Snow's Here

We've had a couple of snows here recently. Even though the roads hae been clear, there is still salt on them, so the car is under cover for a while. I'm still waiting for some parts so I can convert it to disk brakes and a bigger bolt pattern to match more wheels. That's a project that I'm hoping to finish during the winter, which makes me think about how/when people in other parts of the country without that mandated winter down time for cars like this get their projects done. Oh well, just another thing running through my head.
We're expecting some snow, rain, ice and more snow tomorrow. That should be interesting. Other than that, all is well here, work is fine, life is fine and I'm currently leading the fall league at my local gun club. The numbers are pretty low, but it feels good to be shooting well. I'm getting used to the most recent gun purchase and starting to shoot it pretty well. The colors are bit much, but I'm used to the jabs I get for using it.
As the days get shorter, the amount I accomplish outside wanes and my interests turn to inside projects and the computer. I should be keeping up on the posts more now that I have an excuse not to be outside doing something else. Wasting nice weather seems silly, so I try not to. Now maybe I'll get to cleaning the school's target rifles that I received after camp, which ended about two months ago. Another thing I haven't been able to designate time for...soon I guess. There's always something to occupy time.

Another Season Gone

It seems that fall is pretty well done here. The nice weather has given way to some cold, and I mean COLD, rain. The clouds are looking more like snow clouds than rain clouds and daylight savings is over, making it darker earlier. All of these signs, coupled with the loss of most leaves, shows that winter isn't all that far away.
Fortunately, over the last 3 weeks, I've put a new roof on parts of my house/garage and seem to have taken care of all the little issues. Glad it's over!! I'm not built for being on a roof.
I'll most likely get the 'Cuda out some more before the salt shakers have their way with the roads, but that season is drawing to a close too. I guess it's time to roll up the windows to stay warm and to keep an eye on the weather maps.
One really good part is that deer season opens early this year, due to the early Thanksgiving. That season is a busy one, with the family business being sporting goods. Long days and last minute emergencies are the norm. I'll hunt, but don't really get that excited about rifle season. It's not really that difficult to get within a few hundred yards of these creatures. I save most of my effort for traditional flint lock season. That's more fun, with a much shorter range, less accuracy and the ever present possibility that it won't go off the first, second, third or even fourth time. Then of course there is the cloud of smoke that appears an instant before the gun discharges allow lots of time to flinch and throw the shot off the desired path.
I guess I'm fairly ready for this seasonal change, but will start to clean out a spot for a second vehicle for the winter. That extra bay just seems to be constantly full of one project or another. Maybe it's time to think about a bigger garage?

Georgous Weather

The weather here has been unbelievable!! Sunny, dry, much warmer than usual. I've taken advantage of it. Not with the 'Cuda, but in getting a roof on my house. When I saw that the weather called for several dry days in a row, I came home from school on Friday and started taking the old roof off. Saturday was the start of the new construction, along with a dinner with my grandmother and uncle. Today I'm ready for the ice guard, but ran out of steam. I'm really not built for roofing! Tomorrow after work I should finish the project and get everything put away. It's amazing how many tools find their way onto the roof! Whether it's figuring out where the leaks were and how to stop them, or attempting to re-engineer the meeting points of multiple pitches, there's a bunch of stuff and time needed.
While I'm sore and tired, I might still take the car out for a little jaunt. It's too nice to not get it out at some point this weekend. I feel guilty letting sit when the weather's so nice. I just hope that the rains hold off until I can finish the work tomorrow!!

The End....well sort of

Well, it's the end of the nice weather here. It was near 90 yesterday, which is WAY above the expected. Still, I put nearly 200 miles on the 'Cuda, going to the last cruise at my favorite spot and of course lighting the hides and engulfing the area in smoke. It was a fun day and quite uneventful too. There were friendly people with an interest in and an appreciation for vehicles of all sorts. There was nothing negative to say at all! What a great way to end the cruising season.
That's not to say that the car is parked. It will be out, and driven to work until the salt shakers on the rears of the plows start to drop their contents. That's when the official end of the cruising year ends for me. My car has never seen salt, most likely never seen snow (other than watching it through the garage windows) and never will as long it's mine. Even though working on it necessitated several stitches in my finger a few weeks ago, I see that it was my fault, not the fault of that inanimate object. Just another aspect of wrenching on your own chariot. Battle scars show that I don't just drive them, I work on them. That's the sense of accomplishment for me: learning (sometimes the hard way) and getting to see the results of hard work. Maybe this winter will be the year it gets disk brakes, and a finished interior? If not, I'll drive it like it is next year...after all, it hasn't had to ride on a flat bed in a LONG time :)

