Preheat to 120 degrees and bake for two years

Oklahoma City National Memorial walking tour

2010-08-19T23:03:00.002-07:00

After visiting the memorial I thought I would share this walking tour posted by the memorial staff... The videos only give you an idea of what it looks like, but do not do it justice. I have visited many different memorials in many cities in the USA and abroad, but the 2 hours I spent here were one of the most emotionally profound experiences of my life. If you are ever in OKC you really need to visit this memorial. I know it is very sad but is a worthwhile experience.

Part 1:

Part 2:

You know you are from Ohio If...

2010-08-02T03:54:00.004-07:00

Since I will be driving back to my home state for the first time in 26 months I thought this list might prove interesting... How may of these apply to me???

1. You've never met any celebrities. (not in Ohio)
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway. (True)
3. "Vacation" means driving through Hocking Hills or going to King's Island. (How About Cedar Point?)
4. You've seen all the biggest bands ten years after they were popular. (Manhattan Transfer is always Popular!)
5. You measure distance in minutes. (Findlay is 20 minutes south of Bowling Green!)
6. Down south to you means Kentucky. (YES)
7. You know several people who have hit a deer. (YES)
8. Your school classes were canceled because of cold. (YES)
9. Your school classes were canceled because of heat. (no...)
10. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day. (YES)
11. You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better." (Will it help my Prius?)
12. You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July. (YES, Corn... what idiot wouldn't know that?)
13. Stores don't have bags; they have sacks. (YES)
14. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year. (YES)
15. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example:"Where's my coat at?" or "If you go to the mall I wanna go with." (YES)
16. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, or grain. (Does the Cookie festival in McComb count as a vegetable?)
17. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked. (YES, my parents)
18. You carry jumper cables in your car. (No)
19. You know what "cow tipping" or "Possum Kicking" is. (YES... don't ask me how how or when because i'm not allowed to say)
20. You only own 3 spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup. (There are other spices???)
21. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit. (I did this several times as a kid)
22. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent. (I don't think, I know it)
23. The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires 6 pages for sports. (Findlay Courier anyone?)
24. You think that deer season is a national holiday. (It isn't? It is a valid excuse to miss school!)
25. You know which leaves make good toilet paper. (Maple)
26. You find -20 degrees F "a little chilly". (True)
27. You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction. (Construction is also known as 'orange barrel season')
28. You know what a real buckeye is, and have a recipe for candy ones. (YES)
29. You can spell words like Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas. (YES)
30. You know that Serpent Mound was not made by snakes. (YES)
31. You don't think of Florida first when someone mentions Miami. (YES)
32. You snicker when someone's from Tiffin, because you think of the State Hospital. (YES)
33. You think Pro football teams are supposed to wear orange! (Dont they all?)
34. You've heard of 3.2% beer. (only from parents stories)
35. Schools close for the state basketball tournament. (YES... sadly)
36. You're proud of your state fair, but would rather go to Cedar Point. (DEFINITELY)
37. You live less than 30 miles from some college or university. (BGSU, University of Findlay, University of Tiffin)
38. You root for a college team though you've never taken a class there. (YES)
39. You actually get these jokes and forward them to all your Ohio friends. (YES)
40. Isn't it sad? You just said "yup" and "uh-huh" to most of these!!! (YUP!)

a few more

41.You've ever seen hail, rain, snow, and sleet all in the same day (YUP!)
42. You have seen the Touchdown Jesus on I-75 (YUP!)
43. You know that Drew Carey is basically our mascot (YUP!)
44.I know I'm from Ohio, because I hate the Steelers, and Art Modell is my worst enemy. (Umm..?)
45.I know that I live in a great state with 3 of the best amusement parks, and they're all owned by the same company. (Only two now... we miss you Geauga Lake!)
46.The phrase "Lake effect" strikes terror in your heart. (YUP!)
47.The phrase Muck Fichigan means anything to you. (YUP!)
48.One of your favorite parts of the holiday season is to eat candy that resembles a poisonous nut. (YUP!)
49.You drive down the interstate and want to hit vehicles with blue license plates. (YUP!) (YUP!) (YUP!)
50.You know why Ohio is so high on the bad drivers list. Hint hint. ^ ( Michigan) (YUP!)
51.You can identify roadkill after a semi truck has run over it. (YUP!)
52.You hate the fact that Ohio is becoming famous because of a stupid Jesus statue down by Cincy. (It burned down by an act of God)
53.You know all the words to Margaritaville and have atttended a Jimmy Buffett concert in Cincy and claim him as a citizen even though Jimmy Buffett has no ties with Ohio what so ever. (Eww... Nope!)
54.You know Carmen Electras' real name is Tara Leigh Patrick. (YUP!)
55.You can name at least 3 famous music groups and at least 5 famous people from Ohio. (YUP!)
56.It's summer, you have an earthquake, a tornado, and snow all in one week. (Mabye)
57.If you have ever celebrated "Sweetest Day." Apparently Ohio is the only state to celebrate it! (Other states don't have sweetest day a.k.a. 'sell off the leftover Valentine's day junk at 40% off day'?)

Epic fireworks display

2010-07-26T02:30:00.003-07:00

Earlier this year Dubai celebrated the opening of the Atlantis resort at Palm Jumeriah in typical Dubai fashion, by shattering a few world records. In this case, for the largest fireworks display ever in human history. Over 1 million fireworks were launched in just 8 minutes... ten times the amount used in the entire 3 hour opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. The display was reportedly visible from space, and based on the video below, I can believe it... Fireworks were launched from the entire 27-mile length of the palm island. The 'grand finale' of this display is beyond words. The finale was reported to be the loudest non-nuclear manmade explosive noise ever... but the crowd seemed to have enjoyed it. Watch and enjoy:

Abu Dhabi 2030

2010-07-24T15:03:00.001-07:00

So the city of Abu Dhabi is expected to go from 1 million people today to 3 million in the next 20 years. Fortunately they have a plan to grow sensibly and sustainably. And in the UAE they find a way to make the most visionary plans and designs become a reality. Check out this cool video to see the future of Abu Dhabi!

Watch out Lady Gaga...

2010-07-24T09:31:00.002-07:00

because there is a new music diva in town... Lady Pasta!

Check out the latest episode of Annoying Orange on YouTube below... it is hilarious!

What can you do if you had a couple hundred Dyson Air Multiplier Fans

2010-07-18T21:30:00.003-07:00

If you had $20,000 to spend on the new Dyson Air Multiplier Fans, what could you do? Well it seems that the good folks at the Dyson factory have access to these fun and very cool fans (go figure) and decided to try to answer this question using one simple balloon and a lot of electricity.... Check out the cool video below:

Arizona Monsoon Season

2010-07-18T04:52:00.003-07:00

So it is monsoon season here in the Valley of the Sun... The only real question is when will most of us see our first moonsoon rains of the year? Scottsdale got a brief downpour on thursday but thus far in the season that is all that has happened. The Arizona Republic posted an awesome photo collection of their best monsson photos of the last few years. click HERE to view their photos. You can also click on about.com's article on the Monsoon in Phoenix to learn more about this unique weather phenomenon.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Apples

2010-07-18T03:49:00.002-07:00

The latest episode of Annoying Orange has arrived! It has been viewed over 600,000 times in less than 2 days. This one brings back some fond childhood memories for me and my generation...

Top of the world...

2010-07-17T13:49:00.003-07:00

So here is an awesome view from the top of the spire of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest manmade structure ever built. The building has 160 habitable floors and the spire rises an additional 46 stories. This video is at a height of 818 meters or 2,717 feet high. This is the equivalent of the 206th floor. I don't think I could do this... This building is taller than both towers of the former World Trade Center in New York stacked on top of each other, including the 300 foot antenna that was on top of tower one... This building is huge.... So watch the video and try not to get dizzy!

Sun, fun (and heat) for the 4th...

