The tally - 4 states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama)
12 hours; 764 miles; 2 tanks of gas; 1 bag of cherries, half a can of cashews, 2 diet cokes.
One audiobook - Book 4 of Percy Jackson completed.....Book on the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1917 begun.
The odyssey began this morning at 4, right after checking out....roads in Texas are boring....all roads seem to have a 70mph speed limit, there are almost no towns between College Station and I-20. Boring state. However, Mississippi and Alabama were very pleasant to drive through....rolling hills....lots of trees...very nice drive.
Little traffic, small bits of light rain but nothing to get hung up about, and calls from Meg and Mary Anne made the trip go by fast....
Tomorrow...Charlotte!!! (And Lupie's for dinner!)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Day Ten
The Song is Over......
Well the first workshop has come to an end following a discussion started when one teacher mentioned that one of her students asked if it was true that if you swallow gum, that it could stay in your stomach for up to 5 years. She said that it would probably pass through the system long before then. The student then said, "What if you swallowed 5 pounds of gum?" Which, in fact he did (on a dare).
Can you image the volume of gum it would take to make 5 pounds?
While this discussion was going on, someone ventured the hypothesis as to what might happen if he had beans for dinner that night.....
What a great workshop and what a terrific bunch of people! It was fantastic and I am sorry to see it end. I am at 1168 miles and tomorrow will try to leave at 4:30 to stay ahead of Alex....the journey will be about 12 hours, 3 states, and about 700 miles.
But what a great start it has been!
Hey family...call me in the car.....it will be along trip!
Well the first workshop has come to an end following a discussion started when one teacher mentioned that one of her students asked if it was true that if you swallow gum, that it could stay in your stomach for up to 5 years. She said that it would probably pass through the system long before then. The student then said, "What if you swallowed 5 pounds of gum?" Which, in fact he did (on a dare).
Can you image the volume of gum it would take to make 5 pounds?
While this discussion was going on, someone ventured the hypothesis as to what might happen if he had beans for dinner that night.....
What a great workshop and what a terrific bunch of people! It was fantastic and I am sorry to see it end. I am at 1168 miles and tomorrow will try to leave at 4:30 to stay ahead of Alex....the journey will be about 12 hours, 3 states, and about 700 miles.
But what a great start it has been!
Hey family...call me in the car.....it will be along trip!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Day Nine
The last full day for the Institute. Edith, from Holland, left this morning...two of our presenters left on Saturday....but not to fear....we were joined at breakfast downstairs by 200 middle and high school basketball players here for a clinic and staying, you guessed it, here at the Traditions! We spent the day in planning how we would set up a module (of our choice - I chose the one where kids could watch plant sex) in our classrooms.
Actually it was a terrific day...full of discussions, ideas, and suggestions. Best day of the Institute so far. We all went out to our last group dinner, as many are leaving tomorrow afternoon. We also had homework in the form of 8 pages of after action surveys, but I just kept putting down that the way they could best support me is with a new Mercedes convertible.
I also sent you a link to a snapfish album (or 2) that contains pictures from the week that 2 of may fellow classmates with working (not dead) cameras uploaded. I am in a few pix but only a few of the 700. Tomorrow....the end of phase one!
Actually it was a terrific day...full of discussions, ideas, and suggestions. Best day of the Institute so far. We all went out to our last group dinner, as many are leaving tomorrow afternoon. We also had homework in the form of 8 pages of after action surveys, but I just kept putting down that the way they could best support me is with a new Mercedes convertible.
I also sent you a link to a snapfish album (or 2) that contains pictures from the week that 2 of may fellow classmates with working (not dead) cameras uploaded. I am in a few pix but only a few of the 700. Tomorrow....the end of phase one!
Day Eight (A Day Late)
What a fascinating day! It began at 6AM as I proceeded down the stairs here at the Tradition to the all exciting laundry room for some meaningful time with my dirty wash. During the down time (as the machines worked and I did not) I spent meaningful time with my continued reading on the biography of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Previously I had read the biography of a mountain in the Blue Ridge, and while I thought there was nothing more boring than that....I was wrong.
We did have workshop sessions throughout the afternoon, after which I treated myself to dinner at Outback.
I deserved it...I earned it....I ate it.
Yum.
Previously I had read the biography of a mountain in the Blue Ridge, and while I thought there was nothing more boring than that....I was wrong.
We did have workshop sessions throughout the afternoon, after which I treated myself to dinner at Outback.
I deserved it...I earned it....I ate it.
Yum.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Day Seven
Not at all what I thought it would be....