Life's Not Bad

Life's pretty good here overall. The weather is changing, and hunting season is in the air. It's a little cooler now, but not bad at all. We're looking at a week of really nice weather coming up too. The car's been out nearly every day lately, only sitting on Sunday due to being caught in the rain a few times on Saturday and being really filthy. It's clean again and will be out every day until the salt starts to fall from the plow trucks. I'm racking up some miles this season and enjoying the trip.
I'm getting ready to put a roof on the back part of the house/workshop soon and gearing up for this undertaking. It's been a long time in the works, but should be done well before the snow lets loose this year. Hopefully all will work out OK on that front...a leaking roof really sucks sometimes. I tried several contractors, who were all either busy or just didn't want the work, so it's up to me. We'll see how good I am at building! That should prove interesting to say the least.
It's late enough in the season that I pulled my father's boat out of the lake last weekend. I just finished repairing the trailer in time to pull the boat too. The lake is now a controlled lake that has the water drawn down throughout the winter for several reasons. The reduction of lake level makes it pretty much impossible for the boat to be removed. This year that will be early to work on the dam and gates that control the level. At least that will give me some decent weather to get into the boat and do some long needed wiring. This year, I should have all the electric working and get the lights working for night time travel, which is one of my favorite times on the water. It shouldn't be too tough, but I'd like to do it when it's warm and then put it up for the winter, being ready to go once the water flow is again restricted enough to raise the water level.
All is good! The only complaints come from work and are related to technology. Everything else seems to be going quite smoothly! Life is pretty darn good right now. There are things to be done but at least there's the feeling of accomplishment that goes with completing something. Since classes ended, I have to admit that I was a bit too idle for my taste and am looking forward to new projects. I'll post updates on the progresses as they happen. Hopefully it will be all good news!
Best of luck to all and enjoy whatever you can, whenever you can!

Back to Work

Today marked the official start of another year here. Ya, it's a little late, but that's what my district chose again this year. There are goods and bads, but it seems to work out OK. The first day went pretty well, with some of the expected issues, locker troubles and lost students but nothing really major on that front. All in all it was pretty smooth for me. I still have some problems not being able to use software that I have in the past and some that I learned about this summer in classes, but I'll keep fighting there I guess. That's an entire story in itself and I'm not getting back into that now.
I just look forward to watching this new batch of students grow throughout the year and progress toward adulthood. It's interesting to see. Even the students I had last year, who return to say the first day, seem older already. That makes all the BS worthwhile I guess...and only 179 more days to go before school's over again :)

A Good Place

Last night, the inlaws were at the house for a little BBQ. It went well, but the evening pointed out one important thing...I'm in a good place. The house is a little small and, of course the garage isn't big enough. The location is quiet and close to a state park, hiking trails and a bike trail. This came to mind today because I was looking for some pictures and found this from earlier in the spring...or last year, I can't remember. We have so much wild-life in the back yard that it's interesting to sit on the back porch and watch. This was a common topic during the meal. Whether it's simply the range of birds that visit the feeder, woodchucks, deer (and fawns), or bears, it seems that there is always something out there. In this case, the two young fawns were playing with the geese, herding them around the yard and splashing in the water. The deer seemed happy but the geese appeared to be more annoyed than anything. Most of the flock is out of the picture. Things like this make this little place very nice

I Never Knew

I learn things all the time, but today found something really interesting in my RSS bin. Reading a little about the NYC steam pipe blowing was, of course, sad. On the other hand, the ingenuity and planning that was done in the late 1800's was remarkable. They'd thought of and built an efficient method for salvaging normally lost heat in the generation of electricity. The volume of steam is tremendous and is not only used to heat buildings in the winter, but is used to turn turbines that power AC systems in some buildings during the summer months. This idea was used 120 years ago, yet today that idea is rather novel in most places. It's all in what is presented to the general public. Even with this latest disaster, this type of system should spread, with the growing energy costs and a somewhat increased need for "cleaner" energy and saving energy. Check out the SciAm article. It's pretty short but has some good things to think about.

Unbelievable!!

Today, I had an experience that should never happen. I have an elderly neighbor, in her 80's. She asked me about the price quoted to her by an out of town contractor that was going to put windows in her house. When I heard the figure and looked at the windows, I thought that something was wrong. Then I found out that this guy took a check of a thousand bucks as a deposit. The price of the windows (2 of them by the way) was nearly 10% of the price she paid for the house. I told her to get other estimates and to put a hold on that first contractor and see what comes out. She canceled the check and started asking around a little more. She had another estimate of 1/4 the price for the physical windows.
This afternoon, that original contractor showed up and was quite rude to her about her changed mind. She used me a reason for her cancellation, so he then insulted me...I wasn't around at that time. With this in mind, I did a little checking and it's not the first issue that's come from this place. Some guys are really tough spoken when dealing with an 80+ year old with a cane. I'm in the process now of finding her a better person and seeing what these things actually cost. Even with escalating labor costs, my estimate on the price of the windows leaves the labor costs at a rate not seen in any other contracting work I've ever seen. Even if the two windows took two laborers 30 hours to put in at typical local rates, she'd be well behind. With common local rates, two people would be working for over 50 hours for this bill to be reasonable...then if it took them that long, they're not reasonable either...Some people are interesting. It's too bad that there are people like this around. Of course this isn't my specialty, but common sense is good for something. If I were to put 10% of the purchase price of my home into two windows, I'd be significantly perturbed! If, somehow, I'm entirely off base, I'll call the guy and apologize. I doubt that will need to be done, but hey, if I am wrong, I'll own up to it...even though I was insulted (my neighbor couldn't repeat the insult, it was "too bad"...nice older lady:))
My step now is researching reputable window makers/installers to see what's really what. We have a few places that make them pretty locally and stand behind what they do. Helping this neighbor is not unusual, she's a nice lady and a good neighbor to have. We'll see where this goes. I hope it all works out for her and will do what I can to help.

Things Change

Well, the fishing trip didn't work out...too many other things to take care of. I guess it's a good thing, it was rough on the lake on Thursday and there was at least one injury on board due to the wave heights. On top of that, the fishing wasn't too great any way.
The weather has been very good lately, so I've shot several rounds at five stand and am getting used to the new gun. The scores should be better soon. Class is going pretty well, and I'm only behind on the video part. I hope to take care of this ASAP...meet with my actors today(if they remember). After that it should be pretty straight forward. I've toyed with the editing software and think that I'll be OK.
All is well, the car is out just about every day and so far this summer there have been few days when it's just too hot and humid to do much. It's a pretty good feeling when things are caught up and taken care of...now it's off to trim a couple of trees with a pole saw...and then dig out the drain in the back yard...and then who knows what I'll find that needs some attention. Life can be pretty slow in this rural area, and I like it!