2010-07-02T21:06:00.006-07:00

We're Heating up for the 4th of July here in the Valley of the Sun... This was the Fox 10 weather report from today... I love how it was 99 in Douglas down on the border and they [Weatherman Dave Munsey] use blue for 99 degrees because Blue=Cold and Red=Warm/Hot... So anything below 100 is in Blue... go figure... Gotta love AZ!

Happy Orange of July (I mean 4th of July...)

2010-07-02T19:11:00.002-07:00

So recently I have discovered this short web series called The Annoying Orange (click the link to go to their YouTube channel)... in each 1-2 minute episode this talking orange annoys every fruit and every thing around him... Somehow these are both funny and somewhat creepy at the same time... well anyhow, here is their new July 4th episode...

Best show in Arizona!

2010-07-01T14:50:00.006-07:00

So Im hoping to get a glimpse of the local fireworks celebrations on the 4th... and the best show of all around here is at the Tempe Town Lake... From the Tempe Town Lake 4th of July festival 2008 as aired on CBS 5:

And a short 9 minutes documentary on how and why Tempe Lake and the surrounding park were created:

And a little bit about the 10th anniversary of the lake:

My Great Grandmother?

2010-05-15T15:08:00.005-07:00

So I have been using ancestry.com this week to look into my Genealogical History. Here is my great-grandmother, Catherine Hollinger who was born in 1879 and passed away in 1962. This photo was linked to her geneological record. How cool is this?

Thus far I have been able to trace my ancestry to two ancestors on the VanAtta side of my family who lived in the Netherlands, one born in 1396 and the other born in 1400!

Fox 10 at Horizon Elementary!

2010-05-05T16:58:00.005-07:00

So this morning the FOX 10 helicopter came to our school for "Whirlybird Wednesdays" at featured our school and students on several segments of the Fox & Friends morning show... there are two clips posted here that are each about 2 1/2 minutes in length... At the end our students got to get up close to the helicopter (which was their favorite part!)

Chase field

2010-04-14T17:10:00.008-07:00

Taking in an Arizona Diamondbacks game at Chase Field is more than just watching a baseball game. The stadium is almost as big an attraction as the on-field product. Built in 1998, Chase Field has been the home for the Diamondbacks since their inception.

Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the ballpark is easily accessible by two freeways that connect Phoenix to the surrounding suburbs. Located just a block from US Airways Center where the Phoenix Suns play basketball, Chase Field shares many of the parking structures in the surrounding area.

Besides driving, you can take the new Phoenix light rail train which has a stop directly adjacent to Chase Field to get downtown.

The stadium has been designed to have an old ballpark field with a brick facade and exposed steel. One of the first things you notice is the large retractable roof that opens in just over four minutes. On days when outside temperatures are below 95 degrees they will play with the roof open. During the hot desert summer the roof is closed during the game and the stadium is air conditioned to a comfortable 78 degrees.

With a seating capacity of 49,075 the park looks massive from the inside. The seats have all been angled towards home plate making it quite comfortable to watch a game without having to rotate and sit on the side of your seat to see the game action.

Chase Field has several unique features besides the retractable roof. There are large mosaic panels above the outfield that can be opened to provide more air flow and give the fans a view of downtown Phoenix and the surrounding mountains.

The playing surface is natural grass and the park is relatively symmetrical. Beyond the right field wall in center is a swimming pool that can be rented on a per game basis (for about $6,000 a game!) When Diamondbacks players hit a home run fountains shoot off spraying water into the pool area.

Above center, Chase Field is the home to the largest scoreboard in baseball with a high definition screen measuring 144 feet wide by 55 feet high. During the game the scoreboard shows crowd images and messages that are amazingly clear and life-like. (from stadium journey)

Chase field with the roof retracted:

A view of Chase Field with the roof closed and the large 'shutters' also closed...

Riding the light rail to Chase Field is the easiest way to get downtown... This is the light rail and Valley Metro transit hub at 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road by the Christown Spectrum Mall...

Inside Chase Field this was the view from my seat... it was still light outside at this point in the evening:

Zooming in on home plate and the pitcher's mound:

The "windows" on the side of the stadium open to let more breeze in and provide a great view of Downtown Phoenix and the Mountains... The roof was fully retracted that night as it was a perfect 78 degrees outside! You can also see the High Definition jumbo screen in center field... it is the largest screen in an MLB stadium at 144 feet wide and 55 feet high... its REALLY big...

The screen up close with the announcement of the attendance... 21,316 fans there, or about 45% of capacity... Chase Field can comfortably seat nearly 49,000 Diamondbacks fans:

The D-backs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 and the had the obligatory handshake at the end of the 9th inning:

After the game and the fireworks they dim the stadium lights and light up the interior using the jumbotron as a giant nightlight:

Heavenly Bed (sort of)

2010-03-20T19:39:00.004-07:00

So its time for my annual bedding upgrade... I have always wanted to have the Westin Heavenly Bed at home, but could never afford it. Thanks to Macy's I have been able to reproduce the heavenly bed for less than 20% of the cost! The Charter Club Damask Stripe 500 Thread Count bedding set is great and I saved big $$$ with 55% off this week through a combination of discount offers (I saved more than I spent!)

The white-on-white satin and matte striping adds a nice effect and the fact that the entire set is iron free and wrinkle resistant straight out of the dryer is just an added bonus. It is incredibly soft bedding and it is like sleeping in a cloud. Now I will have to avoid eating those cheddar biscuits in bed though... that will be tough!

A Carefree Drive

2010-03-20T16:37:00.006-07:00

So last weekend I decided to go for a drive up to Lake Pleasant Regional Park (one of the Maricopa County parks) since I had not been there before. To get there you go about 4 miles north of the Loop 101 off of I-17 and take AZ-74, better known as the Carefree Highway west about 10 miles to the mountainous desert-lands of the northwest valley (Part of the cities of Phoenix and Peoria)

Unfortunately when I got to the park I found out the county charges $6 per car to enter... Being the cheapskate that I am, I said forget that and drove off to enjoy my afternoon drive around the far north valley...

Thanks to a recently completed widening project on I-17 north of the Loop 101, there are now so many brand new lanes to choose from during light traffic on a Saturday afternoon! (And yet this is still jammed up to a near standstill during rush hour... How???)

It's the details that matter... Like the mountain borders along the top of the overpass and the native-american inspired turtle on the side. ADOT spends a lot of time adding little details like these to their freeway projects.

They do mean 25MPH! (okay... maybe 35 mph...) It is a sharp u-turn offramp to go westbound on the Carefree Highway

Fresh air, blue skies, and stunning desert vistas along the Carefree Highway in North Phoenix and Peoria:

Hmm... Shouldn't there be a big alien ship playing music somewhere around here?

Like stealing fire from the gods...

2010-03-20T16:24:00.006-07:00

So for most of my life, I have been obsessed with those incredible cheddar biscuits that they serve with every meal at Red Lobster. They are known as "Cheddar Bay biscuits." Well thanks to the 21st century wonder known as the internet, I have located the recipe for these delectable morsels of cheddar-y goodness. Even an incompetent cook such as myself was able to make these perfect biscuits on my first attempt, so ANYONE outght to be able to make them at home also!

Here is how to make them:

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix

¾ cup cold whole milk

4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

And to brush on top:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix. (I had to add an extra 1/4 cup of milk)

3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. (I just melted more butter and then dipped the biscuits upside down in the bowl then sprinkled parsley on them in the absence of a brush) Makes one dozen biscuits.

ABC News's Good Morning America explains: Order an entrée from America's largest seafood restaurant chain and you get a basket of some of the planet's tastiest garlic cheese biscuits served up on the side. For many years this recipe has been the most-searched-for clone recipe on the Internet, according to Red Lobster. As a result, several versions are floating around, including one that was at one time printed right in the box of a baking mix.

The problem with making biscuits using a baking mix is that if you follow the directions from the box you don't end up with a very fluffy or flakey finished product, since most of the fat in the recipe comes from the shortening that's included in the mix.

