Christmas Time is Near...
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
And then on Saturday
All in all, this week went well. The first full week of school and activities usually feels tiring, but this year, it somehow seemed less stressful. I guess we're getting used to finding a new routine each year. It's hard not to think of this as "the last year" though, since next fall might seem very different if Nate goes off to college.
Abbie seems to like high school. I'm sure she's showing signs of maturity, but I also feel that she's less anxious. Middle school was hard for her, I think. She seems to like her classes, complains about a few of the teachers, but doesn't mind the work. I think she's also gaining confidence as a student. She's always done well in school, and she's beginning to see herself in that light.
She's now taking 6 hours of dance classes each week. It's a big bump from last year when she was at the studio for three and a half hours. We let her add another ballet class since she has been working so hard. Her teachers chose to place her in a less advanced group for the second class, and have encouraged her to approach it as a chance to focus on her technique more than learning new material. In addition, her other ballet class will extend to two hours later this fall when they add pointe work. I sense that she's eager for that. Her jazz class was supposed to take place on Monday evening, but after the first class her teacher, Debbie, asked her to switch to a more advanced group that meets on Wednesdays. Since this is a ninety minute class the switch has added another half hour to her load each week. But I'm sure she's up for it. I got to watch a couple of these first classes this week. She is showing more and more confidence, and I actually saw her smile several times.
Nate seems to be enjoying the senior role. He also is working hard at academics. I sense that he understands that college will require so much more and he's going to need to increase his level of investment. So far, that's what he seems to be doing. He's done a lot of homework in the evenings this week. He's also been happily reporting to me that he has his work done for this class or that class, sometimes a couple of days in advance. He remains unimpressed by the instructor of his writing class at the community college. For the second class the teacher arrived late and unprepared. Most of the class time was wasted on technology glitches because the man hadn't bothered to investigate the available hardware and software before he arrived. Hopefully this experience will help Nate to appreciate the value of preparation, and the responsibilities of leadership. In the mean time he told me, I'll just have to work through it.
He sent me email twice this week. The first time was to thank me. Something had come up in his Tech Valley math class that only he understood. It was part of a joke that the teacher was telling, but Nate was the only one who got it. He remembered that I had taught him was a gross was, and he just wanted to thank me for teaching him that. Of course, I like this kind of email. He also sent me a piece that he has written for his college class. The assignment was "Write about something have read recently." This is his response.
So today's the first real Saturday of our new year. I'm going to a workshop. Nate has CDYC this morning. Abbie will sleep in and hopes to spend sometime with her boyfriend this afternoon. Later she's going to a sleep-over event with many of the girls from the youth group. I guess that's enough for one Saturday.
All in all, this week went well. The first full week of school and activities usually feels tiring, but this year, it somehow seemed less stressful. I guess we're getting used to finding a new routine each year. It's hard not to think of this as "the last year" though, since next fall might seem very different if Nate goes off to college.
Abbie seems to like high school. I'm sure she's showing signs of maturity, but I also feel that she's less anxious. Middle school was hard for her, I think. She seems to like her classes, complains about a few of the teachers, but doesn't mind the work. I think she's also gaining confidence as a student. She's always done well in school, and she's beginning to see herself in that light.
She's now taking 6 hours of dance classes each week. It's a big bump from last year when she was at the studio for three and a half hours. We let her add another ballet class since she has been working so hard. Her teachers chose to place her in a less advanced group for the second class, and have encouraged her to approach it as a chance to focus on her technique more than learning new material. In addition, her other ballet class will extend to two hours later this fall when they add pointe work. I sense that she's eager for that. Her jazz class was supposed to take place on Monday evening, but after the first class her teacher, Debbie, asked her to switch to a more advanced group that meets on Wednesdays. Since this is a ninety minute class the switch has added another half hour to her load each week. But I'm sure she's up for it. I got to watch a couple of these first classes this week. She is showing more and more confidence, and I actually saw her smile several times.
Nate seems to be enjoying the senior role. He also is working hard at academics. I sense that he understands that college will require so much more and he's going to need to increase his level of investment. So far, that's what he seems to be doing. He's done a lot of homework in the evenings this week. He's also been happily reporting to me that he has his work done for this class or that class, sometimes a couple of days in advance. He remains unimpressed by the instructor of his writing class at the community college. For the second class the teacher arrived late and unprepared. Most of the class time was wasted on technology glitches because the man hadn't bothered to investigate the available hardware and software before he arrived. Hopefully this experience will help Nate to appreciate the value of preparation, and the responsibilities of leadership. In the mean time he told me, I'll just have to work through it.
He sent me email twice this week. The first time was to thank me. Something had come up in his Tech Valley math class that only he understood. It was part of a joke that the teacher was telling, but Nate was the only one who got it. He remembered that I had taught him was a gross was, and he just wanted to thank me for teaching him that. Of course, I like this kind of email. He also sent me a piece that he has written for his college class. The assignment was "Write about something have read recently." This is his response.
