An Educator's Life

Anonymous- YOU ROCK!

2009-11-12T22:59:00.003-07:00

So I got the post on my blog today:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "KODAK SAGA UPDATE #3 (or #4, or something like tha...":

I purchased a esp 3 6 months back and it's been the biggest load of c**P I ever bought.If it works which is seldom it drinks ink, poor pic quality very noisy - get up and purchased a Cannon -- its perfect !!

to quote my sister-in-law "BWAAHAHA"! How funny is that post. I wish I could say I knew who left it, but it says it all. We found out today that our NEW COLOR LASER PRINTER will be here on SATURDAY! Yippeeeeeeee! (Of course I am making my wife wait until Christmas to use it - love you dear! :)

Speaking of Chirstmas, check out this funny picture:

I love this. If I lived next to my parents, I would totally use this one! But alas, I end up looking more like the one on the left.

I can't believe all the holiday commercials that are already on. HELLO- what happened to Thanksgiving. What, we aren't thankful anymore?!?!? Good grief.

Well, I have lots to tell you (about Master's Classes and the hotdog roast I attended tonight) but I also have lots of work to get done for the school, so I must say GOODBYE and write more later...

Later...

JibJab- Elf Yourself!

2009-11-10T18:57:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I "elfed" my children and it turned out AWESOME! Click HERE to view it! Then click on the picture below to elf yourself! :) Enjoy!

Later...

Veteran's Day Celebration

2009-11-07T17:35:00.005-07:00

I don't know what ever made me do it, but I was asked to sing for the Veteran's Day luncheon this year. However, now that it is done, I am so thankful I was asked. What a great privilege to be in a room full of men and women that have served our great country. My wife recorded me singing, and since it sounds pretty decent, I have consented to putting it here on my blog. NO LAUGHING! :)

I am so thankful for the many men and women who freely give of their time and some their lives to protect the precious freedoms we enjoy here in the great nation. It is nice to be ONE NATION UNDER GOD (a loving god at that), to have the right to worship how we may. To live in a country where my children can become anything they can imagine and dream to be. I am so blessed to be living in the USA! GOD BLESS HER!

I hope that all you readers will take the time to find a friend, family member, neighbor, or even a stranger that has served our great nation, shake their hand, and tell them THANK YOU for their sacrifice.

Later...

Hallloween Costumes At Last!

2009-11-07T17:28:00.001-07:00

Well there you have it. A picture of my cute kids at Halloween.It was a great one. My wife took the kids trick-or-treating while I stayed home and handed out mozzarella cheese sticks (we went with a healthy option this year), After everyone made it home, we had dinner, finished off the cheese sticks, and then we turned off the lights, locked the door, and enjoyed White Christmas (it's a family tradition- thanks mom!)

Later...

Kodak Came Through

2009-11-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

So on my doorstep today arrived a brand-new in the box Kodak printer. I have to give them high marks in the Customer Service department (although it took publicly criticizing them in a open forum for them to respond, and several e-mails from me to get the ball rolling). I am greatly pleased with the friendliness AND professionalism of their consultants. As far as their product, I don't know that they will ever convince me to support their printing products again. They had a good idea, but in reality, it just isn't cutting it. Other than the "paid" commenter on my blog, I have yet to meet or hear from someone who actually likes/ has had success with the Kodak Printer.
Well, since I just fell asleep typing, I best be off to bed.

Later...

Great News!

2009-11-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

After almost 5 weeks, I can share my good news! Today at church I was released from being the Elder's quorum president. While I will miss being deeply involved in the lives of many of the men in the ward, I am very relieved to turn the reigns over the next leader.

I spent several hours at the school today getting report cards done, working on correcting math tests (which became so depressing I gave up) writing parent newsletters, and planning for tomorrow. It has been a busy week, but knowing the Friday is no school, I can survive anything! :)

Our Kodak printer should arrive this week, but they took too long. We went and purchased another printer. We will see what we will do with the "free" one from Kodak. We needed a way to print and our new color laser printer is going to be a blessing. YEA US!

