts to talk, so why would I want to socialize. I have plenty of potatoes around the house... So that is my plan.

Week in Review

2009-11-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hey there,
I have fallen off the wagon, and it seems that the topic of all my posts as of late have been on my lack of posting...
But I suppose that is better than nothing at all...

This week I have started a new round of classes and met my newest batch of students...
So far so good. We are still in the honeymoon phase where they are slowly testing the limits and seeing what will fly.

The first thing I had my new students do was to write me a letter and tell me more about themselves... I had the opportunity to read through the first batch and found out some very interesting facts about my groups... I found out that many of them have chickens and interesting home lives, some of their families own businesses, and a few of them are thrilled to have a change of pace and be in a new class...

I have also started a new term of video productions and am quite sure that this group will be keeping me on my toes, as demonstrated by the first day of filming and a group that has already announced that they have finished the first project and are ready for a new one...
Of course they are not done, and I will go into all of the tedious little steps that are required before completion, but it is just great to see that I have a batch of students that are chomping at the bit and trying to torture me so early on...

In other news I am all set for my upcoming dental experience and have signed up to have my class commandeered by a veteran sub who I am sure will fine that my students are a thrilling group to behold.

Other than that this weekend I will begin my latest side project of helping other schools to get their equipment up and running. This will entail heading out to schools on the weekends and getting their equipment reimaged and ready for the year that is very much underway.

This week we received our latest batch of laptops and will be using them to replace teacher machines with the newest models and pass their old machines back onto the students to help classes have a higher ratio of machines and do more interactive projects...

That is all... Signing off...

Absent Minded Baking

2009-11-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get back into the kitchen to create anything these days, and have been sliding off the radar after each attempt. So today, I am trying to focus a little more time to this small feat and accomplish anything at all...

Aiming small with the modest goal of no less than 160 cookies, and that is all they are going to get...

In other news, I messed up royally at work the other day...
I blame my phone and inept assistants...
I knew that I had a class to teach down town, like I do most weeks...
So in preparation I printed out all me handouts and reviewed the topics to be taught.
All seemed ready to go and I reached my class with time to set up and get started...
I distributed the handouts and got going with no troubles...
Only half way through the class one of the members mentioned that she had thought we would be covering podcasting... I informed her that we were learning about podcasting, just through some new mediums, such as cell phones and video conferencing, and recommended that she sign up for my class that specifically covers the basics of recording and publishing... She apologized for not reading the course description more carefully and in the end, everyone had a nice time and walked away learning some new things...

So one of my teachers at school asks if I would be available to help her after school, and I tell her that I will check my calendar and see if I am free or teaching another class downtown...
You can imagine my surprise when I see the class I taught last week scheduled for next Tuesday....

Yup, you guessed it, I taught the wrong class and the lady that had seemed so confused by the handouts had been right... The class that I recommended for her had actually been the one she signed up for...

Well that was a first and I will be sure to take my calendar out of agenda mode to make sure that doesn't happen again...

The bright side is that I am definitely ready for this week's class and that everyone learned something new weather they meant to or not...

Whoops.

Got the Penny

2009-11-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hey Dad,
Thanks for the penny.
It has been credited to your account and will post in two to three business days.
Your confirmation number for this transaction is 7002954.
Please keep this number for your records.
If there are any issues with your payment, you will be contacted at the number listed in your account.
Here at Gardner Inc. we value your business and look forward to many more payments to come.
This completes your transaction, if you have any questions about your account or current bill, please feel free to contact our agency during business hours or via email at your convenience.

Thank you and have a great day...

I like the penny...
I added it to the curio cabinet and even changed the bulbs again so it can really shine.
I am really surprised by how clean and shiny the penny is, surely after traveling for nearly 100 years, it would have become worn and dulled by passing hands, but it seems just as you had suggested that this little coin must have been loved and forgotten in the bottom of a piggy bank.

Now it can be put in a place of honor and forgotten behind glass, where it belongs...

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

So this Halloween we made the annual pilgrimage up to Corvallis to Diana's house for cupcakes and bonfires, while being entertained by the entire cast of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, complete with everyone's favorite reporter, April, the bad boys of pizza, and of course, our hostess, Shredder.

Autumn and Steve came as the H1N1 Virus, and I walked out the door in my usual attire as a pillaging pirate... Like ya do.

All went well, and the evening wasn't complete until we all had our pizza, with extra anchovies, of course... (on a side note, I wouldnt have wanted to be the delivery man that night, seeing as the entire house rushed the car, dressed as giant turtles with sticks, swards and knives... I am sure the guy totally deserved his tip...)