One of the most interesting things I’ve ever read was the label on the bottle of Dr. Pepper I had today. It’s a great read. It’s non-fiction, but at the same time it holds its place in the mystery/thriller genre. It even comes with a delicious beverage in the bottle, and a five cent refund! It’s a lovely product.I don't have any idea what the instructor will think of his writing, but Kim and I love it. It's got his voice in it. Although he needs to proof it a little before he hands it in, we think it's pretty great. More than anything, whether he pursues writing or not, I want him to be able to respond to a task in his own style. Kim and I both found this piece to be pretty hopeful in that regard.
It’s so, “real-world”, and informative. One section includes all of the nutrition facts, and tech-specs (“20 FL OZ”, and, “(1.25 PT) 591 mL”). The bottle allows the reader to examine key nutritional information like, “*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.” and even holds key life information like, “Must be 13 or older/ME 18 or older. Code under cap. Enter Codes/get Rules/Free Code Info ondrpepper.com. Sub. To full Off. Rules. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/31/11. Request Free Codes by 12/31/11. Redeem by 1/31/12.” Simply fascinating.
The bottle is obviously a wonderful informational reference, but it’s still a modern day horror classic. There aren’t enough signs that say, “This product may lead to early onset adult diabetes”, and too many falsehoods like, “There’s nothing like a Dr. Pepper”, when of course you could slowly fatten yourself and destroy your vital organs just as well with Mt. Dew. The drinker truly fulfills the role of the tragic hero, and befalls an unspeakable horror when he misses the obvious warning signs, “HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP”, “PHOSPHORIC ACID”, and “SODUIM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE).” It’s truly a real world, modern day thriller.
It’s an educational, thrilling, addictive, unique, deceptive, and well rounded product. The bottle has even earned it’s doctorate in an unknown field (which begs the question, ‘Just when to the mysteries end?’). I’d love to stay and talk, but you’ll have to excuse me. I’m about to go have a Dr. Pepper.
So today's the first real Saturday of our new year. I'm going to a workshop. Nate has CDYC this morning. Abbie will sleep in and hopes to spend sometime with her boyfriend this afternoon. Later she's going to a sleep-over event with many of the girls from the youth group. I guess that's enough for one Saturday.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Down in the Valley
Friday, September 2
I spent most of my day in Schoharie and Middleburgh. The Schoharie Reformed Church has been greatly effected by the flood. I don't just mean the church building, although the damage there is substantial, but also the church that is the people and families. Yesterday one of the members sent out an email message asking people to go and help members of the congregation work on the church building, and in the homes of 16 of their families which have been most significantly damaged.
About 20 or 30 people arrived at the church by 9:00 this morning. Teams of 2 or 3 were dispatched to the homes of the 16 families. I was sent with Ed and Bill. We were directed to Jim and Jodi's house in Middleburgh. Their house sits right behind the Middleburgh Reformed Church. That building is erie looking. The windows are knocked out and it's easy to see that through the building to the other side. And no one is there.
Jim and Jodi were working in the kitchen when we arrived. The water reached about 4 feet up the first floor walls, so everything in the cabinets below the counter was filled with water and mud. The mud is everywhere. The foundation on one side of the house has caved in.
Much of the contents of the house had already been taken out when we arrived. In the garage were the items that they hope can be saved. In the driveway was a pile of trash. On the back patio was a pile of things that need to be rinsed with the hose, before they can go in the garage.
We all crowded in the kitchen for a bit, but eventually worked on separate tasks. Within an hour or so, the first floor was completely empty, and the carpet in the dining room was torn out. So then it was time to start hosing it all down. I worked with the hose. Ed used the squeegee. I can't explain how odd it is to stand in the middle of some one's house (practically a stranger) with a garden hose, spraying everything. To make things even stranger, Ed chased all of the water to the basement, since that was easier than trying to get it out the doors.
Actually, the basement is another interesting part of their problems. Although they're fortunate to have water, so they can hose everything down, they also have a leak in their plumbing so the basement is full of water. The same sort of problem exists in Schoharie as well. Water in the village has been turned off again, since so many homes there have leaks and several basements were starting to fill up again. It's good that the basements there aren't flooding again, but the downside is that this mean that those homeowners can't hose down the interior of their houses.
The mud is vial, and all sorts of warnings are being issued to volunteers and emergency workers because it's full of chemicals and sewage. Removing it is also a key to avoiding the onset of mold.
Saturday, September 3
Nate went with me today. We were at the church in time to be briefed with the first group of volunteers. Within a few minutes the organizer was reading off the descriptions of the locations where the teams were being sent for the day. When I realized that Jim and Jodi's house was on the list again, I volunteered to back, this time with Nate, and another new volunteer, Lisa.
When we arrived, there were a few other friends and family members already there and working. The day's project was clear, all of the wooden furniture that had been removed from the house and placed in the garage, needed to be washed and disinfected before it could be moved to a better storage building. We worked for about four and a half hours, washing, rinsing, bleaching, rinsing, and then drying each piece. Chairs, dressers, tables, drawers, chests, etc. Although we managed to empty one side of the garage by the time we headed out, it still didn't feel as though we had accomplished all that much.