Well, it is time to visit with my wife,

Later...

Happy Halloween! (and a time change)

2009-10-31T21:37:00.000-06:00

If I was a good dad, I would be adding photo's of my kids in the stinkin' cute costumes, but alas, I have none!
It was great day however. We got home from shopping in Price around 5:00pm. We had spent the night at my sister's house after helping her run a spook alley for her son's school. It was loud and crazy, and we didn't get done taking everything until after 10pm (the event ended at 8pm), but it was fun. Thanks sis for the invite.

This evening has been fun. The kids had a great time trick-or-treating. Tomorrow is going to be a great day as well, but I can't really explain more until after tomorrow is over! :)

Well, don't forget to set your clocks back an hour (if your state does day light savings) and have a Happy Halloween!

Later...

Two Days of Near Death (And the Close of the Kodak Saga...I Think)

2009-10-28T17:46:00.000-06:00

Wowzers! I woke up Tuesday morning and knew that I wouldn't be going to school. I could hardly stand up, let alone teach. The poopy part was having to come up with sub plans while feeling sick. I called the clinic and asked if a PA would be in. They said yes. I told them I would call if I felt worse. I should have just scheduled an appointment. I called back around noon and told them I had to get in. The did get me in, though they weren't very excited about it. The PA told me that I most likely started with a bronchial infection and then picked up the flu on top of that. Fun stuff. She said that lots of sleep, liquids, and more sleep is what I need. I slept a good portion of yesterday.

This morning I woke up and could actually stand up. I was still light headed, but was feeling much, much better. As the day wore on my headache returned, but still felt good. Now it is after 5pm and I just returned from my classroom. My sub did a great job. My class did well too. Just a couple of kids that will need a talking too! But it is all good. I am looking forward to being back at school, mostly so I don't have to write sub plans. That is NOT a fun experience.

The Kodak Saga is drawing to a close. After a few short e-mails this morning, it appears that our new printer has been shipped (or will be soon). I was SO frustrated with Customer Service. I had scanned the box's UPC and got THIS e-mail in response:

Hi Mr. Hughes, if you can send a copy of the proof of purchase (if you found it) that would be great!

So I wrote this:

Mr. Frazier,
So would you define Proof of Purchase? I have asked in several e-mails if you needed the receipt or a certain part of the box and all I ever get from you is "proof of purchase". If you would be clear to start with, maybe we could get this solved a lot quicker! So I assume you mean receipt from the purchase?!?! Please let me know!
Thanks

And they wrote this:
Hi John, my apologies to you, yes the receipt from the purchase of your ESP3 printer. Hope this helps!

Finally. They defined Proof of Purchase! I only asked in at least FIVE, yes FIVE e-mails exactly what they needed. But aside from that, it appears that Kodak is working to make amends in this case. Now, what they did for Mrs. E??? Not so much. But that is a different story and a different post. At this point, Kodak moves up from a 0 to a solid 2 out of 10. If and when the printer arrives AND it actually works, I will re-evaluate them and possibly remove them from "the LIST"! lol Interesting stuff this is!

Well, it is time for dinner.

Later...

Sick Anyone?

2009-10-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

Wow, last night just kept getting better and better. The boys got hungry so we ordered a pizza and I went and picked it up. My 4 year old had had a fever off and on all day. I found that to be interesting. We ate dinner, and my son got a little snugly. I kept asking if he was okay. He would say yes each time. Well, I feel asleep while the boys were watching cartoons. My 4 year old was still on my lap. I woke up to find him sitting straight up. I tried so hard to get the garbage can in front of him, but I didn't make it. I spent the next 20 minutes cleaning up the mess. That lead to some frustration (in fact I am STILL working to get the smell out of the carpet- YUCK!). I got him all cleaned up and tucked up and I went to bed (it was only 10am by this time). I woke up to "Dad, I think M leaked." Sure enough, my 2 year-old had leaked all over my bed. I changed his diaper and we both went back to sleep, woke up again 2 hours later and found that he had leaked AGAIN! Figured at that point it was time to just get up for the day. I ended up washing all the bedding (Go me!). We had breakfast, I worked on the smelly carpet some more, and we have walked to the post office.

