She Graduated from Stanford at 18.

You thought she was pretty smart graduating with all A's in her master's program last weekend. You might think she's even smarter by doing research at Laurence Livermore Labs this summer.....but did you know she graduated from Stanford four days after her 18th birthday?

Yep! On March 28, 2005 she graduated from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and was declared cancer free! She no longer needed to attend bi-weekly visits.- That's the running joke here. We have a few friends who graduated from Duke at 5. Imagine that!

This morning, the alum and I returned to Stanford to run in the Summer Scamper Fun Run. We hadn't run in a month...and we weren't sure how well we would do...and we only found out about the run last night. So we headed out early this morning with enough time to sign up, get our numbers and get in the corral. What we didn't know was that the 10K took off at 8 a.m. and the 5K ten minutes later. So when we got to the fork in the road we headed on the 5K route and no one was with us....everyone was running the 10K! It seemed a little odd to us that it was getting warmer out and no one else was running the 5K. As we headed down the home stretch a few of the fastest men passed us...then Daughter #1 realized what was happening. Duh! We felt so stupid. We ended with extremely good times...so good that we both placed. (Just call us Rosie Ruiz!) Thankfully we saw the results before we left so we went back and told the announcer NOT to call us with the winners. I still came in 5th in my age group which was far better than I thought I would.

Daughter #1 got a cool Honoree shirt to commemorate the run. There were just men's sizes for me so I got The Captain a size large. Now off to plan a party.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*START THE RUN EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS*

A Week of Camp

This week I am teaching two camps....I love camp because it is just for fun. No assessing, no grading- just fun....and of course learning. 

Mixing colors with pipettes.

In my Artist A Day Camp today we learned about Picasso...I love telling the kids that when he lived in Paris his apartment was robbed. AND everything was stolen- except for his paintings.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY A WEEK OF CAMP*

First Masters in the Family.... Grad Day/Father's Day 2012

Congrats Daughter #1...you are amazing!
You survived cancer, college, and a first year of teaching middle school while working on your master's program.

The best part of the day was when they called her name that she had written on the name card- "Alison Happy Father's Day Richins!" The crowd cheered at that one. It was over 100 degrees here yesterday and although it wasn't quite as warm today it was still hot on the artificial turf field. So Daughter #1 took after her Dear Old Mom and wore a bikini under her graduation gown...her friends were jealous as they wore dresses and pants under their gowns....and they were sweating.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WEAR A BIKINI UNDER

YOUR GRAD GOWN*

Tomorrow, Tomorroooooow TOMORROW...

...Daughter #1 receives her masters degree!

2 1/2 years in the works in the program...she finished her last review last night...then she got up early to volunteer at The U.S. Open in San Fran. (I told her to meet some rich golfer :)

Come back tomorrow for photos...or next weekend for the party :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*GOLF THEN

GRADUATE MAGNA

CUM LAUDE*

County Fair...

Wednesday The Captain and I rode our bikes to the local county fair...it was just a short 5 mile ride...but when we got there, there was no place to park bikes...interesting for a county going green. The website listed driving directions, bus, train and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit...a mini subway/train system,) directions but no bike routes...and there was construction blocking an entrance.

But we made it....we parked between a tree and a pole in the employee parking lot right in front of a police truck. There has been an increase in bike thefts in this county.

The fair has always been a summer adventure for my kids and I if we weren't on vacation. I never got to linger much with kids in tow. I love to look at the quilts and photographs and of course the animals. Yesterday was fun....we spent most of the time looking at the exhibits...and talking to the 6 families of former students that I have taught over the years. And we ate...a delicious BBQ chicken lunch that we split...and I got kettle corn and The Captain a dipped cone.

There was a special section on cartoons...with photos, history, a Disney area with how films were made way back and 3 very old TVs with cartoons playing.

Here are two of my favorite quilts...there were so many beautiful, interesting designs.

I have always wanted to make a double wedding ring quilt. I have the pattern that I bought years ago...now it's just finding time now that I have a room to work in.