On its own, room temperature shortening does a poor job creating the light, airy texture you want from good biscuits, and it contributes little in the way of flavor. So, we'll invite some cold butter along on the trip-with grated cheddar cheese and a little garlic powder. Now you'll be well on your way to delicious Cheddar Bay. Wherever that is.

Recipe courtesy of Todd Wilbur, "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2," Plume Books.

and the Original Link

And the Finished Product:

Hey! Where did that 12th biscuit go???

Double-layer rainbow

2010-03-07T16:02:00.005-07:00

There was a brief respite between rainstorms his afternoon and I just happened to glance out the bedroom window when I spotted this incredible double-layer rainbow off towards the east. I grabbed the camera and snapped a few quick pics before the rain started up again...

Double Rainbow:

Up close:

And then it rained for another 10 minutes and a new, even more vibrant "half-rainbow" appeared...

How to make a Mega Monsoon

2010-03-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

This is a 12 News short documentary about the mega-2008 monsoon storm of August 28th... About 2 minutes in length

South Mountain preserve

2010-03-06T17:47:00.010-07:00

So now that I am finally getting over my 3-week adventure with the flu and had a few good meals yesterday evening, I wanted to get out and enjoy some fresh air. I have not yet been to Phoenix's South Mountain Park so I decided to go for a drive to explore this afternoon. It is considered the largest urban park in the United States and boasts an impressive 51 miles of primary trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. Today over 3 million visitors a year enjoy the beautiful desert foliage and breathtaking views t this park.

As always, I had my dependable camera with me and took some pictures of my trip... enjoy!

A beautiful day in Downtown Phoenix as seen from I-10 just north of the downtown core:

Looking south towards South Mountain from I-10:

Travelling south on Central Avenue towards South Mountain:

The South Mountain neighborhood in Phoenix...

Approaching the enterance to South Mountain Park and the end of Phoenix's Central Avenue

Park directional signage:

The summit of the mountain (with dozens of communications towers at the top)

Self-explanatory:

The TV and Radio towers atop the peak of South Mountain:

Downtown Phoenix from South Mountain:

The far southeast valley neighborhoods just south of South Mountain

Close-up of the TV, radio, and cellular towers atop the mountain:

The TV towers as seen from Dobbins lookout point (and my car too...)

At Dobbins Point overlooking the north side of South Mountain towards the Valley:

Downtown Phoenix from Dobbins lookout (The roof on Chase Field (MLB Arizona Diamondbacks)is open on the center right)

Camelback Mountain and Sky Harbor Airport (you can see the control tower in the middle)

The east valley including Phoenix and Tempe near the airport:

The University of Phoenix Stadium (NFL's Arizona Cardinals) and Jobing.com Arena (NHL Phoenix Coyotes) at the Westgate City Center in Glendale in the West Valley as seen from Dobbins Point. My house is about 2 miles south of the big white-roofed stadium (somewhere in the far left of this picture, can you see it?)

February Hail & Rainbows

2010-02-28T18:13:00.006-07:00

So around 6PM today a sudden downpour and hailstorm happened for about 15 minutes... This was on top of the 0.7" of rain we have already received this weekend..

Rain and hail as viewed from the guest room upstairs:

Hail in the front yard...

More hailstones on the patio furniture... the wind has blown the pillows everywhere yesterday

The hail hitting one of the windows above the guest bed in the guest bedroom:

The rainbow at the end of the storm:

New Class Pets

2010-02-24T17:57:00.004-07:00

Thanks to PetSmart's "Critters in the Classroom" program, I received a free small animal habitat, food, bedding, snacks, and chew toys. I also got 2 small animals with a $20 rebate... My students researched hamster and gerbils and then the class voted. Tonight I got 2 gerbils (females) for our class... The don't have names yet but they are enjoying their new habitat...

The House:

The grey gerbil:

The tan gerbil:

Prescott, AZ

2010-02-19T15:25:00.003-07:00

This is just classic:

Epic Fail!!!

2010-02-12T23:25:00.007-07:00

So the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics was on NBC tonight... and the ceremony was fantastic... until the most important moment of all: the Lighting of the cauldron... What was supposed to happen was that four giant ice-like sticks would rise out of the floor of the stadium and surround a fifth middle column. Then the four final torch-bearers including former Phoenix coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky and Phoenix Suns NBA player Steve Nash would light the four outside "icicles". The flame would travel up to the top and all five sticks would ignite.

What ended up happening is that nothing came out of the floor for four or five minutes as they tried to get one of the icicles to rise. They eventually gave up and only three of the four outer icicles appeared while the torch bearers stood around aghast and one of the people supposed to light the cauldron never even got the chance. What a horrendous disappointment to be that fourth person with nothing to light...

Here is the 80% complete indoor cauldron that eventually appeared and was lighted:

And here was the priceless look on "The Great One's" face as he stood around minute after minute with torch in hand waiting for a cauldron to appear:

As I said... Epic Fail!

For comparison, here is the video of the 2000 Olympic cauldron in Sydney that got stuck on its journey to the top of the stadium, but eventually worked successfully....

Now we can finally have breakfast!

2010-02-09T16:17:00.006-07:00

So I finally finished painting the breakfast nook, put up curtains, and got a picture shelf for my kitchen pictures that have been sitting on the floor for the last 12 months...

U is for Umbrella, we use it when it showers, ducks don't need them and neither do flowers...

2010-02-09T16:10:00.004-07:00

So a few weeks ago the Valley of the Sun became the Valley of Clouds and rain for three days. We set the all time 24-hour rainfall record and had some the the worst winter storms Arizona has ever seen. Lots of rain in Phoenix and over 50" of snow up in the high country north of here...

A rare sight here... an actual rainbow!

Rainfall totals over 3 days around the Valley:

The weather service here is very accurate... apparently they can predict a flood down to the minute...

Puppies

2010-02-09T15:59:00.006-07:00

So over Christmas vacation I watched a colleague's two dogs while they travelled back east for the holidays. Daisy is a Puggle and honey is a Miniature Pinscher. They both had a lot of fun sleeping and eating and pooping during the holidays!

Daisy & Honey standing in the archway to the kitchen & living room looking for their next meal:

Daisy asks "Who me?"

Daisy and Honey sleeping in the chair (after I piled the pillows up on it so they could not get up on it... clearly this plan failed)

Daisy sleeping on the couch:

Daisy is taking a nap (as usual...)

Honey having her prison photo taken:

We didn't do it!

Daisy & Snowy sharing a rare moment together in the chair:

A little extra Christmas cheer

2009-12-12T18:00:00.002-07:00

So I went to IKEA saturday and found this red wreath there for $19.99. I think it looks just right on my front door:

Out for a drive

2009-12-12T17:45:00.002-07:00

On the way back from a Saturday drive to IKEA I snapped a few random pictures of the sights of the Valley...

In the middle of a traffic jam on I-10 by Sky Harbor Airport I snapped a picture of a Southwest airlines jet coming in for a landing overhead:

And another jet coming in on the other runway as traffic cleared:

A beautiful view of the mountains north of downtown from the HOV lane flyover bridge on AZ route 51:

The "mini-stack" where I-10, AZ Loop 202, and AZ route 51 all come together:

The "north stack" where I-17 and the Loop 101 come together is tangled maze of flyover bridges going in every direction:

A rare rainy day...

2009-12-12T17:33:00.002-07:00

Last monday the sun disappeared for a day and we got our first significant rainfall in over 5 months...

Hmm... where to go?

Heading south on the loop 101, the Estrella Mountains are blanketed by rain-clouds:

The peak of the Estrella Mountains is up in the clouds just south of my home as seen from the Loop 101:

And even the Hedgepeth Foothills by my old apartment were hiding in the cloudy-mist:

Home tour

2009-12-02T20:04:00.003-07:00

So here is a video tour of the house... enjoy!