After reading that we were "sketching" today, I went out and excitedly bought a cool set of Prismacolor pencils and a sketch book....
This morning we gathered at 8:30 to head to the Holistic Garden at A&M, armed with cameras and encouraged to both take pictures and to collect plant samples to draw. After returning to our workroom....we used neither! The botanical illustrator who ran the session had us TRACING a collected flower or provided veggie on a plastic picture frame and then copying it on to tracing paper! Botanical illustrators apparently, don't actually draw anything! The only productive part of the morning was the time we spent learning how to shadow drawings to create a 3-D appearance....Unfortunately we only did this for 20 or 30 minutes before being rushed on to the next phase....Where we were given a comprehensive, all-inclusive, complete, unabridged, no stone left unturned, no child left behind, expansive 30 minute workshop in watercolors.
The first (and only) not worth the drive day of what, so far, has been a great workshop....
Tomorrow....at 7AM I journey into laundryland!!!! Its wash day (and with a little luck) I may just have enough clean laundry to make it back to Tampa without doing anymore wash!
Or I may just have to buy new clothes (what a shame....a dirty job - pun intended -but someones gotta do it....
On a sad note it appears the camera has finally passed away. RIP old friend.
After reading that we were "sketching" today, I went out and excitedly bought a cool set of Prismacolor pencils and a sketch book....
This morning we gathered at 8:30 to head to the Holistic Garden at A&M, armed with cameras and encouraged to both take pictures and to collect plant samples to draw. After returning to our workroom....we used neither! The botanical illustrator who ran the session had us TRACING a collected flower or provided veggie on a plastic picture frame and then copying it on to tracing paper! Botanical illustrators apparently, don't actually draw anything! The only productive part of the morning was the time we spent learning how to shadow drawings to create a 3-D appearance....Unfortunately we only did this for 20 or 30 minutes before being rushed on to the next phase....Where we were given a comprehensive, all-inclusive, complete, unabridged, no stone left unturned, no child left behind, expansive 30 minute workshop in watercolors.
The first (and only) not worth the drive day of what, so far, has been a great workshop....
Tomorrow....at 7AM I journey into laundryland!!!! Its wash day (and with a little luck) I may just have enough clean laundry to make it back to Tampa without doing anymore wash!
Or I may just have to buy new clothes (what a shame....a dirty job - pun intended -but someones gotta do it....
On a sad note it appears the camera has finally passed away. RIP old friend.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Day Six Continued...
(Sung to the tune of the Brady Bunch Theme...)
Here's the story,
Of a frisky C-fern,
Who was alternating all its generations.
So we put em in some auger,
Inside a house of foil.
Here's germination,
Sex determination,
As the sperm are getting busy on their own.
They were swimming,
Looking for the mitten, and the archegonia.
Till the one day when the lady met this fellow,
and they made a brand new baby zygote.
That this plant,
Must somehow form a root (and stem).
That's the way / they became /diploid sporophytes,
Diploid sporophytes- diploid sporophytes
That's the way / they became /diploid sporophytes.
Don't you feel better now?
Here's the story,
Of a frisky C-fern,
Who was alternating all its generations.
So we put em in some auger,
Inside a house of foil.
Here's germination,
Sex determination,
As the sperm are getting busy on their own.
They were swimming,
Looking for the mitten, and the archegonia.
Till the one day when the lady met this fellow,
and they made a brand new baby zygote.
That this plant,
Must somehow form a root (and stem).
That's the way / they became /diploid sporophytes,
Diploid sporophytes- diploid sporophytes
That's the way / they became /diploid sporophytes.
Don't you feel better now?
Day Six
The Adventure of Eating....
Two days ago the group wanted to go out for BBQ....They decided NOT to have the two of us with cars drive to a "nearby" BBQ house, after all, it was only "a mile away". We started walking at 6. After passing through the Dakota badlands, we finally ended up in a Canadian BBQ joint somewhere outside of Montreal. Although the BBQ was good...the walk in 97 degree heat at 87% humidity was not. The highlight of the trip was finding a flattened (to the size of a sheet of paper) frog and field mouse as well as a rotted opossum carcass.
You'd think we would have learned.
Tonight, our fearless leader Claire (the mastermind of the week - and doing a great job) led us on a 2-car expedition to find a steakhouse. She had "GPS directions". Right. After driving for 15 minutes down Texas Avenue, they pulled over to ask directions at a Domino's pizza. They never heard of the place, but, they claimed to have "GPS" directions to another steakhouse.
You'd think we would have learned, part deux.
