Not the nap I was expecting...

Yesterday, just as I finished my post after my bike ride, and Daughter #1 was leaving to climb Half Dome in Yosemite, I learned that they had an extra pass!! This was at 3:30 and they were leaving at 4! I had just ridden 62 miles...but I felt good and it is SO hard to get a pass to climb I just couldn't pass it up!

So I jumped out of my bike clothes, threw together what I thought I might need and we drove 4 hours to Yosemite....but first we stopped for pizza. There were 11 of us altogether. At 10:30 p.m. we left the parking lot and began our ascent. It was about 80 degrees out and not what I had expected. It was 8.3 miles to the dome. If you haven't seen Half Dome in person you may have seen it in Ansel Adams photographs....it is SPECTACULAR!

Minus the snow of course today of course!

We hiked using our headlamps. Around 2:30 a.m.we stopped for a 30 minutes for a mini catnap/rest. Then we ate and drank and made it to Half Dome as the sun was about to rise.

Before arriving at the dome there are 800 "stairs" that go straight up. THEN the cables. I had no idea they were so.....straight up! The photo does not do this justice....it is a 50% grade! 2/10's of a  mile of cables.

Upon seeing the cables I thought I was not going to be able to do them. If you slip, you die! There is nothing to catch you, you just slide down the slick granite face to the bottom....some 2000 feet. The woman in the photo was part of our group...she took a very long time to get up the cables but she did it!

 I gave it a try and actually with the rubber gardening gloves I was able to keep hold. My fear was going down....but that would have to wait until after sunrise and photos...

Coming down the cables was easier than I thought....once I got over the fear of plummeting to my death! I seriously can't believe the National Park system allows this climb. Last year several people died falling from Half Dome, but all because they tried to climb in wet or snowy weather when the rock was slick and they didn't have special climbing shoes. There were also a few suicides in the past few years.

We took a different trail on the way out...it was longer and I was fading. I was now 32 hours without sleep....aside from the ten or so minutes after 2:30 a.m. stop. The final miles were hard...it was crowded and hot...and I was fuzzy headed and had to stop and eat some Shot Blocks and drink water.

Total in 24 hours...biked 100K and hiked with elevation climb 26 K.

Now I will go to sleep for the night.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*CLIMB HALF DOME*

100 Kilometers...

The Captain and I just rode that in Bike for Breath that benefits the Lung Association...it always sounds much more impressive than saying 62 miles.

The weather was perfect...foggy where the big hills were and sunny on the flats...and after fighting a bit of a headwind, the last mile or so had a tailwind. And this event always has the best lunches afterwards.

Now I may take a nap.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*I DIDN'T TAKE A CELL

 PHONE PHOTO BUT I WILL HAVE AN EVENT

 PHOTO NEXT WEEK*

What I do with composition books...

Home/School Journals!

Each Friday I prepare a form that looks like this:

_________________________


__________________________________,

"This week in kindergarten I ......."
(a paragraph about the week...assemblies, special projects, count down to the 100th day, etc.) And it always ends with a question like...did you celebrate the 100th day of school when you were in kindergarten?

___________________________________

The kids write the date on the first line, "Dear" Mom, Dad or someone else who lives in their house that is old enough to read and write on the second line. The final line is for, "Love, ______" They glue the form onto the left page of the journal and take it home.

The parent's job is to write a letter on the opposite page- and read it back to their child. About 50% of the parents take it serious. Those who do end up with a wonderful keepsake at the end of the year. Those who are fluent in another language besides English respond in their first language. After all, the journal is not for me, but a keepsake.

Several years back, I had a student whose parent was elderly. The parent wrote wonderful responses and told of days in school when there was one elementary school in our town. The summer following, the parent passed away. Those stories in the journal, even if they had been told to the student would most likely not be remembered by that five year old. The other parent expressed how happy they were to have those stories for their kid.

Since I have not done this with first graders, I am thinking that after winter break the students will be able to write the journal letter on their own. The first part of kindergarten is Hell trying to get the journal entries completed. There's a lot of explaining and re-explaining and erasing and and it takes A LOT of patience. After a month or two what once took 20+ minutes to complete then takes about 5 minutes or less for those who get right to work.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WRITE AN OLD FASHIONED LETTER*

Teachers!!

