Merry Christmas!

It's snowing on Christmas Day in Seattle!?

The Zep is back

Wow - 30 years since they last gave a concert, and they sound amazing. I wonder how long these videos will stay on youtube. If they go on tour, I sure would like to be there.

Good Times, Bad Times


News Report


Kashmir


Stairway

Date with Orion

It was finally clear and cold last night. I spent almost two hours on the deck with my telescope. It was the first very clear night this winter. Orion was high in the South, Gemini to the East, and Perseus to the West. It took me awhile to reorient myself to the positions of the winter constellations. Castor, in Gemini was easy to split. I saw a few meteors streak out of the Gemini area - the beginnings of the Geminid Shower? Mars was a prominent sight in Gemini. It is growing bigger each evening as Earth's and Mars's orbits become closer. Near the end of the month, Mars will be the biggest of the year. I was not able to discern any surface features on Mars - It was very bright and I think I need a filter. I spotted several wonderful clusters, including the Beehive (M44), and two in Auriga (M36, M37). Orion presented the Orion Nebula and several multiple star systems. After a fair amount of time, and very cold fingers, I noticed that stars were getting tougher to discern. It began to get hazy and overcast, and it was finally time to head inside. I was hoping to watch the Shuttle launch this morning, but it has been postponed until January 2nd because of sensor problems.


The Orion Nebula - I was able to make out the main structures, not in spectacular color though.

Sump This!

Wet snow and heavy rains have resulted in a major drainage problem at our house. We awoke to several bad signs:

1. A bad smell coming from the bathroom (PS: It wasn't me!)
2. A "waterfall" sound under our bedroom.
3. Inches of water covering the septic tank.
4. Water pouring under our fence from the property behind us.
5. When I checked, a flooded crawl space.

I went to work, wrote quick sub plans, and came home. I dug trenches, but to no avail. I had bought a sump pump on the way home at ACE - talk about a frenzied place! They were out of hose though. One of our neighbors, Leonard, came over and gave me some old hose. With that and other odds and ends, I pieced a drain system together. The pump is working away, but really not keeping up very well. It will work until the power goes out.

Our septic is completely inundated, I guess we just have to wait for it to drain.

Today I also made an important discovery - the limitations of Gore-Tex. I was soaked.

Seattle Half-Marathon

Unofficial Time: 1:59:20

I ran my first 1/2 marathon Sunday with Chad and Melia. IT was a very cold morning, and I agonized right until start time about what to wear. Luckily it wasn't raining, and it turned out to be a beautiful day. The starting area was packed as close to 10,000 people began the 13.1 mile course. My goal was a finish time of 1:45 , which would put me at 8 minute miles. Unfortunately, the crowd was so dense and we started so far back, that I spent the first 3 miles just trying to find an open space to get moving in. Some of the hills were tough, but not to bad. The couse went through Leschi and and some other beautiful neighborhoods along Lake Washington. One cool part was running through the I-90 tunnel. I ran hard the whole race, trying to make up for the first 2 miles, which were 11 minutes apiece. As I neared Memorial Stadium, I realized that I would just barely make it under 2 hours. I pushed it really hard, and crossed the finish line at 1:59:20, according to my watch. Not so bad for my first half-marathon. Maybe I'll be back next year!

Frustrating Discrepancy

I've been using a Nike+ system to help me keep tack of my running. It is a little sensor that is on my shoe, and a receiver on my ipod. The sensor senses each stride taken, and sends the data to the ipod. Nike has a pretty great web site where I have all my run data logged. Today I went for a long run. I was planning on 10 miles, but when I got close to home, the Nike+ system said that I still had two to go. I was feeling pretty good, so I went for another 2 miles. I got home and compared the Nike+ data to the route I actually ran. A big difference. Nike+ says 10.25, Mapmyrun.com says 12.02. I'm not sure which is correct. My pace for 12.02 miles would've been 7:30/mile. I don't think that is right - too fast. So - I ran somewhere between 10 and 12 miles. Sometimes technology is great, sometimes not so much.

