summertime with kanakuk, kampers, freedom and hurts

hmmm. hmm.hmm.hmm. where to begin?! let's see...i finally got around to summer on June 27th, which was like walking into the promised land with joshua! i stuck around for the weekend so that i could get to dr. bree, my chiropractor, one last time before vacation took its toll. then i packed up the necessities for mom and dad's, iowa, and florida. that's a lot of necessities.

so we began our trip, which i am getting all-too-familiar with...but even as an 8 hour trip, it seems much shorter because i do it so often and know it so well! i had decided to try something new. it is difficult for a single person to travel with animals in the summer time. 'why?' you ask. well, because i have to stop on a long trip to use the facilities, and i hear so many stories about leaving pets in cars...and people breaking windows and such to help the animals...so i decided that i would try taking a styrofoam cooler, fill it with ice, and purchase a small battery-operated fan to blow into the cooler.

does this sound weird to anyone? the idea came as i was thinking about a trip to the cincinnati airport when i worked for comair. there was one time i was flying through and had to switch planes in the main terminal, and the electricity was out in the entire building, in the middle of summer, and it was a scorcher! so they were trying to get rid of the ice cream at one of the shops because it was starting to melt. so i took that cup of ice cream and began to blow into it to force the cold air out to hit my face. novel idea (only not really), but it worked, and it cooled me down!

back to my car and the cooler idea. great idea, only the fan did not have the amount of power necessary to cool down the entire car. fortunately it was not the hottest day of the year! i will need to purchase an additional fan-hopefully one with a little more juice. trial and error. then i need to put up a sign that says-DOGS ARE FINE...BREAK MY WINDOW AND I WILL BREAK YOU.

so we got to mo and within the first couple of days, i made my way down to kanakuk kamp to drop off something fun for my dear friend trish and her daughter shayla-and to visit a little. as i drove into the front gates and got my visitor's pass, i was shocked at some of the changes that had taken place! they now have a huge pulley-drawn wakeboard run in the uppermost fields! (what?!?) and then i parked and began walking down the hill and i saw what looked like a new cabin across from the kdome-basketball courts..a party barn! (double WHAT?!? WHAT?!) and so i continued down the hill into camp. there are no longer very many people there who would know me, or that i would know, apart from some of the leadership team. it is always a joy to find diane and catch up with her-she is family. and how fun was it that while we were chatting, two of her daughters were strolling down the hill toward us?! emmy was in my cabin her last year, and she was also one of the counselors in my unit, so we have a fun history-we've kept up, but the last few years it has gotten more difficult (note to self, i must make more of an effort).

we walked around and she showed us some of the new additions, then i went into the cafeteria to see if trish was there, and she most certainly was-i walked in at just the right time, because shayla was in talking to her about the banners that they were trying to prepare for her term as a princess (it's a kamp thing). anyhoo- fun surprise, and of course, trish was in the middle of class, so i didn't want to stay and distract-i went with shay, but just as we were turning to go, one of the kampers came up and said, "jrob?! i don't know if you remember me, or not, but i'm erin's sister!" it was marie-the last time i saw her in person was when she was in like fourth grade! they grow up so fast!  so shay took me out to look at the banners. i had sketched up some ideas for her, and text them, and she was able to use those, project them and create a huge banner. they were pretty cool! i'm sure she'll take pics, and hopefully i will be able to post them here. i can't wait to see how they turn out!

i absolutely love going up to visit k2, but seldom do i get much of a chance to catch up with trish (her time is coveted by many, and she is a busy director)! i know this. every time i visit, i know this. usually time is very short, but for whatever God-ordained reason, she was able to carve out some time and we got to talk. i cherish that time. it's truly amazing how quickly time flies when you are visiting with friends!  i looked up and realized that it was 5:30 (it had just been 1:30), so i had to make my way back to mom and dad's, but FIRST...hurt's donuts because i'd been craving it, and really wanted to see their new location! unfortunately when i got there, all of the parking was full- even the parking garages were reading full...fortunate for my waistline..no worries, in the famous words of the terminator: I'LL BE BACK-disappointment.

the 4th rolled around and i was patriotic at heart, but we stayed in, and watched the fireworks displays on t.v...it's just not the same as watching them at k2 on the upper fields...the boys were not thrilled with all of the cracks and booms from the neighbors lighting off their fireworks-it got loud in the robinson home that night.

i mention the 4th, not because it was exciting, but it was the precursor to the 5th. my parent's church was having a special service, as the church was changing its name and had a new sign to dedicate. the service was neat-they had amazing music from a group called: potter's wheel (i think)...and then there were special speakers, including one of the state reps, and the superintendent of the region. and on the same day, they recognized mom and dad for their service in ministry-they love being involved and stepping in whenever necessary...service is a way of life. i've had great models!

what an interesting group with a neat sound and precious message!

this is one of the MO state reps who accepted the invitation and had a great talk (i looked her up afterward, and i was impressed-i would vote for her!)

these two kids...superheroes in disguise! love the parents!

pastor, wife. rep, and two student ambassadors in front of the new sign

so, needless to say, when i went into springfield the following week to meet up with emmy and martha, another former kamper-they were in the same cabin-superdeal (and it WAS a super deal!), i DID stop in to hurt's beforehand, and then met them at the mall.

i LOVED catching up with the two of them and seeing where life has led them! emmy is, and always has been, our story-teller, so it was fun listening to her tales, and finding out what martha has been doing. i love seeing where God has been leading them and how their lives are impacting others! (actually, i'm a little jealous-in a good way- of martha, because she got to go visit ROATAN this summer after we met! #whenworldscollide)

 before i got together with them, i got to stop at hurt's- it was my mission!! i was loving the new loft and the amount of space they have for meeting with friends! impressive! and of course, i got a variety to go so that my parents could be the secondary beneficiaries of the event...

the loft- perfect space to sit with friends!! perfect place to sit alone!  and downstairs there are some really great booths as well!

the parking...why yes please!

this is the view from the upstairs bar-top-area

i convinced my mom of the necessity to try pecan pie cookies-she did an amazing job, but they just weren't pecan pie. so just as i'd hoped, there was still a desire for the real deal! so the next day, we got pecan pie!!

subliminal messages!

well, this is where i must cut it off; next up-family reunion, then florida vacation!