Before we left, I headed next door to the Middleburgh Reformed Church to take some pictures. The building and its contents were very badly damaged, the water flowing straight through the building and ripping pews out as it went. A member of the congregation was there when I went into take pictures. He told me that they will have a professional company come into do the cleaning stage. The congregation will try to restore the building once it's been cleaned, but they feel that professionals should handle the mud removal. The pastor of the church had been at Jim and Jodi's earlier in the day. He told me that I would find a watermelon in the middle of the Sanctuary, a detail that he seemed to find quite humorous. He said that the best thing though, is the zucchini that ended up resting on top of one of the urinals.
We headed back to Schoharie on Route 30. The village was full of people and the traffic was very heavy. On the one hand, it seems very positive to see that so many people are arriving to help. But it almost seems as though it hasn't even scratched the surface. The streets are lined with mounds and mounds of stinking, wet furniture and debris. The amount of it is astounding.
I noticed that a few of the houses don't have anyone working at them. I also noticed that those same houses are spray painted with a circled "X". I suppose that they have been deemed unsound for workers; they're probably condemned.
In the midst of that devastation I saw some unexpected humor. As we traveled out of town, along the trash lined road, someone had propped up a mattress and spray painted the words, "Free Stuff." It made me laugh out loud, and it helped me feel a little better.
September 5
I didn't return to Schoharie today. School starts tomorrow and I have a number of things to deal with here at home. Kim got a call this evening. School in Schoharie will not start on time. As of today, students have been told they will start on Monday, September 12. The school has become an center for emergency-responders and contractors, and there's no practical way that it can be used for teaching at this point. Kim was told that many teachers are reporting to school each day and then going down to the village to work. Tomorrow she may join them.
Friday, September 2
I spent most of my day in Schoharie and Middleburgh. The Schoharie Reformed Church has been greatly effected by the flood. I don't just mean the church building, although the damage there is substantial, but also the church that is the people and families. Yesterday one of the members sent out an email message asking people to go and help members of the congregation work on the church building, and in the homes of 16 of their families which have been most significantly damaged.
 |
| SRC has a paved lot, although it appears to be dirt since it was covered by inches of mud. |
Jim and Jodi were working in the kitchen when we arrived. The water reached about 4 feet up the first floor walls, so everything in the cabinets below the counter was filled with water and mud. The mud is everywhere. The foundation on one side of the house has caved in.
Much of the contents of the house had already been taken out when we arrived. In the garage were the items that they hope can be saved. In the driveway was a pile of trash. On the back patio was a pile of things that need to be rinsed with the hose, before they can go in the garage.
 |
| Jodi asked me to take a picture of this drawer. When they opened it to empty it, it was full of water. |
Actually, the basement is another interesting part of their problems. Although they're fortunate to have water, so they can hose everything down, they also have a leak in their plumbing so the basement is full of water. The same sort of problem exists in Schoharie as well. Water in the village has been turned off again, since so many homes there have leaks and several basements were starting to fill up again. It's good that the basements there aren't flooding again, but the downside is that this mean that those homeowners can't hose down the interior of their houses.
The mud is vial, and all sorts of warnings are being issued to volunteers and emergency workers because it's full of chemicals and sewage. Removing it is also a key to avoiding the onset of mold.
 |
| By day two, SRC's volunteer center was quickly getting established with a tent for the coordinators and a tent for the donated supplies. |
Saturday, September 3
Nate went with me today. We were at the church in time to be briefed with the first group of volunteers. Within a few minutes the organizer was reading off the descriptions of the locations where the teams were being sent for the day. When I realized that Jim and Jodi's house was on the list again, I volunteered to back, this time with Nate, and another new volunteer, Lisa.
When we arrived, there were a few other friends and family members already there and working. The day's project was clear, all of the wooden furniture that had been removed from the house and placed in the garage, needed to be washed and disinfected before it could be moved to a better storage building. We worked for about four and a half hours, washing, rinsing, bleaching, rinsing, and then drying each piece. Chairs, dressers, tables, drawers, chests, etc. Although we managed to empty one side of the garage by the time we headed out, it still didn't feel as though we had accomplished all that much.
 |
| The watermelon amid the wreckage. |
I noticed that a few of the houses don't have anyone working at them. I also noticed that those same houses are spray painted with a circled "X". I suppose that they have been deemed unsound for workers; they're probably condemned.
In the midst of that devastation I saw some unexpected humor. As we traveled out of town, along the trash lined road, someone had propped up a mattress and spray painted the words, "Free Stuff." It made me laugh out loud, and it helped me feel a little better.
September 5
I didn't return to Schoharie today. School starts tomorrow and I have a number of things to deal with here at home. Kim got a call this evening. School in Schoharie will not start on time. As of today, students have been told they will start on Monday, September 12. The school has become an center for emergency-responders and contractors, and there's no practical way that it can be used for teaching at this point. Kim was told that many teachers are reporting to school each day and then going down to the village to work. Tomorrow she may join them.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
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