After driving out of College Station, through Bryan, Texas, out of Bryan, Texas, through Canada and across the Bearing Strait, 30 miles LATER, we finally found out that we "probably passed it". Luckily, one of my astute riders located a Steakhouse we had passed back in Bryan....20 minutes earlier. We went back and I had absolutely, without question, the most awful steak I have ever had in my life!
However, the day was not without its high point, where we turned the life cycle of the C-Fern into the Theme From the Brady Bunch....For more on that....see the next post!
Two days ago the group wanted to go out for BBQ....They decided NOT to have the two of us with cars drive to a "nearby" BBQ house, after all, it was only "a mile away". We started walking at 6. After passing through the Dakota badlands, we finally ended up in a Canadian BBQ joint somewhere outside of Montreal. Although the BBQ was good...the walk in 97 degree heat at 87% humidity was not. The highlight of the trip was finding a flattened (to the size of a sheet of paper) frog and field mouse as well as a rotted opossum carcass.
You'd think we would have learned.
Tonight, our fearless leader Claire (the mastermind of the week - and doing a great job) led us on a 2-car expedition to find a steakhouse. She had "GPS directions". Right. After driving for 15 minutes down Texas Avenue, they pulled over to ask directions at a Domino's pizza. They never heard of the place, but, they claimed to have "GPS" directions to another steakhouse.
You'd think we would have learned, part deux.
After driving out of College Station, through Bryan, Texas, out of Bryan, Texas, through Canada and across the Bearing Strait, 30 miles LATER, we finally found out that we "probably passed it". Luckily, one of my astute riders located a Steakhouse we had passed back in Bryan....20 minutes earlier. We went back and I had absolutely, without question, the most awful steak I have ever had in my life!
However, the day was not without its high point, where we turned the life cycle of the C-Fern into the Theme From the Brady Bunch....For more on that....see the next post!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day Five
Another exciting day discussing the wild and weird world of plant sex and ceratopteris! Yes we learned about (and saw) it all!!! And we will spend some time tomorrow drawing it!! Whoo-hoo!
We had hoped for a cooler day and got it....it rained during lunch but I was prepared having packed my poncho in my computer bag just in case of an afternoon shower. The only problem was - I was at Chick Fil A on campus and my poncho was....in my computer bag. Needless to say...I got wet.
I will be seeing Ervin from Discovery Place a week from Friday and get to see the renovations the museum has gone through.
Hard to believe, but tomorrow at noon we will be half way done with the workshop. Everyone here has been terrific and I am learning a lot....now if I get paid....and when that actually happens....well...that's what makes the future so exciting!
We had hoped for a cooler day and got it....it rained during lunch but I was prepared having packed my poncho in my computer bag just in case of an afternoon shower. The only problem was - I was at Chick Fil A on campus and my poncho was....in my computer bag. Needless to say...I got wet.
I will be seeing Ervin from Discovery Place a week from Friday and get to see the renovations the museum has gone through.
Hard to believe, but tomorrow at noon we will be half way done with the workshop. Everyone here has been terrific and I am learning a lot....now if I get paid....and when that actually happens....well...that's what makes the future so exciting!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Day Four
Not quite as exciting a day....it seems that much of this project is way over the heads of middle schoolers (and the group attending are so much more expert with the lab procedures and material) but I can definitely see how I can adapt it to meets my kids needs...and I am learning a tremendous amount.
The folks running the program are terrific! Today we continued on our Celery Challenge, where we are competing against all of the other groups to design a way to make our celery bend the most (in a 24-hour period). We also spent a good portion of the afternoon discussing plant sex....which is not nearly as boring as animal sex, although I will not elaborate on the subject....for more information go to
http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/dox/altgen_new.html
Its a bit late and I am headed out to catch a bite, get some ice and toilet paper (since they think one roll will last us for 10 days), and then settle in for some exciting Charlotte Danielson videos....gosh, I live an exciting life!
The folks running the program are terrific! Today we continued on our Celery Challenge, where we are competing against all of the other groups to design a way to make our celery bend the most (in a 24-hour period). We also spent a good portion of the afternoon discussing plant sex....which is not nearly as boring as animal sex, although I will not elaborate on the subject....for more information go to
http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/dox/altgen_new.html
Its a bit late and I am headed out to catch a bite, get some ice and toilet paper (since they think one roll will last us for 10 days), and then settle in for some exciting Charlotte Danielson videos....gosh, I live an exciting life!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Day Three
Walking....1 state (texas).....1 mile....