John Cornish

John Cornish is a local geologist/paleontologist who gives an inspiring presentation to the 6th graders at outdoor ed. each year. His message is that you can find treasures all around you - just look down. I got in touch with John recently because we are teaching a new science unit on rocks and minerals. he put together a great sample collection for my class, and I drove up to Port Angeles this morning to pick it up. John invited to me have a look at his personal collection too. He has a true passion for his hobby and livelihood that is impossible to miss. He has samples on loan to the Burke Museum, the Smithsonian, and the Carnegie Collection in New York. He and his wife have discovered several new species of prehistoric whale and crab, and have one named after them. He gets out into the field and gets his hands dirty to find natural treasure, and best of all, loves sharing his passion with others.

Nice Box

Today at Target we found a great looking box for sale - Perfect size, color, everything! As far as boxes go, this one is the best. We decided that even though it was a little pricey, it would certainly be appreciated by our cat, Mr. Sophie. Your welcome Mr. Sophie, I hope you have a more restful sleep.

Tube of Rot

As part of my ongoing Masters in Education, K-8 Science Instruction program, I am now taking a course on ecology. As part of the course I need to study decomposition. This "Tube of Rot" will be with me for weeks. Inside these cut apart pop bottles are pieces of tomato, banana, lettuce, spinach, potato, oatmeal, pumpkin (from the jack-o-lantern featured previously), soil, and a starter mixture of bacteria. Yum! This may make a nice centerpiece around Thanksgiving (just kidding honey!).

Happy Halloween!

Comet Sighting

So, unexpectedly a comet got really bright over the last day or so. It is the talk of the astronomy web sites, and I had to check it out. There was a lucky break in the rain and clouds tonight, so I headed outside. Sure enough, there was an "extra" star in Perseus. I aimed and got a great view. It wasn't a typical comet with a tail. It has a solid white middle with a haze all around it - like a pulled apart cotton ball. It is between Mars and Jupiter - so quite far! It is incredible that something so small can be bright enough to be seen over millions of miles. It has increased in brightness almost 1 million times in the past 24 hours according to some web sites.



It can be seen with the naked eye very easily - if the clouds give you a break!

Telescope success

So far, in just three nights of viewing, I've been able to get the hang of my new scope. I've been able to spot:

- Jupiter's moons, and cloud bands on the surface of Jupiter.
- Several star clusters
- The Dumbbell Nebula
- The Ring Nebula
- The "Coathanger" Cluster
- Andromeda Galaxy
- Several pairs of binary stars

I've given up trying to use astronomical coordinates to find objects, and taken the advice of many - I "star hop" from a well know, easily found star, to other, more difficult to find locations. It is still very difficult, but getting easier. Finding the faint Ring Nebula tonight is the highlight so far. It was nothing like the thrilling Hubble images everyone is so familiar with. Most objects are just gray smudges in a certain shape. The Ring Nebula was definitely a ring shape though.

Dirt Work

My parents' backyard is undergoing a remodel - it has been going on for awhile, but a major step was completed this weekend. My dad used a rototiller to churn up the soil on Saturday. It is clay and very rocky. I went over on Sunday and helped level and smooth the dirt in prep for a new lawn that will be sown soon. As a kid, I dug many holes in the backyard just for the pure joy of digging. The soil was always very hard. I was surprised at how easy the job of leveling was - I guess the rototiller really helped. As we were clearing an area up by the shed, we found a cement slab. When I was 12, my dad built us a treehouse - this slab was at the foot of the stairs. Dad cleaned it up, and handprints, along with the date, 6/89, were very clear. Dad is going to leave it in the ground and include it as part of a new walkway. Pretty cool!

Looking Up

In 1986 I did a school project on Halley's Comet. I had a start chart that my dad and I used when we were camping to identify the constellations. The tragedy of Space Shuttle Challenger is one of my clearest memories from elementary school because we were watching the launch live. The stars and space have always held a fascination for me. Hubble telescope images are incredible, but nothing is like seeing faint objects with your own eye. This summer my wife and I went to a "Star Party" while visiting some friends in Oregon. It was the first time I've been able to put my eye to a telescope and really see things in space. That was all I needed. I now own an Orion 130 mm Newtonian reflector. It arrived and I spent a fair amount of time assembling it. The same night I took it outside and was able to see Jupiter and its four largest moons. After a lot of fiddling around, I was finally able to find the Andromeda galaxy too! I still have a lot to learn and many late nights ahead, but it is very exciting! I'm looking forward to this winter when Mars will approach very close, maybe I'll be able to see the ice caps! Orion will also begin to climb higher up into the sky, and I'll be able to see the gigantic nebulas.