-julie

bmayes is not an imaginary friend-we just don't have recent pics, and p.s. my chiropractor thinks i'm funny, so there.

alright...let's see. you are lucky, i flipped a coin and it was between writing letters and writing a post. writing a post won-granted, it was a mental coin and i'm pretty close to up-to-date in the letter-category.

training ended on a good note, and i am certain that everyone was ready for summer! ahem...i'm still working summer school. a resounding sigh echoes through the empty school building...it just sounded good-i'm not at school... next week will be the last of it, then i will stick around for a couple of days so that i can get to the chiropractor again before i'm gone for several weeks.

did i mention that i have an awesome chiropractor? well, it's true. first impressions aren't everything (if you didn't read about the first visit, you can find out more about "bradley" here). seriously, if you are in the dallas area, and thinking about visiting a chiropractor, bri is great! what makes her great, you ask...well, in all honesty, it's mostly that she thinks i'm funny and laughs when i say something humorous-which, let's face it, it happens quite often.

today i wore my vibrams in, and she was like, "cool shoes! you always have cool things!" she was referring to my umbra credit card holder from the last visit...great. now i've upped the expectations.

this past weekend, one of my favorite friends (if i used the word besties, she would fit in that category, but that is not really a word in my vocab-except when i'm being stupid)...so yeah, back to the story, bmayes made an appearance! it was short, but well-timed and much enjoyed! from gloria's, hurt's donuts-hand-delivered, hawaiian ice...ah, good times, good conversation-always! but once again, we failed to get any pics-people are going to begin thinking brittany is an imaginary friend! which would make me feel like anne of green gables...but i digress....TOTALLY real! i found the dreamcatcher that i meant to send as a gag-gift several months ago and i put it up over futon- because everyone should sleep well!

front

back

it HURTS! it's hurts. we actually looked them up and they began in springfield-the original, and that is the facebook page i follow (and have had the opportunity to visit), then friends wanted the owner to start one up in norman (which is the first place i was introduced!) and i believe they have opened a third in wichita! i must make the pilgrimage! #hurtsdonutgroupie

SERIOUSLY! if she weren't real, how did i get to savor THESE GEMS!?!  not sure what the green monster is called, but it had andes mints on it, then moving up to Jesus donut (english J, not the spanish j), german chocolate, and my all time fave-twixted sister!! i'm purring just thinking about them, because if i were a cat, that's how happy they make me!

 not gonna' lie, when i realized that bmayes had left, and left her portion of the donuts behind (as she'd met with a friend for breakfast), i was doing a happy dance.

before she left, we went for hawaiian ice-i originally wanted to go to my favorite little shack, but when we got there, it was closed! with no forwarding address!! which led to some googling to see if we could figure out where they moved...but to no avail, so i decided to swing by a little joint down on beltline that i'd driven by several times to see how they were. guess what-they were great! so from now on, that will be the frequented hot-weather shaved ice haunt.

plus, they have prime seating!

 i had to stop to get an envelope to send bruno's records in to the insurance peeps...i got a call from the vet, and they tried to fax them, but the file was too big, their computer too old...so i said i'd pick them up and send them. i did stop by fed-ex to see how much it would cost to fax-um.. $1.25/page! (70 pages); pretty sure my face said it all as i immediately turned around laughing and went to purchase an envelope!

while i was purchasing said envelope, one of the employees-a gentleman walked up to the cashiers on a cordless phone and asked if either of them (late teens) could give directions to the lady on the phone. the girls laughed, and one of them actually said, "i don't give directions. that's what smart phones are for! everyone has them now!" WOW. so i asked where the lady was coming from and i gave her directions (i even pulled out the actual words, EAST, under the bridge, about 1.5 miles) and she was grateful, but for real...our youth is DOOMED!! the day sci-fy movies come true, they're screwed! how in the world are they going to get out of the zombie-ridden town if all they have is the sky and an old-school compass...and if they're lucky, a printed atlas...oooooohhhhh.

i am so glad that i learned how to use a compass, read maps, know what nnw means, and how to get there! thanks dad and geography classes!!

that time i gave directions because the people who actually worked there couldn't articulate where they were employed. the struggle is real.

 and we met our new principal last night-you never know what someone is like or how they are going to be in a leadership position with your staff until they are actually in place working. that's the make or break moment. it was great to have such a good turn out of teachers to meet him and ask questions. but let's be honest...curiosity mostly! so we did go out to snuffers afterward. i haven't been out with friends from school in way too long. i met up with olivia more than anyone else last year, and she wasn't even on staff! welcome back!!

great ladies-fun, authentic, thoughtful! part of the bilingual crew! we are fortunate.

 and last, but not least, please look at the concrete stairs at my apartment. for how long do you think this will be structurally safe?

alrighty then, did i mention that my chiropractor thinks i'm funny? just making sure you caught that.