Now, we are just hanging out and watching Sponge Bob Square Pants. LOL- I am not sure what else we will accomplish today. I have math tests to correct, planning for next week to do, and various other garbage. Hopefully I get the motivation before Monday, if not, oh well!

Later...

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-23T18:30:00.000-06:00

Click HERE to play the traditional round of CAT BOWLING for Halloween! You will be taken to my School Classroom Wikispace to play. That way the music isn't playing the background of my blog.

Today was HORRIBLE! I don't really even want to talk about it. My wife is gone for the weekend to St. George for a cousin's wedding. She will be back with my baby and my princess on Sunday afternoon. I have been sick all week, my eye has been twitching for almost 2 days now (I am going crazy over it), my entire family is/is just getting over being sick. School was not something I want to mention today as at this moment I am thinking of finding a new career that doesn't involve having my heart on my sleeve so prominently. I have joked in the past, but I am getting old enough now, that if I don't seriously decide if can/can't do this for 30 more years, now is the time to get out and move on to something else. So that will be weighing heavily on my mind. I really don't have a desire to talk to anyone other than my wife about it, however, so please don't bring it up.

Well, it is the "boy's" weekend and my son's are waiting for me. I am setting aside all school crap for now.

Later...

Kodak, Round 4 (Plus my real life)

2009-10-22T22:25:00.001-06:00

So today started with THIS e-mail:

Hi Mr. Hughes, by any chance do you have the proof of purchase for the printer that you can send as an attachment or scan to send to me. Please advise.

Thanks,
Ricky

And I replied with this:

Mr. Frazier,

I believe I can indeed find it, if needed (that will be a project for the weekend) but for what purpose?

And this was the reply:

Hi Mr. Hughes, I want to offer you another replacement ESP3 printer.

Thanks,
Ricky

And my final reply for the day was:

Mr. Frazier,

That is wonderful news. I will look for the receipt but we are not sure where it is. After all, that was over a year ago. We DO have the box it came in, however(At least I believe we do). Is there something on there that I could clip and scan for proof? Let me know exactly what you need. I look forward to sharing this great development on my blog! :)

***********************************************

So things are looking up in the customer response department pending how this transaction pans out. I know that my friend Mrs E. is wondering why she didn't get the same response about her printer. I told her I didn't know. I am awaiting Mr. Frazier's reply to see exactly what he wants/needs for proof of purchase. The gesture truly is what I WOULD expect from them and everyone SHOULD receive from such a company. I hope they choose to throw in a few sets of inks. But if not, I guess it is what it is. I hope everyone is enjoying this experience. I have found it intriguing and very insightful, learning how a major corporation and their customer service beliefs and actual performance look in action.

And...

On to other things...

School today was great. I have such a wonderful class. Part of our day included taking a bus to the high school and enjoying some wonderful science exhibits from a museum called "The Leonardo". It will open for business in Salt Lake City in 2011. I am excited. If the entire museum is full of exhibits like today's, then I would gladly take my class there. They had echo dishes, probability tables, a Van de Graff generator, a microscope, and many other gadgets, gewgaws, and gizmos. It was fun.

I had one voice lesson this afternoon after school. I was also able to visit with our neighbors whose house caught fire on Wednesday. They are doing fair. They have been gutting the inside, hauling out the charred sheet-rock furniture and appliances. It was pretty much a complete loss. We are going to do a fundraiser at the school. Hopefully we can get them help.

Well,

It is late and I am going to head to bed!

-Later...