And there were the collections. I always say that "next year" I will put my wind up toys in the fair...but this year I found out what I need to do to enter- SO, "next year" it is!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*VISIT YOUR COUNTY FAIR*

Perfect game

I had another post set for today...BUT Matt Cain had other ideas....this has only happened once in the Giants 128 years...
San Jose Mercury News-

San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain (18) celebrates with teammates after throwing a perfect game in a baseball game against the Houston Astros in San Francisco, Wednesday, June 13, 2012. Cain pitched the 22nd perfect game in major league history and first for the Giants, striking out a career-high 14 and getting help from two spectacular catches to beat the Houston Astros 10-0. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

I love baseball...I live in the bay area...the Giants are my team...AND THIS WAS FREAKIN' AWESOME!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*27 UP-27 DOWN*

Surviving Teen's BIG DAY

Most of you know that my daughter is a teenage cancer SURVIVOR. Along the way we met many others who were not so fortunate as my daughter..."we are the lucky ones," if such a thing exists....ironic to be lucky after going through 2 1/2 years of daily chemo. There's always someone who has it worse off...

So this is where I ask the favor....there is a boy who is turning 16...he is a SURVIVOR just like my daughter...only boys have 3 1/2 years of chemo for the same cancer...as that wicked cancer has taken to male parts to go into hiding. So this boy is turning 16- his dad just passed away and it's his first birthday without him. I know this sucks because my dad also died when I was young...and I can't imagine also having had cancer.

Ashton's mom would LOVE it if he could be bombarded with mail for his 16th birthday, June 22. If you have a second, could you send him a card? I put $5 in the one I am sending, but just a card would make his day.

ASHTON SHAFFER
1017 COTTAGE ST.  SW
VIENNA VA   22180

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*PAY IT FORWARD*

From the archives of LMNOP Blog- A day in the life of a heater vent...

(I didn't have an idea for a post today...so I looked through the archives of my now defunct LMNOP Blog...and pulled up a post from the past that was entertaining...if you are a heater vent...or a pet...or bored...enjoy 4 years ago....)

I seldom have the opportunity to be home alone...especially on a weekday...and it has proven to be interesting to see what goes on in the house when I would normally be at work:

7 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

10:50 a.m.

12:45 p.m.

2:45 p.m. She was fast asleep that black cat...but she didn't want to be photographed sleeping on the job...so she got up quickly...and the gray kitty is going to steal that vent.

2:46 p.m.

But gray kitty decides to chase black kitty.

2:47 p.m.

2:48 p.m.

Woodman didn't get the vent for long...he and I drove the car to school so that BIG Foot could drive it home after practice...Woodman and I walked home...and when we returned....

3:50 p.m.

... The King was back on the throne.

It's a tough life....but someone has to go to work to buy the pet food.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY THE HEATER VENT WHILE IT RAINS OUTSIDE*

My first day of summer vacation...

An essay by Cheech Marin:
Okay. The first day on my vacation, what I did on my summer vacation, the first day on my vacation, I woke up. Then, I went downtown to look for job. Then I hung out in front of the drugstore. The second day on my summer vacation, I woke up, then I went downtown to look for a job. Then I hung out in front of the drugstore. The third day on my summer vacation, I woke up...

1972- Big Bamboo Album
Sister Mary Elephant

This was before my time in high school but I had a crazy friend who introduced the friends I hung out with to the finer humor of Cheech and Chong. So when I woke up yesterday morning, and The Captain looked over and said, "Happy first day of summer vacation....what are you going to do today?"  My answer was, "I think I will hang out at the drugstore," but he had no idea what I was talking about...until I refreshed his memory.

24 hours into summer vacation I couldn't be more relaxed or more pleased with the weather. Today calls for a bike ride or a swim...and a walk of the dog we are watching when she returns.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY THE SUN*

Do you know what it's like at 3:00 on the last day of school?

Ya baby!!!
We sure do!
Year #27 for me.
Year #1 for Daughter #1.
Calls for a celebration.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY WHAT YOU DO*

Did you see Venus Transit?

The Captain and I headed for the community college observatory when I got off work today. There were telescopes for viewing the sun...several different types.

One giant telescope showed the solar flares and Venus passing by...another blocked out the gases and showed a white sun with Venus passing....there were also other inventive ways to view Venus and the sun....

 See Venus? That's it...that little speck on the upper right side...

You can't really see it in this cell photo but I could see Venus through the binoculars. It was a fun afternoon....especially since I found out I won't have to be moving classrooms in a few days!!! And I will be looping most of my kindergartners for first grade....awesome!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*

5 More DAYS!!

Until summer vacation!

Looks like I will be teaching first grade... after 27 years of teaching I have never taught a straight first grade...the pluses? It will be the first time since 1997 that I get to use the restroom before 12:30 after an 8:25 start of the day. The minuses? First grade!!! Is there life after 6 years old?

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*SUMMER IS IN SIGHT*

Whose wedding was it anyways?