Sincerest Apologies to the Smallest of Things

2009-10-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I hurt something and someone in a careless act and wanted to express my deepest apology, though I know it will never be heard.
This morning, while getting ready for work, I came upon a small spider in my shower.
Though it was a tiny little creature, which I would have usually enlisted the assistance of others to remove, I found myself in a predicament with no one around to assist me...
With no one to call upon, I took it upon myself to remedy the issue single handedly and found some difficulty in resolving the situation...
I attempted to capture the creature... though it had done more than it's fair share to get out of my way... clinging to the inside of the shower curtain, in a modest attempt not to be a burden or inconvenience to me...
Sadly, being short on time, I did not heed it's gesture and went out of my way to remove it...
with a soggy piece of cardboard and small glass I attempted to catch it, and in the act accidentally dismembered the creature, tearing off one of it's legs...
The silent captive writhed in what I assumed was much distress and pain, with it's severed limb clinging from under the glass, and still pulsating with the fading glimps of connection with it's former friend.
I felt bad about it all day, and thought I would do my best to apologize and explain that I wish my little intruder no ill will and that I hope the little accident will not inhibit it's long life and future scampering...

I am sorry little spider,
please forgive my haste, I should have taken the time to be kind to you, I am sorry.

Shelby

2009-10-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Today I was surprised to hear the phone ring at work...
On the other end was our secretary, informing that there was a call on hold from "Shelby"...
"Shelby?, Shelby who?" At this the secretary was at a loss for words...
I asked if it was a parent or if she could tell me a little more...
She said that she had no idea who was calling and that she would park it on intercom 101.

After taking a moment to think about how the screening process is laking in our school, I took the call and said hello to Shelby...
One of my ten year old students...
She said that she was having trouble installing Quicktime and playing the movie we made on her family's PC...
I had given her an install disc for the software and was really quite stunned with the ease at which this little girl was redoing all of the settings and clicking away in an attempt to get her video to work...

We figured out that she needed the latest version and got it up and running,
but it really was a trip to stand, talking to a ten year old, while the updates ran, hear her video playing in to background and her yelling "Yeah! I worked"...

I think that was the smoothest walk through talk through I have done in a while and it was with a kid that wont 'get to ride a bike without a helmet for another six years....

Go team.

Almost Highly Qualified

2009-10-15T21:28:00.001-07:00

Of all the unfortunate pairings...

Today I opened the KEZI site to find my picture and the following headline...

The news crew came to the classroom today to show off our school's use of technology. I have no idea how I ended up under this headline. I should probably get them for slander. Way to go, team.

The Storage Locker

2009-10-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

Long ago the fiberglass doors to a time capsule, long forgotten, were closed...
Leaving it's enhabitents to wait, rust, crumble, and disintegrate...
They were waiting for a day when they would be saved and reunited with their lost companions...

This day came later than anticipated...
Three years later...

So begin Act I:
The claiming of lost things...

After numerous calls informing me, that being the last one in the continental US, I had the great honor of driving 6 hours on the freeway to the spectacular town of Talent, where a toothless man would be waiting behind the counter to greet me and demand more money...

But before that joy could take place we had a few small issues... One, Corky never told me which storage unit was hers, and left only the cryptic clue that there would be a yellow rope peeking out from under the door...
Finally she confessed that the locker number was either J 96 or A 96, helpful information...
You could imagine my surprise upon reaching the lockers and finding that ALL of the units have little yellow ropes...

Issue number two... of course we had no way of opening the locker once we got there, and thought that showing up, unanounced with bolt cutters in hand, might raise some suspicion..

But that is the way it went down...

I visited my favorite antique store and went straight for the giant bolt cutters... They were $30, but I planned on giving them to one of our fine Eugene citizens in an attempt to boost the enconomy by encouraging people to buy new bikes after theirs had been stolen...

Long story short...
My friend at the antique store let me barrow the giant bolt cutters for the day, and gave me another box of crayons to give to my students, and I ended up walking out the front door, trying not to drop anything and getting stuck half way out, with my back hitting the little bell, alerting the old lady behind the till that I was not making a smooth escape...

Six hours in the car and the worst directions ever led me to the correct establishment...
The unit was filled with mostly erotic self help books and magic cards, with the random diploma lying on top of a box.

We took one car load to a thrift store, threw the rest back in the locker, and I walked away with a type writer, and a small box of things...

Next I am going to see if I can get any cash for the magic cards and see if I can get Steve to fly me down there so I can take care of the rest of it...

End Scene

When Rats Attack

2009-10-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

The other day I was surprised to look down at my phone, the one that never rings, and see my sister calling me, at the crack of dawn.
This in itself was a wonder, as my dear sister is not known to grace anyone with her presence until well into the afternoon.

