Maine 'n Me

Engineering Club

2010-12-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

This year has been .... exhausting. That word sums it up. I'm teaching one less class this year because we have a new schedule for freshmen, but it feels like I'm actually busier than my first year. At the end of last year I thought it would be a good idea to get involved in some extra activities since I had this idea that the second year would be easier than the first year. Well, I jumped into a few too many new projects and had to decide which ones were the highest on my priority list, even all of them were interesting and useful to me. One of those projects that I decided to keep pursuing was a new club I started called WISE (Women in Science and Engineering).

At the end of last year our school had received some funds from a similar group at the university in the hopes we would start a club that would encourage female students to pursue careers in the science and engineering fields. And at the beginning of this year, I applied for a grant and got it (yeah) that added to our funds. So I started with a fairly good sum of money, but no official students in the club.

A couple of months ago I announced the first official club meeting. I put posters around school, shared it on the morning announcements, and touted it up in the science classes. After all of this, I had one girl show up. Yeah for her! I have to say I was fairly bummed and less than hopeful that this club was going to hit it off. I shared all of my hopes and ideas with girl #1, and she was very excited about it. She said she would share it with her friends and try to get more people to come to the next meeting.

Meeting #2: Attendance = 2 girls. I doubled the club size, but was still a bit sad that I hadn't persuaded more ladies to attend my club meetings (I even brought milk and cookies!!). We brainstormed some ideas, and these awesome girls came up with some great ideas for events we could host at the school. The first official event was going to be inviting some university science and engineering students to come be on a panel to answer questions high school students may have about majoring in those areas. The next meeting was to be a planning meeting for this event.

Meeting #3: Attendance = 5 girls! Hip hip horray! This meeting we had five NEW girls come. The original two girls couldn't come at the last minute, but I was able to recruit some more members along the way. Again I shared my hopes and ideas with them, and they were very excited and super helpful with planning our 'first official event'.

'First official event': Attendance = 20 people! This was epic!! We has four university students from the civil engineering club and another civil engineering student from the engineers without borders group from campus. Plus an additional 15 or so high school students come to hear from our guests. The agenda was fairly loose, and I gave a short introduction to our guests and a promotion of our club, and then for the next hour and a half, the high school students asked question after question to these university students. It was incredible!!! And to top it off, at the end, the university students said they wanted to be more involved with engineering projects done with high school students. Oh my gosh!! They told the students that if they thought of a project, that they would support them as best as they could. This is HUGE for a teacher since we are sometimes limited with the knowledge, time, and resources to do these types of projects. So, to say the least, I was beside myself when I heard this.

And if you thought this was good... the next day, one of those students that was at the meeting came up to me and presented an engineering project that he wanted to do this year. Super cool!

I am very excited about this new club because I really think it creates a pathway for students to see what engineering and science careers are all about. Our guests shared so many cool experiences and possibilities to those students (some of them were freshmen), and who knows how that one experience may effect their lives. We are also planning on inviting professional engineers and scientists to talk to students, visiting labs and companies, doing research at nearby facilities, and even sharing science and engineering in a fun way with middle school students.

So while this year has been exhausting, it has also been very rewarding. I am very excited about the direction of our science department and WISE club because they are both giving our students amazing opportunities. Woo - hoo!!

Year 2

2010-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am now two week into year two of teaching, and it has going far better than year one. Last year I missed my first few days of work because of stomach virus, and this year I now know at least half of their names already. I'm teaching four freshmen Earth Science classes and one multi-grade Engineering Physics class. Both of them are going so well right now! This year there are "freshmen teams" - this means that there are a set of core freshmen teachers that see the same students everyday. This also means that we had to change from 80 minute classes (saw them every other day) to 40 minute classes everyday. I like the shorter periods in that things move quickly... very quickly. I sometimes feel like I'm rushing students through things, but I just have to learn how to adjust.

The first week of school was almost intolerable due to the heat wave. Not only was it in the 90's everyday, it was also humid. Mainer's are not accustomed to this type of heat, and I am very much not accustomed to that kind of humidity. There are very few places that are air conditioned (thank you starbucks!) including my classroom and my house. I even tried to buy one, but they aren't even sold around here this time of year. One thing I've learned is that the weather here can change very quickly, and sure enough it's now cool outside. I've started to see some of the trees change color, and I even considered turning on my propane indoor fireplace last night to take the chill off. I would have never guessed that just a week ago I had sweat dripping down me while I was trying to teach.

Over the summer I got most of the items on my list done except the driveway, painting, and organizing my school cabinets. I did get lots of needed rest and relaxation, so I think I can put off those tasks till next summer.

Sorry that I haven't posted any pictures. I'm pretty comfortable sitting in my pj's this Saturday morning. Maybe next time!

Summer Break

2010-07-05T20:47:00.001-07:00

It seems as though the only time I make now to update my blog is during by breaks from teaching. I've been enjoying my summer break for a couple of weeks now, and in addition to getting lots of sleep, I do have a few goals:

Landscape my yard: This will be done only with lots of help from Reed. We are in the middle of putting up a retaining wall for a flower garden and beefing up the soil. Soon we will be picking out plants (mix of herbs and flowers) to finish it off. I will be sure to post before and after pictures. My one hope is that I didn't kill my purple bulbs in the process!!
Take care of errands: One main area in my life slipped through the cracks during the school year. That is the chore of errands like getting my teeth cleaned, making sure the party van is in working order, and managing my retirement accounts. Those (and many others) were postponed until now. I currently have a list of errands and phone numbers that I plan to start to tackle tomorrow.
Home repair: I was blessed by my parents in June. They came out for two weeks and conquered two major home repairs for me. They remodeled my front porch and replaced my garage roof. Now, I would really love to have my driveway repaved and the trim on my house repainted. Those two items are on my list to call for bids tomorrow.
Organize!! Ever since I moved in, one of my three bedrooms has been a storage room. It was meant to be a fun craft room / office, but it has been occupied by stacks of boxes and randomness for quite some time. My garage isn't in that bad of shape, but it is chaotic enough to cause me frustration every time I try to find a tool. I spent about 20 minutes today trying to find my deck sealant in there (by the way, I did seal my deck today - one item checked off my summer list!!). I would also love to organize my room at school. My classroom has huge cabinets FULL of science stuff from past teachers, some of which I did use, but a lot that I didn't. This last year I did my best at keeping the cabinet doors closed and pretending everything was in order.
School stuff: As much as I would like to think I can ignore school stuff until day one of school, I do need to do some preparation for next year. I will be teaching four classes of freshmen Earth Science again, but I do have one new class. Instead of teaching chemistry, I will be teaching physics. And I am planning on using an engineering twist to that particular class, which I think will be super fun. Luckily I have an existing curriculum to use, so I don't have to make things up from scratch, but I do need to carefully read through everything so I can tweak it if I need. I will be adding the UMaine Windblade design challenge and possibly a rocket design challenge to bump it up a notch. I also need to work with the other Earth Science teacher to plan out our year and repair some of the equipment that we used last year. I DO believe (and strongly hope) that year 2 will be easier since I'll be using a lot of the same material from last year. So I will be making improvements along the way, but not starting from scratch.

Okay... that was the work stuff, but I am also planning on having some fun too! I've already went camping with Reed and the boys near the coast, and we may be heading out this week too. Yesterday we celebrated the 4th by going to a BBQ at a friend's house, and then we watched the fireworks downtown. Today we headed out to a local pond to go swimming and cool down since its been super hot and humid lately. Normally, I would be planning a trip to California over the summer, but I'm not sure if I'm going to make it out this year. As you can see, I have a lot of things to get done and the weeks are slipping by me faster and faster. I want to thank all of my friends that have been diligently uploading their family photos - I can't believe how fast all of your kids are growing up!! I hope to update my blog with more pictures next time. I haven't been very good about getting the camera out lately. It's after midnight and I'm hoping my bedroom is now cool enough to sleep in, otherwise I may pitch a tent outside =) g'night!

Winter Break

2010-02-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

When I moved to Maine I found out the schools had a winter break in February in addition to a spring break in April. At first I thought that the students were spoiled and that I would rather get out a week earlier in the summer, but right now I can't imagine what it would be like without this break. These last few weeks have felt like a sprint, and when I crossed the finish line (when the bell rang at 2:22 on Friday), my brain and body felt like they shut down. I literally collapsed on the couch at 8:30 last night.

I'm going to enjoy my well deserved time off with lots and lots of sleep. Unlike our neighboring states to the south, we don't have much of any snow on the ground, so I won't be doing any skiing or snow shoeing. I have a couple of books to read, a scarf to knit, and three lonely cats that will be permanently attached to my lap for the next couple of days. Maybe I'll even update my blog with some recent pictures! Only if there is time between naps =)

December visit

2009-11-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

In a few weeks, I'll be heading out to California for business and pleasure. I was asked to present my master's thesis research at the AGU annual conference, in the form of a poster. My poster time is scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, December 15. I'll be flying out of Bangor that morning and making it just in time for my poster session. The rest of the week I'll be looking at other research, and hopefully learning a lot of cool Earth Science content to use in my classroom. Reed is joining me on my vacation on Thursday, so if you happen to live in the SF area and want to meet up on the 17th or 18th, then let me know!

We will be heading to Oakdale on Saturday, and then driving up to Red Bluff to celebrate an early Christmas with my brother and his family for a few days. Reed and I will be flying back to Maine on Christmas eve so that we can be with his boys on Christmas day. It's a quick trip, and I know I won't see everyone, but I hope to catch up with you all soon!!

A few weeks in review

2009-11-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

I have been slacking on keeping up with my blog for a couple of reasons. First of all, I like opening my blog and seeing pictures of Craig's pond - a reminder when it was sunny and warm outside. Second, teaching has been keeping me busy... and sick. The week before my birthday I came down with the flu - I don't know for sure if it was H1N1, but it sure kicked my butt. I had a fever for almost four days, and I'm still feeling tired and coughing. I missed three days of school in the process, but I don't remember much since I slept almost the whole time.

The day my fever broke was my birthday. Reed and I had planned on going down to Portland to have a nice dinner and see Vertical Horizon. I was a little concerned that we shouldn't go since I had been so sick, but we took it easy and didn't stay out too late. So we had a great time and I'm officially 33.

The weather has been getting progressively colder, and we've had a few snow flurries here and there. The heater in my classroom is either all the way on or all the way off. I dress in layers never knowing if it's going to be a sauna or a freezer.

Speaking of my classroom - lately I've been having my Earth science students do an activity where they are learning about systems using a series of buckets filled with water and tubes. They are supposed to be getting a grasp on measuring rates and learning about effects on systems by changing outputs and inputs. While this sounds like a worth while activity... I question my sanity on a daily basis when I have students dunking their heads in the buckets, dumping gallons of water on the floor, and spilling water over electrical circuits causing them to start smoking. I need to start accepting the fact that a group of freshmen with access to large amounts of water will act like 3rd graders... not 9th graders.

Some work and some fun

2009-09-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Teaching has been keeping me super busy, but Reed and I have been able to get in a little bit of fun on the weekends. A few weekends ago we went to a place called Craig's pond. The amazing part was that the water was crystal clear, although a bit too chilly for me. There were some friendly minnows that came to nibble on my heals, though.

I mainly enjoyed the sunshine from my towel. We are hoping to go back there next year with a couple of kayaks or a canoe and do some exploring.

After Craig's pond, we drove towards the coast and found a beach that was loaded with shells. Mostly mussels and clam shells, which were covered in tiny snails. There was an odd crunching noise everytime you took a step. Reed and I were separately browsing the shells, and he said, "I found a neat looking shell" - and at that same time I also found a 'neat' shell. We came together to show off our shells... well, you can see in the picure below, we both had the same good taste in "neat" shells.

