Well, at least the two weeks from hell are.
I'm sitting in the hotel, having just got back from Denny's. I decided to treat myself to dinner there. It's only across the street, so it was a short trip. I changed out of my work clothes and put on a polo and shorts and drove over with my book. The place was practically empty, so I got sat at a booth immediately and I ordered a razzdango and eventually a club sandwich with a side of honey mustard sauce. I read for a long time and ate, it was nice to just sit and hang out.
I'm just full of joy right now, being done with teaching 28 classes in a row...what an ordeal! It feels almost anticlimactic that I only have two days off now, and then I have to do it again, but I think it's going to be much more easy-going the next 3 weeks. What a relief to have some time off to myself, finally. I even am celebrating further by ordering myself some snacks from Domino's later on. I'll fly out tomorrow, hopefully without any baggage problems, and then just relax Thursday and Friday while I catch up on some online reporting and other things for IRD. I'll try and get together with some friends as well, overall just getting some well-deserved downtime.
Today's classes were alright. I got to the site early, at around 7:20 probably, and immediately went over on the other side of the campus to find another teacher. I found him, and he gave me his keys having singled out the one for my room. I took them and unlocked my room and the one next door for Ben, and then brought him back his keys. I thanked him and went back in my room to set up. I had to move some of the tables back into Ben's room since I had taken them yesterday for my Level 5 class. So I got everything set up and read a bit more before class started. My Level 1 was first, and all things told it went much better than last week. Some of the kids are difficult to keep focused, especially a little boy named David who was brought to class rather late. I think this contributed to his lack of focus; he was exceptionally difficult to deal with. I was very close to putting him in time out. But the class went well; I think The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat was a bigger hit than Morris the Moose in week 1. We played a game ("word lightning") that went well at the end of class. Then I had my Level 2. Conversely, this class was a bit less successful than last week's; we read a couple stories in Inspector Hopper that they enjoyed marginally. My Level 4 was last, and whether due to the fact that almost all of the students in the class are good or that I was in a good mood for it being my last of 28 classes in a row, the class went quite smoothly. The only thing that didn't go so well was the long-word decoding lesson, half of which I had to skip. I've done it before, though, and I don't think it's a big deal. So after I taught, I packed up my stuff and played on the spinet for a while before leaving.
That's pretty much everything. So tonight I'm just gonna read some Reader articles, some Harry Potter, watch some Home Movies or Food Network, and get some good rest while snacking on Cinna Stix and Cheesy Bread, which just arrived.
Thanks to all for supporting me through this. The worst is over.
More updates to follow my hiatus.
-Alex
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Playing catch-up
Aloha!
I've a lot to tell, about 5 days' worth. Best to being at the beginning, I think.
Thursday night: I taught my final Level 5 and Level 7 classes in Buffalo. The Level 5 was a little better than the previous week, but they still needed a bit of coaxing and management. One of my students actually gave me a "thank you" card at the end (I agree with Jackie that it was probably his mom's idea) which contained a $20 gift card to Starbucks. Then, my Level 7 only had 5 students, and was mostly fun with My Name is Aram. One of the women had some questions afterwards, and I felt kind of bad because I didn't want to stay and talk but I didn't want to be rude either. Eventually she left and I did as well. I had actually called the Northwest customer service number between classes, and they said that it hadn't come in earlier, and to call back around 9:30. Great, I thought. I called them back when I was leaving the teaching site, and the lady found out for me that my luggage was at the airport, so I went to pick it up. Had I waited for them to deliver it, who knows how long it would have taken? So I drove to Buffalo-Niagara, picked it up, and drove home. I ate my leftover wings, and Jackie and I got ready to go see the Simpsons Movie. It was good, and it satisfied Jackie, the toughest Simpsons critic of them all. The only downside was not getting to bed until after 2 am.
Friday: The final 3 classes in Buffalo. Level 3: not bad. Level 4: OK. Level 6: alright. It was nice to wrap up Buffalo's classes, though it didn't necessarily feel spectacular or anything. I figured that I would really appreciate being done with them once I had a Thursday and Friday off to myself. At any rate, Jackie picked me up (she had dropped me off) and we went to Barnes and Noble in Amherst; I wanted to buy the new Harry Potter book. I did, and we made a stop at Target as well. We decided to eat out at Olive Garden, so we headed over there. We ended up waiting a while for a table, as it was Friday night dinner time. While we waited we went to the bar and had a seat. Eventually, we were shown our table and we asked for coffee and water, and some alfredo sauce for the breadsticks. I ordered a Zuppa Toscana, a light Tuscan soup with sausage and Kale (delicious!). We eventually ordered dinner, Lasagna for Jackie and a Chicken and Gnocchi dish for myself. We were both not very hungry for our entrees, but mine was quite good so I ate a fair bit of it. The gnocchi were alright, but the chicken was just wonderfully seasoned and prepared with roasted red peppers and zucchini. For dessert, we shared a berry zabaione parfait with raspberry sorbet that was wonderful. We were at dinner for about 2 hours, and then finally headed home. I took a bath and read a bit after Jackie helped me pack up my bags (she really is an amazing help). Finally I got to bed.
Saturday: Another day of flying. One thing's for sure: I was not nearly as tired Saturday morning as I was last week. I got a decent amount of sleep, and got up at 5 to dress, load up the car, and get to the airport. Since my big duffel bag had ripped in transit (it weighed 68 lbs), I was using Jackie's which, while weighing less this time around, didn't have rollers. So I was even more glad to use the curbside baggage drop-off/check-in service (it was especially hard with the cup of coffee also - I had stopped at Mobil for coffee and a nutrigrain bar for breakfast while Jackie fueled up).
My first flight left on time if not a little early and was uneventful; I just read some of the 6th Harry Potter book (in preparation for the new book of course). Of course, then I got in to O'Hare. I was really hoping that my flight wouldn't be delayed, because I wanted to get into Cali early, and head off to my Aunt's. Upon arrival, I checked the departure screen and wouldn't you know it, it said "AT 10:30 A". So that was at least 40 minutes later than my expected 9:50 am departure. I sat and waited, and read. I called Jackie and Dad and talked to them, and got some pizza and a water in the airport (like $10). 40 minutes turned into an hour and a half, and eventually I was delayed back till about 12:00 pm, central time. This was really frustrating. So I ended up finished HP6 on the plane, and then napped for most of the rest of the flight. Finally we got to San Jose, and I headed to baggage claim.
Segue to my rental car, which was hassle-free this time. I was given the option of a Kia Spectra, Ford Focus or Chevy Cobalt, so I chose the Cobalt since I had it last week and didn't want to add any more stress to my life by getting an unfamiliar car. This time I had a 2-door. I drove to the hotel, which was much easier this time since I was used to the car and I knew where I was going. That feeling is very empowering, arriving in an unfamiliar city and navigating like you're a local. Checked in at the hotel, and I had a different room this time; they actually asked me if I preferred upstairs or downstairs, whereas last time I was just given my room assignment, no questions asked. I think I would have preferred to just have been given my room without being given all these choices, which is a terrible disposition to have, I think. I mean, in this day and age where we can have just about anything we want relatively quickly (though for a price), what does it mean to seek out situations in which one doesn't need to make a choice? Could we be backlashing against our parents' generation, where everyone wants to make sure all their choices are given to them up front, or simply becoming complacent and getting used to a deterministic way society is being run? Hard to say.
Anyway, I brought in my laptop and logged on to get directions to Aunt Gloria's. I called her when I left and she gave me some alternate but more specific directions. It didn't take long to get there, and when I arrived she met me outside and showed me where to park. It's an interesting little neighborhood (it's actually a gated community) full of seemingly identical (town?)houses. I came in and said hi, Uncle John soon came in from outside; he had gone to a neighbor's party. Rhea and her boyfriend Hao had gone to the store to get dessert for our dinner. We decided to eat first, and I had some cheese and crackers while I waited. We chatted and soon Rhea and Hao showed up. Rhea is more like an adult, of course, but there's still very much that little kid like aspect of her that I remember from when we were cousins growing up. Her boyfriend is very nice and intelligent, they have been together for a long time now. We sat outside, while Uncle John grilled some salmon steaks and had some of the Kenwood merlot I had brought over. Aunt Gloria had made ravioli with her own sauce and some ratatouille and there was also salad.
Dinner was quite good; we decided that they would take me to see a part of Oakland called Jack London Square before dessert. The drive was short, and we took Aunt Gloria's dog Maggie along with. We walked around a bit before stopping at a Starbucks in Barnes and Nobles where I got a green tea with coconut, ginger and lemongrass. The place was right on the water, and was really well-developed. You could tell that there was usually a lot going on there, with happening restaurants/clubs, the open waters, boating, open outdoor vendors, etc. It made me long for a developed waterfront at home, seeing how wonderful that kind of area could be. The closest thing we have in Buffalo to getting that feeling is Pearl St.'s sunset Sundays, where sitting on a 2nd or 3rd floor patio bar can make you feel like you're not even in Buffalo. I thought of that, and missed home.