I have learned this lesson well, after calling her at around 11:00 A.M. and listened to her push the phone around on the floor after answering it, in an attempt to find it in the dark, followed by my favorite sound, the one where people attempt to say hello and the sounds tremble out and inform you immediately that the person on the other end of the line wishes terrible things to befall you...

But back to the main idea... My sister, in an unprecedented event, called me at around 8 in the morning, meaning it must have been around 5 there... She sounded as though she had been crying and opened with the line, "I had a bad dream"...

She told me that she had a dream that she was being attacked by a rat, and that when she woke up, there had been a rat on her and that it bit her hand. She asked if she needed a shot for rabies or the plague and mentioned that she and the rat hadn't been getting along lately.

She had stirred up it's nest in an attempt to get the rat to leave, and laid out numerous glue traps to help it get the idea... In retaliation, the rat had decided to make Corky's life a living hell... It had established it's new post under Corky's bed (where she keeps her important papers), and taken to eating everything in sight.

It ate her entire case of Top Ramen soup, all of her mayonnaise packets, and as she was continuing on with the list she mentioned that the rat was even bringing saw dust in and putting it all over her floor... This, yes, this in particular struck me as odd, since there wouldn't be any readily available source of saw dust around... Just as I am about to ask a little more about the newest find, Corky yells, "He's eating my table!" Sawdust mystery solved...

From there she told me that recently she had been having some bad luck...

She had gotten up early the day before and in her usual fashion had began her day with an upbeat chant to help her on her way, "Shower time for Corky, time to take a shower..."

Only to find as she was about to step into the tub, that there was a giant scorpion in her bathtub again... "Scorpion! Ah...."
So off she runs to fetch the industrial strength Raid that is never in short supply. It takes some time to take effect, and one can never be too careful, so after spraying her new friend, she went for a short walk to pass the time... Upon her return she finds the scorpion has been dealt with and proceeds with her plans...
As Corky is taking her shower, trying to get back on the bright side, she notices that the water in her tub isn't going down like it usually does... She thinks the tub is just being silly, and proceeds with her shower, taking time to stomp in the newly formed puddles...
Only to immerge and find that the tub is not the only thing acting silly... The silly toilet is also acting strangely, spewing water and sewage all over her floor...

So Corky screams, throws on her clothes, and heads out the door to find all of her neighbors standing on their porches as well. Soon the Roto-Rooter truck arrives to take care of the issue, while her manager takes a moment to not so discretely inform Corky that you cannot flush paper towels down the toilet...
Ten angry neighbors all stare at poor Corky...

Moving on, attacked by giant rat, check; scorpion dead, check; flood averted, kinda, next up Corky's clan of friendly spiders decide to avenge their fallen comrade in what was surely just a misunderstanding with a book.

The bright side is, Corky just got a new apartment, and it clearly states, no pets.

The Curious Curio Cabinet

2009-10-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest find I have stumbled upon on Craig's list...
I have a wonderful tool on my phone that helps me to track these little things and the latest was not a small task to acquire...
I was scanning through all the latest images in the furniture section and saw a posting for a "Curio Cabinet". Having never heard of such a thing, I inquired to a friend as to which company produced curio...

The rest of my day was dedicated to this 400 pound solid oak creation.... which led me far out into the recesses of West Eugene off to a trailer park and into the path of a particularly lonely and strange, newly divorced woman who insisted on passing on her life story as well as that of the cabinet...

Seeing that her post had hit Craig's List at around 8:00 a.m., I decided that she must be up and moving around and chose to throw caution to the wind and call this stranger at 9 in the morning...
Actually I didn't call, I made someone else call, since I am a busy person and hate phone calls, but what I overheard made me happy to not have been the one to make contact...
Get her address, and secure the first bid on the cabinet, sounds simple enough, but from across the room I could tell this woman was not going to be an easy one to work with...
The conversation that should have taken two minutes drug on forever, with the little old woman describing each tree and shrub that would be passed along the way in her turn by turn instructions for a simple destination...

After that ordeal, we headed over to the Shady Oaks trailer park, where we found a yellow home, completely empty aside from the giant cabinet... She informed us that she was moving, since she had recently split with her husband of the last three decades... It seemed like a long time to be with someone and call it quits, but soon after meeting with this woman, we realized that her former husband had made a wise decision...

She informed us that she was moving to a smaller trailer at the other end of the park and that there would not be room for this, her most prized of posessions... She said that she had hoped it would go to a person who was fond of collections and would use it for it's intended purpose... from the image above I am sure you have no doubt that this was a good match and within minutes of securing the colosal thing in its place that I had no trouble filling it with crap from around my house, most notebly my toaster and pyrex collections...