My mom gave me a new set of golf clubs for my birthday, so Reed and I decided to give them a try. We went to the Kenduskeg golf course and played nine holes. We were a both a bit rusty, but the weather was perfect and we had fun riding around on the cart.

Of course all of these activities are taking place on the weekends because I've been so busy preparing for school during the week. This teaching thing is a tough job! I'm not sure why I was complaining about my engineering job --- just kidding! I love it, but it's wearing me out. When is vacation?

1st week - not so good. 2nd week - much better.

2009-09-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished my second week of teaching, and it had a bumpy start. The first day of school was only freshman, and I was able to guide them around and give them mostly correct information. The next morning I woke up at about 4:00am with the worst stomach pains. At first I thought I was just really nervous about the first 'real' day of school, so I took a shower and went to make myself a bowl of cereal. That's the point when I started to realize that it wasn't just nerves. I sat with my head between my knees trying to fight off the nausea for about 30 minutes - then I did what I never thought I would do (at least so soon): I called in sick. What teacher calls in sick for the first real day of classes??? AND, who has sub plans for the first day??? Not me! I gave the sub a some questions the students could answer in their lab notebooks, but I knew it would only occupy about 15 minutes. Oh well... at least they were able to catch up on their summer vacations.

The third day of school (2nd day of real classes) I made it all the way to school, although my head was spinning. I got there early, and about 20 minutes before school was going to start I realized that I was about to either 1. pass out or 2. throw up. Again... had to call in a sub. At least this time I was able to at least set up some cool earth science videos for the students to watch.

Turns out there is a stomach bug going around - and I got it. Eeergg. By Friday I was feeling mostly better and made it through a whole day of school. Since then I've been feeling much better. I guess every teacher has a funny story to tell about their first year of teaching. I didn't think I would get 'my story' so soon.

My last days of freedom

2009-08-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's been about 2.5 years since I've had an official job, and starting next week I will be back in the workforce. This Wednesday I have my new-teacher orientation day and a technology day on Thursday. I officially get my first students on Tuesday, Sept. 1st, which will be only freshmen in my Earth Science classes. The next day is a regular day where all grade levels show up at the school. As far as I know, I'm still teaching four Earth Science classes and two Chemistry classes. In the meantime, I thought it would be a good idea to start getting up earlier (i.e. before 10am) so that when I have to get up at 6am it won't be such a shock to my system. So far, it hasn't worked. It's going to be a long first week with lots of coffee!!

I've got the keys to my new classroom, which happens to be right across the hall from the classroom where I did my student teaching. What I don't know yet is what I need to do to my classroom to get it 'ready'. So, I'm going to walk around the halls in the next couple of days and see what everyone else is doing. Suggestions are welcomed!!!

I'm also getting a roommate that will be staying with me for the next couple of months. She is a fellow MST student that is finishing her classwork in the fall, and doing her student teaching next spring. It will be nice to have some company in the house besides my three cats =) In the next couple of days I will be clearing out some space for her, and trying to get all the cat hair under control. yuck.

Swing batter-batter.... and you're out!

2009-08-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday

9:30 am: Woke up late, and decided to take a walk by the river.

11:05 am: Made an iced-latte and enjoying my cereal.

11:06: Get a call from Mindi - "Hey dude, I need a favor. Can you come play on our fast-pitch softball team? And, the game starts at 11:30, so you need to come right now."

Mind you, I have never played on a fast-pitch softball team, and actually I've only played a handful of times in a slow-pitch game. But what else do I have to do? So I went. The group of gals I played with were a lot of fun, and really supportive of me even though I was in over my head.

We played three games on Saturday and one on Sunday. I wish I could say we won one, but we didn't. In fact, we were the oldest team in the tournament - I was probably twice the age of some of players on the other teams - oh I feel old.

They put me out in right field the first day, and I didn't mess up to much out there, but I really didn't have any hitting success. This was my first time having a softball being thrown at me at such high speeds. I had a hard time even seeing the darn ball! The first day I struck out every time (I lost count), and I only touched the ball with my bat when I thought it was going to hit me and I put the bat out to protect me. The second day I actually connected with the ball twice, but they both were foul, and the second one got caught. Oh well -- at least I didn't get any major injuries -- just two black fly bites and a sunburn on my neck.

The best part of the weekend, besides Mindi's yummy chocolate chip bars, was that after our last game there was a skills tournament. This is where they had three competitions: hitting, throwing and running. There were six teams in our open division, but like I said before, most of them were either in high school or just out of high school, and have been practicing all summer. Each team sent seven of their players to participate in this part of the competition (I opted out for obvious reasons). Turns out that the old ladies have some skills! The gals from my team won two of the three competitions, which came as quite a surprise not only to us, but to the other teams. Great job ladies!!

Hopefully next year they will round up some people with way more experience than me, and I can cheer from the sidelines! I would be quite content not having a ball coming at me that fast ever again!!

Done - well, almost.

2009-07-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I defended my thesis in front of some of my department faculty and fellow graduate students. Whew... it's done! I think it went pretty well, at least that is what everyone keeps telling me. Now I'm in the process of doing my final revisions to my (written) thesis that will be submitted to the graduate department. And THEN I will be done! Almost... I will be going to a teacher's professional development workshop in middle of August to share about the computer model that I've been working with, and also to create a middle-school curriculum with the other teachers. Okay.. then I will be done. The hard part is over, though.

Today was my first whole day off, and I wasn't sure what to do with all the free-time. It's been raining off and on today, so I set my lounge chair on my front portch and did a bit of reading. Tonight I'm going to watch a friend's softball game (weather permitting). So... it just feels like my life is getting back to normal, and I can actually be social again.

I start my teaching job the last week of August, although students don't start till the first week of September. In the meantime, I'll be doing some planning and trying to get my classroom ready to go. So long student life, hello back to real-world job.

A break

2009-07-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

This last Thursday I turned in my first draft on my thesis, and since then I've been taking a break from even looking at it. I've been permanently attached to my couch with my laptop these last six weeks, and I'm so relieved it's almost done. I do have more revisions to make, and an oral defense to prepare for (July 30th), but most of the work is done.

Yesterday was my first "day off" and I was excited that it was actually sunny. I bought a comfy lounge chair and a smoothie, and planted myself on my deck with the latest Real.Simple magazine. After the first hour, I was feeling a little guilty for not 'doing' anything, but the next article I came to was all about the joys and benefits of doing nothing - ironic?? So that was my afternoon -- basking in the elusive sunshine, and I even let my kitties out to roam around a bit.

Today, it's raining again, and I'm feeling the tug to organize my spare bedroom or my garage. We'll see if I get motivated enough to get out of my pj's =)

I know that place!

2009-06-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

So I was taking a break from my thesis and watching a preview of a movie. Something in the movie caught my attention. The movie is called "Bottle Shock" - go and see it or the preview and let me know if you see what I see!

** Ok... so I've gotten some calls and e-mails letting me know that you guys don't know what I'm talking about. It turns out that the movie had a bunch of scenes filmed at Kunde Estate winery. I worked there for about two years (among other things) and became really familiar with the location, including the ruins that are used for the judging scene. Anyway, I just thought that was cool, and it made me a little homesick =)

Good news

2009-06-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

So, a few days after I got back from vacation, I was asked to interview for a science position at the school where I did my student teaching. The next day I was offered the position! Thank you to all who prayed for me. So far, I think I will be teaching four earth science classes and two chemistry classes, although the schedule isn't totally set yet. In the meantime, I am frantically trying to finish up my thesis and other responsibilities so that I can officially get my degree. Oh yeah... and trying to figure out how I'm going to teach next year. Busy, busy!

short and sweet

2009-06-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

I've been back from my vacation for a few days now, but I haven't had much time to update my blog. In fact, don't be expecting too much going on here until August because I will be spending almost all of my time writing my thesis.

I was able to see my family and friends in Cali and Washington. The trip felt like it went by too fast, but I did get my fill of yummy mexican food. The first few days were spent up at my brother's house where we played with my niece. She can say about four words now: mama, dada, iiiiiccccceeee, and shooozzz. I believe those are four of her favorite things! Although if she could say 'computer', that would also be one of her core words. She loves pushing buttons, and jumped on my lap once I opened my laptop.

Third Place

2009-05-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked my last day of student teaching. Instead of being in the classroom, I was with a group of students that had been working on designing their own wind blades for a competition that occurred yesterday at the local university. Here is a link to the Bangor Daily News that will give you more information about the competition. I was really excited that my students were able to share about the process they went through to design their blades, and to celebrate coming in third place out of twenty-five teams. I was actually quoted by the paper - that made me laugh! I was especially proud of them because they had to go first in the competition where the governor of Maine watched over their shoulders as they placed their wind blades on the testing device, and also had four tv cameras surrounding them. Oh yeah... the whole crowd was watching too! Our classroom tests had only consisted of using a large box fan to determine the optimal pitch of the blades. So when the governor switched on the huge fans, I held my breath hoping that everything would stay together. The students had last minute difficulties with getting the hub together (which included using some hot glue and duct tape), so I had worries that something may come undone now that it was turning at such a high speed. But the hub held together, and our students' design set a high bar that only two other teams were able to surpass.

Today I turned in the last of my graded tests and gave a big thank you to my wonderful mentor teacher. I'm going to miss being there everyday, but I'm also ready to go on vacation - where it's warm!! So long mid-60's... hello mid-90's! Hmm... where did I put that sunblock?

Spring

2009-05-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

There are a few signs around here that indicate it's spring. One of them I was expecting, and the other one was a pleasant surprise. When I first moved out to Maine, I was served fiddleheads for the first time. I'm not an expert at where they grow, but I've heard that you can pick them near the river. They taste like a combination of asparagus and artichoke hearts, and I like to dunk them in mayo. The stores carry them for a limited amount of time, so we have been trying to eat them lately. Rob even made fiddlehead soup!

The surprise I had was that I realized that there were bulbs planted along the side of my house. And to make it even better, they are purple flowers!! I just got my lawnmower up and running, so I can really see them (they were a bit hidden behind the overgrown grass).

This is my last week of student teaching, and then I'll be heading out to California to visit family and friends. Oh yeah.... and to get going on writing up my thesis!

Live long and prosper

2009-05-08T05:10:00.000-07:00

Hey all you trekkies - you should run, not walk, to go see the new Star Trek movie! I was a bit skeptical whether or not this movie would do justice to the original series, and I was pleasantly surprised. To be honest I'm more of next generation fan, so I'm not the harshest critic, but even the die-hard fans (yes there were some that had on their pointy ears) seemed to enjoy the movie. And for all you non-trekkies... I still think you would get a kick out of it, and maybe even become the next generation of fans!!

The next few weeks

2009-04-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

The next few weeks are going to be busy for me. I will be:

Finishing my student teaching (May 15th)
Starting to write my thesis
Get more data for my thesis
Working on some assessment reports
Getting ready to head to California for two weeks
Finish moving stuff back into my office
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

It's a bittersweet time because I am enjoying my teaching time so much, and I'm sad to have to leave in three weeks. I didn't cover as much material as I wanted, but the concepts we did cover, I felt went really well. I am looking forward to visiting everyone out in California and enjoying some warmer weather. I'll be visiting the family early on in the visit, and then I'll be heading to Santa Rosa for Memorial Day weekend. Then my mom and I are heading up to Washington to visit my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I will be coming back home in time to start teaching summer school at the University - and then write my thesis!

On a lighter note, I found some ladies to scrapbook with on Craigslist. We are meeting together for the first time in a couple of weeks, and I'm so excited to find fellow scrappers in the area. I need the motivation to get my projects done... or at least worked on. I've been slacking ever since I started my graduate program.