Ghetto-zona

2009-12-02T18:58:00.005-07:00

How to move a television in Arizona:

Christmas home tour

2009-12-02T17:12:00.007-07:00

Ok, so here's a quick preview of my home Christmased up for the holidays... enjoy!

And of course my favorite ornament on the tree, the Hallmark 1998 USS Enterprise-E light-up ornament

"Is it a harmful cheeseburger...?"

2009-10-02T19:50:00.001-07:00

This made my day on friday after a stressful day at school... press play to listen...

Woman Calls Cops on Burger King sound bite Funny sound bites

More stupidity in Findlay

2009-09-20T13:27:00.003-07:00

So these were actual events, word-for-word, from the official public record published in my hometown newspaper The Findlay Courier. These were for the week of Sept 14-19 2009.

Police Department

A Findlay High School student, 16, was cited on West Foulke Avenue for wearing a Taco Bell window promotional sign as a cape. He had taken the sign from the store Tuesday. Umm... What more can I possibly add to this...?

Two high school students were involved in a Tuesday altercation in the 700 block of West Trenton Avenue.

Domestic disputes broke out Tuesday at homes on Breckenridge Road and Delaware Avenue.

Two males tussled Tuesday in the 500 block of Liberty Street over a property line disagreement. Oh no... not "tussling"!!!

An ornament was removed from the side of Early American House, 820 Broad Ave., on Wednesday.

A container of marijuana was confiscated from a Findlay High School student, 17, who was subsequently suspended Monday. Dude, where's my pot???

An intoxicated person was cited for aggravated disorderly conduct in the roadway of the 600 block of Putnam Street on Monday.

A Selby Street woman was arrested for domestic violence after striking her husband Tuesday. Crazy woman....

A Glessner Avenue woman was arrested Sunday for domestic violence after punching her boyfriend. Another crazy woman....

An East Pine Avenue girl was taken to a juvenile detention center on a domestic violence allegation, after biting a family member Sunday. And crazy girl....

Frozen meat and a bicycle were stolen from a garage at 1034 Fishlock Ave. This was noted Sunday. Hey man, look, free meat... and a bike too!

A Mercury was ransacked Tuesday outside 2712 Hollybrook Drive. I hate it when someone ransacks a car!

Sheriff's Office

A rural Forest woman said Monday she had received a suspicious letter, indicating she had won a $2 million prize. She should send in the $1000 to Kenya to claim her prize!

Aluminum was stolen Monday from a front yard at 23469 Hancock County 17, Forest.

Authorities investigated a report Sept. 1 that a substitute teacher at Arlington Schools had hit a student on the top of his head with a pen. No injury was noted. I can sympathize with this one...

A Friday fracas was reported at 820 W. Bigelow Ave. Oh no, not another "fracas"!

An inebriated Benton Ridge resident was walking in the middle of Main Street in the village Friday. New #1 area of job growth in the state of Ohio is "Village Idiot"

AND MY FAVORITE OF THE WEEK:

A disgruntled rural Van Buren man tried to remove auto speakers while in the bed of his mother's pickup Sunday. The mother reportedly then drove the truck "erratically" in the vicinity of Meadowlark Park in Fostoria and made a sharp turn, tossing the discontented son from the truck. He was treated at Blanchard Valley Hospital for a head injury and "road rash."

Is it November yet?

2009-09-19T23:40:00.008-07:00

So the new Star Trek movie comes out on Blu-Ray at the beginning of November... I pre-ordered it on Amazon.com in August and I just cannot wait to see it in High-Definition on the big tv with the surround sound on full blast... now if November would just hurry up and get here... In the meantime random clips of the movie on YouTube will have to do ::sigh:: But just look at how awesome this movie is...

Here is a short scene of the Enterprise about to go to warp... with a minor technical difficulties and a bit of humor the captures the fun of the original Star Trek series and characters:

And here is a three minute FOX All-Access preview of the movie:

What do cats like to watch?

2009-09-19T22:47:00.005-07:00

Answer: PBS.

So on Saturday night I was watching a documentary on PBS HD about the bears in Yellowstone park and when I looked down around the ottoman I saw Snowy watching the bears too. Fortunately, my camera was sitting on the ottoman so I quickly took a few pictures of her watching TV:

New TV!

2009-09-19T22:36:00.004-07:00

So after getting my performance pay for the super awesome AIMS test scores of my students last year, I used part of my bonus to upgrade my downstairs TV from a much too small for the room 32'' HDTV to a just-perfectly sized 46" Samsung LED High-Definition TV. This new TV has an incredibly sharp picture but is only about the thickness of a double-dvd case. Because of this it is 14" larger than the old TV yet actually weighs less... Go figure... It is truly a beautiful TV at only 1" thick and with a 46" diagonal screen.

The new TV on the TV stand (I was watching Law & Order on NBC HD):

The side profile of the TV compared to a 2-DVD case... Just look how thin the TV is!

At the rate televisions are shrinking in thickness, I figure my next TV will be as thick as a piece of paper and I will be able to just glue it to the wall...

A rare sight in Phoenix

2009-09-19T22:30:00.004-07:00

So on August 6th I took this picture of a rainbow hovering over Glendale and the roof of my school around 6 AM when I arrived in the parking lot:

It is truly a special occasion to see a rainbow in Phoenix... since it rarely rains here and even more rarely produces the conditions necessary to see a rainbow!

Kitty gets a haircut (again)

2009-09-19T22:26:00.003-07:00

So on Labor Day I took Snowy to the groomers at Pet Smart to get shaved...

Before:

And After:

First day of school

2009-09-19T22:17:00.007-07:00

So we started school on August 3, 2009. As always I was at school insanely early (around 5:15 AM) to make sure everything was ready... Here was the room just before the school year began:

The front of the room with instructions for the students first assignment of the year ready to go on the SmartBoard:

The students new agendas, 2 pencils, and their first bell work on their desks:

The class giving tree we made after reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and then making our own tree to share what special talent each student has and then how we can use those skills to help others. Each of my 60 students got to make a leaf for the tree that shares their unique talents:

Long time no post

2009-09-19T22:14:00.003-07:00

So believe it or not it has been over a month (more like 7 weeks) since I last posted here. Somehow school has been keeping me busy (super busy). Not to mention in the daily grind of getting up at 4am (or earlier) being at school by 5:30am, teaching from 7:45-2:45 and then trying to be home by 5PM and asleep by 7:30, not much out of the ordinary that is blog-worthy has happened in the last 7 weeks...

However, there have been a few interesting moments between then and now so I will try to update the good old blog tonight...

100th Blog Post!!!

2009-07-30T23:17:00.008-07:00

So to commemorate the milestone of my 100th blog post I have decided to introduce a new recurring feature on my blog that will feature the best of the worst that my hometown of Findlay, Ohio has to offer courtesy of the Findlay Courier police and sheriff's department docket. The local newspaper publishes all of the stupid nonsense that the local law enforcement has to deal with there every day and I want to share the endless stupidity that is Findlay with all of you...

Please keep in mind that I have copied and pasted these reports directly from the OFFICIAL PUBLIC RECORD and have not edited or altered them in any way whatsoever...

From the docket in Findlay earlier this week:

Two unlocked vehicles were entered Tuesday or Wednesday at 2901 Greenacre Drive.

A MP3 player and multi-tool knife were swiped from an unlocked truck outside 1435 Plum Creek Drive on Wednesday.

(Why don't people just lock their cars? I would be embarrassed to report that my stuff was stolen because I don't lock my car...)

Police were summoned to Friday fracases at 311 Center and 827 S. Blanchard street (Really??? A "fracas"... sounds very serious!)

A domestic squabble occurred at a George Street address Sunday. (The only thing worse than a "fracas' is a "squabble"!)

Syrup and pieces of salami were placed Monday onto a garage door at 522 Bright Road while rotten tomatoes were put in a mailbox. (Oh my!!! A drive-by syruping)

A woman punched her husband and was arrested for domestic violence shortly after the couple had returned home from celebrating their second wedding anniversary early Wednesday. (Happy Anniversary!)