She informed us numerous times that this cabinate could not be moved by mere mortals and would require the presence of at least four strong me, if not the entire U of O football team, if they were available...

Feeling sorry for this newly displaced, former housewife, I decided to appease her and help set her at ease by getting an entire U-haul to move this one solitary item... That in combination with the lack of large trucks at my disposal...

So off I went to secure a truck and get this thing were it belonged... I called the local truck depot and was greeted by what must have been a retired auctionier, since she had me on and off the phone in the dizzying span of 30 seconds...
"I need a truck"
"One way or in town?"
"In town."
"How many rooms are you moving?"
"One cabinet."
"That'll be a 24 footer at 4:30" (Click)
"What? 24 footer, but it's just a..."

The U-Haul rental station smelled like a backed up sewage line, and the truck wasn't much better, with it's ashtray like ambiance...
And then there was the "Four strong men" that I needed...
I don't know enough people to play Monopoly, let alone know anyone who can lift over a 10 lbs. bag of potatoes...
But as always, I made due with what I had, piling two tech support specialists into the truck and making the best of things...

Upon arriving with the truck and surprising the old lady with what I considered a more than adequate moving team for the task at hand, she crossed her arms and sternly informed us that we would not be up to the task...

In as polite of a fashion as I could muster, I tried to make it clear that I had purchased the cabinate and if I wanted to have the Geek Squad throw it down her stairs and dash it into pieces, that was up to me...

But all the while she kept saying, "Oh no, I wouldn't do that... No..."
So on it went, the boys taking out the shelves, and arduously lifting the 400 lbs. cabinate out the door with the old lady and her constant cemmentary on their eminent failure and how much she loved that thing...

Finally we were able to get the thing in the truck and secure it with bits of shoe laces that I had in my pocket... a fine job for sure... Being that the thing weighed more than a baby elephant, I wasn't too worried about it shifting around...

Now for the precious glass shelves... She surrendered them with more than hesitation, passing each one over and reminding me that they needed the utmost of care and to wrap them separately in blankets to prevent damage...
"Do you have blankets with you?"
"Of course... they are... uh, in the truck. Yeah, in the front seat..."
She of course bounds out of the house to see the "blankets", of which there are none...
I could care less at this point and just want to get out of here...
So I grab one of the shelves out of her hands, pass it of to the closest nerd I see and discreatly whisper, "Cut her off, she's going for the truck, cut her off"
So we quickly take all of the shelves and pretend to wrap them in imaginary blankets out of the view of the crazy old lady, and then pile into the truck, only to find about 30 lbs of glass preventing our escape...
We precariosly balance the sheets of glass across our laps, slam down the gate, and throw it into drive...
I can't help but shout as we are headed out the gate that I can't believe that woman is divorced and go speeding off the sidewalk with a thump.

Upon arriving at the house I quickly pile all the crap from my previous cabinate over every available surface, and promise our helper that he has done his part, earned his drink and that he won't have to lift the thing ever again, which is of course a lie...

No sooner than he has settled down on the couch and began to enjoy the first few sips of victory, I announce that I have cleared the needed space and am ready for the next task...

Long story longer, I made them move the whole thing again, tettering it on it's side and shimmying it left and right as they make their way across the living room, then demanding that it be moved again just a few more inches so it will free up the only available electric outlet in the wall...

Now it's all set and my toasters are reveling in the light that reflects off their chrome sides and brightens up the whole room.

The only thing left for me to do now is find more toasters.
All in all I feel it was a fair exchange, though I could have done without her commentary...

I will mention all this and more in the morning...

Sorry for my Absence...

2009-10-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

I think I have been out of the routine of communicating regularly on account of my new setup at home and my recent habit of leaving my laptop at school... Having it stay in the classroom saves me time in setting up my classes and also ensures that I will not inadvertently leave it behind and be unprepared...
Everything I do with my students is on it, and due to my new early schedule I save time by leaving it be...
I have no shortage of equipment at home, by any means, it is just that having the main computer in the living room does not lend itself to the quiet contemplative surrounding that is required for uninterrupted thoughts and sharing ideas...
I have had many ideas that I wanted to share lately, but I seem to have been torn away each time with my ongoing activities...

As of late the updates are as follows...
Everyone is falling prey to the plague... Teachers are undergoing the scientific transformation that is the fall season, and with it are catching the flu and what ever else their children decide to share with them...
We have at least five staff members out of the building and may see more soon...

Remind me to go into more detail on: When Rats Attack, the bat whisperer, karaoke parties, the apple visit, and walk and bike to school day with the mayor...