KODAK SAGA UPDATE #3 (or #4, or something like that)

2009-10-21T22:38:00.002-06:00

Here is what I got from them:

Hi Mr. Hughes, my name is Ricky Frazier of Customer Relations, Eastman Kodak and wanted to follow up concerning your ESP3 printer. First I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems. I wanted to know if you have the latest fw loaded on your computer. I also want to send you a set of ink cartridges (color and text) for your inconvenience. Please provide an address that I can send them to. Also if I can be of any other assistance concerning your ESP3 printer please let me know.

Sincerely,

Ricky Frazier
Customer Relations Specialist
Worldwide Customer Care

Here is what I sent back to them:

Mr. Frazier,

Mr. Frazier,

I appreciate you looking into this matter. It has been quite the story as I share this entire experience on my personal blog. Your offer for new cartridges is nice. If you wish you may send them. Yes, I have the latest Firm Ware on my computer. You see, the problem isn't in the Firm Ware. There has to be a problem somewhere else that would cause the ink to drop at a level of 50% per picture. We have tried draft and every other feature. The pictures come out discolored and unusable. We have purchased well over 10 of each cartridge in the last year and have done 1/3 of the printing we would normally do because the pictures/prints are useless and not worth attempting to print. At one point, Aprille had mentioned it could be the print head. I don't know. I guess I am just disappointed with your product overall. It was poorly put together (the front flap that holds the paper was broken in the first 2 months with very little use, and the plug itself hardly stays in. I find myself having to fiddle around with it to simply get the power to stay on (then I have to wait until it goes through the entire "system check" before I can attempt to print). I do think that the worst feature of your product lies in the fact that your printer will not print unless there are two "full" cartridges in the printer. When our color ink died (after 4-5 prints) our black was brand new, yet we couldn't use it. We have since decided that we will use what ink we have and see what your company will do. I think that in reality, I should have my money refunded for both the printer AND ink cartridges. What few prints we have made from the printer (especially the photos) were of such poor quality, that most were not usable. I realize however, that this won't be a likely solution Kodak will agree too. So, I guess your offer to send me two little cartridges is fine. It will not help me think better of Kodak, and it will not persuade me to ever purchase a Kodak anything ever again. Please send the ink. I have 2-3 pictures I would love to attempt to print before the cartridges are empty.

[address was given here]

If you are following this saga of Kodak problems, you may have noticed that "Photoguy" left a comment about how wonderful his Kodak printers are. It is my belief that he is paid by Kodak to do such comments. Why else would someone search out a comment on Kodak and leave a positive comment? It makes no sense. Anyways, I will let you know if I really get any ink, and, at this current point in this discussion, I still say that Kodak printers are NOT worth the $$$!

Later...

Door Monster!!

2009-10-20T23:08:00.001-06:00

Okay, so check this out! I have one very talented and amazing wife. She saw this featured in one of her many magazines. We talked about it and decided it would be AWESOME to have for our front door. The magazine said to make it out of poster board, but we wanted it out of material so that it would last longer. After two days, a few setbacks, and some frustration here is the finished product! You go girl!

So, though I know you all want one, forget it! You can't. This is a A. Hughes Original.- lol
Actually I don't think she would make many more of them. I am just excited that we have the one for our house done.

Class tonight was okay. We have WiFi now so I can actually get some work done AND access things that our teacher is talking about. That is SO nice! Well, I am in charge of Faculty meeting tomorrow and it starts at 7:15am! Yuck! But such is life. Well off to bed I go!

Have a great night.

Later...

And The Kodak Saga Continues...

2009-10-19T20:30:00.001-06:00

Today was an interesting day. I had my MyACCESS training today, only I didn't. It wasn't a training for regular teachers. So, the 4th grade teacher, who had already had some training, went through what she knew about it and we finished that by lunch. After lunch I worked with the 5th grade teacher and taught him the basics of wikispace.com. It was a nice day. And my class...

well they were pretty well behaved. I am very proud of them. Only a few minor issues to deal with tomorrow. As for the Kodak update, Aprille made it back to work today. How do I know?