Teachers supplies have taken over my living room!
What the stores don't do anymore...put the Back-to-School stuff in their fliers....so...you have to keep going to the store until you find what you want on sale...so if you are a teacher and need this stuff:

Michael's- 15% off to teachers now
Target- Crayola Markers 99 cents, Fiskar scissors 2 for $3, Crayola colored pencils 99 cents, folders 15 cents
Toys R US- Buy one Crayola crayon or marker and get 2 free.

Yesterday I stocked up on all of that stuff. Now to get to Walmart for glue sticks and composition books. I have 25 kids now, up from 20 so that 10-25 cents per item adds up.

This was the scene from last year...


This year I will move it to my classroom before I go down under.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*SHOP THE SALES*

Remember those black buttons?

Well they bloomed while we were gone...but Daughter #1 sent me pictures...and there they are. I came home to find wilty, shriveled up flowers...but they were awesome!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WATCH THE ALL STAR GAME TONIGHT*GO NATIONAL LEAGUE*

Tour de Donut

The Captain and I got up at the crack of 05:20 to get on the road to American Fork. Good thing we got there early because the Captain had a flat - a slow leak from our 37 mile Rails to Trails ride yesterday....

...so he got a new tube installed for free by a pro who was set up to help out. Then we checked in, got our numbers on our backs and our timing chips on our  helmets and got our bikes out of the car....and waited for the ride to begin.

Tour de Donut is 21 miles long. It is three, 7 mile loops. The catch is, every 7 miles you have the opportunity to eat donuts...and each donut eaten takes 3 minutes off your time. (I am not a true teacher at heart because I DO NOT LIKE DONUTS!) But the ride was fun...and I choked down 6 glazed donuts which were warming in the sun- and probably cost me more time trying to choke them down than I gained in time. I rode my Iron Horse bike so that was a disadvantage for time- but still, I rode 18 MPH the majority of the ride...and I was honest in recording my donuts eaten- and others were not....that was a bummer because we passed a lot of riders and I should have placed in my age group. The ride was fun, and I won't have the opportunity to ride in this again, but seriously, is it worth lying to place?

I decided that Tour de Chocodile or Tour de Chips A-Hoy cookie would be better...where I could eat something I wouldn't gag on :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RIDE-EAT-RIDE*



Emu?

So the Captain and I rode our bikes 12 miles up the old Lincoln Hwy- the old main highway which is now Interstate 80. It was all uphill heading towards Evanston, Wyoming. The historical societies have done a wonderful job posting signs with information about the history of the area. On the way home we were bucking a headwind...I had my head down wishing I were closer to home when I heard the Captain say, "Is that an ostrich?"

I looked up to find a BIG bird crossing the highway about 100 yards ahead! Then it went down in the grassy area and hunted for food. Where this bird came from is a mystery...this area gets way below zero in winter and in the 100's lately. And there are no homes up that canyon...there's a few areas where sheep are summering at higher elevations and some dry farms but this are is otherwise wilderness.

I took a few pictures with my cell phone but it was too far away to see well. We told everyone about it when we returned and we got some funny looks....sure it wasn't just a large crane?

No- this was an emu...3 1/2 to 4 feet tall.

Then this morning I was hiking the dog down to the river and neighbor came by on a 4 wheeler asking if I had seen the emu when I was at the post office yesterday. Turns out the bird was on the tracks...when a train was coming and they couldn't get it to move. So much for the emu in the ghost town.

LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*TRACK AN EMU*

Happy Birthday America!

***********************************************************************************

HAVE A WONDERFUL 4TH OF JULY!

************************************************************************************

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*FREEDOM ISN'T FREE*

More on where I am...

I once lived in a ghost town...
Echo, Utah is considered a ghost town and is listed in HERE
It is in Summit County, at the junction of I-84 and I-80. Here's the description:

This town was started in 1854 as a stage coach stop. In 1860 the pony express also built a station here. In 1868 the Railroad built here and the towns population grew. During the 1929 depression many people moved away. Most the old buildings are gone, a few people still live here.