'night!
julie

day one-have some fun, day two-learn something new, day three-gallery....walk

one-day weekend doesn't cut it. we had the amazing opportunity to do some team-building at group dynamix with our school staff. the soaring green eagles rocked it! we had a great time getting to know all of our new staff, and old staff better! of course, the moment i was waiting for-the ropes course!! and when shaner (kimberly) came up and asked if i had a partner, the first words out of my mouth were: are you adventurous? when she said yes, i said we could be partners. this was an indoor course, and it was pretty cool. not nearly as high as the outdoor one at k2, but then...we aren't at k2-alas.

the crew

random die-cut i found on the floor... because it's like the lucky penny saying...

find a die-cut, pick it up, all day long you'll have ..a piece of paper in the shape of a bear in your pocket, and every time you reach into your pocket, think you have a dollar bill and realize it's just a paper bear. what a disappointment.

after that i headed toward levee street for a celebration of pl. it was a good evening, and it was so great to see such a good representation of Cabell and former Cabell staff (who will be working for the new IDEA high school). 

and this is our calling card!

olivia!! so glad you're back! 

today we continued the fun with a little project-based learning (PBL), and it was pretty fantastic! brandon is a great presenter. one of my biggest pet-peeves is lack of punctuality-i've said it before, so it's no surprise. it drives me crazy when people aren't punctual- i learned the importance of timeliness from my dad, when i was in middle school. it's also something that i was VERY aware of whenever i had Bible studies-the idea behind it is: i respect you enough to know that your time is valuable, therefore i will be on time and i would appreciate it if you are as well. the flip side is: i don't respect you or your time as much as my own agenda. regardless of whether a person actually thinks this way or not, this can be the perception. my motto is straight up: professionalism. are there exceptions? sure. but when it's mostly the new people and a handful of others who are there when the presenter begins...it's just not a good message to send. again, it's a pet peeve- it has been for a long time. that aside, it was a really good day! (that, and the ones who were there on time got to watch some great pbl videos)

for lunch, i took my salad with me, knowing that i would add tomatoes when i got to school. and it was amazing. i shouldn't have grabbed the greek peppers and bitten into one of them...strangely most of the information i have found about them say that these peppers are mild...my question is...mild to whom? satan?

ssssssspicy!

the other night i sauteed veggies and apparently i did it wrong. i did not realize that there was a wrong way... for me the wrong way is to do all of the onions first, then the bell peppers. why? well...i may or may not have eaten all of the caramelized onions before the peppers were even done (2 of them)...oops. 

thems a lot of vegetables for one person...only not really-they go quickly!

so tonight, when i went to have leftover veggies, i breathed a sigh of relief when i found a 1/4 of an onion. so i sauteed that up, and then some mushrooms... lovely! 

a couple of other notes:

-my chiropractor, dr. bri, said the work on my neck has been holding, and she didn't have to do anything with that today...that's good news!

-bruno is using all four legs and not hopping on his hind leg as much-as long as we walk really slowly on our walks.

-i'm getting the opportunity to work with the daughter of a dear kamp friend of mine on her princess banners! (full circle)

-i've gotten letters from one of my dear cousins in iowa, an old friend in nicaragua, a college friend in co who is going on a missions trip, and one of my awesome kampers who has become a friend (as tends to happen)!

-i get to see the one and only b.mayes this weekend, and we are going to a favorite restaurant- glorias, and catching up on life! (can't wait to hear about her trip to belize!)

-i need to make more dog treats, but it's going to stink, so i'll wait until after this weekend!

-today a lady who was on her porch smoking, stopped me while i was walking the boys, to tell how cute she thought they were. #proudmama

i suppose that's it for now-

julie

p.s. quick update, today was day three (second day of PBL). there was a lot of work time and planning time. we had a gallery walk that was really good and required very specific feedback--very effective way to get feedback and help refine the way we create our projects. it was a good day-can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

last day, garden and the brachiosaurus

it's a new day! ok, actually it's the end of a new day, hence really it's an old day...although if we're getting technical about it, it is a new day somewhere and it will be coming to your area soon enough! (whew! that was a lot of thinking to justify the original premise~ something I was really good at in highscool, which annoyed my teachers)

we came in today for final touches as teachers and staff tidied up, packed up, and eventually went to eat-up!

i was able to accomplish some important tasks, but i still have a list of things to complete over the next two and 1/2 weeks!

i forgot to get pictures, but i was able to create a diy olla water drip- fingers crossed that it will work. we currently have a soaker hose type irrigation system, set up on a timer. this is really nice, because no one has to go out and water. most of the new garden installations are going in with these pot-systems, as they are supposed to conserve water, and end up being more cost-effective. the down-side is that it becomes a responsibility...which is actually an up-side in disguise! teaching the classes that plants need water, and i'm going to measure each of the containers and how much they hold, using a stick gauge to indicate metric volume. this will be a good learning tool for our students as well...actually, i think this might be a great project for our students! ALSO, we can use the water from our rain-tank to fill the ollas! good times! (i'll take pics of the pots on monday and post them-by then, the silicon will have dried completely, and we can plant the pots!)

i went back to campus after lunch to work just a little more in the garden, because i had asked the district yard-maintenance crew to not cut the randomly growing vine and tomato plant out by the compost bin.  i also asked them to weed-eat the grass on the mound of dirt that had been delivered to us, which has slowly become a temporary hill- and if we don't get it moved next week, it might become permanent! so...i had to weed the bed that needs the additional dirt, so that we could fill 'er up!

this was a task! even with the correct tool-brutal monster weeds...texas-sized weeds

 so i went over to check, and they did a great job of leaving my mystery vine!

i am not certain if it's actually melon or if it's spaghetti squash...either way, it's a treat!!

and the tomatoes! this one wasn't one that i actually planted this year...it magically appeared-but it's bearing fruit!!

where's waldo tomatoes!!