Have I mentioned fiddleheads before?? I'll have to check my past posts. To be continued...

prayer request

2009-04-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I applied for a teaching position today at the school that I'm currently student teaching. I would appreciate prayers that God will bless this process of finding a teaching position, even if it ends up being at another school. The position that I'm applying for is only a mathematics teaching position, and I'm hoping that it will turn out to be a combination of math and science. I've heard through the grapevine that this may be an opportunity, but that is not for sure at this time. I know that my first teaching gig is going to be difficult, but rewarding, and I hope to end up at a school where I can work with other amazing teachers.

Cheers =)

keeping busy

2009-04-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

I've been told that my blog hasn't been updated in a while. Well, that's partly because I've been busy and partly because I'm lazy. My "busy" time has been spent putting in a new floor in my upstairs room, teaching stuff, and getting my portfolio together so that I can start applying for jobs. The floor is almost done. We got the laminate sections in, and all I have left is to install the shoe molding. That flooring was kind of a pain, especially because my original floor is not what you would call 'level'. Although now that is it in, the floor doesn't squeak anymore, so that's a plus. I'm hoping to finish up that project this weekend, but I also have to get my portfolio done, so I'm not sure which one (or both) is going to get finished.

In two weeks is my spring break (yeah!) All the snow is melting here, and I'm hoping that it will warm up enough to actually spend some time outside. I think I'll be heading over to the California area at the end of May, early June time. Hopefully I'll have enough time to see all of you in the bay area and Santa Rosa.

Snow Day

2009-02-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Last night we got hit with a bunch of snow. I was a bit concerned that the snow would stop in the middle of the night and that I would have to try to get my van out of my driveway on my way to school. My alarm went off at 6am and I (conveniently) had my laptop on my bedstand so that I could check if there was a snow day... and there was! This is a bittersweet gift - this entire break I've been sick, so it was nice to have a 'bonus' day, but as I walked downstairs this morning, I realized that I'll be spending a good part of my day shoveling snow. Here are some pic's ma!

Additonal note: Once I finally got the nerve up to go outside, I found that the snow in my walkways and my driveway was up past my knees! I am very fortunate to have a loving boyfriend who helped me clear off all the snow. Now I need an advil for my backpain.... if it wasn't so pretty, I might not think it was worth all the work!!

Ahhh... break

2009-02-14T06:35:00.000-08:00

This next week is 'winter break', which means I can spend the next week in my pj's. Actually, I am going to try and finish fixing up my spare bedroom. All it needs is a little painting and putting new floors down. Aside from the house stuff, I think I am going to try and do a bit of ice-fishing, movie watching, cribbage, knitting, and sleeping in... ahhh it just sounds so good.

Oh, and happy Valentines Day!

and she walks....

2009-01-31T15:25:00.000-08:00

All I can say is that she is so darn cute!! and now she's mobile!

So far, so good.

2009-01-21T16:55:00.000-08:00

Today I finished my second day of student teaching, and so far it's been a breeze. It helps that the students are still finishing their midterms, so there aren't really any classes to teach right now. Also, I will only be observing at first, so I don't have too many responsibilities yet. The hardest part has been getting up so early - something I'm not used to. Although, last week I did spend almost everyday in a middle school classroom collecting data for my thesis, which required early rising.

Other news... I went (attempted) snowboarding this last weekend when we had about 18" of new snow. I'm more than a bit rusty, and hopefully I'll get several more chances to hone my skills out on the slopes this season. I did wisely invest in some knee pads and wrist guards, and I think I would have been much more sore without these items.

When we got home, my driveway was covered with all this lovely new snow, and Rob and I spent a couple of hours shoveling it so that I could get in and out. I've also (with the help of friends) fixed my frozen pipe issue - I hope! I added insulation around the pipes, although I had to remove some of my ceiling to reach them. The last two nights it's been pretty cold and I've had a working shower each morning. Yeah! My next home project is replacing or painting the floor in my spare bedroom. good times =)

Do you know the temperature in Ocho Rios?

2009-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

I do! As I type this, it's 82F - don't you wish you were there? I do! I wish this is where I said that I was heading there next week. That would be especially nice since the high temperature around here is about 14 degrees. Actually, I'm interested in the weather in Ocho Rios, Jamaica because that is where my parents are right now. They are enjoying a well-deserved, fun and relaxing vacation on the beach. I can't wait to see pictures!

I do have good news, even though I'm not on my way to Jamaica right now. I have a plow-truck angel. It snowed about six inches a couple of days ago, and while I was busy studying for my test, someone plowed my driveway. Yeah! Thank you plow-truck angel. =)

New York, NY

2008-12-30T06:21:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas Rob and I boarded a bus and headed towards New York City. We had a bit of a slow start since we missed the first bus out of Florida, but we only had to wait two hours for the next one. We arrived in the city a little after noon and headed straight towards Times Square to buy some tickets to a Broadway show. We decided to go to a matinee of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, and we loved it! The set was amazing, the singing was great, and the story gave us several chuckles. After the show we went to check into our hotel room which was only a few blocks from Rockefeller center. We spent the next couple of hours hiking around the city just taking in the sights. It was amazingly crowded - people everywhere!! We finally settled on a restaurant right near Times Square and then headed to a comedy club around the corner. We were a little late to the show, which meant they sat us up front. Rob got picked on a little bit from one of the comedians, but all in all it was a fun time.

During our hike around the city, we stopped by Rockefeller Center, but it was packed so we decided to come back the next morning. Sure enough, it was a lot more pleasant the next morning and we were able to quickly get our ice skates and get on the ice. We were a bit wobbly out there, but had a lot of fun. Below is a video of me skating - see if you can spot me!

The tree at the center was beautiful and the center of attraction. It was difficult to get a picture without someone walking in front of you. I was surprised to see that the ice rink was below the surface level, and a lot smaller than it looks like on tv.

It was a bit of a misty day, but not too cold so we decided to take the subway out to Central Park. I got us a little lost (took an express train instead of a local train), but we eventually got there. The park is a nice escape from the crowds, and I imagine it's so much more beautiful in the fall. All the snow was melted, so it was a bit muddy out, but we enjoyed seeing the sights.

Then we took the subway to the financial district where we saw the construction going on where the twin towers once stood. It was difficult to get a good look, but there is a pedestrian walkway that has a limited view of the construction sight. They also had posters of what the new building will look like, but I imagine it's going to take quite a while to finish.

We headed back to our hotel to pick up our bags, but on the way I wanted to check out Sacs on Fifth Avenue. They had a fun window display and about ten stories worth of clothes, shoes, make-up, etc! We checked out the designer clothes and smirked at the price tags. We saw a fur coat that cost $16,000! There was one floor that had almost all shoes - ladies this was great! I just wish I had more money in my bank account. Oh well, they were fun to look at. On our way out of the store, we had a celebrity run in with Jane Krakowski. She walked right next to me and I recognized her, but forgot her name. I could only whisper to Rob - "That was the blonde lady from 30 Rock." She must have been doing some after-Christmas shopping =)

That was about it! We got our bags and headed to the port authority to catch our bus. We spent another day at Rob's parents' house and then drove back to Maine. I was worried that my driveway would need to be shoveled out, but most of the snow on the ground was melted away. Although I woke up this morning to a fresh blanket of snow. I don't think it's going to amount to much, but it looks nice.

my visit

2008-12-24T21:51:00.000-08:00

My visit to California is almost over - I fly out tomorrow morning for New York to visit Rob and his family. While I was here, I visited my fun lady friends in the bay area. It's so great to catch up and talk... and talk... and talk. I spent the rest of my visit hanging out with the family and pampering my niece.

We had our Christmas celebration a few days early, and Olivia had more fun playing with the wrapping paper than actually enjoying her presents. She is such a cutie and so fun to play with. Last time I saw her, she could only spin around on her bottom, but now she is crawling around all over the place. I'm sure next time I see her, she will be walking and talking.

Well, it wasn't a warm visit, but I was able to relax and not have to worry about shoveling out my driveway. Rob and I will be in New York city this Friday and Saturday, and we are going to try and hit all the tourist traps - ice skating in Rockafeller center, seeing a broadway show, visiting the empire state building, and maybe trying to get on the Today show.

High 40's

2008-12-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously people? I just checked the forcast for over in Oakdale and I saw that it will be in the high 40's, low 50's for the next week WITH rain. Okay, I know it is winter, but where is the sunshine?? I guess I have to bring my jacket.

All done... well, with one project

2008-12-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

Zoey has been helping me make my latest quilting project - a Christmas tree skirt for a friend in California. Even though it took longer than I expected, it was nice to have a non-school project going on when I needed a break. Zoey was really good with taking out pins, rearranging fabric that I had neatly laid out, and sitting on my lap while I was working on the sewing maching. I have more fabric to make up to three more skirts, but they may have to wait until next Christmas.

I put this picture of my house on my blog for two reasons... my mom wanted to see what my house looked like in the snow, and I wanted to remember what it looked like in the snow. Some people were happy that the temperature raised 20 degrees to a record high of 56, but that included rain that melted all the snow. Oh well, maybe when I get back there will be more white stuff =)

next week

2008-12-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

This time next week I will be:
1. In California
2. Enjoying the warmer weather
3. Missing my cats... and Rob
4. Trying to get my Christmas shopping done.
5. So so so so so happy my semester is over!!!

For all of those out there in California, I wish I could say that I was going to be spending a lot of time visiting everyone, but it turns out that this is only going to be a quick trip. I have to get back because I'll be in the classroom collecting my thesis data the first two weeks of January, and then I will be student teaching for the rest of the semester. I met the teacher that I will be student teaching with today, and I'm very excited about the experience. I'll only be teaching physics, and the classes are extremely small, but I'm hoping to get some really good teaching experience. At least I get to give homework assignments instead of completing them =)

On another note, I really feel like a grinch this year. I did not decorate at all. Not one string of lights or even a wreath on my front door. I just couldn't justify spending all that time putting stuff up when I knew that I was going to be away for the holidays. Next time I will just have to start decorating the day after halloween so that I get to enjoy it. At least when I come home I won't have to put any decorations away.... who am I kidding?? I miss having a Christmas tree!! I think I'm going to go bake some cookies - at least it will smell like Christmas.

just in time

2008-11-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year that people are wondering, 'when is the first snow storm of the season going to happen?'... I'll tell you. As soon as I get my snow tires on my van. I remember last year I got them put on the day before a big storm hit. And earlier this week I made an appointment to get my tires put on this Friday. Today I heard that a storm is coming through on Monday. I have to say that I appreciate mother nature waiting until I could find time in my schedule to get my winter tires put on... that was very considerate. Maybe she can figure out a way to snow everywhere except for my driveway =)

counting the days

2008-11-17T21:52:00.000-08:00

I usually could care less about how many days are left in a semester of school -- until this semester. I now count 28 calendar days, and 16 school days left until break. Don't get me wrong, I actually like school, but this semester has wore me down. Thanks goodness for coffee to keep me awake and beer for keeping me sane. =) back to homework...

The wonderful world of cats

2008-11-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

Last night I discovered just another reason I love my cats. They are portable heaters! (Mom, I am staying warm enough - stop worrying.) Last night I was doing homework downstairs until late in the night and it got a bit chilly. I could have turned up my heat but I was heading to bed. I got under my comfortor, but the sheets were cold - not very pleasant. Then my wonderful cats started to snuggle in beside me. Two went down under my covers to my feet and the other one was content to sit on my chest. In a matter of no time I was enjoying my heaters and I was nice and toasty... almost too toasty. To my cat's dissapointment I ended up getting too hot and I made them all sleep on top of the covers off of me.