Summer's Here

Summer has now arrived here in NW PA. It's cracked the 90 degree mark for two days now and has been humid. Others south of here may be used to this, but it takes a bit of getting used to here. We've had little to no rain in recent memory and much of the grass is turning brown(YAY!!). I figure one more mowing should just about brown all 3+ acres of my yard. That I like!
Along with the hot weather comes the desire to get out and do some fishing. Most likely I'll be headed out on Lake Erie to do a little Walleye or Perch fishing. It all depends on the wind and the waves. Even though I'm still a bit behind in my latest class, I think I can manage at least part of a day for this little excursion. It's not often that I get the chance to do a little charter fishing with friends. If I go, I'll try to get some decent pictures to post. Right now, it's back to the class and the work I've missed!

Still Working

I'm still plugging away in my quest at UF. I'm behind as usual, email difficulty. I'm 3 weeks behind in the 8 week course, but am doing my best to catch up. Two are down and this is the last one this summer. I should be OK. It will just take some long days to get up to where I need to be.
I took most of Friday off and spent the afternoon/evening at a lake and watched fire works. This year was the best show they've put on in years. I was pleasantly surprised. It also felt good to relax. I've put quite a bit of time into the first two classes and need a little time before diving into the third, even though I started late. I feel pretty good about my work and my chances of getting caught up.
Hope it all works out.

OK, So That Didn't Work

I guess I ended up working today. I'm pretty much done with both classes and feel pretty good about my work and what I've learned. All that's left is a review of a professor and to review my writings before I submit them.
I slept in today, not really getting moving until after 8! I'm usually out of bed, fed, showered and working by about 7...to get up at 8 is rare! I feel like I waste a good part of the day when I sleep in. It's the best time for me to get things done. Nobody calls or has much to do at that time, so I have few interruptions. It's the best time for me right now.
Once up today, the sky was overcast, gray and not very inviting, so I decided to get some stuff done in front of the computer. Why wait for a sunny day? I'd rather do it now. Things change and that's just part of life. Have happy 4th and I hope the weather is better where you are today!
mark

Good Days

It's been a very good last few days. Sunday was the first real car show that my car made it to this season. None of my friends were around to go, so I went on my own. I think it was the best show I've been to in a long time. The show field was better than in recent years, but more importantly the people were great. Being alone, I didn't have to worry about friends wanting to get moving, when I'm in the middle of talking to others about their cars. I talked to and met more people on that day than I have in years, other than teaching. It was really a good time! I have no pictures though, I spent too much time talking to even take the camera out of the trunk.
The 4th is tomorrow, and I intend to pretty much take the day off and let the class stuff sit. I'm done in one class and will have the other one done on Thurs or Fri, if all goes well.
For now, I'm taking the 'Cuda out of town for a visit to some family and stretch its legs a little. I'll spend the rest of the day by the pool enjoying a nearly cloud free Pennsylvania day.
Enjoy the 4th and stay safe!
mark

A New Look

After all that I've learned in my latest classes, it seemed a good time to change the look of the blog. It's been the same for a while and needed something. After learning much about visual literacy, I decided that a change would be good. Of course there's that possibility that I could lose all my stuff, but blogger worked great. It's simple and I can now drag and click to change what I want to change. Pretty darn simple really.
I'm still thinking that I'd like a countdown to the end of summer in here, but haven't looked into it much yet. Maybe when these two classes are over I'll worry about that. For now, I'll stick with this and see how long it is before I feel the need for more change.

Something Different

After about 15 years of working and shooting sporting clays, I've finally have a gun that is dedicated to the sport. Thanks to a long time shooter and friend, I now have worked off the value of the gun(got a REALLY good deal) and will shoot it on Wed PM. It's a little loud, and doesn't fit in with the ordinary hunting guns in my cabinet but it fits me well and shoots great. I'm getting used to the paint, but at least it won't be mistaken for the hundreds of similar Berettas that show up at the course throughout the year. Here is the newest addition to the toy department here at home.

NASA - Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-117 Crew Has Fun in Space

Great fun in space...never gets old.

A Good Week

This has been a really good week. Things are getting done, the weather has been GREAT and I think I'm pretty well caught up on all things. All in all, not too bad. On top of all that, the 'Cuda is out and about. It's been on the road just about every day this week. That feels good! I can't complain about much today. All is good. I even found something to treat my fretboards with today! Things are going smoothly to say the least. Hopefully all is well where you are too!
This is just an interesting video that I found while searching for something else and thought that I should include it. I LOVE SCIENCE!!!