We headed back soon after sunset, since the temperature and wind soon dropped below comfortable. Back at Aunt Gloria's, we had a bit of cheesecake, and I talked to Jackie a bit. Then Rhea and I went to the Pack and Save store (Safeway meets Aldi's) where I stocked up on high energy snacks for teaching: smoked almonds, cheese sticks, odwalla energy bars, and craisins. She and Hao left soon after we returned and shortly thereafter I got ready for bed. I was sleeping in the guest room, which I guess was Rhea's old room. It was a comfortable bed, and once I put a floor fan in there it was perfect. I got online via their wireless network and mapped my route to SFSU for Sunday morning. Aunt Gloria warned me of the $4 toll on the bridge, and provided me with the necessary cash which I gratefully accepted. I then read for a bit (starting book 7 for the first time) before bed.
Sunday: I got plenty of sleep, and woke up at 7:30, planning to leave by 8:45 for San Francisco. I had a breakfast of a bagel, coffee and orange juice after my shower and then bid farewell to Aunt Gloria and Uncle John, thanking them for having me. Of course they provided me leftovers to take with. My drive was uneventful, and the San Mateo bridge was nice to go over. The city was quite overcast and chilly, and I arrived to the State University with plenty of time to spare. I got in and set up, and read a bit before my first class started. My Level R went well, if somewhat not as great as last week (I really think Little Bear doesn't excite the kindergarteners as much as Caps For Sale). But I can't complain about a 1:15 long class that pays the same as 2:30 long classes. Next was my Level 5, which went quite well though, again, not as well as last week. We start working on nonfiction in lesson 2, so that might have had something to do with it. Then the Level 4. Not awful, but a little hectic. Overall the day was of course less hectic because between classes I didn't have to run out to Katie's car to get materials kits et cetera. Bonus: I didn't get lost in San Francisco on the way back, so I made it back here probably by around 7:30. Of course, that still didn't leave a lot of time. I stopped at the Little Caesar's for some pizza and crazy bread. Back at the hotel, I watched the Food Network, listened to the new The CON songs on their myspace page, and then read some in my book before bed. I might have taken a bath, but this hotel room's shower is a stand-up one only.
Monday: My alarm clock went off at 6:30, to which I awoke rather groggily. I think my sleep was rather interrupted by the cycling on-and-off air conditioning unit, which provided me with an irregular pattern of noise. I showered and dressed and ate and drank and took an Aleve preemptively. Out of here by about 7:10 or so, and arrived at Almaden about 7:30. Big surprise: the doors were locked. I called the scheduling department this time and talked to Anita, who actually was in charge of that site. She listened to me describe the problem and also asked me about the lack of air conditioning. I still have to explain the lack of tables problem to her. She apparently called someone about it and got back to me, but the room still was unopened until about 7:50 (I read some of Deathly Hallows to pass the time). Finally I got in and set up, and then my Level R's started coming in. There were more of them this week, and I think the class went overall better because of it, though due to my running behind, I didn't get to do a dramatization of the second Little Bear story ("Little Bear Goes to the Moon"). Now, at this site I only have a half an hour between one class's end time and the other's start time. This is really not enough time. So quite soon after my Level R ended, my Level 6 began. This is a very surly group of students. It was especially prevalent this morning, no doubt aided by my own sense of weariness. I was just extremely tired all day, and I'm not sure why (though I'd guess it had to do with the air conditioner unit last night). My Level 5 was after that, and that did go better, though not as well as last week, since I had to do a bit of stern-talking to some of the students. Finally it was over, and after waiting for some of my students' parents to come and pick them up, I headed back myself.
I stopped at a place near the Little Caesar's for dinner, simply called "Hawaiian BBQ." What a place! Outside you could pull up in some of the parking spaces for Drive Inn (sic) service, and inside was like a fast food counter, but the food was all an interesting melange of Hawaiian BBQ meats, and Japanese influences. Check out their website: www.hawaiiandriveinn.com. A friendly counter attendant welcomed me and asked if I had been here before. I said no, and he recommended the BBQ mix plate, "their number 1 seller," he said. I obliged and ordered one of their many different kinds of smoothies as well (opting in this case for passion fruit). He took my order and chatted with me about the holographic wave in my NYS license (the second Californian now to have commented on it -- they seem positively awe stricken by it). I waited for about 3-5 minutes before my order was ready, and I took it and a menu and left. The smoothie was delicious and I couldn't wait to eat. Back at the hotel, I opened up the container and was greeted by a wonderful smell of mixed bbq spareribs, teriyaki steak and bbq chicken atop shredded lettuce, two scoops of rice, and a side of macaroni salad. It was like a Hawaiian garbage plate! I took a few bites and was seriously pleased. What a great find!
Anyway, that pretty much brings us up to speed. After tomorrow is over, I have a couple of days off, and I am sure that I will be simply ecstatic about that once I'm done with the three classes tomorrow. Hopefully I can relax at home and get together with some friends, maybe even catch a The CON concert, I think they're playing at Diablo this weekend. One thing's for sure: I'm going to get a lot of sleep tonight if I can help it.
Hope everyone reading is well.
Love,
Alex
I've a lot to tell, about 5 days' worth. Best to being at the beginning, I think.
Thursday night: I taught my final Level 5 and Level 7 classes in Buffalo. The Level 5 was a little better than the previous week, but they still needed a bit of coaxing and management. One of my students actually gave me a "thank you" card at the end (I agree with Jackie that it was probably his mom's idea) which contained a $20 gift card to Starbucks. Then, my Level 7 only had 5 students, and was mostly fun with My Name is Aram. One of the women had some questions afterwards, and I felt kind of bad because I didn't want to stay and talk but I didn't want to be rude either. Eventually she left and I did as well. I had actually called the Northwest customer service number between classes, and they said that it hadn't come in earlier, and to call back around 9:30. Great, I thought. I called them back when I was leaving the teaching site, and the lady found out for me that my luggage was at the airport, so I went to pick it up. Had I waited for them to deliver it, who knows how long it would have taken? So I drove to Buffalo-Niagara, picked it up, and drove home. I ate my leftover wings, and Jackie and I got ready to go see the Simpsons Movie. It was good, and it satisfied Jackie, the toughest Simpsons critic of them all. The only downside was not getting to bed until after 2 am.
Friday: The final 3 classes in Buffalo. Level 3: not bad. Level 4: OK. Level 6: alright. It was nice to wrap up Buffalo's classes, though it didn't necessarily feel spectacular or anything. I figured that I would really appreciate being done with them once I had a Thursday and Friday off to myself. At any rate, Jackie picked me up (she had dropped me off) and we went to Barnes and Noble in Amherst; I wanted to buy the new Harry Potter book. I did, and we made a stop at Target as well. We decided to eat out at Olive Garden, so we headed over there. We ended up waiting a while for a table, as it was Friday night dinner time. While we waited we went to the bar and had a seat. Eventually, we were shown our table and we asked for coffee and water, and some alfredo sauce for the breadsticks. I ordered a Zuppa Toscana, a light Tuscan soup with sausage and Kale (delicious!). We eventually ordered dinner, Lasagna for Jackie and a Chicken and Gnocchi dish for myself. We were both not very hungry for our entrees, but mine was quite good so I ate a fair bit of it. The gnocchi were alright, but the chicken was just wonderfully seasoned and prepared with roasted red peppers and zucchini. For dessert, we shared a berry zabaione parfait with raspberry sorbet that was wonderful. We were at dinner for about 2 hours, and then finally headed home. I took a bath and read a bit after Jackie helped me pack up my bags (she really is an amazing help). Finally I got to bed.
Saturday: Another day of flying. One thing's for sure: I was not nearly as tired Saturday morning as I was last week. I got a decent amount of sleep, and got up at 5 to dress, load up the car, and get to the airport. Since my big duffel bag had ripped in transit (it weighed 68 lbs), I was using Jackie's which, while weighing less this time around, didn't have rollers. So I was even more glad to use the curbside baggage drop-off/check-in service (it was especially hard with the cup of coffee also - I had stopped at Mobil for coffee and a nutrigrain bar for breakfast while Jackie fueled up).
My first flight left on time if not a little early and was uneventful; I just read some of the 6th Harry Potter book (in preparation for the new book of course). Of course, then I got in to O'Hare. I was really hoping that my flight wouldn't be delayed, because I wanted to get into Cali early, and head off to my Aunt's. Upon arrival, I checked the departure screen and wouldn't you know it, it said "AT 10:30 A". So that was at least 40 minutes later than my expected 9:50 am departure. I sat and waited, and read. I called Jackie and Dad and talked to them, and got some pizza and a water in the airport (like $10). 40 minutes turned into an hour and a half, and eventually I was delayed back till about 12:00 pm, central time. This was really frustrating. So I ended up finished HP6 on the plane, and then napped for most of the rest of the flight. Finally we got to San Jose, and I headed to baggage claim.