A great photo

There are many spectacular photos of the lunar eclipse on the web. Here is one that shows about what it was really like. In real life it was much darker - some details on the top were very difficult to see.

Total Lunar Eclipse

I got up at 2:45 - my hands were asleep, and I couldn't manage to get them to turn the alarm off, so Steph got woken up too. Put on some warm clothes and went outside... WOW! The moon was almost totally eclipsed by the Earth. I watched through binoculars as the remaining sliver slid away. 30 minutes more and it was completely in shadow. The north area seemed much darker than the south. As the moon slid away, I tried to take some pictures through the binos - see the results below. When it reached totality, it was way too dim to take any more photos. It seemed that someone had taken the brown from a set of school watercolors and painted the moon. At one point as I was looking, a meteor streaked through right across the moon. Cool! Spectacular, a little disconcerting, and certainly something to remember this morning!

Lunar Eclipise Tonight

Tonight at 3:37 AM, check out the total lunar eclipse. Here on the west coast we will have a terrific view. It will not be visible to much of the rest of the world besides Hawaii and the Pacific. I usually miss these, and am going to try and catch it. Maybe I can even snatch a photo.

Club Level Seating

Lately I've helped my friend Tyler do some remodel work in his kitchen. He got ahold of some AWESOME tickets for last Saturday night's preseason game against the Vikings. The seats were at the club level and had a tremendous view. Along with the seats we were granted access to the club level facilities. Qwest Field is beautiful - maybe one the best places to watch football. The noise was deafening, and the energy electric - all for a preseason game! I can't wait till the real season starts!

Northwest Passage 07

Several weeks ago our team, the "Sole Mates", ran the Northwest Passage Relay from Blaine to Langley. A total of 189 miles. The total length was divided up among the twelve members, and we each had to run three separate legs. My legs totaled just under 18 miles. I ran the hardest I've ever run in a race, and set some personal bests on two of my legs. The entire experience was simply incredible. My final leg began at 4:45 am and was 7.8 miles long. During the run I ran near the shore of Puget Sound. The Sun was just rising, and it was so inspiring. My dad drove one of the Suburbans, and it was a wonderful time with him. He drove like a pro, and helped our team accomplish our goal! Thanks Dad!

Chad and I put together a video of the run, cliché music and all. Enjoy!

In Albany

We drove down to Albany, Oregon to spend a few days with our friends Joy and Jack. We had a wonderful time with them. It is always a chance for the guys to do "guy stuff", and the girls to do, well, "girl stuff". Jack and I went to a driving range on Saturday. I am terrible at golf and thought that maybe they'd ask me to leave because I hit about 1/3 of my bucket out of bounds due to a terrible (or really great?) slice. Later that day we met the ladies, who had been shopping, in Portland for The Bite of Oregon. The next day Jack and I went to "The Bourne Ultimatum", while the girls watched a sappy movie. We really enjoyed our spy flick, and I think it was a fitting conclusion to the movie trilogy. Later that evening we drove up to a "star party". Local amateur astronomers had gathered to watch the Perseid meteor shower. Many had brought their telescopes. I wasn't shy about asking to look through, and saw some amazing sights. It is one thing to see a photo of something like the Ring Nebula, but to see it with my own eye was an experience all its own. I was fortunate to see the Hercules Cluster, Swan Nebula, the Wild Duck Cluster, and several entire galaxies! At one point I was looking at two galaxies in the same field, and a meteor went streaking through! We also saw lots of satellites, and the biggest of all, the International Space Station went zooming overhead before anyone could get a telescope on it. We had a great weekend, and some memorable experiences with some dear friends.