This is what she left as a comment for me:

KodakAprille said...: John, Got your note and I'm headed straight to the product team - will keep you up to speed and try to get resolution ASAP. KodakAprille
Oct 19, 2009 3:05:00 PM
****************************** Yet another contact by Kodak!
So Dear Readers,
I hope that this means I will be getting some kind of compensation to make up for ALL the INK CARTRIDGES I have bought and ran out in 5-10 pictures. Not to mention the fact that the printer is so cheap and breakable. I really am curious to see how this all turns out! So far they get a few points for even taking the initiative to even contact me. Okay, 1 point! :)
I shall keep you all updated on this exciting adventure, as I want you all to see what kind of company Kodak turns out to be. I guess we shall all know in a few short days/weeks/months!
Later...

Sunday Once Again! (And it is going ,going ,gone...)

2009-10-18T21:55:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that another week has come and gone. I have to say it was a great weekend. I was able to repair some shingles on my roof (see I am being brave and doing home repair on my own) and unclogging drains (if it wasn't illegal I would have taken a picture and shown you the hairball! WOW! - ok, it isn't illegal, but def. not something I want to share with the world!) Tomorrow will be a different day. I will only be teaching for the first hour and a half and then I have a webinar. My first ever in fact.So I will let you know about that.

But, it is time to shut down and head to bed. I have had a great day with the kids. We even got haircuts this evening so my hair isn't bushman stlye anymore and extra poofy!

Later...

First Down Day

2009-10-15T22:10:00.000-06:00

Well,
It finally happened. I had my first unhappy day at school. The kids just pushed my buttons a little too much today. The morning started off well, but by afternoon the kids were restless. I worked to control it, but it didn't seem to go well. I hope this isn't a new pattern developing. I guess we will see.

I was able to mow the lawn today and water the lawn. The weather keeps warming up and the cooling down and warming up and cooling down. I can't decide what to do outside anymore. :)

There really isn't anything more to share at this time.

Oh wait, my sister had her baby today. Congrats SIS! :) Glad you are doing well.

Later...

A Very Happy Birthday!

2009-10-13T21:43:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to ME (and my brother-in-law).

My wife put together a great birthday for me today. It started with a wonderful breakfast (Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries) to a great lunch for school with a love note (thanks for that- it really added smile to my day) to a wonderful dinner tonight (breakfast pizza with gravy, sauteed mushrooms, and fruit salad. Y-U-M-M-Y! My mom and dad also came and joined us (thanks for the great present mom and dad)

I also got a great gift selection. I forgot my wife had a tool wish list we had made this past summer. So I got a rubber mallet, a new screwdriver set, and a new utility knife. YEA! She also got me the 2nd season of Avatar: The Last Air-Bender (which our family LOVES!), and four other movies that we didn't have on DVD (The Sandlot, 5th Element, The Iron Giant, and Twister. All ones that my wife and I have grown to love and at one time in our lives watched frequently. That was about my day.

The weird part of the day was during school. I was teaching along in my writing lesson with Mrs. E (our guest author) when the power went out. Cut off Mrs. E right in the middle of a statement. I was freaking out because it could have blown the $300 bulb in my projector for my SMART Board. I didn't really think much of it. I carried on in the mostly dark (we were working with the lights off anyways). From there we all had to head to lunch quickly as the kitchen staff had no way to keep the food hot. Recess and then they found out that due the fact that a power pole had been sheared off that it would be several hours before power was restored (out here at my house as well for the entire time). So parents were called and all the students were sent home. I had two students who wanted to stay and visit with "the coolest teacher ever". They hung out in the room and we talked about books and reading, life and school. They looked at my "collection" of stuff on my cabinets while I planned out tomorrow and got everything I could ready. I was able to head home BEFORE 3pm. YEA! I got to leave before school would have even been out. Happy Birthday to me!