Segue to my rental car, which was hassle-free this time. I was given the option of a Kia Spectra, Ford Focus or Chevy Cobalt, so I chose the Cobalt since I had it last week and didn't want to add any more stress to my life by getting an unfamiliar car. This time I had a 2-door. I drove to the hotel, which was much easier this time since I was used to the car and I knew where I was going. That feeling is very empowering, arriving in an unfamiliar city and navigating like you're a local. Checked in at the hotel, and I had a different room this time; they actually asked me if I preferred upstairs or downstairs, whereas last time I was just given my room assignment, no questions asked. I think I would have preferred to just have been given my room without being given all these choices, which is a terrible disposition to have, I think. I mean, in this day and age where we can have just about anything we want relatively quickly (though for a price), what does it mean to seek out situations in which one doesn't need to make a choice? Could we be backlashing against our parents' generation, where everyone wants to make sure all their choices are given to them up front, or simply becoming complacent and getting used to a deterministic way society is being run? Hard to say.
Anyway, I brought in my laptop and logged on to get directions to Aunt Gloria's. I called her when I left and she gave me some alternate but more specific directions. It didn't take long to get there, and when I arrived she met me outside and showed me where to park. It's an interesting little neighborhood (it's actually a gated community) full of seemingly identical (town?)houses. I came in and said hi, Uncle John soon came in from outside; he had gone to a neighbor's party. Rhea and her boyfriend Hao had gone to the store to get dessert for our dinner. We decided to eat first, and I had some cheese and crackers while I waited. We chatted and soon Rhea and Hao showed up. Rhea is more like an adult, of course, but there's still very much that little kid like aspect of her that I remember from when we were cousins growing up. Her boyfriend is very nice and intelligent, they have been together for a long time now. We sat outside, while Uncle John grilled some salmon steaks and had some of the Kenwood merlot I had brought over. Aunt Gloria had made ravioli with her own sauce and some ratatouille and there was also salad.
Dinner was quite good; we decided that they would take me to see a part of Oakland called Jack London Square before dessert. The drive was short, and we took Aunt Gloria's dog Maggie along with. We walked around a bit before stopping at a Starbucks in Barnes and Nobles where I got a green tea with coconut, ginger and lemongrass. The place was right on the water, and was really well-developed. You could tell that there was usually a lot going on there, with happening restaurants/clubs, the open waters, boating, open outdoor vendors, etc. It made me long for a developed waterfront at home, seeing how wonderful that kind of area could be. The closest thing we have in Buffalo to getting that feeling is Pearl St.'s sunset Sundays, where sitting on a 2nd or 3rd floor patio bar can make you feel like you're not even in Buffalo. I thought of that, and missed home.
We headed back soon after sunset, since the temperature and wind soon dropped below comfortable. Back at Aunt Gloria's, we had a bit of cheesecake, and I talked to Jackie a bit. Then Rhea and I went to the Pack and Save store (Safeway meets Aldi's) where I stocked up on high energy snacks for teaching: smoked almonds, cheese sticks, odwalla energy bars, and craisins. She and Hao left soon after we returned and shortly thereafter I got ready for bed. I was sleeping in the guest room, which I guess was Rhea's old room. It was a comfortable bed, and once I put a floor fan in there it was perfect. I got online via their wireless network and mapped my route to SFSU for Sunday morning. Aunt Gloria warned me of the $4 toll on the bridge, and provided me with the necessary cash which I gratefully accepted. I then read for a bit (starting book 7 for the first time) before bed.
Sunday: I got plenty of sleep, and woke up at 7:30, planning to leave by 8:45 for San Francisco. I had a breakfast of a bagel, coffee and orange juice after my shower and then bid farewell to Aunt Gloria and Uncle John, thanking them for having me. Of course they provided me leftovers to take with. My drive was uneventful, and the San Mateo bridge was nice to go over. The city was quite overcast and chilly, and I arrived to the State University with plenty of time to spare. I got in and set up, and read a bit before my first class started. My Level R went well, if somewhat not as great as last week (I really think Little Bear doesn't excite the kindergarteners as much as Caps For Sale). But I can't complain about a 1:15 long class that pays the same as 2:30 long classes. Next was my Level 5, which went quite well though, again, not as well as last week. We start working on nonfiction in lesson 2, so that might have had something to do with it. Then the Level 4. Not awful, but a little hectic. Overall the day was of course less hectic because between classes I didn't have to run out to Katie's car to get materials kits et cetera. Bonus: I didn't get lost in San Francisco on the way back, so I made it back here probably by around 7:30. Of course, that still didn't leave a lot of time. I stopped at the Little Caesar's for some pizza and crazy bread. Back at the hotel, I watched the Food Network, listened to the new The CON songs on their myspace page, and then read some in my book before bed. I might have taken a bath, but this hotel room's shower is a stand-up one only.
Monday: My alarm clock went off at 6:30, to which I awoke rather groggily. I think my sleep was rather interrupted by the cycling on-and-off air conditioning unit, which provided me with an irregular pattern of noise. I showered and dressed and ate and drank and took an Aleve preemptively. Out of here by about 7:10 or so, and arrived at Almaden about 7:30. Big surprise: the doors were locked. I called the scheduling department this time and talked to Anita, who actually was in charge of that site. She listened to me describe the problem and also asked me about the lack of air conditioning. I still have to explain the lack of tables problem to her. She apparently called someone about it and got back to me, but the room still was unopened until about 7:50 (I read some of Deathly Hallows to pass the time). Finally I got in and set up, and then my Level R's started coming in. There were more of them this week, and I think the class went overall better because of it, though due to my running behind, I didn't get to do a dramatization of the second Little Bear story ("Little Bear Goes to the Moon"). Now, at this site I only have a half an hour between one class's end time and the other's start time. This is really not enough time. So quite soon after my Level R ended, my Level 6 began. This is a very surly group of students. It was especially prevalent this morning, no doubt aided by my own sense of weariness. I was just extremely tired all day, and I'm not sure why (though I'd guess it had to do with the air conditioner unit last night). My Level 5 was after that, and that did go better, though not as well as last week, since I had to do a bit of stern-talking to some of the students. Finally it was over, and after waiting for some of my students' parents to come and pick them up, I headed back myself.
I stopped at a place near the Little Caesar's for dinner, simply called "Hawaiian BBQ." What a place! Outside you could pull up in some of the parking spaces for Drive Inn (sic) service, and inside was like a fast food counter, but the food was all an interesting melange of Hawaiian BBQ meats, and Japanese influences. Check out their website: www.hawaiiandriveinn.com. A friendly counter attendant welcomed me and asked if I had been here before. I said no, and he recommended the BBQ mix plate, "their number 1 seller," he said. I obliged and ordered one of their many different kinds of smoothies as well (opting in this case for passion fruit). He took my order and chatted with me about the holographic wave in my NYS license (the second Californian now to have commented on it -- they seem positively awe stricken by it). I waited for about 3-5 minutes before my order was ready, and I took it and a menu and left. The smoothie was delicious and I couldn't wait to eat. Back at the hotel, I opened up the container and was greeted by a wonderful smell of mixed bbq spareribs, teriyaki steak and bbq chicken atop shredded lettuce, two scoops of rice, and a side of macaroni salad. It was like a Hawaiian garbage plate! I took a few bites and was seriously pleased. What a great find!
Anyway, that pretty much brings us up to speed. After tomorrow is over, I have a couple of days off, and I am sure that I will be simply ecstatic about that once I'm done with the three classes tomorrow. Hopefully I can relax at home and get together with some friends, maybe even catch a The CON concert, I think they're playing at Diablo this weekend. One thing's for sure: I'm going to get a lot of sleep tonight if I can help it.
Hope everyone reading is well.
Love,
Alex
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Back in Buffalo
Greetings everyone from Buffalo NY. I made it home yesterday, but not without a bit of a fiasco.
All in all, my flights were on time yesterday. Unfortunately, my laptop battery didn't last me through all 3 of them, so I was a bit without entertainment on my last flight. During two of the flights I had to sit near some young children traveling with their family which wasn't that pleasant, but it wasn't too bad. The day was a draining one for travel; being in 4 airports in one day isn't fun. But like I said, not much went wrong. At least until I went to get my bags in Buffalo.
In short, they weren't there. I waited and waited and waited and they weren't coming around. I went over to the baggage claim office and waited to talk to a representative, who was helping others who seemed to have had the same problem. I reported my bags, and the rep told me they were scheduled to arrive Thursday morning at around 11:09. So, weary and hungry, Jackie and I went home. We stopped at Louie's for some BBQ wings that she had ordered for me around 9:30, and by the time we got there they were almost closed, but they still had the wings. We watched some TV and I ate wings, and then I went to bed. This morning I got up around 9:30, and Jackie and I went to get breakfast at Pano's. I was feeling overall exhausted. Not in an "I want to sleep" way, just in an "I don't want to do anything" way. I only ate about half of my breakfast, and felt really apathetic toward everything. I think this amount of work is really taking its toll on me and the stress is causing my feelings and emotions to just sort of vanish. I guess that's what happens when you're tired. I drove Jackie to work so I could use her car, and went home.
