Mr C's Blog Smog

Enough Brett Favre!

2008-07-14T16:27:00.002-05:00

Let me start off by saying I am not a Packer fan. Although I have trouble admitting it the last couple of years, I am a Chiefs fan. My dad is a Packer fan and has been all his life. He loves Brett Favre. I do like Favre's heart and will to win but this whole coming out of retirement thing is driving me nuts! I can't even turn on ESPN to get the scores without something about the "old man" coming up! Yes he will be in the Hall of Fame. Yes he was one of the best. Yes he probably still has game left in him. No it is not right to hold Aaron Rodgers back another year. He has done his time and I would bet he has learned more from Favre in the last few years than most quarterbacks do in their entire career. If Brett does want to play then the Packers should release him and let him do his thing. Start a new run with Rodgers! If I was a Packer fan it would be hard to see Brett go but I would not want to see him deteriorate in front of me and go out in a bad way. I would want to remember him the way he was when he was winning and doing all the things that we liked watching Brett Favre do, eluding the rush and using the cannon he has! Out of respect I would like to wish Brett Favre all the best in whatever he does. He deserves the best for what he did for the game of football. (I can't believe I just said that. I hope my dad doesn't read this!)

School Mentality

2008-07-12T22:07:00.004-05:00

It is kind of nice this summer. I have been involved with our negotiation committee and talking to fellow teachers about the upcoming school year. It is going to be rather different this year. We had 5 teachers retire on our side of the road and I am really feeling like one of the "old dogs". Anyway, the reason I say that it is kind of nice is because my brain has not been allowed to go to mush this summer due to meetings and thinking about this coming year. It is keeping me on my game you might say. It should make the transition into the school year quite a bit easier. I am very excited about the upcoming school year! I will be having two excellent student teachers this year so that should definitely add to the excitement! I have also had a few contacts on Twitter recently from fellow teachers asking me about what they should teach first in their class concerning technology. That is so cool!

A Tricky "Wakefield-like" Pitch

2008-07-07T22:13:00.001-05:00

Check this pitch out!

A Visit From Mom

2008-07-07T21:47:00.003-05:00

My mom got here today to visit for a few days. It has been awhile since she has been here. We just did a couple of things today because of the heat. We got Jimmy John's and took it to the park for a picnic. The kids weren't really in the mood to play. They said it was too hot. I didn't think it was too bad in the shade with the breeze blowing. After we left the park we ran a few errands and I took my mom across the bridge to show her where the flood waters had been. Tomorrow we are going to the farmer's market and then taking a trip to a pond to do a little fishing before the rain hits. I do have a meeting tomorrow night but my wife and kids are going to entertain Grandma. I don't know what they are going to do but I am positive it will be more exciting than a meeting. We don't have much planned for Wednesday but I think my son is going back home with Grandma to spend a few days in my home town. My daughter can't wait for her turn. It is still 86 outside and it is 10 pm! Unbelievable!

If this doesn't get to you nothing will!

2008-07-02T14:57:00.000-05:00

Old Friends

2008-07-02T14:37:00.004-05:00

My wife and I got to see some old friends from college last night. He is in the military and they are in the middle of another move. It was nice to see them again and get to know their entire family. Their girls are getting big and are good kids. It is amazing to me how different peoples' lifestyles can be. I personally cannot imagine moving three times in five years. They seem to not be too phased by it. I think it would knock my whole family out of whack. We are pretty set in our routine and the kids really enjoy where they are at. I guess all of us would adapt. You don't really have an option. I admire them for being able to move and make a fresh start so many times. I guess I just think of our family as the typical Midwest family that stays pretty close to home and remain, for the lack of a better term, "simple" people. By the term "simple" I mean enjoying the simple things in life like watching your kids play in the backyard or having a summer cookout with friends. Simple to me means being happy with the everyday things that life provides you such as a smile or comment from your kids. I have a feeling of being safe and relaxed knowing that my family is living in a small Midwest city where things are a little slower than the big city. Don't get me wrong. I do like to travel and visit interesting places but it sure is nice to have a place you can call "home". I am not saying that my friends have it wrong. It is their life and if they enjoy it that is wonderful. They thing that really made me proud last night was when they said that when he retired from the military that they would love to move back to the Quincy area. To me there is no bigger compliment.