Breathing a Little Easier

Today, is the first day that I'm fully caught up in both of my classes. I just have a little editing and finalizing for one assignment and am off to really good start on this week's stuff. It feels good! Despite two storms passing though, requiring me to shut down and third getting closer, I've completed lots of work today. I'm getting plenty of ideas and things that will be useful next year. I'm happy that I waited until I found a masters program that is useful. The UF stuff has been loads of work, but should pay off with my students in the near future.
On another note, some morons broke into my neighbor's place. They are from out of town and use it as a camp. The worst part of the break in was the window. They must have been spooked and took VERY little. I guess that some druggie was in need of something to trade for his fix. That happens way too much around here. Maybe they picked the place because it looked unoccupied? At least no one was home. With the number of people that are armed around here, break ins can sometimes go terribly wrong. Maybe it's just too much for some people to work, keep a job and buy what they can afford...or get the bank to finance. No matter what, it's sad that this happens. I imagine that we'll have to keep our eyes open and things locked up. My next big purchase (other than spending money on classes) will be a gun safe. It's the one thing that I need to keep what I have out of the hands of some idiot. There's always something.
Well, the lightning is close enough that I have to shut down. That's it for now.

Done, but not...

Well, I'm done for the day. I've done little other than work on the computer. While the new computer makes this soooo much nicer, it's just time that I take care of a few other things. I may be on later, but for now, I'm headed outside to take care of the yard, which should take me until after dinner time. I feel better today about what I have to do for my classes, but still feel a little behind the curve. Hopefully tomorrow will take care of that. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Only time will tell that though. I'll just keep plugging away.
Today I took the portable drive to two other computers for work. Just because school is over doesn't mean that I'm done at the school. I'm still impressed with the ease of use and speed. The possibilities are endless, and they're really pretty cheap! Finding an advantage is great! This has changed the way I do things. I just have to remember to back it up. It was designed for a back up device, not to be the primary storage...so I'm waiting to see how long it lasts.
Now it's off to use the grass killing machine to make the yard presentable. Hope all the springs are fairly well dry by now...but I doubt it.

Tired, but still going :)

I took most of the weekend off to train a new employee and help get another caught up at my weekend job. When one person leaves unexpectedly and hadn't been doing all he should have, it's tough. All went relatively smoothly I guess. Changes can be tough to deal with sometimes, but this one is going better than expected. We'll be working on a fund raising shoot for Hunt of a Lifetime for the next month or so. It's quite an undertaking, but for a good cause. One of our shooters lost a son to brain cancer. Before his passing Hunt of a Lifetime took good care of him, so we all volunteer and put on this event to help others. This should become a yearly event. I don't mind the extra work.
Today, I spent a grand total of 35 minutes outside the house...and it was a spectacular day. I'm working on my classes, trying to get myself caught up. I feel very overwhelmed right now. I don't feel connected with anyone in these groups, but I imagine that it's mainly my fault for not being on line as much as I need for each class and not starting things myself. In previous classes, I had to start the ball rolling and connected with at least a few others. So far, nothing in my latest two.
Hopefully, another full day tomorrow will have me where I at least feel comfortable with my classes. That's my goal at least. From here on, I should be in good shape...here's hoping!!!

Over and Out

The school year has come to an end. The last day was relatively uneventful, with nothing major going happening. Most kids were well behaved as expected. The only issue for me was my gradebook, which would not cooperate. I'm fairly well cleaned out of my room, with the guitars now residing at home and most of my stuff put away until next year.
Several of previous years' students came back to visit. It's nice to see some that are successful and remember that they like school. I also like hearing about their experiences, which will help me to help the students next year. All in all, a good last week even though it was really hot. Being in a building designed for an AC system and then not putting the system in makes for really poor air flow!
Now I can start getting at the work for my grad classes. I'm a bit behind in both that I'm in now, and start a third on Monday. I hope all works out, but it looks like one busy week for me. At least everyone has been reasonable and understanding about the time required during the last weeks of school.
On a another note, I'm still really loving the portable hard drive. I've passed along the freeware programs that I learned about in the digital photography class, which was very easy from the new device. I now have just about all of my stuff on it(backed up elsewhere of course) and can work at just about any computer that I find. Instead of carrying my bag back and forth, I'd like to tote this little device instead...but I won't look as busy without the big bag full of stuff. I guess little advantages make me happy.

Final Week

This is the final week of the local school year, at least for those who are not in need of summer school. The kids have pretty well shut down, even though there are some finals left to take, mine being one of them. Today I talked to several students who are on the edge. One was very upset with ME when I discussed her current status. After 4 days of review, she'd done nothing but talk and argue that she was working but couldn't produce any evidence that she'd done anything. At this point of the year, I'm really up to fighting to convince students to work. If they've worked up to this point, they need little on the final to pass...if you do every one of my assignments, it really doesn't matter how the tests go, you'll pass. In some cases though, they just don't get it and end up on the short end of the point tally.
Most, on the other hand, are in good shape. The most common question has been "I can really draw a smiley face on the test and turn it in? And you won't be mad?" I tell them that it's fine with me, they have the points they need to "pass", but most likely their pride won't allow them to merely pass. Working for good grades throughout the year and then settling for a D doesn't make sense. I tend to try to talk students out of the "getting by" option. To date, no one has done this, but working with the numbers like I do with my students does lead to this possibility. I like my students to know where they stand from day one and never have a question about whether they are on the way to passing or not and do the calculations multiple times in the course of the year.
I have a tight schedule too. My assigned time for my two day test came in the last days, Tuesday and Wednesday, with Friday being the last day. I have to get all things corrected, make up tests taken care of and grades done on Thursday. We'll see how that works!
I have one student on vacation for the last three school days(literally left town with her parents), another that's out for the entire week on vacation with the family, and another that's missed 20% of the school year, including the last 4 days of review for the final. The lack of parental interest is staggering. Yet another student's parents moved, leaving the student to live with various friends for the last two weeks of school, who found the home with the fewest rules and least restrictive environment to choose as the temporary living quarters. What are people thinking?
Since the dates have been set for over a month, the test happens and they'll have to deal with it, passing or failing on their own merit. Nothing I can do other than to encourage and try to motivate. I do what I can, but it's hard to override the apathy learned from years of questionable parenting. Maybe they're right and education is secondary to all else...I'd like to think not.