My parents were married right after the war....WWII. My mom's parents were immigrants just trying to make it with 8 kids. My parents got dressed in suits and went to the church and got married. And had a party afterwards. I still have a piece of note paper with the donations from friends at work...$1 and $2 were donated from the workers at Lyon Metal where they worked in Chicago Heights. (Yes, my mom was a Rosie the Riveter!)

My oldest sister eloped. My next sister eloped. I did not....so that was the wedding my mom had dreamed of...and boy was it her way. I did choose this dress that I fell in love with...

(...and this is me in it tonight...I put it on every anniv...)

But after that it was all my mom. The church....I wanted a park- outdoors...I wanted a hat- those are for second weddings she said- I totally got railroaded...but my mom was happy. And I learned that when my own girls get married we will do what they want as long as it is within reason....and as for my dress...that I L-O-V-E-D way back... it is now the most hideous!

Tonight we had a nice dinner to celebrate #30...

and we went to dinner where we wanted, wore what we wanted, ate what we wanted...and of course paid for it ourselves.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*CELEBRATE 30*

HAPPY 30TH TO US

May 29. 1982

Memorial Day

My photo from Arlington Cemetery- Last summer's trip...
My father fought in WWII....and got a purple heart. My father-in-law in Korea and Vietnam....agent orange cut his life short.

I salute all those who have passed in the name of Our Freedom today.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY*

Happy 75th Birthday!

We were there when you turned 50. We made it almost to your south tower and then we were unable to get any further....your party was so big that those going north came head on with those going south and it was gridlock! You flattened out under our weight and the police told everyone to leave...but the party goers did not listen...for hours we stayed hoping to get across you.

This year, the party planners did not close you so we could walk across...they planned fireworks instead. So tonight we went back, just like we did 25 years ago...only our 3 month old baby is now 25 years old! And we took a tour...and it was an awesome night.

Tonight before our tour.

Workers were getting the flood lights ready for tomorrow's celebration. It was so cool to see the lights reflect off the fog...and we were able to see the bridge's shadow on the fog.

This is from my photo album of May 1987...we were packed tightly into this group....going no where!

Ali was wide awake...I remember someone saying, "Who would bring a baby here?!" We did silly! No one expected a crowd like this an hour before the walk began!

This guy had to hold his bike above his head to make his way through the crowd. there was also another guy riding his bike with his cat on his back...the photo is a little blurry.

After an hour or so of going no where, we headed back to our car about 2 miles away and went to breakfast.

June 1977 - I ran across the Golden Gate with my friend Matt...we had just graduated and we were checking out colleges to attend. Check out those cars....remember when every 5th car on the road was a VW Bug? And there is a small curb with a 3' drop and that is it separating the sidewalk from cars....there is a railing now.

Over the years I have driven, run, walked, biked over and sailed under the Golden Gate. She is beautiful, windy, intriguing and has a rich history.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOLDEN GATE!*

2 in 2 Days!

This guy is a lot smaller....he has the beginnings of one rattle...

But more deadly than a full grown rattler. Beware when you are on my campus! This one was sunning on the blacktop!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*TREAD LIGHTLY* 

Sssstt!

What was that I hear?

Perhaps a baby rattler in the garbage can?

Seriously, my school is overrun by rats and mice...and the new construction is making it worse....so I am not at all surprised when the janitor showed me this rattler he found in the trash can outside at the snack area.

This is the third one I have seen in my life...the one in Death Valley last year that I got the rattles from...he was dead in the road...and the one the year before on my birthday bike ride...he was in the middle of the road....only this one was alive! If you are knew to reading here, the story goes....my husband was riding about 100 yards ahead of me...and I heard him yell something back to me....but it didn't register until I was too close to turn around and I figured out he had said, "RATTLE SNAKE!" So I made a BIG LOOP around the dude sunning in the road....and he hissed and watched me....but that was enough for a life time thank you very much. While I appreciate their varmint control. I would rather not see them.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HISSSSSSSSSSS*

When was the last time you saw one of these?

Today I showed the "Little Red Hen" film, circa 1950.

(Photo from Fallingpixel.com)

There's nothing like pulling out the projector and amazing the kindergartners.

This is what I saw movies on in classes all throughout school. The original BIG SCREEN. In fact, in my credential program I had to take a class to learn to thread these contraptions...and work a slide projector and an overhead and opaque projector.

When I was in school the teacher would send a boy or two to get the projector and then allow a boy to thread the projector and run it. I was always envious...I would love to run that thing! Perhaps that is why I became a teacher?

So now I bring the projector out once a year and show my old films....I really should take the films down to Costco and have them made into DVDs...but then what would I do with the projector?