Time to stop your complaining

2008-11-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

The election is over - finally!! No more political signs on front lawns or annoying commercials on the tv... and no more complaining from you democrats!! Some of you know that I supported McCain's ideas more than I did of Obama, although it was a hard choice for me. I think both candidates sincerely want to improve the US and that is a good thing. I'm going to support and honor Obama because he's my president. I know I'm going to get a lot of slack for voting for McCain, and I'm alright with that. I just voted for the person that had similar economic and moral ideals as myself and who I though would do the best for this country. Now my prayers are with Obama that he keeps us safe and leads our country in the right direction... wherever that may be.

Halloween

2008-11-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

I'm always excited about Halloween... yes, it's the time of year to celebrate my birthday, but it's also the time of year to dress up, carve pumpkins, and eat lots of candy. I had a few friends over to help me accept that I turned 32 this year. I had a table set up so people could carve their pumpkins (yes, I wait until the night before Halloween) and I think we all did a pretty good job.

Rob made me an amazing pumpkin spice cake that was shaped like a real pumpkin! The picture above is a little fuzzy, but you may be able to notice that he used a real pumpkin stem in the center. He is so creative!! I appreciate that he didn't have 32 candles on the cake - it would have been a fire hazard.

This year I decided to stay home for Halloween and give out candy to the kids in the neighborhood. I wasn't sure how much of a crowd that I would get, but I got a big bag of candy and hoped for the best. It turned out that TONS of kids trick-or-treat on my street. I actually ran out of candy at about 7:00 and had to run down to the store to get more. I have to say, it was even more fun than I imagined. All the kids were super cute and very excited to be getting candy. Another successful Halloween!

Don't forget to vote!!

Extreme Hazard

2008-10-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

This last week my parents flew out from California to visit me and to see the fall foliage. The first day they got to know Portland, and then they headed up to Bangor for the rest of the visit. While they were here we visited Bar Harbor, Lubec, Campobello, and watched the Red Sox.

The trip to Bar Harbor was first, but it turned out to be harder to get to than we thought. Rob's brakes on his jeep began to smoke about halfway there, and we ended up spending most of the afternoon waiting for repairs to be done. We ended up renting a car for the weekend since Rob's jeep had to stay in the shop... but the car that we rented smelled like a chemical plant! We think someone spilled a bottle of cleaner in the backseat, so we drove around with the windows down until we got back to Bangor, where we rented ANOTHER car (that one worked out great). While on the island, we took them up to Cadillac mountain to enjoy the views. My mom guessed that we were at least 4000 feet up, but really it's only about 1500 ft, although I found out recently that it's the highest coastal mountain in the US. Next we headed down to Bar Harbor to do some shopping and eat some dinner.

The next day we set off for Lubec, which is downeast on the coast of Maine. On the way there we enjoyed the fall colors. We saw these fields of red plants that were amazing (so we stopped to take a picture) and later on we figured out that they were blueberry bushes.

There is a bridge to an island called Campobello (actually in Canada) from Lubec where Roosevelt had their family summer "cottage". After checking into our bed and breakfast we headed over to Canada to check it out. Here are a couple of pics from the Roosevelt camp (I actually forgot to get a pic of the actual cottage, but here are the grounds)...

Nice backyard, huh?

Next we headed to the end of the island just to explore and we found a lighthouse. To get to this particular lighthouse, you need to cross a few places that are covered when the tide is up. We got there at the end of the low tide and we (Rob, my dad, and me - my mom stayed behind - smart lady) decided that it was probably safe enough to get out there. Here is the sign and the trail that we had to cross to get out there... would you have tried it?? (NOTE: the sign is not exaggerating when it says the tide rises 5 ft/hr!! This area is known for extremely large tide levels. I think it's around 40-50 feet!)

Here's the lighthouse that we risked to go see...

We were out there about fifteen minutes, and then we heard my mom saying that she heard a whale. Sure enough there was a fin-back whale just off the coastline spouting off water. We also saw some seals swimming around the rocks near us. It was amazing to see the whale so close to us! Then we started to head back to the car, and we heard my mom yelling again... although this time the news wasn't so good. Our path was covered in water!! We started booking it back and made it across before the water got too deep. My shoes got a little wet, but I didn't mind. At least we didn't have to spend eight hours stranded out there! Here's Rob about to wade across:

We headed back to Lubec to get some dinner, and after dinner we walked from our bed and breakfast down to the local bar. I guess the locals get together regularly on Sunday nights with and sing along with a guy who plays the guitar. It was pretty fun hanging out with them and they tried to get us to sing along.

The next day we stopped at one more lighthouse and drove home (stopped at Helen's for some pie). That was the end of the fun for my parents - just kidding. After that I put them to work on my new house. They worked on so much stuff the next couple of days - fixed a roof leak, replaced the ceiling, put in a new gutter, put up new curtains, installed a doorbell, and tons more! I gave them a break on Friday so we could do a bit of antique shopping and had lunch at the Coffee Pot (must have for visiting Bangor).

My parents also got their fair share of lobster while they were out here. They timed their visit just right because the lobster prices were at a all time low. Only about $5 a pound! We had a lobster feast on Tuesday night with Mindi, Ben and her parents that were visiting from Minnesota. My mom came with me to the store to pick out the lobsters. We were a bit squeamish watching them being put into bags. Luckily I wasn't the person who had to put them in the pot! Here's the table right before we dug in:

Overall I think they had a pretty good trip. They hit the fall colors perfectly and most everything was still open (stores close down here on the coast for winter). Hopefully I didn't work them too hard!! I've already started my to-do list for next time =)

I'm tired....

2008-10-03T18:47:00.001-07:00

This last week has been a blur. I've been doing homework, going to class, and in my free time I've been trying to unpack. The weather has made moving a slow process. It's been raining a lot, so I've been moving loads over in my party-van. People make fun of my minivan, but it sure has come in handy this last week!!

I'm almost all moved in, although it will take a while to really get settled. The parents are coming out next week, so I'll be working on getting the place into top shape. We moved the cats over a few nights ago, and they are in the process of adjusting - finding places to hide and windows to look out.

It's fall and the trees have been changing color. We are planning on driving up the Maine coast while the 'rents are here to explore some of the places Rob and I haven't visited yet. In the meantime, I'll be up to the same ole' stuff... unpacking and goofing off! and homework of course - blah

Sewing Machine Cover

2008-09-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

While I was back in California, my mom's good friend let me borrow a few quilting books to give me a bit of inspiration. One of the projects was a sewing machine cover that used a log cabin design. For the non-quilters, it doesn't really look like a cabin - it's a pattern of starting out with a small center square and building off of it. Anyway, it was my first time to try something like this out, and I think it went pretty good. Again, I'm glad I started with a small project because I learned a lot on the way and I was actually able to get it done in a reasonable amount of time.

Mom - pass this picture and my thanks on to Chris!

My new house... almost

2008-09-15T18:38:00.001-07:00

I'm officially in contract (that's escrow for you west-coasters) for a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath home in Bangor. I took a bunch a pictures during my home inpection today. Click here to check them out. If everything goes well, then the house will close on September 30th - that's only about two weeks away!! Things are going quickly, but I'm so excited about moving into my own place. It was built in 1910 so it has a bit of old-house charm, but it's been rennovated so much that I really don't have to do anything except move in.

Enjoy the pictures and I hope you can all visit soon! I'll have an extra bedroom =)

Going.... going... gone!

2008-09-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

That's right - summer is gone! We were able to do a bit of goofing off before school started this week. On Saturday we went on a seven mile hike up through Gulf Hagas (i.e. Maine's "grand canyon"). The hike started with us trekking across a cold stream; I didn't get a picture because I was holding my shoes in one hand and a walking stick in the other. Then we walked along part of the Appalachian Trail system until we arrived at the "Rim Trail" that runs along the canyon. The trail was fairly mild except for some bouldering and questionable log bridges.

Along the way we came across amazing waterfalls and views of the gulf. I was surprised that something this beautiful is only a little over an hour drive from Bangor. Next time we are going to pack a picnic lunch and our bathing suits so we can relax by one of the pools. The water was a bit chilly, but it felt good after we had been hiking for so long. Click here for more pictures of our hike. There are some drive in camp sites near the trail head that we hope to try out in the near future. They are right on the river so Harley can play in the water.

Now we are back in school - Rob is teaching and I am learning (trying to learn!) We can't believe how quickly our summer time has flown by. The weather here has been so nice and I wish we had more time to explore more of Maine before we get bogged down with school stuff.

I have also been busy with looking for a house to buy in Bangor. The housing market is great for buyers like me, so I'm hoping to get something for a bargain. I looked at 13 houses last week, and we will be looking at at least that many more this week. I'm looking forward to someday soon posting a picture of my new house!! In the meantime, I'll be busy doing homework =)

What is a oyster midden?

2008-08-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

The last four days I have been at the Darling Marine Center for more of the IDEAS teacher workshop series. I even learned a few things while I was there, and one of those things is finding out what an oyster midden is. Turns out, it's a fancy term for a oyster landfill that was made by people quite a few years ago. This particular midden was on both sides of the river, and in some spots it is 15 feet high, 75 feet wide and 150 feet inland. There is still confusion on why people threw away their shells in the same place for so many years, and it is quite amazing the volume of shells that are there. The picture above shows a close up of the pile of shells, and the picture below is a big pile of them that are across the river from where we were standing. (The white-looking stuff is the shell pile)

Another activity for the teachers (Mindi and I also got in on the fun) was to build an infrared Wiimote. Each of the teachers has the ability to enable Bluetooth on their computers, and there is a software program out there that allows them to use an ordinary Wii remote with these infrared remotes so that one can manipulate your computer from the projected image at the front of your classroom. We found this to be useful for scrolling on a website and other simple tasks. The Wii remote is very sensitive to changes in the way you direct the infrared light, so sometimes it seemed difficult to "hold down" the cursor. It was also a first for many of the teachers to do any soldering - it felt like we were in craft time! The picture below shows many of the teachers making their infrared pointers, and Mindi and I are in the back trying to see if we wired our diode up correctly with our camera phone (it can detect infrared). The original directions had us wire it backwards and we had to do some modifications. Unfortunately for me, I rewired my diode backwards twice! I finally figured it out after a little teasing from Mindi.

Another technology the teachers are trying to incorporate into their classrooms it "The Wall". In Maine, each middle school student gets a Mac laptop to use during the school year. It's an amazing opportunity to increase students' computer knowledge at a young age, and the IDEAS project is hoping to incorporate computer modeling (with a focus on climate change) into the classroom. The Wall is an array of laptops that has the advantage of displaying large images with extremely high resolution. The picture below is an example of one of the computer modeling images displayed on The Wall. It's pretty cool, but the teachers are still having difficulty figuring out how this "neat" technology will increase student learning.

Okay... it wasn't all work. We actually did have time to play. We played cribbage, Oh Hell, Frisbee, basketball, did a bit of hiking, and the last night we crowded around the campfire singing songs and goofing off.

This retreat was a great way for us to get to know the teachers, and in the school year to come we will be visiting their classrooms as part of our thesis research. It's going to be a great opportunity to see them all again and get a few hints of how to teach middle school.

Time change

2008-08-07T23:05:00.001-07:00

I just got back to Maine yesterday after spending the night on the plane without much sleep. Today I slept in until 2:00 (yes, I am a slacker!), and now it's 2:00am and I can't sleep. I guess my internal clock hasn't adjusted yet. So I thought it would be a good time to update my blog. My last posting gave a very brief overview of my California trip, and now I will fill in some of the blanks.

Above is a picture of a happy Robby about to eat his taco-truck burrito and tacos. He was able to get his last bit of Mexican food before he flew back to Maine. We are still working on perfecting our at-home versions to recreate this tasty dish.