Good Time "Off"

Well the extended weekend turned out well despite some rain. I took Monday and did just as I planned: NOTHING. It's been quite a while since I've done so little. Visiting family at the lake and helping our neighbors who've been there since I can remember pack to leave for good was about all I did. I knew that I had Tuesday off to get all my work done.
Work was all I did on Tuesday. Getting caught up in both my classes was high on the list. I did just that and was in good shape for the rest of the week. On Tuesday evening, however, I returned to the lake to see the neighbors off and take one last boat ride around the lake with them. All was good until I was locking up our place after dark, with no lights and missed the last step off the porch. Now, the list of excuses is huge here, but more or less, I'm just an idiot. I turned my ankle pretty good. My school nurse (my usual first stop for the stupid injuries I inflict upon myself) suggested a trip to the doctor, but I chose more ice...
I did little walking on Wednesday to say the least. Fortunately my students are working on their prep for finals and I'm just there for questions. I don't have to move much as they come to me with questions.
Today, my co-teacher in LS science took a look the ankle and a picture. I guess it'll be OK even though it's really big still. This is the first embedded picture I'm attempting. Since it could go wrong, just like so many other things, I thought "why not" right? Here goes. Just remember I usually don't have this "cankle" (as my colleague put it)...OK so maybe a nice lake picture would be better so here's that one instead.
Although for the slightly wrong and twisted I can send the other one too :)

Long Weekend

This Memorial Day weekend as we all pay homage to those that have served and fought for this country, I have worked, trained a new employee and mowed the yard between the rain drops, while reading and working on my classes during the downpours. It's been a full weekend so far. On Monday, I intend to do nothing but relax. I've taken the day off from my second job and will visit with family and friends. All else will have to wait.
Just remember that Monday isn't just an extra day off, it's time to reflect, think and appreciate what others have done and are doing now so that we can continue to do what we do. Thanks to all who are serving and to those that have done so in the past.

Great Find

This week, as I started the process of changing over all my old info into the computer, I thought that there had to be a good way to go about this...and came across something that I hadn't considered. I found an external hard drive to be the slickest darn thing I've used in a LONG time! So far, I've put gigs of stuff on it and am amazed. I'm using an Aluretek with no AC needed. It's pure USB and is tiny. It comes with a little case and a long USB chord. Soon I'll have all my stuff in on the new computer and all my work in one place! Since I've had this, I think I've sold 4 others to people who were just as impressed as I am...nice little unit!
More importantly, I can now load programs on it and use them with any computer and save all of my class work in one place(backing up at home of course) and stop carrying folders around with me.
Even so, I'm a little behind in my classes and will be working to catch up the next couple of days. Not a great way spend the holiday weekend, but it's what I have to do. In a couple of weeks, I'm off for the summer, but start another class.
Sometime soon, things have to slow down! I just hope it's all worth while.

Still Good

All seems to be going pretty well right now. I'm a little bit behind in my classes this week, but should catch up ASAP. I think I'm OK on that front. The classes are a bit different than I expected, but seem to be useful so far.
I brought home over a ton of topsoil today, so that the plants in front of the house will have a nice place to grow...and I did this on one of the hottest days so far. I had 92 degrees on my porch. I guess it's a good way to lose weight? Anyway, I'm done there. I finally removed the old steering box from the Cuda too. The "new" one should be going in tomorrow, but that will depend on how much work I catch up on tonight. It's perfect weather for the car, just haven't gotten the whole thing together lately. Maybe soon.
All fronts are covered for now, with the new computer running great, a portable hard drive on the way, which will allow me to save all my school stuff in one place for a change, and let me finally get all the stuff I need from the old computer. I don't really have any major gripes and am happy to be counting down the days to summer, even though I'll be in classes for most of it. Somehow I'll manage.
Hope all is well where you are!
Good luck.

A Little Confusion

Taking two classes at the same time has added a little confusion. Remembering different classmates from different classes is getting tough and the time requirement is already showing itself to an issue. I'm not the most organized of people so I guess it's time to become among the more organized. Today, I worked out a schedule for myself, working on a different class depending upon the night. I hope this will help.
Other than some minor issues, all is going well. the new computer is working great. I've found all the add-ons that I need. I do now see the need for an external hard drive to take between work and home. I think that will consolidate all of my things and make organization at least a little easier.
On another note. I've introduced my very experienced counterpart to PowerPoint. Suddenly he's excited and interested in some of the things I know. Unfortunately, we are to put together a presentation for the students to watch before they become our students next year. Most of what I've learned in my classes flies in the face of what we'll be doing when we present. I have little say and am more of a secretary, taking his notes, than I am part of the process. It's been like this since the beginning of the year...and I see no end until he retires. I have no problem with him other than the lack of listening to most of what I have to say. I guess, I was in kindergarten when her started teaching, so maybe listening to me has some taboo to it? Who knows. I just hope that I get a good partner when the eminent retirement takes place! One more? two more? Should be soon.