Kitchen Continues

After wrangling the sink into place last week, our kitchen is functional once again. I still need to do some electrical work, and then the wall cabinets can be installed. We really love the new layout and have already found that it is easier to use. Today we bought some flooring material to be installed last. Hopefully, it will all be finished by August.

Work Continues

Today will be the final day of work before Rick heads back to Billings. In the past few days the carport roof has been essentially completed, the kitchen completely torn out, new base cabinets installed, and MDF subsurface cut. Today the solid surface countertop will be all glued together and installed. It is a long and time consuming job, but the counters are beautiful, and will be wonderful in our new kitchen.

Carport Rehab Continued

After tearing the old roof back all the way to the old eves, there was a lot of work still to be done. Part of the original house roof was replaced. Then a new header was installed. This all took most of a whole day to day. Yesterday, we figured out how to notch the beams with a bird's mouth at the end to increase the pitch of the roof. Once the beams were up, the perlins were cut and put up one by one. This took quite a\awhile because they had to be nailed on from the end. Today, we will put the metal roof on, instal flashing, and replace shingles that had to be removed.

Carport Rehab

Stephanie's dad got into town from Billings last night. This morning we got right to work dismantling the carport roof. It was leaking and poorly built. We took it apart all the way back to the original eves. Lots of muscle and mess, but it was done at the end of the day. Tomorrow we shop for materials and begin the rebuild.



Great...the hired help

Kitchen Remodel, Day 2

On Sunday, I had some help when my friend John and my dad came over to help a bit. I've never built a wall before, and just didn't know where to start. We ended up tearing more of the existing wall out. The new wall was mostly framed and put into place. I needed to run electricity in the wall for a switch and outlet, and that took a fair amount of time Monday. Today, I will run the wire for the dishwasher and put up the drywall.

Kitchen Remodel Begins

After an 11 mile run with some members of our relay team, the kitchen renovation process finally began. We are moving a wall, installing new cabinets, countertop, and floor. A wall was removed today, and a new wall will be built tomorrow. Stephanie's dad is coming out from Billings to help out with the base cabinet installation and countertop. We have a pile of cabinets in our dining room right now, but the cat is taking good care of them.

89 Toyota

It keeps on running! During a routine oil change this weekend, I noticed oil on the top of the engine. Not a good sign. After consulting with the helpful guy at Shucks, I bought a valve gasket kit, and got to work. I'm not too handy with automotive repairs, and started with a fair amount of trepidation. Would my car ever run again? After several hours, everything was back together and I turned the key. The trusty old Toyota rumbled (well, maybe that is too strong) to life. It still runs, and now I know how to remove the valve cover and replace seals. An overall easy job!

Bloomsday 07

Bloomsday in Spokane has been a goal since I ran in high school. This year, with the support of my wonderful wife, I was able to compete in a field of over 40,000 others! It was truly a remarkable experience. At the starting line, crowds stretch back for over 6 blocks! When I finally started, the rush and camaraderie of the moment was almost overwhelming. The first few miles were easy, and my pace picked up speed as the crowd thinned out. During the race "Doomsday Hill" kept creeping into my mind. I'd seen photos of the 0.7 mile hill and knew it would be tough. As I crossed the Spokane river and began my ascent, my goal was to run the entire length. I just put my head down, pumped my arms, and did it. I passed the "vulture" and many other runners (read, walkers) going up. When I reached the top there was a cheering crowd and an unbelievable feeling of accomplishment. The final two miles were cake, and the final turn and run to the finish was exhilarating. I finished in 1:04:59. My goal was to be under 1:15, and I did that easily with energy left over. I walked with my crowd to get the coveted finisher's T-Shirt. I'll be back next year, and be under 60 minutes. Next on the running agenda - Sound to Narrows - another 12K, but more hilly.

Cushman Trail 5k

Today I ran a 5K race in Gig Harbor. It followed the Cushman Trail, along Highway 16. This was the first race I've ran since high school, twelve years ago. I forgot how different it was running with a big group! Overall, I am very pleased with the experience and the times I achieved. I finished in just over 24 minutes, with my fastest mile being 7:47. Several others from our "Sole Mates" group also participated. This summer, 12 of us are going to run the first "Northwest Passage" relay, from Blaine to Langley.