This next picture was taken of the sun in Redding one afternoon. We were up there visiting some of Robby's friends and my brother's family. It was incredibly smoky because of all the wildfires in the area. We had heard that the smoke was bad in California, but we never imagined that it was this bad. It smelled like you were constantly next to a campfire and the haze blocked out the surrounding landscape. Needless to say, we felt sorry for those people who have to deal with the smoke everyday. I was able to spend some time with my little niece when I went up to Red Bluff with Robby, and I also went back up there a few days before I left California to help them paint their living room. Here is a link to more pictures of my niece and our trip.

I spent the last week before I left visiting friends in Santa Rosa and the surrounding bay area. I was lucky enough to hang out with some wonderful women that I used to be with regularly when I lived in Santa Rosa. We spent a whole day catching up with each other, getting a massage, and going out to eat at a fabulous restaurant in downtown San Jose. I couldn't have imagined a better "girl-time" experience with those wonderful ladies!

I also was able to stay with my great friend, Christy, while I was in Santa Rosa. She took me rock climbing in her gym and we make a tasty Indian dish that I plan to try to recreate at home. She is also the one who has gotten me hooked on the holiday-spiced coffee from Trader Joe's, and has been shipping it to me ever since I have left. Being the curious scientist, she decided to try to figure out exactly what spices they use in their coffee so that we might be able to recreate it all through the year instead of having to stock up on it during the winter time. She meticulously picked out all the spices from a coffee jar before I got there, and then we separated the spices and tried to figure out the proportions. Then we set up a taste-test experiment to see if we could adequately recreate our favorite coffee using our own spices. Below is one of our three batches that we brewed:

The results of our experiment weren't totally conclusive. I believe we got darn close to the spice mixture, although more testing needs to be done, right Christy??!!

Now that I'm back in Maine, I will be busy with workshops, my thesis research, and trying to enjoy the last bit of summer. Thanks to all of you who made my California vacation so fun!!

Best Man

2008-07-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Robby was the "best man" in a wedding this past weekend while we were in Oakdale. We spent the days leading up to the wedding visiting local friends and family, and I finally met the bride and groom. She is Hispanic and he is Icelandic - yes! from Iceland!! Rob has known them for about six years, but this was the first time I was able to visit with them. I quickly found out that the bride LOVES to karaoke, and we spent one night at a local bar where she could show off her talents. She also sang "At Last" at the wedding reception for her lucky groom. Speaking of the groom... he is Rob's long lost twin. They both teach English and have similar personalities. It was no wonder they were such good friends.

During this last week we have visited people in Modesto, Stockton, Redding, and Red Bluff. Lot's of driving(!), but it was worth it to catch up with some friends that we haven't seen in quite some time. Rob flew back home last night and is now cleaning up after my cats since they have had the house to themselves this past week. I'm up in Santa Rosa doing some more visiting in this area. I'm planning on ending my trip back up in Red Bluff where my brother lives. I'm going to paint his front room - they don't like the current sea-foam green. Plus I will get more time to play with my niece, which is always one of my favorite things to do.

Camping

2008-07-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Day 1:
On Tuesday we decided to try and go camping before travel out to California next week. Last year we were able to make it up to Mooselookmeguntic near Rangeley, Maine. This year we decided to pack up the car and check out a few campsites closer to Bangor. First we checked out Pushaw Lake Campground, although we were only looking there to see if it would be a good place for Rob's family to go camp there. This campground is minutes from Bangor, and we decided that it should be labeled more of a RV park than a campground. We didn't actually see any tents, and most of the RV's looked like they had been there quite awhile.

Next we went to a campground on Branch Lake, which is about 20 miles south-east of Bangor. The lake was beautiful, but the campground was once again crowed with RV's. The gazetteer showed a "primitive campground" on the south side of the lake, but this site has now become a day use only facility.

We decided to give up on the bigger campgrounds listed in the gazetteer because we assumed they would just be more of the same... RV cities. We heard there were primitive campsites on Donnell Pond and Tunk Lake. The map had small roads heading to these areas, although we were told that most of these were boat-in campsites only. We made it up to about a half a mile from one of the campsites at Donnell Pond, but we didn't pack to hike in our gear, so we decided to try driving to the sites at Tunk Lake. The road in the gazetteer seemed to get right up to the primitive campsites at Tunk Lake, but this road ended up being extremely rocky and steep. We did a bit of 4-wheeling and even crossed a precarious bridge before coming upon a huge drain pipe in the road that was impassable. Here I am checking out the bridge... this was on the way back, so we were hoping it would hold for us to go over again.

Rob was a little stressed driving along this road. For some reason he wasn't so excited with me when I was taking his picture while he maneuvered around the boulders in the road.

By this time we had spent many hours driving around, and Harley was extremely bored and probably a bit confused why we kept getting out to look at campsites while she had to stay in the car. She didn't mind the bumpy roads since she had a pretty comfy bed in the backseat.

We did see some wildlife on our drive out to Tunk Lake. This little guy was walking along the road and could care less that we were driving by. He did stop for a second to glance up at us, but then went on walking along the road. This was my first porcupine sighting and I was amused by the slow and goofy way he walked.

Our next stop was Lamoine State Park on the way back west. This campground is on Frenchman Bay just above Acadia State Park. This campground had less RV's, but it still felt like a little city. We were able to catch the sun setting on the bay before we left.

By this time you would think we would have quit and went home, but we were still hopeful to find a campground on a lake that wasn't too crowded. So we headed to Toddy Pond, which is just south of Bangor. Well.... no luck. We drove into two campsites and both of those had back-to-back RV's. It was about 9:00pm and we threw in the towel. We stopped at McDonalds for dinner and made it home in time to see the end of the All Star game. This is Rob and me defeated after a long day of driving, although we both agree we saw some beautiful areas and look forward to hitting some of those boat-in campsites once we get a canoe.

Day 2:
We decided to get up early the next day and head up to Mooselookmeguntic since we knew we would end up at a campsite that we would like. On the way up there we saw this sign:

Rob and I have lived in Maine for a short while, but we have always been on the lookout for a moose. Neither of us had seen one even though there are these kinds of signs all over Maine. In fact, we were wondering if there were actually any moose in Maine or whether it was a huge marketing scam trying to get tourists up here. After we set up camp and did a bit of swimming, we decided to take a drive around the lake in search of a moose. I had serious doubts that we would see one, but Rob was hopeful. After driving for about 30 minutes, Rob shouts, "I saw a moose!" He quickly turned the car around and we slowed down on the side of the road. Sure enough, there it was! It didn't have a rack, so we think it was a female - but we are far from moose experts. I tried to take a picture, but it was too dark for it to show up. Good job Rob on our first moose sighting!!

We also had some wildlife at our campsite. A bunch of ducks came up to visit and Rob fed them a little bread. Harley discovered that ducks are fun to chase, and she swam out to the ducks many times, although the ducks had no problem keeping away from her. They were a bit frustrated because Harley was keeping them away from their bread.

There were also tons of frogs all over the campsite. They were so tiny that we almost stepped on them before we realized what they were. There were a few larger ones, but most of them weren't much bigger than a dime.

We spend the rest of the night cooking dinner and playing cribbage by the campfire. There was a wild thunderstorm when we went to bed - luckily the tent is waterproof, otherwise we would have been soaked. The next morning we ate our oatmeal, I drank some cocoa, and then we packed up. Next time we are hoping to stay longer!!

My 'bucks

2008-07-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

I knew that the economy was in a tough spot these last few years because of the drop in housing prices and the rising fuel costs, but I never thought it would affect my Starbucks! Last October a Starbucks opened up a few blocks from my house, and I celebrated this because I previously had to drive across town to enjoy my tall, non-fat latte. Today I made my daily latte pickup before my class, and the barista at the window recognized that I was a regular (yes, I do go there a lot!) and told me that they were one of the 600 Starbucks stores that will be closing. Needless to say I drank my morning coffee with tears in my eyes!!

More quilting

2008-06-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here is my first project that I did from start to finish all by myself. I got the idea from a quilting magazine that I recently purchased, and I decided to start with this one because the design required a bit of intricacy, but it was small enough that I wouldn't get too frustrated if things went wrong. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I also learned a lot, which I guess is the point. I also had a lot of fun!!

I started with sewing together various pairs of patterned strips, and then I cut those so that I would have two squares instead of cutting each square out individually - this was a tip from my mom (thanks!!). Then I laid out each of the inner squares to make sure I had a fairly random pattern, and then I sewed them together to make the 4-block squares. I then made sure the edges were square, but I didn't make sure they were the right size (next time!). Then I sewed together the 4-block squares and the larger squares to make the entire inner pattern.

The "piping" is just a piece of fabric folded over and the raw end is sewed to the raw edge of the inner pattern. I had also sewn together the border strips of squares, and I tried to sew the border strips along with the piping at the same time. This didn't work so well, and I'm not really sure how to fix that one. More practice, I guess. The piping thickness didn't come out even, and it was hard to see when I was sewing it. After I got all of that done, I basted the back material with some filling and the top layer. Then I tried some hand quilting - stitching in the ditch around the 4-blocks in the center. This was a lot harder than I thought!! My stitches are not very uniform, but it was good practice. I think next time I will just use the sewing machine.

I'm ready for my next project, but I'm not sure what it's going to be yet. Maybe something a little bigger this time.

Bald Mountain

2008-06-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went for a short, but steep hike that was near Bangor. We had a little trouble finding the trail head, but once we did we walked along a beautiful tree covered trail that ran along Bald Mountain. Then we hit a granite fire road that headed right up the mountain. No switch-backs or alternate routes... just up. We checked out the view a few times on the way up (actually we were just catching our breath) and finally made it to the top.

We knew there was going to be the fire lookout, but we were a bit surprised to see all of the cell phone and radio towers also on top of the mountain. Not exactly the most picturesque summit, but the view from up there was incredible. Some of us decided to climb the fire tower even though the wooden steps seemed questionable. I'm glad we did because you could see for miles around from up there.

It's only a 1.4 mile hike round trip, so we were quickly back in our air conditioned car and headed back to Bangor. A nice hike for a busy weekend.

Another visit is around the corner

2008-06-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

In just about a month Rob and I will be visiting California, and I'm hoping to see you all this time because I'm planning on staying longer. We'll be arriving on July 19th and I'll be staying until August 5th. I think we will stay in the Oakdale area the first week because Rob is the best man in his friend's wedding on July 26th. I imagine he has lot of "best man" duties to fulfill in the days leading up to the wedding.

I'm looking forward to heading to the bay area and Santa Rosa to see all of you!! Start giving me some good dates that we can get together.

A little lovin' going on...

2008-06-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the last day of school for Robby and one of his teacher friends had a backyard cookout to celebrate the occasion. We were all sitting in a circle around the firepit listening to friends play the guitar when I noticed some strange flashes happening off in the woods. At first I thought I was just imagining things, then someone said "Aren't those lightning bugs beautiful?". I couldn't believe what I was seeing!! It looked hundreds of tiny camera flashes going off, and some were happening within a few feet from where I was sitting.

Last night I was very curious how these little bugs made such bright flashes, and why did they do it? I spent a little while this morning doing some internet searches on lightning bugs (also known as fireflies), and I found out that they generally create these flashes as a mating ritual. A female firefly hangs out on the grass or branch waiting for a light show from a male firefly. When she sees the light pattern she likes, then she flashes him back. How romantic =)

Yet the question remained, how do they make such a bright light? It seems like there is a bit of chemistry going on (no pun intended). This website says, "Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat." Very cool!

Well, there is your science lesson for the day. I wish I could of captured a picture of the little bugs last night to share with you, but I think it is something you have to come out here to experience for yourself.

Cowboy Up!

2008-06-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend we drove down to Rob's parent's house for his dad's 65th birthday party. It was "cowboy" themed with redneck horseshoes, BBQ, and lots of watermelon. Below is the birthday boy holding his grandaughter while they blow out the birthday candles. The cake said "Happy Birthday Buckaroo" and was decorated with cowpies =)

Below is grandpa with the grandkids! Even though it was hot and humid, we think he had a great party. A lot of their family live in their town, so people were stopping in all day. We finished the night hanging out on the porch and playing a lively game of cribbage. Good times!