Still Plugging Away

This week has been full of good and not so good. After the arrival of the computer, it was time to get things working like I need them to work. Today, I finally managed to get Acrobat Reader to install. I guess it has issues with my OS. A little research worked well and I'm now reading what I need to for my classes. I'm still stuck on figuring out how to watch my intro's to the classes though and working through that now. Other than that the new system is great, but is taking a little getting used to. It's just different enough to make me think about where things are before going to them. I'm sure it will become "natural" in time. I still haven't retrieved anything from the old computer yet. That's a "not so good" thing. I need some of that stuff, but haven't gotten around to slaving the drives(I had two in the old computer) to my new one to transfer the data.
My grade took their field trip on Friday. It was new one for all the teachers to try. Due to expenses, funding cuts, and a lack of fund raising by our students it was scaled back a bit. We were to start the day with an Imax about Everest. In science we reviewed what we had learned about plate tectonics and how the mountain is being formed. Other classes looked into other aspects. When we arrived, were seated and the intro started it was obvious that something wasn't right. We watched a movie on the migration of various creatures throughout the world. While it was a fine movie, it wasn't what was expected at all. It confused all of us. I haven't heard a good explanation yet, but I'm sure something must have happened to the intended movie. Oh well.
The rest of the day went well, with very few problems. It was much closer to home and helped to show kids that there are things nearby that are fun and easily accessible. I gave the digital camera to a student at the start to get some shots that students might like. An hour later I checked in with that student and found only two pictures taken...I quickly found a new photographer and ended up with over 150 pictures! That's what I wanted! Many aren't too good or useful, but most are great. They'll be added to the end of the year slide show. All in all a good but tiring day. The teachers will pass out surveys for the students to determine thoughts about the day and later meet to plan changes for next year and see what really worked well/what we really don't want to happen next year. Hopefully we'll spend most of the time on the positives not the negatives...but I know where we'll end up.
A worker quit where I work my second job. It was sudden and completely unexpected(at least to me). I spent most of today catching up what he hadn't done and am working with my bosses to determine where we go from here. Life is interesting to say the least!
I'll miss the first car show of the season tomorrow due to a leaking and stubborn steering box. It just doesn't want to separate from the rest of the car. Oh well, it's just another day and I'll save money on gas! maybe I'll make the next one. Besides, I have to do two people's jobs tomorrow anyway and really don't have the time to prep the car or drive to the show. It'll all work out I'm sure.

Happy

Today I received my new computer. I'm happy to be current for the first time in a long time. so far it's been fine, after opening the case to solve a grinding noise issue, which turned out to be a wire in the processor cooling fan. Other than that, nothing has been an issue. Right out of the box, it functioned fine, and with most of my bookmarks online now, I'm up and running. I do have to slave a hard drive to take my MP3's, and previous work with me, but that can wait a little while. We'll see how things shake out later on. This should make my current classes at least a little easier and give me access to my camera for digital photos and allow my scanner to work too. All seems right with the world this evening.

Time Gone

Well, my little break is over. I'm not only caught up at work, but a little ahead of the game and can finally see that the top of my desk is black! It's been a while since that color has shown through. I spent most my extra time catching up on things around the house. The yard is all mowed for the first time this year, the car has been washed, the garage cleaned, trimming done....and so much more. I did spend some time shooting, wasting a few hundred rounds at sporting clays and five stand, which is always a good feeling. Yesterday, I changed out the rear differential in the Cuda and should be driving it again tomorrow, after making sure that there are no leaks. The first car show of the season is Sunday. If I can get a steering box changed out before then, I'll make it to that one. If not, there are lots more to attend over the next few months. Nothing big if I miss it.
I've read the syllabus for each of my two new classes, which don't seem to be too bad, but I'm starting to think that two at once might be a little much...then I start a third one four weeks from now. I guess I'll just have to set a timeline and stick to it! Hopefully all will go well. I guess time will tell there.

A Little Time Off

This past week, I've spent time away from the computer and doing other things. Having a little time between classes was nice. Time for other parts of life. Taking care of the house, trying to get the yard under control and cleaning everything that piles up when you work on a project. It was a good week, but it's just about over. I start two classes on Monday and expect to have little time to do much at all. I've started reading my text that was listed, so that should help get me on the right track. All is pretty good. Nothing too major, just the normal issues that happen with kids nearing the end of a school year, colleagues talking about shake-ups in the coming year, transfers etc. Nothing that major. My position will change a little and I'll lose the LS end of things, but I guess I should expect new things from the administration each year. I'm not too worried about that though, the big change was the curriculum this year, which was rough to say the least.
On the bright side though, I've finally found a computer and should be up to date by the middle of next week. That will be nice, being current for the first time in what seems like forever. I figured that it was about time, considering the tech oriented classes that I've been taking and the fact that I couldn't run a program for my last class due to the antiquity of my current system. It will be sad to see it go. With the way prices are going, it will most likely be the last one that gets built here. It's like reloading shells. If you ignore what you're worth for an hour of work, you just about break even. So this time, I'm getting a warranty, customer service and a complete set up sent to my door. No fooling around, putting one together. I did spend a ton of time checking out different places and specing out what I need though and did request help from a good friend...which drove up the cost of what I "need", but I hope this new one lasts for the next ten years!
Well, I'm off to grade tests so I can show my students their updated grades tomorrow. That will be the end of the evening for me.
Good luck this week.