I showered and that made me feel better, then got ready for my phone interview. My interviewer called a bit late, which didn't bother me much but made me nervous, because I knew I had to still go to the airport and get my stuff, and then get to class at 3:45. Finally she called, and we talked for a while. In the middle there was a fire alarm on her end so she had to hang up and call me back 15 minutes later. We talked for about another 20 minutes, and I asked her some questions as well. On the whole I think the interview went very well, though at times I stumbled over my words and had trouble explaining myself. But I'm hopeful, and we'll see if they offer me an in-person interview probably within a couple of weeks. So after the interview, I called Northwest Airlines to see what was up with my baggage. My claim number didn't work on the automated machine, so I got transfered to a representative who looked it up for me. She told me that the flight it was supposed to come in on this morning had been canceled! So it's not going to get here until, at the earliest, 4:15, and that I should call back around 4:30. So I still don't have my luggage, which contains some teaching supplies that I need to go through evaluations. This is ridiculous. I wonder if anything else will go wrong during my runs.
So now I'm sitting up here, in this very hot apartment, sweating from the heat and from worry, with a slightly nervous stomach that won't go away, and I've got to go and teach classes tonight. Then I have to teach 3 tomorrow, and then, of course, it's off to San Jose again. I think the only thing keeping me going is the hope that I might get this job at Google. And despite how crappy I feel, I must admit it does feel good to be home.
Later,
Alex
All in all, my flights were on time yesterday. Unfortunately, my laptop battery didn't last me through all 3 of them, so I was a bit without entertainment on my last flight. During two of the flights I had to sit near some young children traveling with their family which wasn't that pleasant, but it wasn't too bad. The day was a draining one for travel; being in 4 airports in one day isn't fun. But like I said, not much went wrong. At least until I went to get my bags in Buffalo.
In short, they weren't there. I waited and waited and waited and they weren't coming around. I went over to the baggage claim office and waited to talk to a representative, who was helping others who seemed to have had the same problem. I reported my bags, and the rep told me they were scheduled to arrive Thursday morning at around 11:09. So, weary and hungry, Jackie and I went home. We stopped at Louie's for some BBQ wings that she had ordered for me around 9:30, and by the time we got there they were almost closed, but they still had the wings. We watched some TV and I ate wings, and then I went to bed. This morning I got up around 9:30, and Jackie and I went to get breakfast at Pano's. I was feeling overall exhausted. Not in an "I want to sleep" way, just in an "I don't want to do anything" way. I only ate about half of my breakfast, and felt really apathetic toward everything. I think this amount of work is really taking its toll on me and the stress is causing my feelings and emotions to just sort of vanish. I guess that's what happens when you're tired. I drove Jackie to work so I could use her car, and went home.
I showered and that made me feel better, then got ready for my phone interview. My interviewer called a bit late, which didn't bother me much but made me nervous, because I knew I had to still go to the airport and get my stuff, and then get to class at 3:45. Finally she called, and we talked for a while. In the middle there was a fire alarm on her end so she had to hang up and call me back 15 minutes later. We talked for about another 20 minutes, and I asked her some questions as well. On the whole I think the interview went very well, though at times I stumbled over my words and had trouble explaining myself. But I'm hopeful, and we'll see if they offer me an in-person interview probably within a couple of weeks. So after the interview, I called Northwest Airlines to see what was up with my baggage. My claim number didn't work on the automated machine, so I got transfered to a representative who looked it up for me. She told me that the flight it was supposed to come in on this morning had been canceled! So it's not going to get here until, at the earliest, 4:15, and that I should call back around 4:30. So I still don't have my luggage, which contains some teaching supplies that I need to go through evaluations. This is ridiculous. I wonder if anything else will go wrong during my runs.
So now I'm sitting up here, in this very hot apartment, sweating from the heat and from worry, with a slightly nervous stomach that won't go away, and I've got to go and teach classes tonight. Then I have to teach 3 tomorrow, and then, of course, it's off to San Jose again. I think the only thing keeping me going is the hope that I might get this job at Google. And despite how crappy I feel, I must admit it does feel good to be home.
Later,
Alex
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The end of the beginning: Almaden part II
Hey folks.
So I'm back in my hotel, and week 1 of my run is over. I gotta say it's a pretty exciting feeling, and when I think about the fact that I actually don't have to get up at 5:30 am tomorrow and teach for 7 or 8 hours, I feel quite happy. So let me recap today for you.
I got up with considerably less fatigue than yesterday morning on account of the fact that I had much more downtime last night than on Sunday night. I showered and dressed, then tried to eat some breakfast, but I actually couldn't finish one of those huge croissants I got from the Vietnamese market it was so big. I left a little bit later than 6:30, planning to get there around 7 but not really worrying about it since I had been there yesterday.
I made it at about 10 after, and Ben was already there. I had met him on Sunday at San Francisco, and this morning he was saying how he taught in San Francisco yesterday until 9:30 pm and then had to get up at 5 this morning to get to the site on time; I guess IRD wouldn't give him a hotel in San Jose. So I unloaded some of my materials and put them outside my room, and showed Ben his room, which was next to mine. Then I started looking over some of the lesson plans for the Level 1 and 2 classes which I hadn't taught yet this summer (actually I had never taught a Level 2 class ever before). Ben waited outside his room, then said he was going to run to 7-11 and asked me if I wanted anything. Since I hadn't gotten any coffee from the breakfast (there were about a dozen Mexican workers in there at 6:30 and I guess they drank it all), so I gave him a couple bucks and thanked him. I waited and waited, and still there was no sign of the lady who had unlocked the classroom doors the previous day. Ben came back, and at about 20 minutes till 8, I was thinking that this lady needed to get here really quick, because we needed to set up, and poor Ben didn't even know what the state of his room was, which I was guessing wasn't pretty.
Finally this guy showed up around a quarter to 8 (which I have to report to scheduling, because that's actually unacceptable for starting classes, especially on the first day). He unlocked our doors, and we went in. As I thought, Ben's room was not in a great state. He didn't really even have enough tables, since they had moved them into my room the day before for my huge Level 5 class. I helped him move some of them into his room, and rearranged my room a bit. This obviously put us in a bind to get class started on time. Parents were coming in, I still had to get set up...it was not a good start to my day. Then, to make it worse, the Level 1 class didn't go so hot. Morris the Moose wasn't the most exciting book for them to read, and it was damn near impossible to get them to come up and act out parts of the book! At any rate, I finished up that class and seriously hoped my Level 2 would go better than that. Thankfully, it did.
So despite having never taught this level before, it went really smoothly. The entering second graders were all really eager to read and quite good, with the slight exception of two kids, and even they weren't that bad. And of course, after that I was in a pretty good mood because I knew that after my next class, I was done. So I scarfed a few cereal bars and prepped for the Level 4, and started it on time. Again, all but two of the students were on the ball. Of the two that weren't, one wasn't because he couldn't read in English as it was his second language and only had been using it for about 1 year. The other one really didn't have an excuse, though he tried to make them. He just wouldn't read. He said he liked Lemony Snicket books and had read a Beverly Cleary book before and found it boring. I tried everything I could to get him to participate, but it was like pulling teeth. I had a talk with his mom after the class, but I seriously think next week he'll be just as bad. Maybe I should call his mom and have a talk with her this week (yeah right, like when?). I told the Aussie/Samoan student's mom that unfortunately he wasn't going to be able to get anything out of the class, and told her her money would be refunded.
In all, the classes were successful. I ordered a pizza from Domino's when I got home as kind of a reward and got a hold of Rhea, and we talked for a while. The rest of the evening I'm just going to relax. I have to get up early tomorrow, but it will be nothing compared to being up at 5:30; I'll get up at around 7 so I can make it to the airport by 8:30, drop off my car, check in for my flight, and catch the first plane out of here. Specifically, my flight leaves out of San Jose around 10:30, and I arrive in Salt Lake City around 1:00. There's about an hour layover/continuing/connecting flight, and then I leave Salt Lake City for Minneapolis, to arrive around 5:30 (keep in mind I'll be crossing time zones as I fly). There's another layover (about an hour again, but I have to change airlines too), and then I leave for Buffalo, to arrive around 9:40 Eastern time. Of course, this barres any unforeseen delays, of which I hope there are none. But anyway, I'm sure I'll update at some point tomorrow. You'll definitely be hearing from me if my flights are delayed.
So, I've made it through week 1. Next task: finish up my Buffalo classes, and detox a bit. Thanks everyone for all your support. The hard part is over.
Until next time,
Alex
So I'm back in my hotel, and week 1 of my run is over. I gotta say it's a pretty exciting feeling, and when I think about the fact that I actually don't have to get up at 5:30 am tomorrow and teach for 7 or 8 hours, I feel quite happy. So let me recap today for you.