About a month...

It has been about a month since I've posted anything. Since the end of March, we've had spring break, been really busy at school with the WASL and meetings, and have made plans for some household renovations this spring/summer. I've been regularly running in preparation for some upcoming races. This morning, I ran in my first race since high school - 12 year ago. Read about that in a separate, upcoming post.

12.7 Miles

This morning I ran 12.7 miles with my friend Chad. It is the farthest distance I have ever run. We took it pretty easy, averaging a little under 10 minutes per mile. This was a major accomplishment for me - not only physically, but mentally. I've been able to set a goal to run consistently, and I've pretty much done that. I've had a few off days, but more on than off. When I began several months ago, even 1 mile seemed daunting. I've begun to think of miles as something I can just eat up now. A few months ago 12 miles would've seemed truly impossible. Now, I know I can do it.

OPI 2007

I returned today from a week at outdoor education with 98 sixth graders from Sidney Glen. I am tired and ready to fall into bed, but it was one of the best experiences of my teaching career.

The highlights of the week were so numerous for me. The moments of reflection, laughter, pride in my students, working with my incredible colleagues will stay with me forever. One of the most valuable aspects of the week is the chance to build relationship with students whom I do not usually have contact with. The context of the relationship is different from that in the classroom.

Some forever memories are:

Walking along the shore of Lake Crescent shortly after dawn, realizing the potential of the educational experiences that would be conducted along the shore that day.

Quickly walking through old growth forest on my way to do an errand, and stopping, realizing I was standing amongst trees that were hundreds of years old. I slowed my walk and continued in awe of my surroundings.

Helping one student through the week, and realizing that this might have been his best experience in his entire life.

Listening to the laughter and giggling coming from the girls' cabins WAY past lights out!

Running along Highway 101 at 4:45 AM with Chad. Logging rigs rumbling along side us, snow creating tunnel vision in our headlamps, and returning to camp just as the sun began to grey the sky.

A Northern Harrier gliding slowly past us at Dungeness Spit.

Reconnecting with a friend from high school, who is now an educator at Olympic Park Institute.

Realizing that I have begun to create an expectation of outdoor education, when a parent chaperone said, "I'm going again in three years when my other daughter goes."

Singing the Banana Slug song with all of the students.

OPI

Check out the camp blog at http://sgopi.blogspot.com/

That Darn Cat (but we love him!)

Mr. Sophie, our lovable cat, has had a rough few days. He developed a urinary blockage last week, and had a reoccurrence this morning. Our vet is wonderful and has worked hard to solve his problem. Unfortunately, Mr. Sophie isn't the best patient. His file has a large, orange CAUTION sticker on it. He has a major case of "stranger danger".

Animal health problems are so difficult to deal with. The question of "when is enough enough?" always comes up. As I paid for his care today, I felt fortunate to be able to provide good care for my pet, but also some guilt over spending that much on our pet. There are so many humans who don't have their basic needs met, each day.

We love our little cat so much, and are hoping for some improvements in the next few days.

Encouragement and Support

During school conferences in October, a parent offered to support my classroom financially. He insisted, and told me that he expected to hear back from me. I wasn't sure how to react, and it took me several months to assemble a wish list of classroom equipment. No parent has ever offered financial support before. Last week I sent a letter and the wish list home with his daughter. The items ranged from $10.00 to $250.00. Shortly, I received an email. It was the most encouraging feedback I've ever received from a parent. In addition to the complements, he donated money to purchase a large number of the items on the wish list. With his help, I'll now have several expensive pieces of equipment that will allow me to expand the science and math learning opportunities in my classroom.

The supplies and equipment will be amazing, but the support and encouragement voiced in the email, and proven by the funds means so much more. So often, the result of my teaching and interactions with students is largely unknown. I hope that I've built a positive relationship, helped instill a love of learning, and built their confidence. The rewards of teaching are always so intangible, but this simple and generous act by one parent let me know I'm doing things right. Instead of a parent saying, "Why aren't you..." This parent said, "Let me help you..." Wow, thank you.