Another Class Down

Today I submitted my last assignment and reviews for my latest class. All is done. It's a good feeling too! I had my paper pretty well done on Tuesday, but continued to revise until today. Being ahead of things takes a lot of pressure off too. Probably the hardest part was watching two movies in a week. I hadn't watched an entire movie in such a long time. Setting aside two hours for each movie was rough, but I learned that it's OK to set aside time for such things.
This latest class was a really good one for me, and not just from a "what I learned" perspective. The ideas and concepts changed the way I look at some things (including myself) and will alter the way I go about some of my teaching. All in all a fulfilling experience. I hope to continue to progress and get better at what I do.
With that done, I now look to the garage. I just brought home another big block and started to strip it down to see what I need to do with it. That was a good feeling too...oil, grease and the obligatory bleeding knuckles. Tomorrow, I'll set the Barracuda out on it's first venture outside the garage, as the forecast looks great. We've had heavy rains, so the salt will be gone from the roads, temps should be around 70 or so, making it a perfect time to get out. After it's initial start up this season, I have found leaks and adjustments to make, nothing major, but how can a transmission line just decide to leak when it's done nothing for a few months? Ah the joys of the old ones.
So I guess it's two weeks before the start of my next class and two weeks to figure out how I'm going to pay for it.....Until Monday, that doesn't matter. Time for ME.

Better

The weather has broken! It's just over 50 today, in the sun, and there are patches of blue sky passing by. It's a nice change. Somehow that just makes a person feel sooo much better. Maybe after I get done with my latest class I'll have some time to get the car going and start driving it for the season. Right now, I have to get some things done in class, so the car and fishing will have to wait. I can live with that. Living just over a hundred yards from fishing that others drive miles for is great. I know that I can go soon and will do so.

Still falling

Today is the 16th and it's still snowing. I've lost count of the number of days of snow in a row...or just decided that it was too depressing. It's been coming down pretty hard all day...fluctuating from a really wet snow to little ice pellets. Temps are hovering around freezing, but the roads have been fine and throughout this latest little storm, the worst has been north and east of me here. Just a couple of minutes away it's a bit nastier. The traditional lake effect areas are not faring so well.
At least the thought of spring and the promise of some good weather is still out there! Just like last week, the local meteorologists are predicting a "nice" weekend. I hope they're right this time, although for me it will most likely be a weekend of work as I near the end of my latest class which has really pushed me on more than one front. The stuff I'm learning is useful though and should make me better at my job.

The Snow continues

It's snowed for 8 days straight now. No serious amounts remain, but it just keeps snowing. Thirty minutes north of here and there are anywhere from 6-8 inches on the ground. Spring is still not really here I guess. At least the poor weather is keeping me indoors and working on my class...and getting things done for my job. I have tons of time in research, learning a new program and getting my assignments done. It is much easier to sit in front of a computer when it's nasty out! I have no idea how those of you in the nicer climates get anything done at all!

OK, a little to soon

Well, I guess I jinxed the good weather thing. We now have over 4 inches of snow and it's well below 30 degrees. Oops.
Our spring/Easter break starts today and it doesn't look too good for those traveling. I guess I'm lucky, staying near home, just working on my class and watching it snow. This is a short break, only two days. We go back on Monday to begin our final 43 days.
There is sooo much left to do in the year, and we just added a pilot of the state science test to contend with. That should shake up our department! I'm in good shape as far as position in the curriculum map and hope to have a successful end of the year.

Spring has Sprung

Spring is here, at least for now, in NW PA. All the snow is gone, except for the piles left over from parking lot piles. The grass is already plotting against me...it's going to win this year. The cold days have given way to temps in the 60's to 70's, which is pretty good around here. The days have exceeded the 12 hour mark and are getting longer each passing day(hours of daylight, not the never-ending hours of work). My sporting clays winter league has officially ended. Even though I didn't get the chance to finish, I'm still happy with my performance. All the signs point toward summer. I've even had my students complain that my room was too hot! All the signs are there. Even so, my Barracuda still sits in the garage, awaiting several more big rains. It has never seen snow, except through the garage window, and has never experienced the rust inducing effects of salt, so it sits awaiting the rains which will wash the salt from the roads. Between the salt and the rubble on the roads, there isn't much room for a classic out there yet. Even so, I've seen several people out there, whether they don't understand or don't care I can't be sure.
Even my deer herd has diminished. The ones that remain are eating more than ever, but still looking pretty thin. I can clearly see ribs. I awake to a combination of bird songs and peepers, which isn't bad at all. Buds are coming out on some selected trees, which means it can't be far from being decent out. The only question that remains is how long before we are reminded that we live a bit too far north to get comfortable yet.
Opening day of trout season here is a big deal, coming in the middle of April. The number of bone-chilling, snowy starts to the season are countless. I avoid opening day, preferring to start several weeks later, after the bulk of the people have done their fishing for the year. There is just something about fishing shoulder to shoulder with others that ruins the spirit of the sport for me.
With the approach of warm weather comes the idea that school is nearly over and I need to solidify my summer employment. I work a second job throughout the year, but seek another during the summer months. I painted last year, just one person's camp, but it kept me busy. This year, I'm thinking that I'll get back into the oil business and work for a small independent producer. I went in once before on my own, lost two trucks, fired three people and just barely broke even. I learned a lot from that experience. I'd like to learn more. This time as an employee that will still be taking classes and will not have the potential losses hanging over my head. I'm looking at being on the leases and doing the grunt work which I haven't done for a while. Somehow, after a LONG year of school, this seems like a pretty good option. Heck, I dug out septics with a friend to earn money before(when the sites were too tight for back hoes), how could this possibly be worse than that? At least this time, with my experience, I have an idea of what I'm in for.
Maybe someday, I'll not have the need to work in the summers, but that doesn't appear too likely. I'll be a long time paying off my classes that I must take to keep teaching, taxes will continue to rise, the house will continue to need repairs gas will keep getting more expensive etc. It's a never ending battle I guess. So for now, I'll just look forward to summer, classes and dealing with "adults". I'm enjoying my class right now and have already implemented some of what I've learned. I look forward to new ideas in this class and the ones that will follow this summer. All is well. Sure there are negatives, but I don't see them right now. :)