I got up with considerably less fatigue than yesterday morning on account of the fact that I had much more downtime last night than on Sunday night. I showered and dressed, then tried to eat some breakfast, but I actually couldn't finish one of those huge croissants I got from the Vietnamese market it was so big. I left a little bit later than 6:30, planning to get there around 7 but not really worrying about it since I had been there yesterday.
I made it at about 10 after, and Ben was already there. I had met him on Sunday at San Francisco, and this morning he was saying how he taught in San Francisco yesterday until 9:30 pm and then had to get up at 5 this morning to get to the site on time; I guess IRD wouldn't give him a hotel in San Jose. So I unloaded some of my materials and put them outside my room, and showed Ben his room, which was next to mine. Then I started looking over some of the lesson plans for the Level 1 and 2 classes which I hadn't taught yet this summer (actually I had never taught a Level 2 class ever before). Ben waited outside his room, then said he was going to run to 7-11 and asked me if I wanted anything. Since I hadn't gotten any coffee from the breakfast (there were about a dozen Mexican workers in there at 6:30 and I guess they drank it all), so I gave him a couple bucks and thanked him. I waited and waited, and still there was no sign of the lady who had unlocked the classroom doors the previous day. Ben came back, and at about 20 minutes till 8, I was thinking that this lady needed to get here really quick, because we needed to set up, and poor Ben didn't even know what the state of his room was, which I was guessing wasn't pretty.
Finally this guy showed up around a quarter to 8 (which I have to report to scheduling, because that's actually unacceptable for starting classes, especially on the first day). He unlocked our doors, and we went in. As I thought, Ben's room was not in a great state. He didn't really even have enough tables, since they had moved them into my room the day before for my huge Level 5 class. I helped him move some of them into his room, and rearranged my room a bit. This obviously put us in a bind to get class started on time. Parents were coming in, I still had to get set up...it was not a good start to my day. Then, to make it worse, the Level 1 class didn't go so hot. Morris the Moose wasn't the most exciting book for them to read, and it was damn near impossible to get them to come up and act out parts of the book! At any rate, I finished up that class and seriously hoped my Level 2 would go better than that. Thankfully, it did.
So despite having never taught this level before, it went really smoothly. The entering second graders were all really eager to read and quite good, with the slight exception of two kids, and even they weren't that bad. And of course, after that I was in a pretty good mood because I knew that after my next class, I was done. So I scarfed a few cereal bars and prepped for the Level 4, and started it on time. Again, all but two of the students were on the ball. Of the two that weren't, one wasn't because he couldn't read in English as it was his second language and only had been using it for about 1 year. The other one really didn't have an excuse, though he tried to make them. He just wouldn't read. He said he liked Lemony Snicket books and had read a Beverly Cleary book before and found it boring. I tried everything I could to get him to participate, but it was like pulling teeth. I had a talk with his mom after the class, but I seriously think next week he'll be just as bad. Maybe I should call his mom and have a talk with her this week (yeah right, like when?). I told the Aussie/Samoan student's mom that unfortunately he wasn't going to be able to get anything out of the class, and told her her money would be refunded.
In all, the classes were successful. I ordered a pizza from Domino's when I got home as kind of a reward and got a hold of Rhea, and we talked for a while. The rest of the evening I'm just going to relax. I have to get up early tomorrow, but it will be nothing compared to being up at 5:30; I'll get up at around 7 so I can make it to the airport by 8:30, drop off my car, check in for my flight, and catch the first plane out of here. Specifically, my flight leaves out of San Jose around 10:30, and I arrive in Salt Lake City around 1:00. There's about an hour layover/continuing/connecting flight, and then I leave Salt Lake City for Minneapolis, to arrive around 5:30 (keep in mind I'll be crossing time zones as I fly). There's another layover (about an hour again, but I have to change airlines too), and then I leave for Buffalo, to arrive around 9:40 Eastern time. Of course, this barres any unforeseen delays, of which I hope there are none. But anyway, I'm sure I'll update at some point tomorrow. You'll definitely be hearing from me if my flights are delayed.
So, I've made it through week 1. Next task: finish up my Buffalo classes, and detox a bit. Thanks everyone for all your support. The hard part is over.
Until next time,
Alex
Monday, July 23, 2007
Almaden't I already do that?
So I'm back in my hotel after my long day at Almaden Preparatory School. I got up this morning at 5:30 quite tired still, and showered, dressed, got breakfast and headed out the door with a cup of coffee from the continental breakfast. It was only a short drive there, and I arrived before 7:00 am. No one else was there, and I had to search a bit for my room. I found it, and it was locked. So I started unloading boxes and eventually a woman showed up and unlocked my room. She said "you're here early!" and when she opened the door, I said "thank you." She said "uh huh. have a good day!" and left. So I didn't really have time to talk with her, and she left right after that. I went in and looked at the room. It was a kindergarten room, completely with two single-toilet bathrooms right in the back of the room, sinks and water fountains in the room, a play area, a teacher's desk with lots of kitschy teacher paraphernalia , a spinet, and an alphabet above the chalkboard, which was less than half the size of a normal one, and very very dirty. The room also had no air conditioning. Now, this was mostly fine, especially for my Level R class, which consists of prekindergarteners. However, I was also teaching a Level 6 class (high schoolers) and a Level 5 class (middle schoolers). So that was a little weird, but even the Level 6 class wasn't bad, except that most of the kids were rather surly. No, the big challenge was the Level 5 class.
Now, picture a kindergarten classroom in your head. They usually aren't that big, right? Right. Well, neither was this one. Not a huge deal, right? Right. I was dealing with all of this, the small board, the kitschy decorations, the books (they had a copy of Lil' Wolf Saves the Day, which made me smile), the lack of air conditioning. But then I noticed that the Level 5 I was supposed to teach was a full class of 28 students (plus make-ups)! So yeah, not enough seats. I called the number on my OCI and asked the lady who answered if I could get more tables in my classroom. She said yes, and that she would come between my classes to move some more in there. My Level R went alright, except for the fact that I was exhausted and kind of didn't feel like teaching (that's a new notion, neh?). So I was even less excited about my Level 6 class, and the kids' attitudes didn't help (I can't totally blame them, it's their summer vacation and they're in a hot classroom at 9:45 am). Then my Level 5 came. Wow. So, I've never taught such a big class before. 29 students showed up. It was really crazy. But when I saw them all sitting there, the classroom full, I knew what to do. I kicked into energetic teacher mode. The class went pretty well, and I seriously think after that class I can teach anything IRD throws at me.
I had to stay for a bit afterward to make sure I could leave my materials in the room for tomorrow, and played a bit on the spinet. Then I came back here. Well, not right away. First, I drove down Tully Rd. to see where I would get something to eat. I was really thinking some Vietnamese, but I was open to suggestions. So I went down the road, looking at places to try, and then made a U-Turn and tried a place that looked like a Vietnamese restaurant, and even said "restaurant" on the outside. But when I went inside, an Asian woman told me it was just a bar. She tried to tell me to check out the market down the road, so I did. And boy, was I glad I did. This place was amazing! There was a "fast food" counter where you could see tons of steaming dishes to choose from and a butcher counter where a middle-aged man with a cleaver was hacking numerous red, glistening roast ducks, chickens, and spareribs to bits. I asked him for some roast pork, bbq spareribs and roast duck. He hacked some up for me, and put it over white rice with some veggies (sprouts, carrots, scallions) and added a soufflé cup of soy sauce. All of that was only $5.50. I also grabbed a bag of fresh baked croissants from their partner bakery that they had out on a table along with plenty of other baked goods - baguettes, breads, etc. I got two Powerades cause I knew I would be thirsty. The whole thing cost me a little more than $12. And the bag of croissants is sizeable: there are 5 croissants and they are huge. There was a ton of other stuff in the market, and I will definitely go back.
So I'm just going to try and relax tonight. It's nice to be home with some time to spare, and this way I'll be able to get to bed early. I've been taking an Aleve each day to preempt all those muscle aches that come from teaching 3 classes in a row, but I still feel very very achy. I think this means that tomorrow morning is going to hurt. I have some reporting to do online, an email to write, and some organizing to do, but on the whole I have an open night. Maybe I'll take a bath before bed. Anyway, tomorrow is the last day of the first leg of my run. If I don't completely break down from physical over-exertion, it's going to be pretty sweet to finish up tomorrow and come home.
I hope everyone is doing well.