OH, THERE they are! they look like roma tomatoes, but the crazy thing is-last year there were no roma tomatoes in any of our beds...

so back on up. we worked the first part of the day, and then we had a staff luncheon at saltgrass-they always do us right! we had a great group of staff show up-there were a few who were unable to make it. steak and shrimp all the way! good conversation-in larger groups, i'm a listener, unless i'm spoken to (which works really well for me). 

we received a fun gift of appreciation-candy (we are a school that eats) and a starbucks card (we do drink coffee, as well!) everything about my meal was perfect! (i'm pretty easy to please). i believe that i have mentioned that our principal has been promoted to a position that is most fitting: she is now an executive director, which allows her to do what she does so well-mentor principals! so today was our official goodbye. we worked hard this week to get a memory book together for her, which included a small note of memory or well-wishes as she moves into her new position. people leave, memories remain.

in all of the transition, one thing that i did not do well today was recognize those who are leaving. we have a few who are retiring and a few who are moving to new schools. dee, natalie, sandra, penny, sheila, robin, cecelia, cathern, marilyn, mrs. markham-thank you for your commitment and dedication to kids! for your early morning tutoring, after school tutoring, willingness to try new things, mentoring new teachers and being an integral part of team CABELL! you will be missed and as i said before, people leave, memories remain. thank you!

 we had a great little retirement party for those of our teachers who were retiring; unfortunately i had to leave early for a chiropractor appointment, but it was beautiful, and i'm glad we got the opportunity to honor them. i didn't think it would be that hard to stand up and say my piece, but when i actually made eye-contact with these ladies, i got choked up! penny-my mentor and 2nd grade teammate, sheila-my morning (and all-day) inspiration, and robin-my science-buddy and 4th grade confidant, all dear friends-family. i didn't really expect the thank you cards and i was certainly surprised by the sweet gift from robin-so appropriate-but even more touching were the words in the card-words carry a lot of weight.

love it! it's on my bulletin board!

 and to top it off, not only was there an adorable plaque, but camo gloves, to boot!

how fun is that?!

a couple of weeks ago, i didn't get a chance to share, but i was able to organize our shed in the garden-and it looks amazing! you can actually access things! go me! the whole purpose was to make it easier for teachers who are volunteering this summer to be able to grab what they need easily and put it back in an organized manner! (all of those teachers who have signed up to volunteer in the garden- a little weeding, watering, and lots of produce!! ...all ONE of them). currently wendy is the only one who has signed up, but i have had others say they plan to come...i'll be here all week folks! so yes. hopefully we can prevent the garden from becoming a jungle, and looking like spain after the tomato fights. (i can't handle all that produce dying on the vine!)

threw my shoulder out patting myself on the back for this one.

 and lastly, while driving the other day, i noticed 2 things. first of all, as i was driving north on midway, stopped at the 635 and midway, i noticed that there are 2 brachiosaurus guarding 635! (in case there are those of you wondering, please note the difference between the brachiosarus and the apatosaurus here. ). and in case you were wondering, i just spell-checked brachiosaurus, and it gave me brontosaurus, which is actually NOT a dinosaur- in case you are chasing about dinosaurs at your next get together...fred Flintstone probably slid down the neck of an apatosaurus...just to be clear.

no worries, they are herbivores!

noticing #2: i looked down at my mantlepiece dashboardpiece, and noticed that my pig apparently had a procedure done without my knowing it.

do you see that? on his throat?!

he said it was a voluntary procedure-why, pig? why? WHO voluntarily gets a tracheotomy? silly pig. maybe it'll be in the sequel to IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PARTY. but still. why?

let's call it a night...and a short weekend-
julie

more rainbows and butterflies and hummingbirds and a little peruvian shaming

if you are a regular, you know that i need white noise or ocean to sleep soundly. i forgot my noise-machine, and the a/c would kick on and off, so finally i found an am frequency on the radio that was static--white noise...yes, i did. (don't knock it, i slept well). i needed to sleep well so that i could take advantage of day 2 of #teamsfest!

i walked into the meeting room for breakfast, and there was a list on the screen of the different tables having very specific, targeted conversations for  people to join in. well, i looked around and saw spaces at table 9, and so it seemed to beckon to me-i was not disappointed. our conversation had NOTHING to do with the topics listed...we were the unofficial life-discussions table. everything from survival prep, developing land, childhood memories...funny, fun, real...just good 'ol get-to-know-you conversation.

once breakfast was finished and sessions were beginning, andrea and i did the divide-and-conquer, by attending separate sessions. the first session that i went to was about being a better facilitator and working on figuring out how to really get people to go deeper in conversation and responses within our learning plans-this will be crucial for growth as we move into using these teams for our plc-pd set-up. paul and liz did a great job presenting and sharing information, then had us use the inquiry of practice with a colleague-the format really is valuable in helping to flesh out ideas and bring possible opportunities to light. one that we will be borrowing at home!

during this session i was paired with kristen-who, i learned, is a science coaching consultant/research. i thoroughly enjoyed conversation with her because she is very thoughtful, logical and articulate, which is why it was a bit of a relief to find that she was in the next session with me as well. the second session was a strategy session, and kicking it up a notch, WHAT'S NEXT, if you will. this session was led by erika nielson andrew, and it was stellar. it was really just a facilitated group effort to share out ideas of what has worked for each of us to implement teams, and then move into a conversation about fostering deeper learning within teams. the practice of writing if/then statements was good for me, because it helped to clarify by seeing it in that format and to really think about the cause/effect relationship that we need to think about as we plan for our goals. kristen and i ended up having another really good discussion about importance of video choice and how to train teachers to really choose good, coachable video-what is good material that we can really use to challenge ourselves and push us to the next level, as opposed to showing clips that really don't allow for critique. it's not about showing our best side, it's about knowing that we are coming to the table vulnerable, yet safe, in order to get better. kristen, thank you for pushing my thinking, and providing more opportunities for growth!