A Total Wipe Out

Something really interesting happened today. Numerous teachers came to me to see what I know about the Public folder on our network(the only place that one teacher can share files on our network). It seems that just about all things were deleted by our "technology coordinator". No warning, no email, just a request to make sure that what we had there was needed. This came Friday afternoon....on Monday night, all was gone. I had a bunch of pictures there, which I had there so the yearbook team could use them(I take a ton of pictures in a normal school year). I always have a back up though. Unfortunately, many who team teach share their info here and don't back it up...their out of luck now. I'd hate to try to count the man hours that have been lost! It's too bad the coordinator is basically just a repairman, and not someone that advocates for the use of technology! How many opportunities are missed daily because of frustration and lack of access?

Good Stuff

The new class is giving me some much needed excitement. I' m putting new things to use already and designing things to help my students. I feels good to see what's out there, although sometimes it does make me feel like such a rube! The network at home and work has been shaky and pretty slow, but other than that little time consuming frustration, all it well on the research front. I'm putting in time searching, reading and digesting ideas. It's just too bad I haven't taken the time to do this more on my own, without needing to do it for a class!
In my school, we are approaching our exploratory. This is where the teachers all teach the kids some hobby or activity that is an alternative to hanging out on the streets/drugs etc. I've started taking my equipment in to teach my guitar exploratory, which always gets comments and interesting reactions from the kids. To think that a teacher plays guitar doesn't seem to normal to them. I guess that there will always be a stereotype! I'm proud to fall outside the norm and just continue to be me as best I can. Tomorrow another guitar goes in...the older ones don't take to traveling too well and take some time for the tuning to settle down so they go in a week or two early. It also gives me a chance to play a little before and after school. I'm a bit out of practice!

A Decent Day

As I look back at the events of today, I see that there are many things to gripe about. Today, we proctored long tests for the state, sat through a couple of hours of learning about special education titles and had no time for much of anything. At first thought, this was a horrible way to spend a day...then I start thinking about some of the other jobs I've done and all seems fine. Today was a decent day. I think I need to look at the positive side more often...been too negative lately. Time for a change. This should make the days go better and open up some new opportunities. Through the course of the after work afternoon, I have caught up in my class, found 3 pretty good web pages to use in my class...still need to find some more, but all in all not too bad from a progress standpoint. Keep pluggin' away!

Home Today....

Today, I am home working on my latest class in the UF series, trying to become a better teacher. I can do this today because I'm slightly wounded. I'm learning that I'm not as young as I used to be and not as durable. I have a leg that's swollen like a grotesque balloon, due to my leg's untimely contact with the knee of another during a basketball game. I guess the x-rays say I'm OK and will return to work on Monday.
I have created a second blog to keep the classwork separated from some of my usual ramblings and to try to organize my ever growing online bank of information. If you are interested in the idea of instructional computing and my ideas/quest for knowledge, check it out at http://hoppysinstructionalcomputing.blogspot.com/
I look forward to refining my blog and have seen some pretty impressive ones out there. I'm still a work in progress.
Thanks for keeping up with the posts :)

A "New" Beginning

The school year is nearing the half way point. I've given taken the recommendations of my superiors and tried them so far. I've been incredibly unhappy and dissatisfied with my job and the issues I'd been having with students. I told my principal that this could be my last year. I gave myself 5 years to determine whether I liked this position or not, so it was time to decide. After all, an unhappy teacher really doesn't make life that fun for the students.

Instead, I decided to buck the system and go back to what I do best: TEACH. For those who haven't seen the previous posts, I was asked to be more like another, much more experienced E/S Sci teacher. In doing so, I became what I would call the "worksheet king". Students came in, worked on assignments, turned them in and I corrected them...I didn't really teach much. This drove me absolutely nuts and created more discipline issues than ever before. I gave this up and started doing my own thing again. All is well again. I'm happy. Students are more responsive. Grades are improving. Discipline issues have fallen. I don't mind getting up to go to work. It's all become worthwhile again. I did keep the curriculum timing adjustments and am working on the same material at the same time as my counterpart, but I'm doing it my way!
I'm just sorry that I stuck with a bum steer for soooo long. I know that there is a fine line between being the 'sage on the stage', and allowing students to discover things, but I believe that giving students worksheets and having them work is far worse than actually teaching them. Allowing them to be confused for a little while before helping them makes them think and use what they’ve learned. Regurgitation of facts isn’t really that useful in the world, unless you’re Cliff Clavin(sp?). Keeping the students involved seems to make the discipline issues go away. Class is fun again. I'm happy again. All is right with the world.

I like to think that the students are learning more and have more of a tendency to become involved in some science field when they enjoy what they’re learning. I do agree that being an entertainer over being a teacher isn’t right either. At any rate, I’m happy to back to being me and actually enjoying my position.

I’m just finishing putting the finishing touches on my latest newsletter which is sent out to parents. Students earn bonus points if they read through it with their parents and get them to sign that they have read it. I know that some just sign, but the comments I get from many parents show that they are actually reading it. This issue deals with the natural resources unit that was cut from my curriculum this year. Hopefully it will make some difference in the student or parent behavior when it comes to our little oblate spheroid and the limited resources it contains.