-Alex
Now, picture a kindergarten classroom in your head. They usually aren't that big, right? Right. Well, neither was this one. Not a huge deal, right? Right. I was dealing with all of this, the small board, the kitschy decorations, the books (they had a copy of Lil' Wolf Saves the Day, which made me smile), the lack of air conditioning. But then I noticed that the Level 5 I was supposed to teach was a full class of 28 students (plus make-ups)! So yeah, not enough seats. I called the number on my OCI and asked the lady who answered if I could get more tables in my classroom. She said yes, and that she would come between my classes to move some more in there. My Level R went alright, except for the fact that I was exhausted and kind of didn't feel like teaching (that's a new notion, neh?). So I was even less excited about my Level 6 class, and the kids' attitudes didn't help (I can't totally blame them, it's their summer vacation and they're in a hot classroom at 9:45 am). Then my Level 5 came. Wow. So, I've never taught such a big class before. 29 students showed up. It was really crazy. But when I saw them all sitting there, the classroom full, I knew what to do. I kicked into energetic teacher mode. The class went pretty well, and I seriously think after that class I can teach anything IRD throws at me.
I had to stay for a bit afterward to make sure I could leave my materials in the room for tomorrow, and played a bit on the spinet. Then I came back here. Well, not right away. First, I drove down Tully Rd. to see where I would get something to eat. I was really thinking some Vietnamese, but I was open to suggestions. So I went down the road, looking at places to try, and then made a U-Turn and tried a place that looked like a Vietnamese restaurant, and even said "restaurant" on the outside. But when I went inside, an Asian woman told me it was just a bar. She tried to tell me to check out the market down the road, so I did. And boy, was I glad I did. This place was amazing! There was a "fast food" counter where you could see tons of steaming dishes to choose from and a butcher counter where a middle-aged man with a cleaver was hacking numerous red, glistening roast ducks, chickens, and spareribs to bits. I asked him for some roast pork, bbq spareribs and roast duck. He hacked some up for me, and put it over white rice with some veggies (sprouts, carrots, scallions) and added a soufflé cup of soy sauce. All of that was only $5.50. I also grabbed a bag of fresh baked croissants from their partner bakery that they had out on a table along with plenty of other baked goods - baguettes, breads, etc. I got two Powerades cause I knew I would be thirsty. The whole thing cost me a little more than $12. And the bag of croissants is sizeable: there are 5 croissants and they are huge. There was a ton of other stuff in the market, and I will definitely go back.
So I'm just going to try and relax tonight. It's nice to be home with some time to spare, and this way I'll be able to get to bed early. I've been taking an Aleve each day to preempt all those muscle aches that come from teaching 3 classes in a row, but I still feel very very achy. I think this means that tomorrow morning is going to hurt. I have some reporting to do online, an email to write, and some organizing to do, but on the whole I have an open night. Maybe I'll take a bath before bed. Anyway, tomorrow is the last day of the first leg of my run. If I don't completely break down from physical over-exertion, it's going to be pretty sweet to finish up tomorrow and come home.
I hope everyone is doing well.
-Alex
Sunday, July 22, 2007
San Francisco Day 1
Grüß Gott everyone. I'm back in my hotel after a grueling day of teaching. Let me recount.
I got up this morning at 6, despite my alarm having been set for 6:30. I got a good night's sleep, which I really needed. I seriously think as soon as I get some decent means, I'm going to treat myself to a king-sized mattress. So comfy. So I did the morning routine, including a rather decent continental breakfast. I left the hotel around 8:15, and made the drive to San Francisco. Along the way I passed through Palo Alto, Mountain View, Stanford, the UC Berkeley Extension exit, and many big name tech companies' buildings, like Yahoo, Sun, McAfee, Intel, etc. That was pretty exciting. I made it into SF in good time, and subsequently the State University. The campus was pretty interesting, and I parked in a lot that seemed to be open to the public, and made my way to the Humanities building after asking a campus policeman for directions. When I entered the building I ran into two other teachers who were in a bit of a frenzy and then made my way to my room. I got started setting up, and at around 10:00 I made to find Katie, who I was told would find me to deliver my material kits and books for classes. I found her in a room near mine, and we went to her car to get my materials. After getting back, it was almost time to start the Level R class. Before I knew it, I was teaching. The Level R class was lots of fun and the kids had a great time, as did the parents. That's my job, right?
On the break between classes I had to go with Katie to get more materials, which this time nearly broke my arms to bring in. I set up for my Level 5 and taught that. The class was at full capacity with 28 students plus makeups. Surprisingly, the full class made it a little easier to teach. Either that or just that these students were all eager and liked to read. I actually have a student whose incoming reading rate was 999 wpm. Now, in a lot of cases like this I would be skeptical and want to time them myself, but I really believe that this kid was reading that fast. So, I'm not sure what to do about that. Anyway, it went well and then...a bit downhill. A lot of parents had some questions and there was only a half an hour between classes, and I still had to go to Katie's car for more materials. So I ended up starting the class a bit late, and not really set up at all. I had to wing it, but all in all the class went pretty well. Some of them are a bit saucy, but not uncontrollably so. And then, like that, it was over. But there would still be some time before I made it back home.
So I had to first get my car from where I had parked it and bring it closer to my building so that I could load it up with the materials I still had in my classroom. It took me a while just to find my way back to the car, but I eventually made it, getting some help with the boxes from a couple of the other teachers along the way. Then I had to go and find Katie's car atop the parking garage on the outskirts of campus. I managed to do that easily enough, and loaded my car full to the brim with all the rest of the materials I would need to teach my classes. Then I made to leave and head home. Unfortunately, I got a bit lost, and ended up cruising around San Francisco for about a half an hour before I found my way to the 280. It was actually quite fun, and the city is just really neat. It's a lot like Toronto, but with narrower streets and hills-o-plenty. Finally I got back to San Jose and stopped at a liquor store where I picked up a bottle of Chardonnay to help me relax. I ate my leftover pizza and watched the Food Network and here I am.
The crazy part is I gotta go to bed now and get ready to do it all over again. Say me a prayer. Over and out.
-Alex
I got up this morning at 6, despite my alarm having been set for 6:30. I got a good night's sleep, which I really needed. I seriously think as soon as I get some decent means, I'm going to treat myself to a king-sized mattress. So comfy. So I did the morning routine, including a rather decent continental breakfast. I left the hotel around 8:15, and made the drive to San Francisco. Along the way I passed through Palo Alto, Mountain View, Stanford, the UC Berkeley Extension exit, and many big name tech companies' buildings, like Yahoo, Sun, McAfee, Intel, etc. That was pretty exciting. I made it into SF in good time, and subsequently the State University. The campus was pretty interesting, and I parked in a lot that seemed to be open to the public, and made my way to the Humanities building after asking a campus policeman for directions. When I entered the building I ran into two other teachers who were in a bit of a frenzy and then made my way to my room. I got started setting up, and at around 10:00 I made to find Katie, who I was told would find me to deliver my material kits and books for classes. I found her in a room near mine, and we went to her car to get my materials. After getting back, it was almost time to start the Level R class. Before I knew it, I was teaching. The Level R class was lots of fun and the kids had a great time, as did the parents. That's my job, right?
On the break between classes I had to go with Katie to get more materials, which this time nearly broke my arms to bring in. I set up for my Level 5 and taught that. The class was at full capacity with 28 students plus makeups. Surprisingly, the full class made it a little easier to teach. Either that or just that these students were all eager and liked to read. I actually have a student whose incoming reading rate was 999 wpm. Now, in a lot of cases like this I would be skeptical and want to time them myself, but I really believe that this kid was reading that fast. So, I'm not sure what to do about that. Anyway, it went well and then...a bit downhill. A lot of parents had some questions and there was only a half an hour between classes, and I still had to go to Katie's car for more materials. So I ended up starting the class a bit late, and not really set up at all. I had to wing it, but all in all the class went pretty well. Some of them are a bit saucy, but not uncontrollably so. And then, like that, it was over. But there would still be some time before I made it back home.
So I had to first get my car from where I had parked it and bring it closer to my building so that I could load it up with the materials I still had in my classroom. It took me a while just to find my way back to the car, but I eventually made it, getting some help with the boxes from a couple of the other teachers along the way. Then I had to go and find Katie's car atop the parking garage on the outskirts of campus. I managed to do that easily enough, and loaded my car full to the brim with all the rest of the materials I would need to teach my classes. Then I made to leave and head home. Unfortunately, I got a bit lost, and ended up cruising around San Francisco for about a half an hour before I found my way to the 280. It was actually quite fun, and the city is just really neat. It's a lot like Toronto, but with narrower streets and hills-o-plenty. Finally I got back to San Jose and stopped at a liquor store where I picked up a bottle of Chardonnay to help me relax. I ate my leftover pizza and watched the Food Network and here I am.
The crazy part is I gotta go to bed now and get ready to do it all over again. Say me a prayer. Over and out.
-Alex
Saturday, July 21, 2007
At the hotel
I'm here at the Best Western Lanai Garden Inn & Suites in San Jose., eating Little Caesar's pizza (and crazy bread!). But let me backtrack.