My parents always took my brother and I on vacations and we enjoyed them and didn't always know how lucky we were. It was nice to see the way other people lived but I always thought it was nice to say "We're on our way home!". I am proud to be from the Midwest and traveling, or living, in other parts of the country has always made me appreciate where I came from.

Finally, feeling like I am back in a routine...

2008-06-30T15:59:00.002-05:00

It has taken me about a week to get back in the groove and get moving back in a routine. I spent the morning running out to school and getting stuff together for a meeting tonight. When my daughter and I got back from picking up my son we ate lunch and then went outside and tore out an ugly bush of ours. My daughter cleaned her room. I spent the next couple of hours cleaning the house. A very busy day but back where I needed to be. We all will be pretty busy this week. It was nice seeing some of my students this morning!

All Vacation Pics Done

2008-06-25T22:12:00.002-05:00

Click on these for our vacation pics.

Myrtle Beach, Biltmore Estate, and Ripley's Aquarium

Duke

and some home flood pics...Flood 2008

Enjoy!

The Biltmore Estate - Day 5

2008-06-20T20:00:00.002-05:00

We went to the Biltmore Estate today in Asheville, NC. We were there for roughly six hours and walked most of the time. It was very impressive! I don't remember all the facts that were thrown out but I can tell you this, it was immense! We got to visit 60 rooms of the house. My favorite parts were the basement, that included a "game room" and and indoor pool, and the smoking and gun rooms. We ate at Deer Park at the estate. It was a wonderful lunch buffet with some original twists on some southern favorites. When we get done we went the Biltmore McDonalds for some drinks. It was weird to see a McDonalds dressed up to be that upscale. The food or prices were not different but the place looked pretty classy (pictures posted later).

Tomorrow starts the long ride home with a side trip through the Smokey Mountains. I miss the kids and can't wait to get home. It has been a fun trip but the days just flew by.

Day 2 and 3

2008-06-18T06:14:00.002-05:00

We have been busy! On day 2 we drove to Duke University in Durham, NC. I took around 70 pictures! It was amazing! It is one of those places you never think you will get to see. As most of you that read my blog know, I am a big Duke basketball fan. Click on this link if you wish to see all of my Duke pics.

After we visited Duke we drove on to Myrtle Beach, SC, which was about a three and a half hour drive. As soon as we got there and got settled we walked across the street to the Atlantic Ocean! My wife had never seen the ocean before. We were both excited to be there. We then went to Broadway on the Beach and ate at Margaritaville (which neither one of us had been to). It was a great first day at Myrtle Beach.

On day 3 we got up and ate a quick breakfast and then hit the beach. It was in the 90's yesterday here so it was already pretty warm at 9 a.m. After a morning on the beach we went and ate a seafood buffet called The Giant Crab. It was delicious but we both ate way too much! After our late lunch it was on to Ripley's Aquarium (South Carolina's most visited tourist attraction) at Broadway at the Beach. It was really cool and I got a ton of pictures! My favorite part was the tube that you walked through. It was like you were right in the middle of the ocean. Since we were at Broadway at the Beach again we just milled around and did some souvenir shopping. It started to rain a little so we went back to the room and chilled awhile. When the rain had stopped we took advantage of it and went for a walk on the beach. Even though it was quite late there were still tons of people on the beach.

We plan on going to Barefoot Landing today (kind of like Broadway at the Beach) after another trip to the beach.

Day 1

2008-06-15T21:11:00.004-05:00

My wife and I got up at 4:30 a.m. and were on the road by around 5:30 a.m. We drove 13 hours and are now sitting in a motel room in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was a long day but it was well worth it. It was sunny and hovered around 80-85 degrees during our drive. We really enjoyed the mountains in West Virginia and Virginia. It was the first time that my wife had seen anything like that. She was impressed. We enjoyed the satellite radio and our GPS. We both miss our kids but are enjoying ourselves.

Tomorrow is the day! Here we come Duke Blue Devils. We are around an hour and a half from Durham, North Carolina...the home of my Duke Blue Devils. I can't wait to see Cameron Indoor Stadium!

Pictures coming soon!

Trip Tomorrow

2008-06-13T19:53:00.003-05:00

Leaving for vacation tomorrow! I can't wait. It seems like we have been planning this for 3 years! I will post a blog with my pictures that I plan on posting on Picasa. I'll will be thinking about all you people not on vacation. :)

By the way...I hope we don't run into any flooding! It sounds like it could be possible but we will see.