It has been a great day! I have a great family. My kids were so cute. My oldest gave me a cute card that he had made. My little princess gave me a cute little present with trinkets she had scrounged from around the house, and my 4 year old gave me a sucker and a nickel. What sweethearts!

Well, I am going to snuggle up next to my wife and watch "Unwrapped" on Food Network.

Later...

2nd Chances (even if they are NOT deserved)

2009-10-12T22:01:00.000-06:00

Okay, after everything is said and done, we simply can't afford a new printer (unless all you readers want to send me $5) so we bought a new color cartridge for our hunk-o-junk. My wife printed a wallet- did you read that? A WALLET size photo today and it dropped the new cartridge to 40%!!!!!!
Wow, I am SO glad I wasn't home when that happened. Let's just say my wife was NOT impressed! So, I e-mailed Aprille at Kodak Connect (from my earlier post) and asked her what she plans to do.

When I hear back I will let you know!

Today was fun and funny. My class is simply the best I have had in many, many years (after all this is my 9th year of teaching - wow!) We laughed ALOT and we also had a discussion on what it means to be respectful to ourselves and to others (especially parents). We also sang a great remake of Row, Row, Row your boat entitled "Blow, Blow, Blow Your Nose. The kids loved it.

*****UPDATE*****
Just got this from KODAK

"I am out of the office until 10/19/2009.

I am on furlough and cannot access any messages. Plz contact Jennifer Cisney for any issues.

Note: This is an automated response to your message "Attention: Aprille, KodakConnect" sent on 10/12/2009 11:28:13 PM."
*****************
Guess it will be a while before I hear back from her! LOL
Oh well!

Well, it is time for bed. Happy Birthday to me (tomorrow)

Later...

I LOVE weekends!

2009-10-10T12:07:00.003-06:00

Greetings all! It is amazing what sleeping in for 3 extra hours can do for the soul! I didn't even really budge this morning (even though my 4 year old was in my bed). My wife has my daughter and the two little boys with her at her mother's house. She is helping throw her sister a baby shower. She will be back later this evening.

Last night my 9 year old and I played PlayStation. We played CTR. He is GOOD! It was nice to spend some time with just him. My 4 year crashed around 10:30 (which for him is WAY late- he is usually out by 9-9:30). We watched Monsters vs. Aliens, Bob's Big Break, and regular TV. Had ice cream, ate out for dinner with grandma and grandpa, and I worked on a bunch of stuff for school (of course!)

It is nice to have a day to relax. Here in a few minutes I am heading back to the school to finish planning and copying, then we are heading out to eat lunch out, and we are going to go and spend a few hours at the high school at the volleyball games (as part of my Admin. hours). My wife will be home later this evening and then we can do something as a family (play a game, sing songs, something!)

I am also very excited that there are no college classes this week. What a relief. Since they go into December, it was time for a break. I do have to say that I AM learning a lot from each class.

Well, it is time to head out. I will be back later. Have a great day, or not, the choice is yours!

Later...

Parent Teacher Student Conferences- THEY ROCK!

2009-10-07T22:35:00.000-06:00

WOW! They were AWESOME! I enjoyed meeting and talking with each parent(s) and student today. I was able to learn some great information and get candid feedback from parents. I love that- great feedback that helps me teach better. Thanks parents.

My conferences started shortly after 12:15 and I didn't finish until after 5pm. That was an amazing ride. I had maybe 30 minutes of downtime. But with 16 conferences in a row, I was unable to stay on schedule. I only got 10 minutes per meetings and sometimes that just isn't enough.

School was a blast today. Literally. We launched our rockets we have been making for a week today. There were many funny moments. The first rocket that was launched fell apart mid-air- the tape gave out and it turned into a sheet of paper. It was hilarious. The kids who built it didn't really think it was that funny. I told them to visit the "hospital" tub (tub of supplies to fix broken/damaged rockets). My wife came with my three little boys and took pictures and shot video for me. I would have pictures on here right now, but my laptop won't read her camera card. It tries to format the card. Annoying.