So I had to kill about 3 hours at the Chicago airport. I messed around online, chatted with Jackie, talked to Dad, walked around...but eventually, the fatigue from getting next to no sleep last night caught up with me. I thought it would be a good idea to eat something -- that maybe that would make me feel better. Of course, being in the airport, I was hyper-aware of the inflated pricing. It's not that I'm on a tight budget, really, just more thinking about how I didn't want to spend so much on something so not worth it. I ended up getting a Big Mac meal at McDonald's and one of those new Chipotle BBQ Snack Wraps. It was...well, it was McDonald's. It was cheap. But it sure didn't make me feel any better. I walked around a bit more and tried to find out where my flight was going to leave from and when, and also trying to plug my laptop in somewhere to let it charge up. Eventually I heard over the intercom that the flight would be leaving from B22. So I headed over there. At this point I was getting exhausted. I sat down and waited. And waited. It took forever for this plane to get there. Eventually we boarded, and my seat was pretty close to the front, and was a window seat (with an actual window this time!). After some more taxi-ing delays, we took off. As for me, I nodded off. I slept through most of the flight on and off, and I was actually able to get fair-quality z's for being on a plane.
I woke up and watched the rest of an episode of The Office they were showing on the in-flight entertainment. For the rest of the flight I basically looked out the window at the mountainous scenery and looked over some of the lesson plans for Levels R, 1 and 2 for week 1. Finally we arrived in San Jose, at about 3:45 Pacific time. We deboarded and went to the baggage claim, where we waited for a while before our luggage came out. I got my two pieces and headed over to the shuttle bus that takes you over to the car rental kiosks. My stop was Avis, so I got off and went inside and waited a while for an available representative to retrieve my reservation. However, when I gave them my name, the gentleman pulled up my reservation and told me it hadn't yet been paid for. I then called Adrian, who said that was weird, and asked to talk to the representative. He wouldn't talk to him, because he said he couldn't accept a payment there for the reservation, that it had to be done via Avis' 800 number. So Adrian said he would call them and pay for it with his credit card and have IRD reimburse him, so I could get on my way. So I hung up with him and waited. After about 10 minutes, he called back and said everything should be OK and that I should check with the agent there while he was on the phone with me, and simultaneously on with the 800-number representative from Avis. It took a while because he was helping two other guys and there weren't any agents. Finally he looked it up and it had gone through. So I said goodbye and thanks to Adrian, and got my car, a blue Chevy Cobalt.
I had looked up directions to the hotel when I was online at the airport, so I got those out and headed out. The car was nice enough, as was the drive. It only took me about 15 minutes to get to the hotel, which is right off of CA-101 South on Tully Rd., a fairly busy thoroughfare that reminds me a bit of Florida (except the weather is tons nicer here and there's a much nicer mountain scenery all around). So I got to the hotel, and checked in without a problem. I actually have a King Bed Non-smoking Suite here. It's a lot like a studio apartment, with the bed, a TV, a bench, a loveseat, table, desk, free wireless, a mini-fridge, microwave, and personal bathroom (I don't think all the rooms here have this as there are public restrooms in the hallways). I was really glad about the wireless, since I forgot to bring an Ethernet cable along. So I got some ice and had a glass of water, flipped on the TV and unpacked a bit. I'm glad I packed light (relatively speaking). I had a cereal bar and called Jackie, then decided to look for some food in the area. I started out at Google maps, searching for restaurants, stores, grocery stores, and "pizza" near the hotel's address. There's a lot really close by (much of it within walking distance, though the area is heavily trafficked). I noticed that there was actually a Little Caesar's franchise just down the street, so I thought I'd do that since their prices cheap, I like it, and I hadn't had it in a while. The drive was indeed quick and easy, and I noticed a plethora of other good spots around here for eats, like cheap Chinese and what looks like at least a couple of Vietnamese joints, which I'll definitely try. And there's a Mexican place in the same plaza as the Little Caesar's, alongside a carneria. So I got a large pepperoni pizza for 5 bucks, and added a $1 bag of crazy bread with a side of marinara sauce. So for just over $7, I got dinner for at least two nights, probably with a lunch in there too. And what was awesome was that they had pizzas made, ready and waiting, so I got it right after I ordered. Sweet!
That's all for now. I have to prep a bit more for classes tomorrow, get directions and everything, make some calls, and above all just relax. On the whole I think this place is nice, I like it here, but I definitely am stressed and kind of wish I was home at the same time. Thankfully I'll be coming back Wednesday (to do it all over again).
More updates probably tomorrow.
-Alex
So I had to kill about 3 hours at the Chicago airport. I messed around online, chatted with Jackie, talked to Dad, walked around...but eventually, the fatigue from getting next to no sleep last night caught up with me. I thought it would be a good idea to eat something -- that maybe that would make me feel better. Of course, being in the airport, I was hyper-aware of the inflated pricing. It's not that I'm on a tight budget, really, just more thinking about how I didn't want to spend so much on something so not worth it. I ended up getting a Big Mac meal at McDonald's and one of those new Chipotle BBQ Snack Wraps. It was...well, it was McDonald's. It was cheap. But it sure didn't make me feel any better. I walked around a bit more and tried to find out where my flight was going to leave from and when, and also trying to plug my laptop in somewhere to let it charge up. Eventually I heard over the intercom that the flight would be leaving from B22. So I headed over there. At this point I was getting exhausted. I sat down and waited. And waited. It took forever for this plane to get there. Eventually we boarded, and my seat was pretty close to the front, and was a window seat (with an actual window this time!). After some more taxi-ing delays, we took off. As for me, I nodded off. I slept through most of the flight on and off, and I was actually able to get fair-quality z's for being on a plane.
I woke up and watched the rest of an episode of The Office they were showing on the in-flight entertainment. For the rest of the flight I basically looked out the window at the mountainous scenery and looked over some of the lesson plans for Levels R, 1 and 2 for week 1. Finally we arrived in San Jose, at about 3:45 Pacific time. We deboarded and went to the baggage claim, where we waited for a while before our luggage came out. I got my two pieces and headed over to the shuttle bus that takes you over to the car rental kiosks. My stop was Avis, so I got off and went inside and waited a while for an available representative to retrieve my reservation. However, when I gave them my name, the gentleman pulled up my reservation and told me it hadn't yet been paid for. I then called Adrian, who said that was weird, and asked to talk to the representative. He wouldn't talk to him, because he said he couldn't accept a payment there for the reservation, that it had to be done via Avis' 800 number. So Adrian said he would call them and pay for it with his credit card and have IRD reimburse him, so I could get on my way. So I hung up with him and waited. After about 10 minutes, he called back and said everything should be OK and that I should check with the agent there while he was on the phone with me, and simultaneously on with the 800-number representative from Avis. It took a while because he was helping two other guys and there weren't any agents. Finally he looked it up and it had gone through. So I said goodbye and thanks to Adrian, and got my car, a blue Chevy Cobalt.
I had looked up directions to the hotel when I was online at the airport, so I got those out and headed out. The car was nice enough, as was the drive. It only took me about 15 minutes to get to the hotel, which is right off of CA-101 South on Tully Rd., a fairly busy thoroughfare that reminds me a bit of Florida (except the weather is tons nicer here and there's a much nicer mountain scenery all around). So I got to the hotel, and checked in without a problem. I actually have a King Bed Non-smoking Suite here. It's a lot like a studio apartment, with the bed, a TV, a bench, a loveseat, table, desk, free wireless, a mini-fridge, microwave, and personal bathroom (I don't think all the rooms here have this as there are public restrooms in the hallways). I was really glad about the wireless, since I forgot to bring an Ethernet cable along. So I got some ice and had a glass of water, flipped on the TV and unpacked a bit. I'm glad I packed light (relatively speaking). I had a cereal bar and called Jackie, then decided to look for some food in the area. I started out at Google maps, searching for restaurants, stores, grocery stores, and "pizza" near the hotel's address. There's a lot really close by (much of it within walking distance, though the area is heavily trafficked). I noticed that there was actually a Little Caesar's franchise just down the street, so I thought I'd do that since their prices cheap, I like it, and I hadn't had it in a while. The drive was indeed quick and easy, and I noticed a plethora of other good spots around here for eats, like cheap Chinese and what looks like at least a couple of Vietnamese joints, which I'll definitely try. And there's a Mexican place in the same plaza as the Little Caesar's, alongside a carneria. So I got a large pepperoni pizza for 5 bucks, and added a $1 bag of crazy bread with a side of marinara sauce. So for just over $7, I got dinner for at least two nights, probably with a lunch in there too. And what was awesome was that they had pizzas made, ready and waiting, so I got it right after I ordered. Sweet!
That's all for now. I have to prep a bit more for classes tomorrow, get directions and everything, make some calls, and above all just relax. On the whole I think this place is nice, I like it here, but I definitely am stressed and kind of wish I was home at the same time. Thankfully I'll be coming back Wednesday (to do it all over again).
More updates probably tomorrow.