10,000!

2008-06-13T19:49:00.003-05:00

Since I added my counter I have now had 10,000 hits on my blog! I know to some of you big time bloggers that isn't many but that seems like a pretty big milestone to me. Thanks for the visits and keep coming back!

A Perfect Day

2008-06-08T21:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a great day! We had a lot of fun as a family. My son had one of his friends over in the afternoon. He hadn't seen his friend in about a year. He now lives in Peoria. They get along great and I think his friend is a good influence on him. His buddy is quiet and very polite. I am not saying that my son is not polite but his friend seems to have a calming influence on him. They had a blast playing PS2 and war. At around 6 or so we all went to the St. Francis picnic. All through the day I kept thinking that the heat and wind was going to blow up one heck of a storm but it never happened. It was still pretty warm at the picnic but there was a nice breeze. The kids had a blast running around with their friends and my wife and I had a good time chatting with friends. I left the picnic at around 8 and the boys were right behind me. My wife and daughter stayed a little longer but were home around 9 or so. When everyone was home my wife and I sat out on the patio and the kids played out in the yard. A family of friends stopped by at about 9:30 and we had a great time talking and watching the kids run around and play flashlight tag. As I told my wife, "This is what summers are all about!" Anyway, that was my perfect day.

More Stroms On The Way

2008-06-08T21:06:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it! More storms on the way. I hope we get through the night without some serious damage.

Fun Summer Day

2008-06-04T17:11:00.002-05:00

My son had a friend stay the night last night and they already beat Lego Indiana Jones! His friend stayed until 10 a.m. and then we ran errands. I had to get the rest of the stuff for putting down some quarter round and a few things at the store. My wife and I decided to take the kids out for lunch so we did the HyVee thing. The kid's loved it! They ate a ton! When we got home I put the quarter round down and the kids played. My daughter was excited because she got to go next door and play Wii with one of her little girl friends. It sure is humid out. It seems like we went from early Spring right into the middle of summer! I hate having the air on.

Barack Obama

2008-06-04T17:08:00.001-05:00

It seems that Obama is the man! Is that good or bad?

Summer So Far

2008-06-03T16:08:00.002-05:00

I have been really busy so far this summer. I have done some Spring cleaning, painted part of the the garage, done some "fixin' it", cooked, taken the kids to the park and for ice cream, and walked everyday so far. I have been slacking in the blog department but I will do better. I am currently waiting for my mother in-law and my wife's Aunt to stop by with some clothes for my daughter. Yes, I have been busy but it has been a fun and stress free busy so far. I get my blood work done on Thursday for my kidney doctor visit which is next week. Vacation is right around the corner and I am really looking forward to it. My son just got Lego Indiana Jones today for his PS2 and he and his friends have been up in his "man-cave" all day playing it. He put it on reserve and has been patiently waiting it's arrival for about a month or so. The weather has been exciting around here the past couple of weeks with strong storms and tornado watches and warnings creeping up it seems like every couple of days. Anyway, enjoy your summer because I am sure enjoying mine! By the way, I rub it in to my brother every chance I get!

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-26T21:10:00.002-05:00

Busy weekend! Friday I took my son to see Indiana Jones. It was good but a little more hoaky than the past Indiana Jones movies. On Saturday we had some friends over for a cook out. It was a good time. On Sunday we made the trip to my in-laws in Iowa. My son and I went fishing with Grandpa and caught 14 fish (Bluegill, Bass, and Crappie). My son cleaned all but 5 of them. It was his first time and he did a fine job. As a family we spent a lot of time outside even though it seemed like there was a constant threat of rain or storms. Today we grilled out hamburgers at my in-laws and I fried about half of the previous day's catch. My wife and I left after lunch. The kids are excited because they get to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's tonight by themselves. When we got home I got the yard mowed. My wife and I enjoyed a quiet dinner out and are currently watching Ocean's 12 (not too exciting so far).

To The Payson Seymour 8th Graders

2008-05-20T12:49:00.005-05:00

This blog post is for my 8th graders. This year is a little different than most in that I am usually am saying goodbye to my 8th graders because I usually don't have my 8th grade students again when they go on to high school. They have other teachers. Because of schedule changes I will most likely have most of my current 8th graders as 9th grade students next year. I am excited about it! I have had a lot of fun with this class and look forward to working with them next year. Next year is when it all starts...grades start to "really" count and you, as students, will become busier than ever!