With today being a 1/2 day for the kids, I am in total Friday mode and finding it hard to be motivated for the rest of the week. But it is all good. My wife is running away this weekend and leaving me with the two older boys. It is going to be fun. We will have to do some "guy" stuff like eat out and watch TV. LOL!

I am sure I could keep feeding you all these exciting details, but I think that I will head to bed instead. Having to be up early and at school to be ready to do faculty meeting has me wiped out. Good news, NO COLLEGE CLASSES ON TUESDAY! That is good since it is my Birthday! Happy Birthday day to me!

Later...

Mission:Presenation a success!

2009-10-06T22:53:00.000-06:00

Tonight I was able to do my learning sciences presentation. I think that it went really well. I was last and ended up with only 20 minutes. It worked out well. I got a few laughs out of everyone and I had fun presenting.

Today at school was good. We finished up our rocket projects and will be launching them tomorrow. It is going to be great. Tomorrow I am also in charge of faculty meeting. I think it will be good. At least I hope it is. I know this is short and all, but I am exhausted.

Later...

Another Monday Bites the Dust

2009-10-05T23:00:00.000-06:00

Helloooooooooooo out there in Blog Land!
Another day has come and gone. I looked back and noticed I hadn't blogged since last Thursday. Holy CRAP!
Friday was a fun day. My sister and her family took my little family to Gardiner Village in the Salt Lake area. That was a blast. It was a bit hectic because it was Little Witches Day or something like that. But the kids had a great time and so did we. By the time we finished there and did the rest of our shopping, it was pretty late. We got home around 9:30pm and by the time we unloaded and put away it was time for bed.

The rest of the weekend was spent in trying to finish school stuff, get caught up, and finish my presentation.
And, believe it or not, I DID! YEA! So that is ready to go. It ended up being just over 17 minutes which is great. I put about 15 hours into it, so 17 minutes isn't too bad. I am excited to share it with my class.

Today was a great day. My class was as fun as ever and we got a lot done. We will be ready to launch our rockets on Wednesday. That is going to be a blast.

Parent Teacher Student Conferences are on Wednesday as well. I am looking forward to meeting with parents and discussing how to help my students succeed even more. I hope all the parents show up.

Well, it is later that I would like, so I am signing off and heading to bed.

Later...

And This Is All I Got Back! So Much For US Customer Service...

2009-10-01T21:18:00.001-06:00

Greetings John,

Thank you for your recent visit to the Kodak Web site and question about your Kodak ESP 3 All-in-One Printer.

We are quite concerned over your experience and are sorry for any inconvenience caused in this regard. We will certainly do our best to assist you. We assure you that we will certainly do the needful to fix your printer.

As per your email, you are not getting sufficient ink yield from your Kodak ESP 3 All-in-One Printer.

You are requested to follow the below mentioned steps:

Click on KODAK AIO Home Center icon located on your desktop.

Then click on the " ? " mark on the right hand top corner of the Home Center window.

Click on “Maintenance”.

Then click on “Clean Printhead”.

Turn off the printer.

Wait for 3-4 minutes.

Try to print something.

If the quality of this print is fine, it means that the issue is resolved. If not, then the printhead has to be replaced.

If these steps do not help, then you are requested to call voice support at 1-800-421-6699 between 9:00 AM to 12 midnight EST or reply to this email with the following information so that we can issue the print head replacement:

Shipping address (No PO Box).

Telephone number.

Kodak Service Number. (It is a 7 character alpha-numeric code. It is found under the printer’s front access door on the left hand side. Front access door is the one which you usually lift to change the ink cartridges.)

You may also follow Kodak Interactive Troubleshooting Guide on www.kodak.com/go/itg for advanced troubleshooting.

We are glad to be of service and are here for you if you need us in the future. If you do reply, please be sure to include any previous e-mail so we may assist you better.

Regards,

Arvindu B.