after that session, i did become the proud owner of a cotton candy-maker sticker badge! it was completely unexpected, because it was given for doing what comes naturally-helping move tables, getting materials together and disseminated for late-comers, creating and nurturing community, etc. so back to the stickers-while it was encouraging to receive them, it was even more fulfilling to give them and be on the alert for the good things that people were doing! i was able to give out almost all of them-again, what a GREAT idea! 

giving compliments freely does not diminish the amazingness of you...in fact, truth be told, people who give compliments freely (and i mean sincere compliments that are specific) are the people who make us feel the best about ourselves-and who doesn't want to be around that? BE THAT PERSON!! don't be greedy with compliments, as it does not take-away from the greatness of who you are!

so...i got back to lunch a little later than normal because our conversation spilled over a little into that time. no worries...my body was getting plenty of nourishment. lunch was fabulous, and the cake afterward..seriously. andrea and i were able to use the next hour and a half working together and looking at 'what next.' during that time, paul came over and joined us and again posed questions and thoughts to push our thinking. good conversation, and we were able to get a plan started. we are much closer to a plan for strategic roll-out, as we pushed it out so quickly and have been more in the proto-typing phase with select teachers up to this point. it will be imperative that when we do share the vision campus-wide, that we are able to do it in such a way the minimizes any confusion or anxiety about getting started. we are excited about it! (i think i can say we). i know i am!

the closing ceremony was a sharing circle. huge props to everyone at tch-from logistics, planning, presenting, supporting, everyone had a role to play, and they all did it with rainbows and sunshine. thank you, teaching channel!

the rest of the afternoon was very relaxed. i went back to my room and got my book to enjoy somewhere outside, and proceeded toward the gift shop to purchase a diet coke. i was utterly disappointed to see the shop was closed, so i stood in line at the front counter for a few minutes. while i was waiting, a manager approached me and asked if i was checking in. when i told him i was merely going to ask where i might purchase a diet coke, he offered to go fetch one for me. what great customer service-and completely unexpected! so he took off, and when he came back, he said, "i hope diet pepsi is ok" my first thought was to a post i had shared on FB; i think he saw the crestfallen look on my face, and he said, "i know it's not the same..." so i just smiled graciously and thanked him because 1. he'd gone out of his way to help (above and beyond is what i put on the comment card), and 2. it was free (don't look a gift horse in the mouth...). so i took my diet pepsi and my book and found a spot to sit and look out on the marina-it was a wonderful way to reboot-i need more of this. nature is my reset mechanism! 

beauty-truly thankful for nature!!

after a bit, i headed back to the room to prepare for the evening-we had decided to go grab some grub and see the area. when i text andrea, she was plenty ready, so we went down to ask at the front desk where might be a good place to spend a couple of hours and get a feel for the area. we had been thinking san fran, but he said there really wasn't enough time to enjoy all that-the amount of time to get there and back-not worth it. no worries! so he directed us to durant and telegraph. and andrea set up her uber app and we patiently waited for tito. tito made a good first impression for uber (our first time), in fact, he was so impressed with himself, that he gave himself 5 out of 5 stars as he showed us how to work the app. we spent some time walking down the main drag and there was a little bit of everything! 

corn-kernel things....

salsa-stuff for hotties

we walked for about 10-15 minutes until hunger got the best of us. we were nearing the end of the 'strip' when we found a little alcove with a few restaurants. there was an ethiopian, swiss fondue and peruvian. we ended up on peruvian, although it would've been nice to try all three! there was a little introductory bowl of overcooked corn kernels (similar to corn-nuts, only they don't break your teeth), and a teeny-tiny doll-bowl of green salsa with an equally minute spoon...this should be an indicator. inferring people might infer that either A. this bowl is served in anticipation of little people babies coming to dine, or B. one should partake cautiously, in amounts proportional to this itty bitty spoon, because this particular sauce has been imported from the devil himself, straight from the gates of hell. 

we had sides of platano and yucca, because you cannot go central or south american cuisine without...it would be a mockery. the main dish of milanesa chicken-delicious. my mistake was not telling the lady up front that it was separate checks. i mean..she TOTALLY gave me the stink-eye when i asked if i could get a receipt...she pretty much shamed me-she needs to read the book DARING GREATLY-particularly the chapter that we read-chapter 6. anyhoo, the way she said it, led me to believe that no, she was not going to make a receipt for me, so i just did my best thin-lipped slow-nod that slowly turns into a slow head-shake of disbelief with the eyes closed slightly longer than a blink, and back to a nod, and said, "great. no worries. that's ok." i'm that disgruntled customer that will not put up a fight-i'll just stew over it and walk out-i may or may not tell people about the experience afterward...i had already paid cash and left a hefty tip before this episode, so i was rather surprised when we walked out and she was hurriedly writing up another receipt for me-i had just mentally accepted the fact that this was a meal that i was not going to get reimbursed for, and was fine with it. i did feel a little silly about being so upset over her response- it was just a meal. this is where i need to remember what taylor-from momentous told us-8 seconds for an emotion to roll over...unless you dwell on it. the more you dwell on it the more it will eat you up!

we continued on our journey up the street and we were graced with the sighting of a hummingbird-who was gracious enough to stick around and wait for me to get a good pic! 

it's not every day i get to see a hummingbird! i had to read an article about them, and they are amazing!