I just have a few tidbits of advice to pass on. First, don't let anybody tell you you can't be something! If you work hard and stay focused you can be anything you want. I am not saying that it won't be difficult at times but it will be worth it in the end. Second, and this sounds kind of corny, always try to do your best! I know that sounds weird but you will be amazed how much better you feel about yourself if you always try to do your best at whatever you do. Third, always try to do the right thing. I say "try" because we all make mistakes and that is how we learn. If you stop and think about the situation , instead of just doing whatever, you will stand a better chance at doing the right thing. And finally, enjoy life! Don't take life to seriously. You can follow the first three bits of advice and still have a blast! Life is too short to not enjoy it.

Myanmar

2008-05-15T12:17:00.004-05:00

Myanmar is located east of India. The death toll from the May 2nd cyclone in Myanmar has now reached 43,000! For those of you from the Quincy, IL area, that is roughly our population total! There are still around 28,000 people missing. The people of Myanmar are now having trouble with some people hoarding or trading International Aid. If you can, please help.

The End of School

2008-05-15T11:20:00.003-05:00

The end of the school year has really crept up on me this year. Is it because of how busy I have been with everything or is it because I am getting older? I feel my blogging has been suffering but other aspects of my technological education have been thriving. I have been working on mastering the art of podcasting which I will be the first to say that I still have a way to go. We just finished a voicethread (new web application) on our 8th grade solar system projects. I have also been trying to keep up with all the new web applications, which by the way is next to impossible. We just got notice today that our grant was approved for a PV array (Solar Panel System) at the junior high and high school. I will tell you that I am not complaining. I have enjoyed staying busy on these topics.

As far as the home front, everything for the school year is wrapping up for my kids also. My kids had their school Spring program last week and my daughter just finished up dancing for the year with her Spring recital. My son has his scout graduation ceremony this Friday. He will be one year away from being a boy scout!

I have really enjoyed this school year, especially the kids. The seventh and eighth graders have been wonderful this year and have worked hard. We have done a lot of stuff with computers this year and I hope it continues next year. The projects that we did this year were of very good quality. Good job junior high!

Michelle Obama

2008-05-09T12:28:00.003-05:00

I like Barack Obama. I wouldn't consider myself a "supporter" but I do like some of his ideas, his personality and his "down to earth" attitude have kind of won me over.

His wife on the other hand has not made me a fan. I didn't know her feelings until I was out running errands and turned on some talk radio to pass the time. Segments of a recent speech she made were the topic of conversation. She doesn't have anything positive to say about America. She says that everyone is struggling and no one is given a chance in this country. This coming from the wife of the first black American to make a serious run at the Presidency? To me, that is what America is about! People getting chances because of their work ethic and values is what America is about. Don't get me wrong, I know that some things need to change but don't tell me that our country in not the land of opportunity anymore!

Gas Prices

2008-05-09T12:16:00.003-05:00

I know this has been a big topic in blogging and the news lately but I just wanted to get my 2 cents worth in. These gas prices remind me of the 70's when my parents went through something of the same nature. I'm not sure if it was the price or what it was but I do remember a time in the 70's where there was a heightened alert on gas availability. I would have been under ten and I am sure that it didn't interest me that much at the time. These gas prices do have me worried. I don't know how any American is going to be able to continue on their current course of saving, or in some cases spending, with gases prices raising as they are. My wife and I have already had to make some adjustments to our first real vacation which we are taking this summer. It just makes me cringe every time I fill up at the pump! I don't see any relief in site unless the tax cut for the summer months is okd. Even if that happens what is going to keep the gas companies from jacking the prices up to make the difference?

Tony Vincent

2008-05-05T21:48:00.002-05:00

I went to a workshop right outside of Peoria, IL on Friday. Tony Vincent presented and he did a fine job. He had some very valuable information and I got quite a bit out of it. The workshop was on podcasting and web applications. I plan on doing my first "real" podcast on some of my favorite and most valuable web applications. Workshops like the one I attended Friday always wear me out. Projects and ways to use the information in class are always just rushing through my head! Here's hoping that I can find a way to use all the important information in today's classroom!