First Day of the workshop was pretty cool. Got into a long conversation with the lady from Holland (who lives near Arnhem where Anne and I spent a night at a youth hostel and visited a theme park) about setting up a joint plant project between one of her schools and Ferrell and having the kids swap data online in blogs....
We compared day old celery to fresh celery in preparation for a challenge that will have us competing in trying make our celery stalk droop the most over 4 days. Later we created a C-Fern culture and placed it in a climate controlled crate (see the picture when loaded) for cultivation. Also visited 3 of Texas A&M's greenhouses...cool stuff!
Tomorrow I will try to get to the bookstore!
Pictures were uploaded into the blog but the old ones (which I deleted) are still there while the new ones are not showing. I will need my Blog guru, Megan, to sort this out for me....
People seem nice....the workshop seems that like it will offer a LOT that I could use if I were still in a classroom, but I am not sure how much I can sell to my new teachers....
Dinner at a cowboy hamburger joint (blah) but the Texas chili (with beans) was really good. I am tired and will snack on cherries....by the way the fitness room is way cool....went up at 5 this morning and rode on a bike with a programmable screen so you can watch the route (I chose a sunset ride through a park) as you pedal. I could get into this!
First Day of the workshop was pretty cool. Got into a long conversation with the lady from Holland (who lives near Arnhem where Anne and I spent a night at a youth hostel and visited a theme park) about setting up a joint plant project between one of her schools and Ferrell and having the kids swap data online in blogs....
We compared day old celery to fresh celery in preparation for a challenge that will have us competing in trying make our celery stalk droop the most over 4 days. Later we created a C-Fern culture and placed it in a climate controlled crate (see the picture when loaded) for cultivation. Also visited 3 of Texas A&M's greenhouses...cool stuff!
Tomorrow I will try to get to the bookstore!
Pictures were uploaded into the blog but the old ones (which I deleted) are still there while the new ones are not showing. I will need my Blog guru, Megan, to sort this out for me....
People seem nice....the workshop seems that like it will offer a LOT that I could use if I were still in a classroom, but I am not sure how much I can sell to my new teachers....
Dinner at a cowboy hamburger joint (blah) but the Texas chili (with beans) was really good. I am tired and will snack on cherries....by the way the fitness room is way cool....went up at 5 this morning and rode on a bike with a programmable screen so you can watch the route (I chose a sunset ride through a park) as you pedal. I could get into this!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Day Two
2 states - Louisiana, Texas ... 485 miles... 97 degrees... five books, one shirt, one pair of jeans and one pair of shoes
A lovely day for driving but not a good one for actually getting out of the car. In two days I have completed 2 audiobooks - American Creation by Joseph J. Ellis, and Book 4 in the Percy Jackson series...
I have arrived in Aggieland...Texas A&M is huge....the dorm is a set up similar to Emory's suite arrangement...two bedrooms each with ample closet space, dresser, desk, bed and sink with a joint bathroom and a common living area (no kitchen) but the building offers a meal plan to students with its own food service area. Nice pool, weight/fitness room - view it all at http://www.livethetradition.com/
Met most of the folks attending....nice mix of old and young teachers, middle and high school are about split 50/50....most seem pretty outgoing...folks from NY, Hawaii, Holland, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Kansas, 3 from Florida...
The high points of the evening were 1) Learning about the Creamery where they made ice cream the old fashioned way as part of the diary program and 2) The world's most colossal used book, CD, vinyl, DVD, VHS, video game store.....its FABULOUS! Its getting late, I am getting old, and I am not getting sleep....so its time to rest!
Goodnight and thank you one and all for all of the Father's Day calls repeatedly throughout the day.
One note to My Dearest Beloved Wife.....the store you wanted me to stop at in Houston should be open by November....do you want me to wait?
A lovely day for driving but not a good one for actually getting out of the car. In two days I have completed 2 audiobooks - American Creation by Joseph J. Ellis, and Book 4 in the Percy Jackson series...
I have arrived in Aggieland...Texas A&M is huge....the dorm is a set up similar to Emory's suite arrangement...two bedrooms each with ample closet space, dresser, desk, bed and sink with a joint bathroom and a common living area (no kitchen) but the building offers a meal plan to students with its own food service area. Nice pool, weight/fitness room - view it all at http://www.livethetradition.com/
Met most of the folks attending....nice mix of old and young teachers, middle and high school are about split 50/50....most seem pretty outgoing...folks from NY, Hawaii, Holland, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Kansas, 3 from Florida...