we stopped in specially for andrea to get something for her hubby-he's a bicycle mechanic and works at a specialty store, so she knew he would appreciate this! and it made me think of one of my cyclist friends-jackie!

we passed several quaint little shops, tattoo parlors-we TOTALLY could have gotten TCH tats. but we didn't and andrea wasn't up for making memories by getting a free piercing. we stopped at a walgreens-no magazines, a bakery that had nothing that appealed to me enough to fill the tiny amount of space that was left for dessert..somehow dried beef buns and such didn't fit the bill..neither did the cookie house. i mean, it was going to have to be something special. fortunately the final stop-the yogurt place where we were originally dropped off had what my palate was craving-SALTED CARAMEL CORN yogurt! and andrea was taken with the SNICKERDOODLE. the girl behind the counter asked if i wanted toppings...  BLASPHEMER! or as gollum famously said: YOU RUINS IT! great way to end the evening!

 the 2nd uber ride was even better than the first-we were greeted by a friendly gentleman who has been in the berkeley area since '89 (i believe he said) now that we were seasoned uber travelers, the ride back was quite pleasant. we returned to the hotel around 9 (like my awesome tch table 9..keep the theme going!). plenty of time to pack up for the trip home saturday. we were so fortunate to be connected with another texas group who had rented a car, and we were going to ride to the airport with them the next morning, as we were on the same flight! 

i may or may not have stood in my bathroom before going to bed and turned the hairdryer on high-using it as a space heater directed at my body...i knew i couldn't stay in the bathroom all night, and it wasn't wise to run the hairdryer without supervision under the covers...even if i could plug it into the lamp electrical socket, so i finally gave in and turned the heat up-yes, i turned on the heater to get the temp up to 75....as i said yesterday, i can't handle the cold....6:45 flight would come early, so i got straight to bed-once again, with the am-radio-white-noise static! 

julie

in the words of a wise woman, sandy (cough,cough): TCH is rainbows and butterflies...but for REAL! and i wouldn't have it any other way!

4:30 am came early on thursday (as i'm certain it does on any day, only this day i had to be the one to experience it). THAT SAID, i made it to the airport-only to miss the turn to get into the BEST parking lot, and it was impossible to turn around and get back there in a timely fashion, so i just parked in the airport long term and hiked it to the terminal. fortunately love field is not a large airport, so the hike wasn't like through the sahara, around the pyramids, traversing the nile...just an elevator and loooooong hallway-walkway.

the first leg of the flight was meh. nothing to shout about (besides, shouting anything ridiculous on an airplane tends to throw people into fits of nervousness and get you thrown off the plane).

the second leg of the flight was great-it just started out well, because the flight crew was all smiles and super friendly. from the safety talk during which the flight attendant so vigorously opened the safety instructions that she tore it in half and began laughing, to the complete happiness factor that they exuded, it was obvious that they thoroughly enjoyed their work! and nothing is more refreshing than being around people who enjoy their work-it is contagious! i left a note of appreciation, but more importantly, after the flight, i went to the company website to leave a compliment for the crew.

thank you smilers and laughers of southwest-you are invigorating! i wish i could drink a pound of your coffee to help peru!

we took a taxi from oakland to berkeley...$56-talk about highway robbery-literally! thank you, susan for picking up the tab- our rooms weren't ready, so we just checked into the teaching channel registration; this was our second #teamsfest, and it was great to see so many familiar faces! being creatures of habit, at first it was a little unnerving being sat at a table apart from my peeps-strategic planning. but as always, they know best, and it was really good for me to get to know this group of individuals. they had a lot to offer! i was assigned to table 9 (back-o-the-bus)...and i knew no one. so there was some small talk amidst the act of trying to stay warm. let me back up. the convention was at the doubletree marina in berkeley, ca.

i was expecting the weather to be a bit warmer during the day. but it was nothing like dfw (i don't know if that is good or bad...the verdict is still out). while i am thankful that the humidity wasn't an issue, it was almost frigid on day one-upper 50's, lower 60's with a slight breeze (i swear it felt like -23` F- dramatic enough?)...it's ok, i'll own up to the fact that i've become a warmth snob..i have difficulties with cold weather (and to think i used to de-ice planes in sub-zero temps- it's almost shameful!). and what did they offer for drinks? ice tea and ice water. BUT NO COFFEE! i asked the waiter about it, but he said coffee would be served with dessert, later. i wanted to cry. by this time, sandy had joined us-she works with the teaching channel (tch); i was thrilled-someone i related to! (not someone i am related to...but someone who i could laugh with and say stupid things like, "i need to get coffee, otherwise it's going to be a little awkward for people seeing me with my hands in my crotch trying to keep warm," and not be judged). i think that prompted her to suggest we go purchase some coffee because she wanted to save me the embarrassment... i'm glad we were able to find the shop with coffee because i didn't bring my hot-hands hand warmers. sandy was so gracious and offered to buy andrea's and my coffee-which while it may seem a little thing, she didn't really even know us, nor was she obligated in any way to do so. her spirit of generosity exemplifies the spirit of tch.

the view-worth the chill! if you look closely, you can see the skyline behind the boats.

we took 'family pics' with our texas peeps-4 different groups of us! and then we were begged and coerced into playing yard darts (lawn darts?)  for prizes...um we were terrible. in fact the gal in charge (lindsey? lauren? she wasn't a table 9 regular, so i didn't catch her name-sigh) but yeah, she had to keep changing the rules for us so that someone could get a prize...in fact, she ended up just having to GIVE us the prize bag. we are lawn-dart losers...don't shame us. WE DID THAT ON OUR OWN!! HA!

i mean...at least we tried..right? that's gotta count for something!