And this was published in the Findlay public record for today, July 31st 2009:

A man was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence and for possession of drug paraphernalia Wednesday on Cherry Street. After arguing with officers, the man apologized, explaining that he just needed "to poop." (Do I need to say anything about this one???)

A Benton Ridge woman reported Monday that upon returning home from vacation, she found her pet fish missing. (If I was a cop in Findlay I would just hang myself to make the nonsense end...)

Finally!

2009-07-25T10:23:00.004-07:00

So I spent about 20-25 hours this week (4-5 hours each day Monday-Friday) working to get my classroom ready... I am finally done! Desks have been arranged (for the moment...), bulletin boards are up, books are on the shelves, the blinds have been dusted, the cabinets organized, etc. I could not have believed a week ago that it would take me this long to get to this point, but either way it is done... Now check out the finished results:

Looking at the back of the room from the doorway to the adjoining classroom:

The north wall with the windows, TV, reading table, dry erase board, and some bulletin boards:

The computer center and homework collection point at the back of the room:

My desk area in the back of the room:

The south wall of the classroom where all of the storage is:

The three R's of Mr. VanAtta's classroom:

Progress

2009-07-22T18:26:00.004-07:00

So I have spent the last 3 days working to get the classroom in order since school starts on August 3rd and our open house/meet the teacher night is July 31st... So the classroom is slowly starting to look like a classroom. The work never seems to end but I know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and soon my classroom will be ready to go...

The front of the classroom with some bulletin boards and the Smart Board in the middle:

The back of the classroom with the library in the right corner, my desk in the left corner, and the student computers in the middle:

The wall of storage with stuff piled up everywhere... I spend most of today putting books and supplies away in the cabinets.

Tomorrow will be more work and I am hoping to have the room at least 95% done by early afternoon tomorrow.

Making a run for the border

2009-07-14T22:26:00.006-07:00

So Jenna and I went down to Douglas, AZ for the last 2 days to check out the town (pop. 18,000) and get everything set up for her new teaching job down there. The town is literally on the US-Mexico border and is on the other side of the border fence from Agua Prieta, Sonora (pop. 100,000). The town is much different than life in Phoenix. The air is cooler, the people friendlier, the cars slower, and the border to another nation on the other side of the street... Overall I really like this town (and it neighboring town of Bisbee.

On Highway 80 heading south towards Douglas:

A very unusal-looking mountain slope between Bisbee and Douglas:

A mural and small plaza in downtown Douglas highlighting Douglas' unique role as a cross-cultural crossroads between the USA and Mexico:

A nice gazebo downtown:

At the intersection of 2nd avenue and Pan-American Highway in downtown Douglas. Mexico is well, one street south of here but as the yellow sign says "Weapons and ammo illegal in Mexico" so leave your guns at the border...

Jenna and I stopped by the Subway at the gas station and then ate our lunch at this park in downtown Douglas before coming back to Phoenix. This little square park has a church at each corner and a beautiful fountain and band-shell in it along with many shady trees and benches to enjoy the chirping birds and bubbling water sounds:

This is one of the churches at one corner of the park:

More of the park. If you have a really sharp eye you may spot a certain red Prius in the background somewhere:

One more picture of the fountain:

Bisbee, AZ

2009-07-14T21:57:00.005-07:00

25 minutes west of Douglas, AZ and 8 miles north of Mexico lies the little former copper mining town of Bisbee. It is literally built onto a mountainside and a canyon and so the town's streets and buildings are laid out vertically with streets and stairs zig-zagging their way up the mountainside. In the 1970's the mine closed and the town became an artists' colony and turn-of the century living museum to live in a mining town in the late 1800's

Approaching the town from Douglas you enter the traffic roundabout to head off to Bisbee:

The old copper pit descends hundreds of feet into the landscape:

Looking out over Downtown Bisbee from highway 80:

An example of the Hippie-arts scattered all over the town:

More hippie-art... this was pretty cool... especially the dino-skeleton in the background:

Looking up from a street at how the parking and housing are often arranged in Bisbee:

More of downtown Bisbee:

The Copper Queen hotel where we stayed overnight:

Should you drive left and up, straight and kinda-level, or right and down?

Walking around Bisbee

2009-07-14T21:45:00.002-07:00

So how do you get around a town built on a mountainside on foot? By climbing up and down a lot of stairs of course... In Bisbee there are random stairways hidden all around the town to get from on street to the street above or below.

Going up (way up):

And going down (Jenna refused to go down these stairs so we had to walk down the street to the next set of stairs):

Going downhill by the city park:

Jenna enjoying her stair-climbing exercise routine:

Tucson

2009-07-14T21:29:00.005-07:00

So on the way back from Douglas I was able to get this picture of the Tucson skyline from I-10. The city, like Phoenix, is surrounded by mountains, but in Tucson the mountains are larger and much closer to the downtown core. Tucson has about 1 million people in the metro area and is a lot smaller than here in the valley where we have over 4 1/2 million. The skyline is a lot smaller but really neat to see with the Santa Catalina mountains rising 6000 feet above the downtown. The highest point in the Catalinas is Mount Lemmon at an elevation of 9,157 feet above sea level and receives 180 inches of snow annually.

Yeah, it even looks this picturesque from the freeway:

Getting comfy...

2009-07-14T21:19:00.001-07:00

So the other day I found Snowy taking a nap on the living room rug. She seems to be getting a bit tubby lately... I think the pictures speak for themselves:

Panoramic View

2009-07-09T05:44:00.002-07:00

Here is a fascinating 360 degree view of the Michael Jackson memorial service when they sang "We are the World" near the end of the service courtesy of the LA Times. (Click on the link to view)

Jackson Memorial Service Panorama.

Good Morning Arizona!

2009-07-07T04:41:00.006-07:00

Who wouldn't mind waking up to some happy news like this at 4:30 in the morning?

Let's go outside and fry and egg in mid-air...

2009-07-06T05:07:00.002-07:00

I don't know if that would actually work or not but it is probably worth a try... if only I had some eggs... Here is today's weather forecast and the forecast for the upcoming week:

A cloudy day to build a house...

2009-07-01T11:51:00.004-07:00

So today the Pulte Building Systems people began major construction on the last 3 houses right across the street from me... They trucked in the wall sections yesterday afternoon. The wall sections are built off-site and then they just have to be attached to the foundations and each other... add some drywall, windows & doors, stucco, and a roof and you have a house! However, it is somewhat difficult to sleep in till noon with this going on outside your bedroom window... This is the view from my bedroom:

Come on Down!

2009-06-30T10:33:00.004-07:00

So I was watching the Price is Right early this morning... (it comes on at 9AM here...) and at the end of the Showcase Showdown I spotted an unusual sight... A "Flat Stanley" on the podium during the showcase:

Sign Spinning

2009-06-30T09:40:00.009-07:00

So there a new trend emerging in advertising (at least here in the Valley and other major US cities) called "Sign Spinning". The concept is relatively simple. Give someone $10-$20 an hour to stand on a street corner and hold an arrow sign pointing to your business. But it seems to have become much more than that. The Spinners (as they are called) have learned elaborate dance moves and tricks with these signs to get your attention while you are sitting and watching them and not the light that just turned green in front of you. So the moves have become more and more complex and the competition between these spinners ever-greater as those with the most attention getting moves and tricks can command the best paying positions with a potential to do it full time and earn as much as $2000 a month... (and to think I decided to waste all those years in college!)

McDonald's has even made a series of TV commercial for Phoenix advertising their sign spinners advertising their coffee... Its advertising featuring advertising... go figure:

Here are some youtube videos of the sign spinners in action:

And here is a short documentary (6 minutes) on the sign-spinning culture in southern California (where like many things, it all began):

Cat in a blanket

2009-06-27T10:06:00.003-07:00

So the other day I went upstairs and there was a big lump under my blankets... what could it possibly have been? Why it was Snowy hiding under the covers taking a nap! Naturally I had to disrupt her sleep to take some pictures...