The high points of the evening were 1) Learning about the Creamery where they made ice cream the old fashioned way as part of the diary program and 2) The world's most colossal used book, CD, vinyl, DVD, VHS, video game store.....its FABULOUS! Its getting late, I am getting old, and I am not getting sleep....so its time to rest!
Goodnight and thank you one and all for all of the Father's Day calls repeatedly throughout the day.
One note to My Dearest Beloved Wife.....the store you wanted me to stop at in Houston should be open by November....do you want me to wait?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Road Trip Day One
Day one log....4 states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana), 603 miles, one bag of cherries (and they were delicious!)
What an easy ride! No traffic until Alabama (or after 6 hours on the road), no rain until Mississippi....lots of Ringo billboards (He's at one of the casinos in 2 weeks), no tar in any of the waterways I passed and no notices of any beach closings...Oil's well that ends well....
I have been tasked with visiting an outlet center outside of Houston (That I just happen to be driving past....that just happens to have a Talbot's outlet....what a coincidence...) so I will leave right after my complementary breakfast (They are doing it for me because it's Father's Day and has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fact that this is a Hampton Inn. Megan had the more fun day (at Coney Island) but I went through more states so I win.
What an easy ride! No traffic until Alabama (or after 6 hours on the road), no rain until Mississippi....lots of Ringo billboards (He's at one of the casinos in 2 weeks), no tar in any of the waterways I passed and no notices of any beach closings...Oil's well that ends well....
I have been tasked with visiting an outlet center outside of Houston (That I just happen to be driving past....that just happens to have a Talbot's outlet....what a coincidence...) so I will leave right after my complementary breakfast (They are doing it for me because it's Father's Day and has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fact that this is a Hampton Inn. Megan had the more fun day (at Coney Island) but I went through more states so I win.
First, an update
The world can rest easier tonight, as, for a nominal fee (a small South Pacific island), the pool guy (who does not do residential pools) fixed said pool and the water is again clear and algae free.
Yesterday we did Toy Story 3.... I don't know how they did it...but it is as good, if not better than the rest....I think its the end....the end id the best ending for a movie that anyone could have written. It was terrific!
Now on to the road....
Yesterday we did Toy Story 3.... I don't know how they did it...but it is as good, if not better than the rest....I think its the end....the end id the best ending for a movie that anyone could have written. It was terrific!
Now on to the road....
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Vacation, like all good things, comes to an end
After 3 days of sipping pina coladas and soaking up rays, I was forced to return to work today to attend a workshop that will, supposedly, show me how the new 7th grade curriculum will work. It was a good way to get paid for 6 hours and have a nice drive along with the effort.
Now for the sad news....it appears a mutant has crawled into our pool pump, and, alas poor Yorick, I fear he might be dead. I have called for a specialist (House was unavailable) in the hopes that Yor can be brought back to life.
And remember that nice green color we had in the pool before?
It's BAAAAAAACK!
Road trip is just under 60 hours away.......Not that I am counting...
Now for the sad news....it appears a mutant has crawled into our pool pump, and, alas poor Yorick, I fear he might be dead. I have called for a specialist (House was unavailable) in the hopes that Yor can be brought back to life.
And remember that nice green color we had in the pool before?
It's BAAAAAAACK!
Road trip is just under 60 hours away.......Not that I am counting...
Monday, June 14, 2010
A week often takes longer than 7 days
It is only Monday and I am ready and itching to get on the road. I am so desperate to begin my quest that I am actually packing 5 days early....I may need to wear bed sheets to have enough clothes to get through the week. It is raining and dreary here in Tampa....and the pool is again a light shade of green...the pool store claims that its phosphate but I believe its really an Irish pool in native colors for the World Cup. Big news of the day....I may (just a possibility, mind you), may get the Mini for my road trip. This is even more exciting than Angelique finally joining the cast of Dark Shadows on DVD Collection 5!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Final Countdown
In just 5 days I will begin my trek....12 states....3000 miles....2 colleges....in 21 days.....the packing has begun (and the mandatory reading is finished)!
I will say my trip will have me spending nights in all of America's vacation spots....Starting with Slidell, Louisiana, followed by 10 nights in College Station, Texas (Go Aggies!), a night in Addison, Alabama, 3 in Charlotte, NC, 6 in Boone, NC, 1 in Baltimore, and 1 or 2 off I-95
I will say my trip will have me spending nights in all of America's vacation spots....Starting with Slidell, Louisiana, followed by 10 nights in College Station, Texas (Go Aggies!), a night in Addison, Alabama, 3 in Charlotte, NC, 6 in Boone, NC, 1 in Baltimore, and 1 or 2 off I-95
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