once pics were done, we were herded into the building to follow-the-leader to the conference meeting area. umm...it was a maze. it felt almost like i was in the movie labyrinth, and david bowie, hoggle, sir didymus and ludo were going to jump out at a moments notice! we made it safely to the conference room, where erika neilson andrew immediately led us into the kick-off! she is such a cruise director! (and ring master).

we kicked it off with a quick pecha kucha-which is exactly what it sounds like. ok, seriously, it's an intro to all of the teams present, and what they are working on. we also viewed my favorite lone-nut video from ted talks-LOVE it! and we also viewed the video of austin's butterfly-another fave! so at this point, i was batting 2 for 2! great way to start the conference! this was followed by a wonderful excerpt from DARING GREATLY, which i believe i will need to purchase, because i was really taken with what we read. i would highly recommend it to anyone in any type of leadership position-education, business, parenting...anything! very powerful and informative.

this session ended with some brief introductory comments, and we were graced with a special greeting from Pat Wasley, CEO (with a vision-)of TCH. one of the things she said was: Group leadership-helping each other to achieve success is going to get us further and allow for greater wins than "one-man" leaders. i paraphrased, but this is what i love so much about these teamfests-it is such a variety of education-oriented people, from different levels and walks, from different regions, with different viewpoints, and everyone brings something to the table-with a desire to help everyone else get better and develop and think through. it's like an education/pd think tank.

before i get too far, i would be remiss if i failed to mention one of my favorite parts of the whole event! the STICKER BADGES!!! what a great idea!!! totally bringing that back to my campus!! so, the sticker badges were designated for different strengths. there were table tents, posters and a sheet in our folder to give us the definitions and meanings for each sticker. the whole idea is just to be stinkin' encouraging and looking for other peoples' strengths and giving away these sticker compliments freely! which let's face it, we do NOT do enough of in our culture...but once again, this is totally TCH culture...rainbows and butterflies, as sandy so aptly described it! this is something i truly appreciate about tch-they are some of the "nicest people around," as andrea put it. they "GET" teachers and education, and their desire to partner with different groups in different capacities in order to ultimately impact students is simply unparalleled. 

warm fuzzies...rainbows and butterflies

there was a brief break, then we broke out into curtain openers-which allowed participants to see the practice of different teams and what the problems were to address. andrea, susan and i were part of this session. we were able to share our learning plan and how we were trying to put together a video pd-cycle for our campus next year. the best thing about it was the process. as we shared and talked about it in the presentation, we were able to process even more-it brought deeper problems to the surface and we were able to self identify potential issues! so we began doing some of our own critical thinking while our peers looked through our plans, then we were able to take in their feedback-positive and growth opportunities and questions to ponder-this really helped us as we move into the process of refining (continual)...but seriously, this was so helpful to us! thought partners are the best kind! so after this session, i received a couple of stickers for allowing people to peek in on our practice, and also for being a promoter of teams and learning deeply...i feel that we have a lot deeper to go-which i will get into with part 2...but this ended our sessions for day one...off to check in and get ready for dinner!

we piled onto a bus at 6pm and headed over to jack london square; i believe the restaurant was bocanova- a swanky little joint on the waterfront. delectable! i am pretty sure i ate more than i should've. i tried everything except the salad, because...well, let's be real, why waste space on salad when there are so many other delicacies?! LOVED the flat iron steak, platano with shredded beef, and even the scallops, which is a first (i've never had a scallop i liked until that evening...well played, oakland, well played). as for locating the restrooms...i suggest gps..i think the same architect that designed the hotel we were staying at designed this place...come on california, keep it simple...putting a row of closets down the hallway that leads to the bathroom just makes me want to check behind each door to see if it's a stall...i did highly recommend taking bread crumbs with to those who ventured out to the bathroom after me. fortunately everyone made it back safe and sound. 

i'll take a crate of these to go, please!

i was disappointed with myself for not going out to the karaoke party that night back at the hotel, but we were running on empty from such an early morning!i got over the disappointment (remember, all of this happened on  thursday). i slept like a rock. no shame! 

the fun didn't end there! tune in for day 2 tomorrow!

julie

instruments for subluxations, blood-pressure kit and a hanger for the car keys

well, i did it. i went to the chiropractor, and they took x-rays and used some equipment designed by NASA to detect heat spots in my spine-which indicate possible subluxations (pinched or irritated nerves). this particular day, i walked into the office, and there was no one there, except bradley-who, looks kinda' like big boy only with orange-ish hair. i hate to say it, but he kinda' drove me nuts.

main entrance-it's a fairly new practice

  when we were in the room where they pulled out the NASA equipment, it seemed like he was really trying to sell a used car. i said something that made him think of a joke, only it was from a stand-up comedian act, and when he tried to set it up and explain that part, then told the joke prefaced by "it was something like..." i should have known i would have to break out the fake smile and fake laugh. when he started to talk to me like a kid, i was really annoyed. he actually tried a CLOZE sentence with me, where he said something and trailed off at the end, leaning in to let me know i was supposed to fill in the blank. pretty sure he said: "so, if you know that it isn't helping, it's..._______" so i gave him my annoyed look and answered with my 'are you really doing this right now' voice: HARMING?. conversation didn't get better the longer he went on. finally the doctor came in to do the x-rays and she was normal.

what i noticed was that the appliques on the walls were slightly off centered or just 'not-quite straight' enough that a discerning eye would notice. not that i'm judging...but yes, i am kinda' judging. before i left, i was given the appointment card for the follow-up visit:

it's CRUCIAL to bring a spouse or a loved one! (not one of the three of us that showed up had a spouse or loved one with us...)