Poundin' the Pavement

In high school, running was part of my life in the form of cross-country and track. It is now over 10 years later, and I am starting up again. Motivation is a problem for me, I just haven't been able to make it a habit - but now I am on the way. Two things have helped: A friend's invitation to run a team relay this summer, and the Nike+ kit for my ipod. Accountability from a friend and fellow runner is very powerful. There is nothing like the question, "So, how did your run go?" The Nike+ kit is also very cool. It has allowed me to set a goal, and track my progress, plus it is a pretty hip techie gadget. Lance Armstrong HIMSELF congratulates me on my effort! It is worth every penny of the $30 price tag. I don't have a lot of endurance and speed yet, but I will get there.

Hit & Miss

While over at my brother Nick's house today, I got a chance to feed my nephew. He is almost 6 months old now, and just about one of the cutest babies around. He really liked eating the mushed up pears the best. Together, we managed to get most of it into his mouth, and the rest was in the general vicinity. At one point I had to sort of get some out of a nostril.

Learning NXT

Since I received the Lego NXT set from a small grant, I've been trying to become more proficient with the engineering and programming required. It has been challenging, and as a result, i haven't utilized it in my classroom the way I've envisioned yet. Just building something strong enough is difficult enough. Over the past week, I've been able to build somewhat original robots. The first has tread like a tank and uses the ultrasonic and light sensors. The programming for this was fairly simple, and it was able to turn in a 360° due to the treads being used. The second robot was inspired by one I saw on an NXT blog I read. It is an "inchworm" type design. I beefed it up a bit by using two motors. It took some tweaking of the design and program, but I was able to make it start with a clap, and stop with a clap. It is pretty cool watching it inch its way across the floor.

A Good Dog

I just finished reading A Good Dog, by Jon Katz. I love dog stores, and have read many from James Herriot to Farley Mowat, but this was truly a story about the deep and unique relationship that dogs and humans enjoy. Katz adopts a troubled border collie named Devon, whose name is eventually changed to Orson. Orson is has his fair share of problems in life, and so does Katz. They form a unique relationship, each helping the other to reveal and accept their own place in this world. Katz doesn't anthropomorphize dogs as many authors do, he sees them as the animals they are. I believe that many dog-owner problems result from treating dogs like humans. Dogs are dogs, and we've shared a special relationship with them for millennia, but it is a folly to begin to treat them like little people. Katz made some tough decisions about Orson whose problems got out of control. People have judged Katz harshly for his decisions and actions. He utilized a holistic vet, a shaman, and an animal communicator to help Orson, but finally, the decisions were his own, shaped by his unique relationship with a dog and his understanding of ethical pet ownership. It was a funny, heartwarming, and tragic story that spoke to me personally about the special relationship that I have with our dog Toby.

A crazy few days

The past four days have been a bit wild for Stephanie and I. Both her sister and my mom had to go to the hospital for emergency surgical procedures. Thankfully, both are doing fine now, but the recovery will be a long one for my mom. We both ended up missing a day of work this week due to the emergencies. I took Wednesday off to be with my mom and help out my dad. I brought their two dogs back to Port Orchard with me, just ahead of the snow storm. I listened to the radio as the storm swept in from the north and snarled traffic in the whole area. It began to snow in earnest as I got to Port Orchard, and was sticking when I pulled into the driveway. I just beat it. This district couldn't seem to make a timely decision, but finally cancelled school at 8:40 on Thursday. Friday was also cancelled. Together with the half-day we missed before Christmas, we will definitely be going to school into another week in June. Darn it. With the day that I took off, I'll have a six day break from my class. What was going to be a very productive full week in class was demoliished. The three dogs, Toby, Emily, and Holly are having a good time, and settling into a routine at our house. They love the snow and race around like maniacs.

The Arrival of the SMARTboard

Today the SMARTboard that I was awarded through a grant arrived at school. I've been waiting for the past three days, and was getting anxious. The boxes were huge, but I quickly had them unpacked and the equipment assembled. Students were able to use it right away, and everyone got a chance to draw on it using "digital ink". We were even able to use it for a math lesson today! The students and thrilled to have a new toy, and I am excited to have an incredible tool that will help enhance my teaching - plus, it's fun!