The Finished Product

2008-06-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

My mom was able to finish the quilt we started on Mother's day and bring it up for Olivia. You did a great job Mom!! And it looks like Olivia like's it too.

An ichy situation

2008-06-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

While I lived in California, I took numerous mountain bike rides and hikes through parks filled with poison oak, and I watched many of my friends suffer the consequenses. I shrugged my shoulders and thought it was a bummer for them, but was secretly proud of my body for not having any alergic reactions. Well, on this side of the country my body has decided to turn on me. On Memorial Day weekend we headed down to New York to visit Rob's family, and during our time there we helped his parents with a bit of yard work. Not only did I leave with a painful sunburn, I guess I also came in contact with some poison ivy!

At first I thought I just had a few bug bites... then the bumps started to form lines and become increasingly more itchy. Finally I woke up today with a large line of bumps on my leg that wasn't there two days ago. Undoubtedly I was a bit confused why I was seeing all these new rashes when I hadn't been "in the weeds" in quite awhile. So I searched on WebMD and found out that the rash won't appear until 5 to 15 days after you've come in contact with the pesky little oil on the plant. I'm on day 12 and I'm hoping not to find more bumps in the future.

In the meantime I'm really trying not to scratch, but it's soooooo hard not to!! Any suggestions on how to get the itching to stop or heal faster would be greatly appreciated. The good side to all of this is that I have an excuse not to do any yard work in the future!!

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

I was able to make a quick trip back to California this last week to hang out with the family. First we went up to my brother's place to move him into their new house, but the paperwork didn't get done in time, so they weren't able to close while we were there. But I still got plenty of time to play with my niece - such a cutie pie!

She can hold her head up now, and we think she has an internal song stuck in her head because she randomly starts dancing even when there isn't any music playing. She is so curious about everything that is going on around her, and I imagine she will be crawling around to explore her world in no time. Good luck with keeping her under control!

We spent the rest of the time back in Oakdale where we had a picnic for Mother's Day, did some shopping, a little bike riding, a round of golf, watched a few movies, and worked on a quilt. This quilt is the first time I've done the whole process of cutting the pieces and sewing them together. We got a large part of the top of the quilt done, and my mom is finishing it up.

I'm back in Maine now and I notice that we are a season behind all of you out in California. When I was out there I noticed that it's HOT and everything is dried up, but out here we are just getting into the spring season. The flowers are blooming, the grass is green, and I've been told that the black flies are already out this year. Although I do miss the hot weather out in California, I'm enjoying the moderately warm temperatures that we are having now. Rob planted some tomatoes, and I'm thinking of getting some herbs to grow.

Sorry I missed all of you out in Santa Rosa, but I'll see you next time. Hope all is well!!

Mom, aren't you proud?

2008-05-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

My good friend Mindi talked me into going to her quilting club this morning. Our project was to make a quilted purse (I'm not quite done yet, but when I finish I'll post a picture). I've resisted learning how to quilt mainly because I don't even have time to do any scrapbooking lately, but I have to say I had a lot of fun. The ladies were super helpful and encouraging, even when I didn't quite sew in a straight line.

Here I am about to sew my fingers together - just kidding. I guess this quilting thing is pretty popular over here in Maine, and I know my mom is going to be super excited when she reads this since she is now a quilting queen. I have a feeling that, like scrapbooking, this could become an expensive hobby.

My friend, Mindi, is in the picture below. I know we are becoming good friends, but it's a little scary that we are dressing alike - notice the white thermal undershirt with the striped short sleeve shirt. We are a couple of dorks!

Last week of school

2008-04-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

** Update: Maine Day was a bit of a disappointment. I saw a BBQ going on down by the river and a bunch of people playing volleyball, but I was expecting a lot more stuff going on. Maybe if I was an undergraduate, then I would have had more fun. Oh well!

Spring semester is about done, and it's time for me to become a slacker again! This is my last week of classes for this semester, then this summer I will be working on my thesis - and sleeping in, riding my bike, camping, visiting California, napping, fishing.... all good things!

My first trip to California will be in just a couple of weeks. I'll be there from May 9th till the 14th, and I will be spending most of my time helping my brother move into his new house. So for those of you in Santa Rosa, I'm sorry that I won't make it around to your area this time, but I am planning on another trip in late July where I'll have a lot more time to visit.

Tomorrow is "Maine Day", and I'm not exactly sure what that means except that most UMaine students don't have to go to class, and the big grassy area on campus will be filled with crazy college students playing various games like "oozeball" (don't know what this is). For those of you who went to Davis, I think it's similar to Picnic Day. I guess it's a pretty big deal around school, so I'll try to update you on what actually goes on. Hopefully the rain will let up and the sun will be able to warm us up a bit =)

It's all about perspective...

2008-04-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today my mom called me and said how she was cuddling with her cat inside the house because it had gotten cold outside. I laughed and joked how it was so warm outside here and told her how everyone is wearing shorts and flip-flops today. So tonight I wanted to brag how us Mainer's were having such wonderful weather while those on the west coast were suffering - I'm only getting them back for all the times they have told me that it was over 80 degrees and I was still stomping through snow!

So I went online to get the high temperature for today here in Bangor and then I looked up the high temperature in Oakdale. Hmmmm.... wait a minute! The high in Bangor was 69 degrees and the high in Oakdale was 68 degrees. I don't get it! I was seriously hot today, and I saw more than a few people get sunburns, including Rob who has a lovely farmer's tan now. My theory is that my body has become accustomed to the cold temperatures and has calibrated itself to about ten degrees warmer than what I was used to back when I lived in California. Any other ideas?

Well, it's raining now and only supposed to get into the low 60's tomorrow, but I guess that's like the low 70's for me, so I should be a happy camper! Although when I come to California this summer, I might just melt.

I found out the next day that it actually got up to 77 degrees in Bangor, so I guess my perspective isn't as off as I thought!!

Cadillac Mountain

2008-04-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Cadillac Mountain is located in Acadia National Park, which is a little over an hour away from Bangor. From the top you can see for miles around, and if you are up at sunrise, then you'll be the first to see the sun come up in the US. Although you would have a hard time getting me up that early. We've been having some wonderfully warm weather and our friends decided that it would be great to have a picnic (smart friends!). Although it was a bit more chilly out by the ocean, it was still a great time with a wonderful view. We are looking forward to visiting Acadia a few more times this summer to do some hiking and bouldering. Although we might have to fight the crowds since summer is right around the corner. Acadia is one of the most visited spots here in Maine!!

Robby offered to take my picture, but he kept telling me to lean back to get a better shot. Well, he almost made me fall off the edge - luckily I held on tight! Next time I'm holding the camera =)

My little Zoey is growing up

2008-04-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

My mom has been asking for some updated photos of Zoey. I wish I had a camera right now because she is trying to attack the fish in our fish tank. She is getting bigger, but still quite feisty. She has her favorite toys that she will fetch, and a kitty tent that she loves to hide in long enough to "surprise" attack you. I do notice she is taking a few more cat naps now that she's a bit older, but that doesn't prevent her from being in attack mode in under two seconds. Spring is here, and so are the squirrels and birds - or what I like to call Zoey T.V. She is perched and ready to pounce at a moments notice. If anyone has any tricks on keeping cats from eating house plants, I would apprecite the advice. Zoey has decided they are her chew toys. In any case, she is a blast and so cute!

The Science Guy

2008-03-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

You know him, you love him... yes it's Bill Nye the science guy! I was lucky enough to meet him this last weekend at the NSTA conference in Boston. Did you know that he has a mechanical engineering degree and used to work at Boeing? yeah for the engineers!

We had a lot of fun down in Boston and even learned a few things about teaching science. Boston is such an amazing city and we were able to eat at a wonderful Ethiopian restaurant on Thursday night. Yes, we ate with our hands - yummy. We also enjoyed a bit of the nightlife including going to the Black Rose. Getting up the next day turned out to be a bit difficult, but it was worth it.

Boston

2008-03-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm headed down to Boston for the National Science Teacher Association conference where I'll be going to a multitude of seminars where I can learn fun ways to teach science. Yes, it sounds a bit nerdy, but I'm excited to learn about "fun physics experiments" and "using toys in the classroom". Plus the seminars end at around 5:00 in the afternoon which gives plenty of time to cruise around Boston.

On another note, I've been hearing numerous reports of how nice the weather is out there in California. Yesterday I was feeling hopeful because the sun was out and I was able to go outside without a jacket. Then I woke up this morning to find a layer of snow on the ground. Some of my friends out here are hoping for more cold weather, but I have to say that I'm ready for some defrosting. I need to be able to expose my skin (that sounds dirty - unintentional!) to the sun. I'm so pale that I'm starting to blend in with Ally. Well, until it warms up I'll keep popping my vitamin D's and living vicariously through your stories.

Spring Break

2008-03-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

These last two weeks I've had a break from classes, but I've felt like my schedule hasn't slowed down one bit. The first week I was sick from a nasty cold while trying to write a grant proposal for my summer research. The second week was a lot more fun. I went snowboarding at Sugarloaf mountain with a few friends using my brand new snowboard. It's been a couple of years since I snowboarded, so it was a bit bumpy, but a lot of fun. The snow was pretty good, but a little icy because it has warmed up lately. Hopefully I'll be able to go again, although next time I'm going to wear knee pads.

I also was able to be a guide and presenter at our local Expanding Your Horizons conference at UMaine. This is where middle school girls get a chance to see different career opportunities in the science, engineering, and math areas. The group of girls I guided around learned about fungi research and how diseases are spread from a veternarian. Then I gave a gender equity workshop where we talked about the differences in the way men and women are paid, and that men are more likely to pursue careers in science and engineering. It was a lot of fun, although most of the girls were grossed out by the fungi. =)

On Saturday we went ice fishing at Pushaw lake with our friends. This time we had to drill our own holes, but we had better luck catching fish than the last time we went. The first fish that our trap caught was a yellow perch that was only a bit bigger than the minnow we used as bait. Needless to say we threw that one back. We did end up catching a bunch of pickeral fish, which are kind of scary because they have sharp teeth and they growl... ok, they don't growl, but they are slimy. Later that night we cooked a couple of them up and found out they have tons of bones, but otherwise tastey. Overall it was a great break and now it's time to head back to classes. The semester is half over and soon summer break will be here!

Ice Fishin'

2008-02-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Today we were invited to a friend's camp, which in most other states is called a cabin. Our friend's camp is located on Sebec lake that is about an hour out of Bangor. It's winter break for all the schools (except the university) so we were able to meet up with a bunch of friends to do some ice fishing and snowmobiling on the lake.

This is my first time actually ice fishing. I say actually because we tried going out earlier in the week, but it was a Sunday and we couldn't find a place open that sold bait. Speaking of bait, last Sunday I also found out that the bait they use is called smelt, which looks like small minnows. I happened to ask Rob why they use smelt instead of worms and he said that since it's so cold that the fish don't move around too much. So these "slow" fish are attracted to the smelt because it is shiny and flashy -- flashy? How could it be flashy if it's dead -- IT'S NOT DEAD! The trick is to hook the fish in the back so that it's still alive when you drop it down into the water. So the picture to the left is me extremely upset at the fact I have to intentionally pierce a tiny innocent fish and have it suffer in super cold water in the hopes that a bigger fish will eat it. Before I came out today, I was convinced that there was no way I was going to do this, but I sucked it up and actually did it.

There... I did it. First time, last time. From now on, I'm just in charge of checking the depths or making sure we have hot chocolate. No more piercing!