then i went back in to hear the recommendations and all goes along with that. it took a good 60-90 minutes. there were 3 other new patients, so the doc gave her introduction and like a powerpoint presentation of what chiropractic is, and how she got involved-her story, if you will. and then each person went back for the individual consultation. well...my x-rays showed what my body feels like, so i wasn't totally surprised.

i'd hoped that the back surgery a couple years back would've taken care of everything, but unfortunately during the past school year, my back has been getting progressively worse. 

all sorts of interesting stuff going on in there! anyhoo, she said i was a good candidate and thought they would really be able to help (of course, i am certain they say this to everyone). BUT at this point, i just need my body to agree with me. i think part of the reason i don't get out and do things i really enjoy is because my body has been working against me, and i've just resigned myself to that for too long. i have a pretty high threshold for pain, but it'd gotten to the point where bending over to put on socks or pick something up off the ground hurt- i'm too young for that-

i need to get back to doing the things i love again.

so i started to think about all of the things could have contributed to all of this...

• falling from the top of the tornado slide-kindergarten
• makeshift high jump in our backyard in teguc and i totally over-jumped the mat and landed flat on my back-wind knocked out of me. 
• various roller-blading spills
• 1 major car crash and 2 minor accidents (which messed up the cars)
• falling jumping from an 8 foot retaining wall on a rainy night and falling (first acl tear)
• missing my footing on a jump in a cave and falling on back from about 8-10 ft
• airlines-lifting, stacking heavy suitcases and trunks because no one can travel with bags lighter than the 50 lb limit...apparently
• being independent- getting a futon up to the 3rd floor alone, moving a love-seat down from the 3rd floor-and across the parking lot, rearranging/completely moving everything in the apt two times in two weeks when they did the floors...alone

i'm pretty sure there are other things i am missing, but that's probably a pretty good start. so i will be seeing the chiropractor regularly- it takes 20 minutes to get there, on a good day, and only 5 minutes for them to do their part...so yes, 40 minutes of travel for a 5 minute adjustment. worth it-the drive is relaxing for me.

so, they did the first adjustment the same day. the alternate doc was there, and he did the adjustment. he went in to ask dr. bri where the 'instrument' was. i'm sure this instrument has a name, but they just call it the instrument-i wonder if it just has a weird name, or they cannot pronounce it. i suppose if i were an inventor and could patent a device, i would call it something like the flickinbickenmcklickenspicken device...then people would always refer to it as 'THE DEVICE,' as well. 

so yeah, i did just look it up, and it's called the  impulse adjusting instrument ...anyhoo-hopefully the whole sock and tying the shoe thing gets better with the next few visits! 

new subject-bruno had his acl surgery! poor buddy...his leg looks like frankenstein's monster. he's doing pretty well. the good thing is that he is not a jumpy energetic one, so he's pretty good about lying down and resting, although there have been a couple of times that i've caught him contemplating a jump and stopped him. constant supervision. boys! so if i can't keep an eye on him, i have to cage him up. chaco may be a little jealous. "why can't i have a surgery?" "why can't i wear a cone?" i thought about going out and buying one for him so he doesn't feel so left out. not really, because that would be odd behavior...

tuesday is the final reveal for our secret pals at school-good times. it's been fun-i love doing stuff like this. there is something fun about giving. (only not when it's like giving taxes, or giving money to bruno's doctors)... 

and i decided to try the more minimalistic approach with dressing during the week for school. my own uniform, if you will. going with khaki/tan pants and black shirt. easy. so on monday, i found some pants that i really like the fit of at dress barn. unfortunately they only had one pair and they couldn't order online. so she checked some other stores in the metroplex and found a store with 2 pair, so they ordered them to be delivered. i then got in my car and went to walmart because the target had closed down and i wasn't aware. 

after pulling in, i got out of my car and was walking away and remembered i needed something from the trunk. so i reached for my keys to open the trunk...they weren't there. nope, once again-story of my life-locked them in my car! WHAT IN THE WORLD??! so of course, i had to stay with my car while i waited for the man to come and break into my car. it took him 45 minutes to get there and all of 1 minute and 42 seconds (approx) to unlock my door. boo. so i watched carefully and i think if i got myself a blood pressure kit, i could do the same thing. pump that sucker up, give myself the space to get a hanger in there and pop the lock! no problem-i could TOTALLY do it! they don't call me mcgeyver for nothing.

right there. there they are. just on the other side of that glass. just sittin there. STUPID KEYS!!!!

so i did use my time well-i took loose carts to the corral, and offered to take carts from people who were nearby to pass the time. when i wasn't being useful, i was leaning against the car trying to look cool. new trend-hanging out by your car at walmart-it's "IN." just ask the cool kids. so there was that. i got home much later than i had planned that night. double-boo. 

and i said i was going to try the whole liquid-water color paints- i decided to go with neutral shades...yes i do need to adjust the pics with a level. i was too lazy. like the peeps at the chiropractor office (only i don't have to unpeel these from the wall).

from my favorite song on the GARDEN STATE soundtrack

i made it through field day yesterday. i cannot believe i didn't get any pics! it was brutal. we did hockey shots in the gym. the pre-k kids had never held a stick, so it was a great little motor-skills event for them. i had on my fake smile and enthusiasm all day long... and that was exhausting!! BUT the kids had a blast, and that's what really matters! 

this thursday, it's off to berkeley, ca for our little teamsfest, teaching channel escapade! it should be really good for us- lots of valuable information and ideas for next steps and how to be really successful implementing this more personalized pd next year in a way that really benefits all of our staff. THAT is what i am looking forward to.

alright, enjoy your memorial day weekend, take time to honor those who have served and given their lives for our freedom-heroes.

julie