How many folks does it take to move an 11' tree?

2009-06-27T09:29:00.008-07:00

Apparently more than 6... So I spent the last 3 1/2 hours this morning watching these folks trying to move one of the trees across the street where the last houses here are being built... The poor tree is on life support after these Do-it-yourself landscaper wannabes manhandled, ripped, pulled, and shredded this poor tree to its last limbs....

After 2 hours of digging and pulling with their suv they got the tree out of the ground and onto their mini-trailer:

The tree was in the hole in front of the foundation by the white barrel:

Then they tied some sheets together to try to cover the tree up...

"The sheet don't fit.... go get me another sheet!"

Oh hey! lets use pink hair spray to make a sign on the back of the sheet so people don't hit us... Umm... What should it say??? "Caution" perhaps? OK... C-A-T-... Umm how do you spell it? Why did you write some scribbles and then "Cat?" Isn't that how you spell it??? ::Sigh:: You're and idiot....

Uh oh... the tree is starting to fall off the trailer... go get another sheet....

Meanwhile daughter #2 has died in the back of the SUV from heat exhaustion while the other 5 try to figure out how to get the 4th bedsheet attached to the tree to hold it down...

"Dude, this is really ghetto, even for us..."

"Seriously Dad... this is the worst vacation ever..."

So after 3+ hours they drove off with bits of the tree being ripped off on the asphalt as they disappeared.... R.I.P. tree...

Little Bedroom on the Prairie

2009-06-21T10:05:00.002-07:00

So I got the wall in my bedroom painted this weekend. I painted it "Prairie Grass" as the folks at Sherwin-Williams call the color. I think it is a very calm and relaxing neutral color for the bedroom. I once again taped off the three windows over my bed and did a paint 'frame' around them to make it easier to paint around them, and that was probably the most challenging and time-consuming aspect of this room was carefully taping off around those windows to get straight lines and clean edges on the paint... And then still going back to do touch-ups...

Here is the paint sample card next to the final color...

And here is the painted wall:

Super-Obama!

2009-06-19T23:14:00.008-07:00

Check out this great new video from the funny folks at JibJab.com:

Another awesome Jack's commercial

2009-06-19T15:13:00.002-07:00

Here is the Jack In The Box commercial for their awesome Mini Sirloin Burgers... they taste great and have a great song for them too... Like the Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches they come three to a box... Watch and enjoy!

Project Complete

2009-06-15T18:34:00.003-07:00

Ok, well 99% complete... I have finally finished painting the living/dining room in the house (except for a few small touch-ups) The Copper Wire & Bolero Red go very nicely together and the 'framed' archways with the white paint turned out very nice... Im just happy to have all my furniture back in place so I can sit down and watch TV again!

The dining room wall:

The dining room, stairs, and entryway to the kitchen:

The wall between the kitchen & foyer (kitchen on the left, foyer on the right)

The dining room from the living room:

The living room room from the dining room:

Best Burger Dance

2009-06-15T13:30:00.002-07:00

So today I went to Jack In The Box with Jenna before taking her to the airport and tried out Jack's new Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich. You get three of the mini chicken sandwiches in a box and they were super-tasty! However, the one thing better than the food is the song that goes with them... Jack's has this new ad campaign with a song and dance to promote this new sandwich and it is sweeping the nation (or at least the parts of the US that have Jack In The Box...)

Here is the original Jack-In-The-Box commercial:

And here are some videos made by other folks who have caught the Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich craze:

Here's another video:

And this one proves you can do the dance in your underwear:

And here's the Spanish version of the Jack's commercial, its really bizarre to listen to:

Work in Progress...

2009-06-13T10:13:00.003-07:00

Well I have finally settled on colors for the Kitchen and Living Room. Thanks to the suprer helpful folks at Sherwin-Williams at 59th and Northern, I have selected Bolero Red for the Kitchen and Copper Wire for the living room. However, the sample cans only go so far so I went back this morning to get more (much more) paint to keep on painting this weekend. But here is what it looks like right now... Its a complete and total mess with tape and ladders and painting stuff everywhere but it does give some idea of what the colors will look like...

Here is a picture of the Bolero red over in the kitchen (the picture is a little dark)

Here is another picture from the kitchen (this one gives a better sense of the color)

Here is the Copper Wire in the living room with my wall sconces back on the wall to see what they would look like with the color behind them:

And here is the mirror in the Foyer with the Copper Wire on the wall behind it:

And here is the kitchen and what I have painted in the living room & foyer from the sample cans, as I said, it is a work in progress...

I will continue painting tonight and tomorrow and hopefully will have these two rooms done by Sunday night and then I will try to post the finished product.

A new perspective

2009-06-11T16:45:00.002-07:00

So I decided to check my ladder to see if it would be possible to paint the window alcove in the stairwell, and while up on the ladder I got a new perspective on my home that I had not seen before...

Here is the ladder fully extended and in position:

Then I climbed up and looked down, way down to the first floor below:

And then looked out that high window and saw the 'poop room' from the outside for the first time...

And I also saw my roof line and neighbors house... how cool is that???

Telling time

2009-06-11T16:05:00.004-07:00

So my big IKEA clock is now hanging up above the stairwell. It was not easy to get up there but thanks to my trusty adjustable ladder, it was done in about 20 minutes... It is it perfect view of my desk when I am in the office loft working on some important work...

Looking up from the stairwell at the clock:

Looking at the clock and desk area from the hallway:

Color Splash

2009-06-11T15:28:00.002-07:00

So I have finally begun painting the white walls in my house. thanks to the helpful folks at Sherwin-Williams, I got three free quart size samples of paint to begin painting with... I'll have to go back tomorrow to get more but I got a start on painting in the guest suite this afternoon and got a little dirty in the process:

And here is a (small) preview of my work in the guest suite... I like the 'frame' around the window... A little trick I borrowed from a good friend :-)

Very Cool Commercial

2009-06-09T09:49:00.006-07:00

In the last few weeks there have been several new commercials advertising the new 2010 Toyota Prius. Yet these commercials feature the Prius driving through imaginative landscapes made up of people... People as grass, trees, clouds, the sun, and even rivers and waterfalls.... but how did they do this??? I found this "making of" featurette on YouTube that shows how they made these innovative commercials... it is about 5 minutes long... Enjoy!

Giant Jiffy Pop

2009-06-03T21:08:00.004-07:00

So here are some pictures I took of the University of Phoenix Stadium (which is an NFL stadium with the naming rights bought by the for-profit University of Phoenix). The Arizona Cardinals play here and the 2008 Super Bowl was held here. This stadium is about 5 minutes north of my house. I think it looks like a huge Jiffy pop popcorn pan when the kernels pop and inflate the foil...

The stadium as seen from the AZ 101 Loop Freeway:

Up close near entrance #3:

Entering the floor of the stadium from the "tunnel" during the 8th grade Career Day field trip in April:

Trading Spaces

2009-06-03T20:50:00.003-07:00

So I have survived my first year of teaching and now I am making the move from 7th and 8th grades to 5th grade next year... A new grade means a new classroom so I have been hard at work moving all of my stuff down the hallway to my new room. Just when I was ready to just put things in the cupboards for the summer I am now starting again from scratch to get my classroom ready for the next year...

Here was the front of my old room from this year:

And here was the back of my classroom from this year:

And now I am down the hall to start all over again... here are all fo the desks and chairs piled up along the north wall of my new 5th grade room:

And here is the west wall of my room (the yellow will be repainted this summer). You can see my new teacher desk and the computers in the back of the room...

And this is the south wall of my classroom with wall to wall storage:

Once I get everything done in the classroom I will take some more pictures so keep checking back here often!