Dinner in Florence

2009-09-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

Fun with Photos, Low Light Settings

2009-09-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

My Sleek Little World

2009-09-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

Never Too Late to Have a Happy Childhood

2009-09-19T15:49:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Wavepool...
Where for less than four bucks, you can be a kid again.

2009-09-19T15:44:00.001-07:00

My Newest Addition...

2009-09-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Dad...

2009-09-19T14:06:00.001-07:00

Change is Hard...

2009-09-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

But you have to start somewhere.

Time to Meet Freebo the Hobo Spider

2009-08-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

This little critter was the latest new addition to my home...
Winter is coming and with the added habit of leaving my front door open to watch for my favorite neighbors, the Gardner house is taking on new tenants, in the form of spiders the size of hamburgers...
The interesting thing about this little surprise was how I found it...
Throughout the process of cleaning and setting things up around the house, I would continually unleash spiders from their homes in my living room... The practice for removing and relocating these little critters involved imprisoning them in a plastic cd case and unleashing them on the neighbors at a safe distance...
After the last release, I had throw the plastic lid to the cd case behind the front door and gone off to bed...
You can imagine my surprise when I woke to find a new bigger spider resting in it in the morning...
I don't know it the picture does it justice as this thing was about the size of the palm of my hand...

I really hate these things, and immediately dropped it off at the neighbors for research and further inspection...
Later that evening while cleaning, I hear the door open and Autumn announces that she is returning our little friend back into my house...
I wander around the kitchen to find her standing with the familiar enclosure in her hands and then her rushing towards me and launching the contents in my face...
Of course, I scream, throw my drink into the air, and retreat to the kitchen, to find the entire house erupting in laughter, and a makeshift spider, constructed of patches and ribbon lying on the floor...

Good times guys, way to show the love...

Out with the Old

2009-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

So lately I have been trying to follow my family's tradition of changing my surroundings on a regular basis... The goal of this is never to be held back by the things in my home and to be continually improving the things around me.

As a child I knew never to expect to see the same home I had seen upon leaving for school. Many times I would return to find the house had completely changed beyond recognition... One example was when I was living in Florence Oregon in a small two bedroom apartment...
I left our house with its rather simple decor to find a small Forest in our living room.
In my absence my dad had replaced all the furniture with logs and installed a complete forest of trees in the living room.
Beyond that he had released our pet cockatiels to run free and fly about the house....

I have no plans to take such actions, as the availability of trees for home decor seems limited in this area.
But the other tradition in creating a dynamic home by continually replacing furniture with new interesting pieces seems like a good goal to keep in mind.

After Lemon Traditions

2009-08-21T13:13:00.001-07:00

Each year, for the third year running, Autumn and I have had the tradition of ending each Scandi-Fest Lemonade event at the Horse Head, with a Polaroid in front of the dart board, in celebration of a great Summer and a good time.

Umbrella

2009-08-21T12:58:00.001-07:00

Squishing Caterpillars

2009-08-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

I just got done watching L.A. Story...
A film I faintly remembered from childhood...
All I could recall was Steve Martin hugging a sign post.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the film I found lying by the dumpster in my apartment complex.
I was laughing all night about him shooting at drivers on the freeway, and getting held up at the ATM.
One line in particular cracked me up for hours,
in reference to shaking hands with new acquaintances at a social gathering, he said...

Harris: I'm not kissing anyone hello anymore.
Trudi: Well just shake hands with them.
Harris: Are you kidding? I just wash my hands and I shake hands with some guy that feels like he's been squashing caterpillars.

Too Fun...

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-08-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

So today was an eventful day...

I sold my Digital Rebel Camera... in only a few hours...
We posted it on Craig's list and within a few hours, a large biker was standing in my living room...
As off putting as he might have been, he seemed nice enough...

Prior to that I spent my day with my face pressed against the car window while driving past numerous garage sales... One of which offered popcorn for a quarter... A refreshing service when compared to other sales that had boxes of Penthouse scattered across their yard...

After entering an unappealing cul-de-sac and turning around to leave I noticed a familiar contraption...
With the car still running I dive out the door and hand the lady 5 dollars for a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker...
Having fought off three other contenders... down the last second..,

Six hours later, after properly chilling the freezer bowl...
I heat up 4 cups cream, vanilla, sugar, and mint.

With everyone standing by I put it all together and pour it all in...

Seconds pass before they look up and ask why I had spent all that time freezing the thing, only to pour boiling milk into it...

Yet another seemingly simple contraption beats me again...

20 minutes and I will be ready to throw it all away, if it doesn't burst into flames first....