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WATCH A FILM*

Solar Eclipse

The leaves became pin-hole cameras....the fence has thousands of crescents...

 

...and the pool table... coming through the bamboo blinds....

...and we even caught a glimpse through welder's goggles.

*LIVESTRONG*LIVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*VIEW THE CRESCENT SUN* 

Hometown Days- The Tradtion Continues...

Daughter #1 and I ran in the Hometown Days FuN RuN this morning. We had planned to run the 10K but with an 8:30 start it was too hot. So we ran the 5K and she took first in her age division!!

We go way back with this run...my kids all started out being pushed in the jogger or carried in a backpack...and as soon as they were 4 years old they ran it on their own....and each year they won their age division.

Then they gradually went off to college...but today began a new tradition- the return of the graduate...home from college to run with mom! (Or actually beat mom, in today's case.)

But I wasn't too far behind and placed 2nd in my age group...but this year there were no medals for 2nd and 3rd place...and no hats for the winners of each age division...that damned economy!

On a MUCH HAPPIER note....the dog I am watching for 3 weeks....

good old Kiera, whose family was vacationing in Milan...until yesterday...when they left for France, is safe. I was very worried when I was listening to the radio early this morning and heard that a very strong earthquake shook Italy...and that there was extensive damage. Thankfully for email, I got a message that they were safe. Kiera was happy too!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WIN A RUN*HUG A DOG*

Open House Now...And Open House Then....

May 2012

Daughter #1

May 1986

Me

First year middle school teachers...

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER*

(except without the high rise 80's pants)

2 Words...

Parent Conferences...no time to say more....

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LET ME MAKE IT THROUGH 19 MORE*

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I gave myself a Mother's Day present...I went to the car wash since my car was...so dirty inside and out. I usually wash it my self but with parent teacher conferences and all the extra pets hanging around I just don't have time. I watched my friend's children last night until midnnight and then picked up a friend from the airport. I got up and swam, took that friend to BART and then ran a 5K. School work, laundry and mowing the lawn....and I was out of time.

Gas was $3.99 if I bought a car wash so I filled 'er up! That is cheap gas here! And it was full serve!

So the dog and I waited for the car....and when the workers were drying it, I put my tip in the container and as I walked towards my car, the worker drove it back around the lot and it went through again! I guess it was pretty dirty!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

TO ALL MY FRIENDS*

RIDE YOUR BIKE TO WORK DAY MAY 10, 2012

I got up extra early today so I could ride to the Entergizer Station for my Bike to Work Day bag...it is near my old school which is in the opposite direction of my where I work now.

Then I snapped this with my cell phone camera sitting on a table.

I relinquished my crown of BIKE COMMUTER OF THE YEAR 2011-2012, to the new BIKE COMMUTER OF THE YEAR 2012-2013...a man who does a heck of a commute by bike to the train station and then bikes home.

*LIVESTONG*LIVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RIDE YOUR BIKE TODAY*

Meet My Peeps......

there's Peep, Super Chicken and Chick-A-Dee.....

And maybe a goose....I think I hear a "tick tick" inside the egg....but I won't be there if it comes out tomorrow...because.....I will be fulfilling my civic duty.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LOVE A CHICK*GO TO JURY DUTY*

A-Z April Challenge Brief

Blogging blogging blogging the alphabet was fun. After thinking back, the post which I enjoyed writing the most- which was real writing, was for letter S. From the heart and telling a true story. I like to write non fiction but I rarely get to because if I offend someone I run the risk of someone reading it and taking it to my boss. So I keep to the basics- non political, no opinions, and as boring as hell.

Will I blog another challenge? Sure. I did Blog 365 once so the daily grind was not difficult...as long as the scheduler was working :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WRITE FROM THE HEART*

Spring Has Spring!!

News at 11- Flash update:

It is hard to get a good look at this baby still in the incubator. He survived the night...Daughter #1 and I did a c-section on this dry hatch chickie. It is doing well today.

Then...

This one with the pip came out while we were at recess...we watched and watched and just couldn't wait any longer. It is doing well in the brooder now. There is one more with a pip...I hope it has made its debut this evening. The goose eggs I believe are just that...2 zeros.


7:30 a.m.

The weather is June Gloom...BUT in Room 12 we have one CHICK that hatched last night and two others with pips!

We have silk worms ready to spin cocoons  AND two butterflies emerged from their pupas!

Photos at 11.

*LIVESTRONG* LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER* ENJOY NEW BEGINNINGS*