Hoover Dam (Part II)

2009-05-29T17:26:00.003-07:00

Welcome to Nothing, AZ (On the way to Hoover Dam)

Entering the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (about 10 Miles from the Dam)

Approaching Boulder Canyon and the dam from Arizona:

The new Hoover Dam Bypass bridge for US 93 is being build in front of the dam:

Entering the Pacific Time Zone on the Nevada side of the Dam (which is the same time as Arizona for half of the year)

It's Over!!!

2009-05-29T17:19:00.003-07:00

School's out!!! So the last day of school (for the teachers) is over and I have earned a dinner reward.... So I went to Dunkin' Donuts (which is only 1.1 miles from my house!) and got my dinner... 6 strawberry frosted donuts and a large (32 oz) strawberry Coolatta... The best meal ever!

Dinner & Drink:

My massive Strawberry Coolatta:

Coolatta with fork included for scale:

Mmmm, Mmmm, Good! Now let summer break begin!

A long day of fun

2009-05-24T21:44:00.005-07:00

So today Jenna and I traveled up to Hoover Dam... I left here at 5:40 AM to pick her up and then we drove the 4 1/2 hour, 280 mile journey to the Dam. We got there around 10:45 and then after a minor fiasco of spending an hour trying to parkwe were able to explore the dam (I drove past all the parking on the Arizona side thinking there was better, closer, parking on the Nevada side of the canyon, there was not, and we got stuck in the 45 minute, one lane traffic jam to get back to the dam from Nevada...) ... We went on the full tour and explored the power plant, the diversion tunnels, the air shafts inside the dam, looked out from an air vent in the middle of the dam, and the top of the dam and visitor's center... it was very cool to see the dam up-close and realize just how massive it really is at 640 feet tall...

Inside the Nevada side generator room at the base of the dam. Hover Dam's 19 generators produce enough electricity for 1.3 million people (for a sense of scale this room is 600 feet long and 8 stories tall):

View of Arizona side of dam from the observation platform atop visitor's center, the dam is about 640 feet tall from the river to the top of the towers:

Looking 600+ feet down at the power station and Colorado River from the top of the dam, fortunately a gust a wind did not push me over the side....

Me with "Flat Stanley" (Long story...) at the Dam before our tour inside in inner workings of the structure:

More pictures to come tomorrow...

2009-05-14T21:14:00.004-07:00

Ok, So it has been a while since I posted here, but it has been super busy with the end of the school year coming up... However, I found this floating around on the internet and I must have been here long enough now because everything on this list now makes sense to me...

You Know You're From Arizona If...

You notice your car overheating before you drive it.

You no longer associate bridges or rivers with water.

You can hear the weather forecast of 115 degrees without flinching.

You can be in the snow, then drive for an hour...and it will be over 100 degrees.

You discover, in July it only takes two fingers to drive your car, because your steering wheel is so hot.

You run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so you can use your fireplace.

The best parking is determined by shade.....not distance.

You realize that "Valley Fever" isn't a disco dance.

You can make sun tea instantly.

Hotter water comes from the cold water tap than the hot one.

It's noon in July, kids are on summer vacation and yet all the streets are totally empty of both cars and people.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

Sunscreen is sold year round and kept right at the checkout counter.

You put on fresh sunscreen just to go check the mail box.

Some fools will market mini-misters for joggers and some other fools will actually buy them. Worse.....some fools actually try to jog.

You can pronounce Saguaro, Tempe, San Xavier, Canyon de Chelly, Mogollon Rim, Cholla, Gila and Tucson.

You can understand the reason for a town named "Why"

You can fry an egg on the hood of a car in the morning.

You know hot air balloons can't rise because the air temperature is hotter than the air inside the balloon.

You see two trees fighting over a dog.

You can say "Hohokam" and people don't think you're laughing funny.

You see more irrigation water on the street than there is in the Salt River

You have to go to a fake beach for some fake waves

You hear people say "but it's a dry heat!"

You buy salsa by the gallon.

Your Christmas decorations include sand and l00 paper bags.

You think a red light is merely a suggestion.

All of your out-of-state friends start to visit after October but clear out come the end of April.

You think someone driving wearing oven mitts is clever.

Most of the restaurants in town have the first name "El" or "Los."

You think 60 tons of crushed red rock makes a beautiful yard.

Your house is made of stucco and has a red clay tile roof.

Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way in the summer.

Most homes have more firearms than people.

Kids ask, "What's a mosquito?"

People who have black cars or black upholstery in their car are automatically assumed to be from out of-state or nuts.

You know better than to get into a car with leather seats if you're wearing shorts.

You can finish a Big Gulp in 10 minutes and go back for seconds.

You take rain dances seriously.

When a rainy day puts you in a good mood.

When you drive two miles around a parking lot looking for a shady place - even in the dead of winter.

You feed your chickens ice cubes to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs.

You "hug" a cactus only once in your lifetime.

When you have to look up "mass transit" in the dictionary.

A hundred ten in the shade is sorta hot, but you don't have to shovel it off your driveway.

A haboob happens.

Petrified doesn't mean scared.

The temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.

You've lived in AZ your whole life and have never been to the Grand Canyon

You would give anything to be able to splash cold water on your face.

You can attend any function wearing shorts and a tank top.

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

you realize that snowbirds aren't really birds at all, but just really bad out of state drivers that you learn to hate

there are only two temperatures, hot and hotter

even thinking about not having air conditioning makes you sweat

you travel out of state and any sort of humidity nearly kills you

you have no idea why 48 other states (Hawaii doesn't do it either) insist on changing their clocks twice a year for this thing called "daylight savings time"

Best airplane safety videos

2009-04-04T16:12:00.009-07:00

This interesting animated safety announcement is from the new airline Virgin America:

This computer animated safety video is from Virgin Atlantic:

This popular (and slightly sexy) video is played on Delta Airlines

This LIVE safety announcement is proof of why Southwest Airlines is the most entertaining airline to fly with... United Airlines doesn't get any applause for their safety announcements!

And finally, this mock-announcement video was made by Mad-TV to make fun of how American Airlines began charging for the most basic of items like carry-ons and snacks in-flight.

Lambchop Part II

2009-04-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Only 34 more days...

2009-04-04T14:55:00.006-07:00

So on May 8th the new Star Trek movie premieres! Here are the 3 trailers that have been released for the film. Click on the video window for each trailer to play it.

Lambchops

2009-04-04T13:53:00.002-07:00

Today I took snowy to the groomers to get a haircut. Since her fur was starting to get matted from a lack of brushing on my part (hey, i've been busy lately at school) I told the groomers to shave off the fur and make her a short-haired cat... And they did! When I went to pick her up and first saw her I burst out laughing... She now looks like Lambchops (the Sherri Lewis puppet) But she got a bath, her back claws trimmed, a mega-haircut, and they even put a bow on her!

Look at how happy Snowy is to be free from 5 extra pounds of fur:

Snowy likes to show off her new bow:

And she worked up an appetite at the groomers!

Rearranging

2009-04-04T13:50:00.004-07:00

So last weekend I rearranged the living room when I had the furniture moved out of the room to have the surround sound speakers installed in the ceiling. I moved the couch and chairs around and put each of the leaning shelves on opposite sides of the room... The living room feels a lot larger with the sofa moved to the wall and the chairs in the middle of the room now..

Wupatki National Monument

2009-03-21T22:12:00.003-07:00

So after visiting Sunset Crater and the Painted Desert overlook, we arrived at Wupatki National Monument... These ruins are at least 800 years old from when the Sunset Crater eruption added minerals to the desert and made the soils in the area more fertile for agriculture. The weather was beautiful with blue skies and 80 degree temperatures... the views of the painted desert were amazing and the ruins were fascinating!

A colorful view of the Painted Desert

2009-03-21T22:01:00.003-07:00

After visiting sunset crater, we traveled about 20 minutes northeast and descended from 8000' back down to 3500' and went back from alpine forest to desert brush environment. Here we came over a hill and the Painted Desert came into view. It stretches for hundreds of miles to the West, North, and East from the Grand Canyon to the Petrified Forest and is today part of the Navajo and Hopi nations. We were going from Sunset Crater to the Wupatki Ruins National Monument

And we got closer to the desert....