Kodak Information and Technical Support

-Brilliant! I only get 5 pictures per cartridge, but apparently I do not have enough ink yield?!?!?! Does this person even understand English or this simply a case of cut and paste response.

Oh well. We are buying a HP printer this weekend. Maybe I will shoot a video of my taking a sledge hammer to the Kodak and e-mail THAT to them. Maybe they will get the idea that I don't have ink yield problems- rather I have Kodak printer problems.

Later...

Kodak Printers Update

2009-10-01T12:34:00.000-06:00

We are purchasing a new printer this weekend, and since I had just invested a good chunk of money in the "miracle" Kodak printer, I felt the need to share my feelings with them. Here is my e-mail to them in all its glory!

To Whom It May Concern:
I just wanted to let you know of my beyond great disappointment with your product. Less than 1 year ago I bought your Kodak ESP-3 (Service Number (T164349) scanner/printer. We were excited to see that ink was less-expensive and that print quality was good. Then we setup and started using it. From day one it has been a piece of garbage. It prints off color, it doesn't print in draft mode, it goes through ink like water (and we are printing LESS than we did with our HP Printer). Now, because it went through a color ink cartridge (after 5 pictures I might add) it wont print even with a brand new black cartridge. We have already returned the extra black ink we purchased and we are planning to replace your defective and totally misleading printer. You have cured us of ever using a Kodak product again. I am not alone. Have you ever searched on-line for the key words- Kodak Printers Suck? Thousands of pages populate. Maybe you should stick to printing pictures and let real companies like HP make printers. Thanks for nothing!

Quite a masterpiece if I do say so myself! AND they even earned the honor of making it my Companies List (on the right side of this blog!)

Have a great day! I will as soon as I have a real printer again! :)

Later...

We Are All Okay, Except The Spider...

2009-09-30T22:55:00.000-06:00

After the crazy winds today, our poor little (big) spider didn't make it. The wind blew it right over and messed up all the legs and body. It was quite sad. The temperature has been crazy the last few days. I am hoping that when I get up in the morning, early, to clean up the garden everything isn't frozen solid and that I don't freeze solid going outside.

I am also excited as we are going to go and visit my sister this weekend. It will be fun to get out of town and get away from things here.

Today at school was great. I took my 6th graders to the public library. The librarian was so sweet and wonderful. She had treats, she read them a story, and they got to check out books. We are planning on attending every other week. I am very excited for the kids to get the experience of being in public and learning to act appropriately. Not to mention it gets us out of the building every now and then.

I am really looking forward to this break. I can't wait to enjoy general conference on Saturday and Sunday and work in my room (getting caught up on all the things I have left to pile up) and spending time with my gorgeous wife and kiddos.

I received some very exciting news today, but I can not divulge it at this time. In the near future I will be authorized to discuss it at more length. Let's just say I am mucho excited. Well, I have a few things I need to finish and I still have 25 minutes on my presentation video I am making, to finish. So,

Later...

An Educator's Life

Anonymous- YOU ROCK!

JibJab- Elf Yourself!

Veteran's Day Celebration

Hallloween Costumes At Last!

Kodak Came Through

Great News!

Happy Halloween! (and a time change)

Two Days of Near Death (And the Close of the Kodak Saga...I Think)

Sick Anyone?

Happy Halloween!

Kodak, Round 4 (Plus my real life)

KODAK SAGA UPDATE #3 (or #4, or something like that)

Door Monster!!

And The Kodak Saga Continues...

Sunday Once Again! (And it is going ,going ,gone...)

First Down Day

A Very Happy Birthday!

2nd Chances (even if they are NOT deserved)

I LOVE weekends!

Parent Teacher Student Conferences- THEY ROCK!

Mission:Presenation a success!

Another Monday Bites the Dust

And This Is All I Got Back! So Much For US Customer Service...

Kodak Printers **Update**

We Are All Okay, Except The Spider...

Kodak Printers Update