This is me apologizing to the fish for just putting a hook through it's back. I realize that I would never make it in the wild. Good think there are supermarkets and Starbucks. In all, we set six traps, but we didn't have any luck catching fish, except for the ones we bought as bait.

The whole day was so much fun. We went back and forth from the warm camp to the freezing, sunny weather outside where we took turns riding the sleds (snowmobiles). Thanks to all the people who brought yummy snacks and lunch. And a special thanks to Lynne and Daryll for having us up there.

Here's a link to a bunch of photos from the day. Enjoy!

Life without friction

2008-02-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

As a physics student I have solved many problems assuming there is no friction. I have to say that I think friction is a GOOD thing and I miss having it. Let me explain... last Wednesday we had a few inches of wonderful, fluffy snow followed by a day full of rain. This creates an interesting situation once the sun goes down - the rain water turns into ice and a whole lot of it! Our apartment parking lot is pretty much an ice rink right now, which makes my next story a funny one. Thursday is trash day, and I was trying to move our trash can from the front step out to the road. Our ice-rink parking lot made this task more difficult and more amusing that I imagined. The trash can was about as heavy as me (usually due to the kitty litter - yuck). So, since there was no friction (going back to my original point) I really had no or very little leverage on the trash can. When I pulled on the trash can, instead of it moving, I slid toward the can. After many tries of pulling on the can and almost falling as many times, I learned that I could lift it up in small intervals to get it going. Yes, it took me about ten minutes to make it twenty feet, but I made it! I'm sure the neighbors had a good laugh at my expense. Needless to say, I spent most of the day on the verge of slipping and falling on my butt because the ice was everywhere! Hopefully the sun will come out some more and melt off the ice and let the water drain away, and then more snow is always welcome!!

The summarized version

2008-02-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

This last Saturday we made it down to the Bangor auditorium in hopes of hearing Obama speak. We stood in a mile-long line and made it to about ten feet from the door. That's when they annouced that there was no more seating inside, but that Obama would be doing a talk for all of us who were still outside. At first I was bummed that we didn't make it inside, but then we joined the outside crowd. Obama came out and gave about a ten minute speach on what he hopes to do as president and asking for our support (you would be able to get the same info off of his website). I might sound negative here, but it actually turned out great. If we had actually made it inside, we would have had to wait another hour to hear Obama, then face the huge crowds trying to leave later on. Instead we were able to get fairly close to Obama, hear what he had to say, and then leave all in a matter of about a half an hour. I'm still not sure I'm voting for him, but I appreciated that he came out and talked to us. And for those who haven't heard, he won the democratic caucass here in Maine.

This is how close we came to getting in the doors. They might have seen this woman and her sign and decided it wasn't a good idea to let us in!

This is the "outside" crowd. If you look to the far left, you will see people actually climbing trees to get a better view.

Obama and Clinton are heading to my backyard

2008-02-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably think I live out in the middle of nowhere - just lots of snow and a few moose hanging around. That may be true, but I guess it's not too far in the boonies since Clinton and Obama are coming to visit us. I don't know of many times in my life where I've had the opportunity to go see a presidental canidate in person, so I've decided to try and check it out. I probably should go see both of them, but honestly I'm not a Clinton fan. Plus her rally is in the morning, and I would rather sleep in. So Saturday afternoon I'm going to try and get into the rally for Obama and see what he has to say. I'll let you all know what I find out...

I was thinking of wearing my "Bush 2008" shirt - See Redneck Party post - just to see if I get a few chuckles. What do you think?

Another project finished!

2008-01-21T15:24:00.001-08:00

Over Thanksgiving break I started knitting this hat for Robby and I've been working on it here and there since then. Over Christmas break I realized I needed double pointed needles to finish the job (I was using a circular needle originially), so I bought some when I got back to Maine. I'm not sure if I could start selling these hats, but Rob is happy with his. I haven't quite decided what I'm going to make next, but I'm thinking I might try something that takes double pointed needles again so I can get more practice using them. Maybe some mittens.... they would be quite useful here!!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T19:34:00.001-08:00

2008 is here, and you may be wondering what we did to celebrate new years eve. We actually did a bit of party hopping. First was the redneck party where we were reminded of our Oakdale days. You've gotta love Rob's handlebar mustash - he still has it and I'm not sure he's going to give it up. I'm going to wear my handmade tanktop around and see what kind of responses I get. (See pic) We enjoyed watching some Dancing Outlaw, drinking Bud, and eating bacon flavored cheese whiz on crackers. Next we headed to a friend's house near downtown where we snacked on some homemade mac n' cheese while we waited for midnight to come. When it came close to midnight, we walked downtown and joined a bunch of other Bangorians to watch "the ball" drop. A friend took a video and I hope to upload it soon. The ball is actually a beachball that is covered in twinkle lights - hey, it works!! After that we went back to play a rousing game of Scene It on the playstation. Good times! Hope all of you had a wonderful New Years =)

more pics

Unpacked

2007-12-30T16:10:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have gone by so quickly. I was able to go to Santa Rosa the first week I was in California and visit so many friends. Thanks to all of you who made time in your busy schedule to hang out with me! Even though it was raining when I arrived, I enjoyed the warmer weather out there. I was even able to wear some short sleeved shirts!

My top five vacation highlights:
5. Eating some wonderful mexican food.
4. Catching up with all my friends. (Dinners, coffee, and some crazy baking! - see pic)
3. Being able to take a walk with my mom (no snowshoes required).
2. Christmas morning with the family.
1. Meeting my niece and being able to rock her asleep - such a cutie!!

This is me at Christy's house at about 2am! We were doing a four hour cookie baking marathon and I was in charge of rolling out the sugar cookie dough and cutting out the shapes. The next day my shoulders were so sore!

My top five reasons I'm happy to be home:
5. Cuddling with my kitties.
4. Sleeping in my own bed.
3. Sledding in the snow - it's already snowed a bunch since I've been back.
2. Watching all the Rachel Ray shows I missed while I was gone.
1. Being with Robby - of course!!

Now that I'm home I have a couple of weeks before classes start up again. It's going to be quite a change in lifestyle for me since I will be going from taking one class to taking three classes, doing research, and possibly teaching a class. Hopefully I will be back to visit California in the spring, and the latest will be sometime in the summer.

Olivia's bragbook

2007-12-29T08:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't done much scrapbooking in the past year, but this Christmas I was able to make a couple of brag books of my new niece. I gave them as presents to my mom and to Olivia's mom, but before I gave them, I scanned the pages so that I could have a digital copy for myself. So for all those interested in seeing the brag book pages, click here.

Enjoy!

Bored? Wanna get smarter?

2007-12-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I was shown this website www.freerice.com where you can test your vocabulary AND donate rice at the same time! Who said goofing off is unproductive?? Let me know if you get your score above 40 - you rock!

Back to School

2007-12-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

I keep forgetting to post this, but I wanted to let everyone know that I'm officially going back to school full time starting in January at the University of Maine. I was accepted into their Master of Science in Teaching program, and I've made a course plan that will get me teaching in the fall of 2009. A big thanks to all those who helped me with my letters of recommendation and prayers. My slacker days are quickly diminishing!!

It's a warm one today!

2007-12-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess that depends on your perspective. It's actually going to get above freezing today, which it hasn't done in a few weeks. I never thought I would be so happy when the weatherman said it is going to get up to 40 degrees. I guess I'm becoming a regular Mainer. I'm also experiencing another sort of cold... getting colds! I think I just got my third or fourth cold since I've moved here. I guess it's just part of moving somewhere new, but it's no fun.
I'll be heading to California this next Sunday and I'll try to keep the blog updated, but I might not get to it. I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas!!!!

We did it!!

2007-12-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

After many years of trying, we actually built a gingerbread house that didn't fall down! Most people might believe this is a trival task, but our past experiences have shown that it's actually extremely tricky. We usually find ourselves with a bunch of gingerbread pieces that either are falling apart or that don't fit together properly. But this time (with the help of a gingerbread house kit) we got it to stand and keep standing. Three cheers for us!!

Snow!

2007-12-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

This last weekend was the first major snow storm we've had so far this winter. So far I've really enjoyed it... well, looking at it. It's way too cold to spend very much time outside!! It's been in the single digits at night and it only gets into the 20's during the day. I bet you are surprised that I haven't packed up my bags and moved back to California by now - so am I! Actually I'm excited to spend a little time sledding and making snowmen in the new snow, and then heading home to have a large cup of cocoa. Before I moved to Maine, I had Rob agree to do all the snow shoveling and car window scraping, and as you can see above, he is doing a great job!!

Home for the holidays

2007-11-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

Hey all you Californians!! I just made my flight reservations for coming home this Christmas. I'll be over there from December 16th till the 28th. I haven't made any plans yet where I'll be going, but I hope to see everyone. Let me know if there is a good time for me to come by.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving I went to Florida - Florida, New York that is. That's where Rob's family lives and we were able to gorge ourselves on a feast of turkey, stuffing, potatoes... well, you know. His parents actually raise their own turkey, and this year they had a 37 pounder - crazy!! Needless to say, we had plenty of leftovers. His parents live in the same farmhouse that his mom grew up in as a kid. Florida is a pretty small town in some beautiful countryside. It took us about eight hours each way, but it was neat to see Massachusetts and Connecticut on the way there. I was also able to meet Rob's niece and nephew, and they were so much fun to play with. They call Rob "uncle bucket" - not sure why, but it's cute. On the way home we stopped by a store called Cabelas. It's like REI on steroids! I heard that they just built one in Reno, so all you Californians should check it out. Not only does it have every outdoor sporting/camping item you could ever need, it also has an aquarium, full size replicas of various animals (including an elephant), and even a restaurant. You can literally spend hours in there! Anyway, we had lots of fun and I hope we go back there soon.

Just for fun

2007-11-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

Since we got Zoey, it has been a bit more challenging to do some of the everyday stuff, like doing my homework. Zoey has found that it is fun to chase the little arrow around on my computer screen, and that the computer keys make neat clicking sounds when she walks across them. But most of all, she tries to get my attention in a variety of ways... one of them is to gnaw on my nose as the picture shows (I took this pic using my webcam... Zoey likes to be in the middle of whatever I'm doing!). She has been such a ball of energy and laughs since we got her... what a cutie! While I was writing up this blog, Zoey fell asleep on my hands... awww

Zoey

2007-10-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday and I was surprised with two things. First, a bunch of my friends met up at the Margaritas restaurant for some yummy mexican food and margaritas. And when I got home I found my second surprise - Zoey!! She is a new addition to our animal family. I will tell you more about her later, but right now she is walking back and forth across my keyboard and it's really hard to type. Needless to say, she is a ball of energy and Maggie, Ally, and Harley are still adjusting.

Pumpkin Carvin'

2007-10-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to stay indoors to avoid the cold weather outside - it was in the low 40's! I know all of you from California are smiling because you are enjoying your 80 degree weather. You can keep on smiling because there is a chance of snow tomorrow night!! Yikes! So today we picked up a couple of pumpkins and some carving tools, then set to work. Gone are the days of a simple goofy face on your pumpkin... now there are templates to follow to give fancy results. We had a lot of fun getting our hands dirty and then toasting up the pumpkin seeds for a snack later on when we were watching the Boston Red Sox game (which we are currently still watching even though it's super late... don't get me started on how late sports games are televised here!). Below you will see the fruit of our labor, and those who know me will know which one is mine =) Happy Halloween!!