Brigham Young also lived there with many of his wives- when the town was hopping there was a lane named after each wife. The old church house still stands along with the hotel- which very few people know about. The hotel was purchased by Captain America's grandparents, and moved onto the lane near the church house and converted into their home! The school house is still standing and is being restored. The cemetery above the church house has markers from the early 1800's and is where the Captain's grandparents and some ancestors rest. The Captain's mom still has a ranch there and the house I helped build...and the farm I learned to drive tractors on.

The outhouse to the church house still stands:
Mining was the top industry in the late 1800's and early 1900's:

The train still comes through Echo all day and night...but it doesn't stop for coal. The last Amtrak went through in 1984- we all went out to wave to the last train.

The saloon and hotel. This is the original photo....

...when the Captain's dad was about 8 years old his mom sent him to the store....on his way there he passed the saloon...and on the pool table lay a dead man with a knife still in him! Granddad was so spooked he crossed the street when he ran back home.

Right behind the buildings in that photo lies Captain America's parent's fields and the access road that I walk, run and bike on.

(My Kiwi daughter got to experience her second +6. earthquake last night in New Zealand. I certainly hope the quakes stop for the next few months because I have lived through my share of +6's!)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*
LAUGH HARDER*KNOW YOUR HISTORY*NOTHING LIKE
LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN*

Here is where I am...

Where am I? I am in Utah. I have posted in the past about this adventurous place...so I will pull up those old posts. This is Coalville, Utah, 6 miles from where I lived.....today's post is about:

 Summit County Mercantile in Coalville, Utah:

Opening Day 1908

The original hardwood floor...the floor Captain America's great grandparents walked on and Captain America's grandparents toddled on as babies....and Captain America's parents walked on as babies...and bought candies and ice creams and then rode on the 1932 farm truck's tailgate all the way home.


Not many stores have antlers and hides on the walls....
....along with the fruits and veggies...and an awesome meat counter.....
.....and boots and hats and Levis and gear.....horse bridles and tack......

....and where you can put your order on a tab and get billed at the end of the month.....the employee/owners know you, and your grandparents, and your uncles and aunts and your dog and horse....and until a few years back every item had a price written on it in black crayon and was added up at the counter with an adding machine! Then your groceries and supplies are packed in a cardboard box and loaded into your truck. HOW'S THAT FOR SERVICE?

*WELCOME TO UTAH....TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK 100 YEARS*

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*SHOP AT THE SUMMIT*

I am here...

and we are both loving it!

The bridge in front of her goes over the river...which is running very fast right now because the reservoir is being drained...she went for a wade but I could tell she wanted to swim.

The house I helped build is only 1 mile up that road- or actually driveway.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY A HIKE*

Sums it up....

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*IMAGINE TEACHING

25 FIVE YEAR OLDS TODAY*

Fire!!

FIRE! This is what BIG Foot sent me from campus this morning....

After class he took this from a trail....

...and now he is sitting on a ridge watching homes go up...I feel so sad. This is such a beautiful place. Pike's Peak, where Katherine Bates was inspired to write "Oh! Beautiful," the Cog Train which carries passengers to the top, Garden of the Gods, the Airforce Academy....

Let's hope the weather changes, the wind stops and rains come! The high heat is not helping right now.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*STAY SAFE COLORADO*

Black Buttons

About 12 years ago a friend gave as a 3' tall cactus. We planted it in a big container and left it on the porch. Several years ago that friend passed away in an accident at work and the following spring some odd black button type things appeared on one of the cactus arms. A few days later when the weather was extemely warm (for here,) the button began to grow...and grow...until it was about the size of a hot dog bun! Then it unraveled and a beautiful white flower appeared. The flower lasted a very long time. Two years ago, there were two blooms- my botanist and biologist children took Qtips and cross pollinated the flowers- which immediately died...so they knew they were successful.

Last years we did not have summer- it was so cold and gloomy which is apparently why the cactus never got any button buds. But last week the weather here hit 100 and near 100 two days in a row...and there are now 5 black button buds on my cactus.

 

And should make for some more experimenting in cross pollination.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*

MAY YOUR CACTUS BLOOM*

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*