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.