It's officially fall

2007-10-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

picture from www.visitmaine.com

Fall is here! The trees are changing colors, I get to wear my cozy scarves and sweaters, and it's time for my first test in my class. I've been spending the last couple of weeks getting my application in order for the teaching program at U. Maine, and I've been kept busy with the one class that I'm taking now. The class has been extrememly interesting for me because it digs into how students qualatatively learn, especially physics and math concepts. Looking back, I was definitely a student who could "plug-and-chug" those equations, but I don't think I understood how to apply those equations to real life. Luckily I'm not alone. Studies have shown that the majority of people who go through algebra or calculus based physics classes have the same problem and it's mostly due to how we were taught and tested on. Around the 1980's is when research in this area really picked up and now there are teaching methods and curiculum that focus on the difficult topics which result in more students "getting" it. I am so happy that I found this program before I started teaching because it will give me effective tools to use in the classroom for any subject that I end up teaching.
I should hear by the end of this month whether or not I'm going to be accepted into this program. I will keep you posted!

I'm an auntie!

2007-10-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

This last weekend my niece was born healthy and happy. Although for a while we were wondering if she was ever going to come out. Her due date was a little less than two weeks ago, and last week they tried to induce her three times and nothing happened. Finally on Saturday they tried again and Olivia Marie was born. I wish I could have been there - those who know me will understand how much I love kids. But for now I have to enjoy her through pictures. I'm hoping to go visit California this month or next so that I can do my fair share of spoiling my niece. The picture above is one very happy grandma holding her grandbaby!

What am I going to do when I grow up?

2007-10-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I have been considering pursuing a teaching career and that I've started to take steps to make that happen. Well, I also had applied for a project enginnering position a couple months ago at the University of Maine in the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites center http://www.aewc.umaine.edu/. Well, a couple weeks ago I had a phone interview with them, and then today I went in for a half-day interview. Now I'm trying to figure out what I want to do.
I like the idea of working at the university because it's like doing one long senior project, but I'm not sure if I care enough about composites. And then I still have this desire to see if I would like teaching. I don't have to make any decisions right away. The composite center won't be letting me know until the end of the month, which happens to be the exact time that my graduate applicaton is due for the masters teaching program. So for now I'm going to continue to keep my options open and pray a lot.

Talking Like a Pirate

2007-09-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since my last posting - sorry! - but we've been busy planning for our "Talk Like a Pirate" party. Yes, this is an official international holiday (http://www.talklikeapirate.com/) and a great excuse to dress up and talk funny. We made our own invitations thanks to my creative scrapbooking skills and my partners awesome rhyming abilities. We rolled them up, put them into bottles, and topped it off with a wax seal.

I have to admit that we probably had the most fun preparing for the party... lots of research on pirate costumes, movies, music, drinks, and games. We even came up with a pirate card game that closely mimicked a card game we played in college. We also made custom dice cups using soup cans with fabric glued to them. We ate scurvy dogs (hot dogs rolled in crescent rolls), BBQ parrot wings (buffalo wings), and shark fins (chips in salsa). And of course we had our own version of grog! A big thanks to our friends who came to our fiesta and put up with our silliness... here's a link to see more pics of the gang (I originally mis-typed the link below. It should work now - thanks mom for the heads up!)...
http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/Go.aspx?AID=54627&AT=1&VID=159659&ABID=138475

If you missed this year's Talk Like a Pirate day, then just mark next year's calendar for September 19th and we will gladly share our pirate party ideas with you =)

Hot and Cold Flashes

2007-09-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not going through menopause... I'm living in MAINE! The weather here just blows my mind sometimes. Yesterday and the day before were HOT, and not only hot, but HUMID. The sticky, hot kind of humid where I just wanted to stand in front of a fan to cool off for the whole day. I was walking around like I had just ridden a horse for a couple of hours - waddling around trying not to let any of my skin touch anything. My cats looked miserable - they were sprawled out on the floor trying to get comfortable. Well, today was completely different!! There was no humidity in the morning, and it was actually bright and sunny while we were at church. But after a couple of hours it became overcast and then it started raining. I went from wearing a tank top and a light skirt to wearing a sweatshirt, long pants, and warm slippers - plus wrapping a blanket around me while I was watching t.v.! I guess the saying goes here that if you don't like the weather, wait an hour. I can now verify that is true!

Back to School

2007-09-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I have been looking for a job the last couple of months and I've also been considering going back to school to get my teaching credential in science and math. Well, no "fun" job has presented itself yet, so I took the first steps to getting my teaching credential at University of Maine in Orono (about 10 miles north of Bangor). I was doing an online search to get information on getting a masters degree, and I found out that this university has a program called Masters of Science in Teaching that is tailored for people with technical degrees who want to become teachers. I went and met with the department head and found out all the details. It will take about two years if I do it full time, which sounded like quite a commitment for me mentally and financially, but I also found out that they employ you as a teaching assistant for classes at the university while you are in the program. Also they waive the tuition fee for up to nine units a semester! So, not only do I get paid (alright not much as a TA, but it's something) I also don't have to pay tuition. The program consists of learning about research of how students learn in physics, math, and earth sciences. You also learn how to conduct this research in your future classes so that you can continually improve your teaching processes. There is also a sememster of student teaching which will be a great experience for me because I've had absolutely no experience in the classroom.

Last week was my first time on the campus. It was a bit weird walking around a college campus again doing the student thing. I love the campus, though! It's fairly large with beautiful red brick buildings all over the campus like the picture I have up at the top of the library. I have to say that I was a bit dissapointed in the physics building though (see below). It looks like the only building on campus that was built in the s 70's. Oh well... at least the rest of the campus is nice.

So you may wonder what I'm up to now. Pretty much I'm just taking my one graduate class, Integrated Approaches to Teaching Physics, and working on getting all my things together to apply for the program in the spring. I'm also thinking of doing some substitute teaching to get some initial classroom experience and a bit of spending money. Other than that, I'm still busy being a slacker - knitting, scrapbooking, hiking, etc. It's a hard life =)

Bangor American Folk Festival

2007-08-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the annual Folk Festival in Bangor. I was told that it was a big deal, but now I really understand how many people actually come to the festival - and for good reason! It was great! They have such the variety of music. There were Apalatian singers, polish accordians, Tibetian monks, blues, fiddle players, Inuit throat singers (wish I would have watched that one), barbershop quartets and a lot more! They had about five stages set up in downtown Bangor near the waterfront, and we just walked from one stage to the next and listened to some great music. And Saturday night they even had merengue dance lessons followed by a live band from the Dominican Republic. I was amazed at how many people showed up for the lessons and the music. There had to be a couple hundred people out there - including us! - dancing the merengue. Plus they had some good eats at the festival, of course. I indulged on a crab roll with some ice cold lemonade - yumm! Unfortunately I didn't take my camera down there, so no pictures for this posting. But if you want to see pictures or learn more about the festival, you can go to the website http://www.americanfolkfestival.com/ If you ever want to come visit Maine, I would recommend coming during this festival.

Mooselookmeguntic

2007-08-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our next adventure was a three day camping trip to Mooselookmeguntic Lake (Moose-look-me-gun-tic... just sound it out!). It's quite a mouthful to say, but it is an amazing place and well worth the three hour drive from Bangor. We arrived there on Tuesday evening and set up camp at our wonderful site. The main difference I noticed between camping in California and the campsites in Maine is that we had privacy!! We actually couldn't see or hear our neighbors and we had our own picnic table on the beach.

The second day we spent most of the day playing cribbage and trying to stay out of the rain, but the third day was beautiful and we were able to play in the water a lot. I'd have to say, the one who had the most fun had to be Harley. She was constantly in the water trying to "catch" her rocks. When we weren't out there throwing rocks for her to chase, she was actually submerging her head underwater to pick up rocks. We had to be careful to throw the rocks far enough so that she wouldn't actually catch them. The cutest thing was at night she would try to get into the tent by herself because she was ready for bed even if we were still around the campsite. She definitely wore herself out!

The third day we also rented a canoe and toured around parts of the lake. There are a few islands that people boat out to and camp on. It's a natural lake so the shoreline isn't steep like most reservoirs that I've been to. There are huge granite rocks that stick up randomly, so you have to be super careful if you have a motorized boat. The water was cold, but not freezing. Perfect temperature for a summer day in Maine! Just remember to wear the bug spray!!
If you want to see more pictures of the trip, check out this website:

http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewAlbum.aspx?AID=46408&AT=1

Lobsterfest!!

2007-08-05T16:56:00.001-07:00

This last Saturday we headed down to Rockland, ME to attend the 60th annual Maine Lobster Festival. I had never been to a lobster festival before, so I really had no idea what to expect. Long story short... it's like a small county fair that serves lobster under a huge tent.

We actually got into Rockland right after the morning parade, which turned out great for us because we were able to get a close parking spot on the edge of downtown. From the little that I've seen of coastal towns, this one is pretty similar to most. Near the piers are a bunch of cute shops and restaurants that cater to the tourists who come in the warmer months. We did a little window shopping later in the day, but that was mainly to find some air conditioning. Yes, it was hot - and HUMID! Since I'm from the dry heat, I'm still getting used to this humidity stuff.

We spent a few hours inside the fair eating junk food and shopping in the craft tents. Like I said before, it wasn't too different than your tipical local fair. And, yes, I did have cotton candy!! What was different was our lobster feast! As an engineer, I can say that I was impressed at the efficiency of how they served all of that lobster to all of those people. I'm sure there is some article somewhere that can quote you how many people were served, but I just know it was A LOT! Pretty much you get a whole lobster (with it's beedy little eyes staring at you), a bit of melted butter, a roll, and a corn on the cob - plus lots of napkins. I had no idea how messy eating a lobster can be. I would have had an "after" picture with the devoured lobsters, but our hands were too messy to handle the camera. Here is the before picture:

We had a lot of fun and I look forward to visiting Rockland again - especially if we get to eat more lobster! I guess I'm now officially on my way to becoming a real Mainer.

Yosemite 2007

2007-08-05T16:34:00.001-07:00

Another year and another trip to Yosemite! This year we decided to climb Half Dome. I wish I could say that I actually made it to the top, but I wussed out at the granite steps that are right before the saddleback. Why go that far and not go all the way?? Well, I have a few reasons:

1. Been there done that. I've climbed the dome before and swore I would never do it again.
2. It was hot and being exposed on a granite rock did not sound like fun.
3. We passed Emerald Pond on the way up and the thought of jumping in a wonderfully cool body of water was so tempting!

I am very proud of those on the trip who completed the climb!! Especially those first-timers who had no idea what they were getting themselves into. I found out later that it took about an hour and a half to get up the cables, and then another hour to get back down. I guess there were a lot of terrified people crowding up the cable line.

After the climb we did our annual feast of pizza and beer in Curry Village and then headed back to Mosquito gulch (our favorite camping spot!) Then the next morning we packed up and headed to my parent's house for a wonderful lunch and some time in the pool. All in all, another great trip. Hopefully next year we will venture for an easier climb.

If you would like to see more picture of the trip, you can click on the link below:
http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/Go.aspx?AID=44385&AT=1&VID=125058&ABID=138475

Here I am

2007-08-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Recently I visited California after being gone for a little over four months and I realized that I'm not very good at keeping up with people over the phone. And as much as I wish I could talk to each of you everyday, I know that it's been tough just keeping up with a few friends. Another friend of mine moved away from Santa Rosa and now has a blog to help her friends keep up with her daily life (thanks Polly Gamwich!), and I thought I would join the blogging world in hopes to keep up better with all of you on the West Coast.

Ok, I know that some of you don't like the blogging thing or don't have the time to check my blog on a regular basis - I don't expect you to use this blog! Please call, e-mail, or come visit whenever you want!! This is for those who asked for this or said they might be interested in it when I was there this last month.

And since this is a public blog, I'm not going to use any last names. In fact I am going to try not to use names at all. If you post comments to this blog, please respect other people's privacy.

I'm going to try and post something once a week, but I'm not sure if I'm going to live up to that.

Thanks for visiting my blog - I hope you enjoy!!