And then we were finally in the Painted Desert!

Next stop: Wupatki Ruins National Monumen t...

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

2009-03-21T21:50:00.003-07:00

So about 15 minutes northeast of Flagstaff is Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. It is the cinder cone of a volcanic explosion from about 900 years ago. We explored the base of the cone and I climbed out onto the remains of the lava flow.

The lava flow came off the volcano and cooled and solidified near the base of the cone... 900 years later a few pine trees have managed to take root in the rocks...

And finally, here is me in full social studies teacher attire climbing out onto the lava flow rocks... Who says you can't hike in dress shoes?

Back to Flagstaff

2009-03-21T21:40:00.003-07:00

On Friday, Jenna and her mother invited me to join them in Flagstaff for the day. We left Phoenix around 9AM and it was supposed to get up to 90+ degrees. But in Flagstaff the forcasted high was 62. It is a lot warmer at 1500 feet than at 7000+ feet above sea level.... When we got to Flagstaff there was still snow on top of the higher peaks including Humphrey's Peak (elev. 12,000+ ft.)

After some sightseeing, shopping, and lunch in Flagstaff, our next stop was Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

A coastal vibe

2009-03-21T21:33:00.003-07:00

So another one of my mini-projects this week was to try to add some finishing details to the guest suite. Since I had no family photos to put in the family frame that was above the bed, I took it down and replaced it with a new black and white beach photo that fits perfectly between the two windows above the bed...

And I finally hung up the final square beach print I have had sitting in the closet since January and actually got them hung level to each other!

A little corner to relax...

2009-03-21T21:25:00.005-07:00

So I went to IKEA Tempe this week and picked up a tullsta chair and some canvas art prints to finish off the master bedroom with some art and a sitting corner to sit down and read or put my shoes on in the morning or enjoy my view out the window. (Click on the purple links to see these products at IKEA.com... but don't forget to come back here!)

Laying around

2009-03-21T21:20:00.003-07:00

Do I really need to say anything about these photos?

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

Let there be wind...

2009-03-21T21:11:00.005-07:00

So this week I have been on spring break and tried to get a little work done around the house. The most challenging project I tackled this week was installing a ceiling fan in the living room (by myself!) Putting up a ceiling fan is really an awful task that is very difficult and aggravating to do on your own as you are trying to hold the fan motor up to the ceiling in your right hand while stuffing wires into the downrod with your left hand while standing seven feet in the air on a ladder and then the wires come springing back out and... UGH! Yet somehow I actually did it... I also painted and installed a ceiling medallion to match the ceiling paint color and add some decorative flair to what would otherwise be a very basic ceiling fan...

The fan above the living room

(Click photo to enlarge):

The fan and medallion up close:

The (New) Office

2009-03-01T15:27:00.004-07:00

So I finally got my new Convertible Compact Desk from Crate & Barrel. The desk looks like a file cabinet when it is closed but the top rolls to the side to provide a seating area to use as a desk. I have turned the loft area at the top of the stairs into the office with my chair, desk, and bookcase all fitting nicely inside this previously useless space...

Here is the bookcase on the wall behind the desk (with my diploma proudly displayed above) Go B.G.!

Here is the desk in the closed position with my work chair beside it.

Here is the view looking over the stairwell and window alcove from the office space...

Here is the desk with the top open into the "desk" position revealing the storage tray below for knick-knacks and other frequently-used items. Below that is a drawer for other miscellaneous items and below that a file drawer that can hold letter and legal-size hanging files (I got legal size hanging files)

Here is the desk with my laptop open... I'm ready to work! (or as I am doing right now, sitting at the desk writing this blog post...)

Sleeping on Cloud 9

2009-02-25T17:16:00.005-07:00

So my new bedding from Crate and Barrel finally arrived thanks to UPS. I ordered the Mirage Bedding collection (click the bold text to see it at crateandbarrel.com)and it feels fantastic to sleep on crisp new bedding. I got four new down pillows, a new duvet cover and comforter, a coverlet, and new crisp white sheets. I also got new curtains (enough curtain panels for BOTH windows!) Sleeping in my bed an bedroom is like sleeping in one of those ultra-comfy hotel beds...

The bedding has a nice natural sage and green tone that goes well with the bath linens in the master bathroom... It is all very relaxing, which after spending 8 hours with 150+ 13 and 14-year-olds, I could use a little calming....

I have four fluffy down pillows and one latex pillow to provide three layers of marshmallow-y soft support for my weary head....

There are many layers of comfort with the crisp-white sheets, the coverlet, and the comforter and duvet cover...

...and curtains! Now it doesn't feel like an oversized apartment!

Now it's time to enjoy my bed and get some much needed rest so I can wake up at 3AM to finish grading papers!

Hello Kitty

2009-02-25T17:12:00.005-07:00

The guest suite bathroom

2009-02-22T01:10:00.002-07:00

So to compliment the beach theme in the guest bedroom the adjoining guest bath has a blue color scheme with a great black and white beach photograph print and a candle holder with sand and seashells.

Worth the wait...

2009-02-22T01:04:00.005-07:00

So this afternoon the mattress for the guest bedroom arrived. After two and 1/2 months the guest suite is actually ready for guests... I am aiming for a cozy beach ambiance in the guest suite (despite being at least 450 miles away from any real beach). It still needs some curtains but Drew's Bed & Breakfast is now open for business... Now all I need are some family photos for the frames above the bed and some guests to try out my guest bed...

The great outdoors

2009-02-22T00:53:00.005-07:00

Since I finally got my tax refund I had the money to go out and get some furniture for my patio. I went to Bad, Bath, and Beyond (what is the 'beyond'?) and found this seating set. I think it works quite well in my cozy little outdoor space.

The view from above:

And the view from up close:

Home Improvement

2009-02-22T00:37:00.003-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago I went to the IKEA in Tempe to get some storage shelving to organize the growing piles of stuff that was starting to accumulate in my garage. When I came out of the store I had a cart full of the GORM storage system shelving. This storage system is great because it is completely modular and expandable. Check it out at IKEA.com. This shelving unit I put together consists of two long shelf sections, one short shelf section, and a corner shelving unit. It took me about 2 hours to put together with my handy little allen wrench. It was well worth the effort and keep all of my gardening, painting, and other supplies organized as well as all of my Christmas decorations and other odds and ends.

Beam me up...

2009-02-15T14:13:00.003-07:00

So on Saturday Jenna and I took the light rail to downtown Phoenix to go to the Arizona Science Center to check out Star Trek: The Exhibition. I was in total trek-nerd heaven walking around the sets, sitting in the captain's chair, and seeing the props and costumes up-close.

CatNap interrupted...

2009-01-31T18:15:00.004-07:00

So I caught Snowy hanging out on my bed on Saturday afternoon looking suspiciously guilty...

Guilty of what I do not know...

More houses going up...

2009-01-31T18:07:00.003-07:00

So the developer of my subdivision has begun construction on the final 15 houses in this development.... 2 weeks ago there was just dirt across the street, now there are six houses well under way....

When finished the new homes will be similar to the model homes that are already across the street from my house...

My Mountain...

2009-01-31T17:58:00.007-07:00

So I decided to share my mountain view with y'all... as seen from the window in the master bathroom water closet (a.k.a. "the poop room")... It is the only window in the house from which I can see the Estrella Mountains which rise to over 4200 feet and are only about 4 miles south of my house...

Hallelujah!

2009-01-22T18:29:00.003-07:00

The 8-year hangover is finally over! If you are like me you won't be missing the last 8 years of national stupidity any time soon... I just loved to watch the inaugural coverage on TV and see the MASSIVE crowds of Americans who made the pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. to see Obama become president....

So what does the largest-ever assembled crowd of people in ALL OF AMERICAN HISTORY look like???? Well it looks pretty awesome!