-Alex
Day 2 of classes and travel day 1
Greetings to all from Chicago. I'm sitting at an inactive gate (C-22) in O'Hare International Airport. After some fussing, I managed to connect to the wireless network here, but unfortunately not for free. The network here is provided by Boingo, and I bought the all-day access pass for this location for $6.95. This isn't something I thought I would have done, pay for such a luxury for a short period of time. But it turns out that my flight, Flight 349 on United Airways to San Jose is quite delayed. I arrived here from my Buffalo flight at around 7:45 Central Time (EST - 1), having left at around 7:15 EST. The plane was packed, and I had a window seat (in one of the rows without windows of course), but it was a short flight and I toyed around a bit with Vista. So my flight to San Jose was supposed to leave at 9:50 Central Time, but is now not scheduled to leave (or get here -- it isn't clear) until 12:36 pm. So I figured it was worth the $7 to be able to update my blog, listen to Pandora, and read some news.
I'd like to talk for a minute about my second day of classes, then I want to relay the events of last night, and from there...we see. So I taught week 4 of my 3 Friday classes in Buffalo yesterday, and I think on the whole they went pretty well. I started with a Level 3, in which the students read in The Stories Julian Tells. I think they mostly liked it; I'm quite impressed with one of my students for whom that book is much too hard -- he gave it a stellar effort anyway. I handed out the BSAs in that class, which went well also. Then, in my Level 4, I had some trouble with a few of the students actually reading/getting distracted. Part of me is apathetic and wants to give up on them a bit once I try a couple times to get them focused. Then, another part of me knows that some of the kids just need more support and encouragement from me as theher. It's a tough balance, especially when I really do not see myself as a long-term teacher. Finally, my Level 6 class went really well. Almost all of the class is devoted to starting Dibs and reading 4 chapters in it. A couple of the students in that class who usually cause me anxiety actually weren't in attendance, so that made it better. I was also happy about the idea of getting out and getting to Rochester to get my new laptop.
So after classes, I headed home and called Matt Rodgers. He came over to pick up the materials I needed to give him (note to self - I need to email Lisa Barry to confirm that). I lost track of time a bit talking to him outside, but finally Jackie and I got in her car and headed to Mister Pizza for a slice, continuing on then to Rochester. We got in town around 8:45, making good time. Thankfully, Dad was able to pick up the laptop earlier that day from Circuit City, fresh off the delivery truck. He really came through for me as far as that went. We checked it out and talked, and Jackie and I went to Wegman's to cash some coins at the coinstar, and to get Dad some coffee. Jonathan showed up around 10:00, and Corey called Dad's phone, so I got to talk to him. Soon thereafter we left, stopping for a cup of coffee from Spin. We drove home, and I got down to business. I had to print out all my itinerary, as well as all my new class lists, make-up lists, BSAs, and OCIs. Then Jackie helped me pack up my things, and I installed iTunes and Firefox on the laptop and transfered over some files. I eventually got to bed around 2:30, and had to be up at 5. Needless to say I was extremely groggy but managed to make it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. I did use the outside curb check-in, costing me $2/bag, but I was happy to pay to avoid the growing lines at the inside check-in stations. Security was a breeze, though I got a little nervous when one of the attendants asked me about some items in my backpack. Fortunately, it was just my airborne vitamin.
So here I am, waiting... The battery life on the laptop has drained down to about 15%, so I'm thinking about finding an outlet in here I can maybe set up by to let it charge for the plane ride. But if I need to do other things on the plane, that's OK too. I am upset that I won't be arriving in San Jose as early as I expected, but I guess these big flight days can never go the way you want them to.
More updates later on, my faithful readers.
-Alex
I'd like to talk for a minute about my second day of classes, then I want to relay the events of last night, and from there...we see. So I taught week 4 of my 3 Friday classes in Buffalo yesterday, and I think on the whole they went pretty well. I started with a Level 3, in which the students read in The Stories Julian Tells. I think they mostly liked it; I'm quite impressed with one of my students for whom that book is much too hard -- he gave it a stellar effort anyway. I handed out the BSAs in that class, which went well also. Then, in my Level 4, I had some trouble with a few of the students actually reading/getting distracted. Part of me is apathetic and wants to give up on them a bit once I try a couple times to get them focused. Then, another part of me knows that some of the kids just need more support and encouragement from me as theher. It's a tough balance, especially when I really do not see myself as a long-term teacher. Finally, my Level 6 class went really well. Almost all of the class is devoted to starting Dibs and reading 4 chapters in it. A couple of the students in that class who usually cause me anxiety actually weren't in attendance, so that made it better. I was also happy about the idea of getting out and getting to Rochester to get my new laptop.
So after classes, I headed home and called Matt Rodgers. He came over to pick up the materials I needed to give him (note to self - I need to email Lisa Barry to confirm that). I lost track of time a bit talking to him outside, but finally Jackie and I got in her car and headed to Mister Pizza for a slice, continuing on then to Rochester. We got in town around 8:45, making good time. Thankfully, Dad was able to pick up the laptop earlier that day from Circuit City, fresh off the delivery truck. He really came through for me as far as that went. We checked it out and talked, and Jackie and I went to Wegman's to cash some coins at the coinstar, and to get Dad some coffee. Jonathan showed up around 10:00, and Corey called Dad's phone, so I got to talk to him. Soon thereafter we left, stopping for a cup of coffee from Spin. We drove home, and I got down to business. I had to print out all my itinerary, as well as all my new class lists, make-up lists, BSAs, and OCIs. Then Jackie helped me pack up my things, and I installed iTunes and Firefox on the laptop and transfered over some files. I eventually got to bed around 2:30, and had to be up at 5. Needless to say I was extremely groggy but managed to make it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. I did use the outside curb check-in, costing me $2/bag, but I was happy to pay to avoid the growing lines at the inside check-in stations. Security was a breeze, though I got a little nervous when one of the attendants asked me about some items in my backpack. Fortunately, it was just my airborne vitamin.
So here I am, waiting... The battery life on the laptop has drained down to about 15%, so I'm thinking about finding an outlet in here I can maybe set up by to let it charge for the plane ride. But if I need to do other things on the plane, that's OK too. I am upset that I won't be arriving in San Jose as early as I expected, but I guess these big flight days can never go the way you want them to.
More updates later on, my faithful readers.
-Alex
Friday, July 20, 2007
2 down...
...26 to go. This morning my stomach is uneasy and I'm tired but after my shower I'm better. I guess I just have to take this one day at a time. Before I would really look forward to getting out of work on Fridays because I knew that I would have 6 days off following that. Now, I know that while I get a day off, it will be spent traveling and then I will teach 3 classes on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Like I said, I guess one day at a time...
Last night wasn't too bad, there were some issues with the Level 5 kids talking too much in class and not paying attention. Also, some of the girls were passing notes. I had to deal with these problems, which kind of put me on edge and as such made my Level 7 class go a little bumpy, I kind of snipped a bit at one of the younger students who didn't seem to be paying attention (though he said he was). At the end of class James, who had to fill out his eval early since he wouldn't attend next week, tried to sell me on some job opportunity for a Pre-Paid Legal Services company he works for or starts...he gave me his business card and a DVD to watch, and said he would call me in the next couple of days to see what I thought. That was interesting.
On the plus side, I'm not necessarily dreading today. I just want to get through it. I am looking forward to getting my laptop tonight. I have an early flight tomorrow so hopefully it won't be an ordeal. Jackie has been wonderfully supportive through this, and last night when I came home she made us dinner (gourmet hamburgers and steamed broccoli) and dessert (pumpkin cake with yogurt and cream cheese frosting). I'm also leaving her a huge pile of dishes that I didn't get to washing and she's being a real trooper about it.
At least it's sunny today. Yesterday it was pouring all throughout my first class. I thought, "what a perfect start to this." Maybe it was portent.
-Alex
Last night wasn't too bad, there were some issues with the Level 5 kids talking too much in class and not paying attention. Also, some of the girls were passing notes. I had to deal with these problems, which kind of put me on edge and as such made my Level 7 class go a little bumpy, I kind of snipped a bit at one of the younger students who didn't seem to be paying attention (though he said he was). At the end of class James, who had to fill out his eval early since he wouldn't attend next week, tried to sell me on some job opportunity for a Pre-Paid Legal Services company he works for or starts...he gave me his business card and a DVD to watch, and said he would call me in the next couple of days to see what I thought. That was interesting.
On the plus side, I'm not necessarily dreading today. I just want to get through it. I am looking forward to getting my laptop tonight. I have an early flight tomorrow so hopefully it won't be an ordeal. Jackie has been wonderfully supportive through this, and last night when I came home she made us dinner (gourmet hamburgers and steamed broccoli) and dessert (pumpkin cake with yogurt and cream cheese frosting). I'm also leaving her a huge pile of dishes that I didn't get to washing and she's being a real trooper about it.
At least it's sunny today. Yesterday it was pouring all throughout my first class. I thought, "what a perfect start to this." Maybe it was portent.
-Alex
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Updating often
Hello readers.
I started this blog because, as some of you may know, for the next 5 weeks I will be traveling back and forth between Buffalo and San Jose to teach classes for IRD. This started as the notion that I would simply be going this weekend for a 3 day stint in the Bay Area to teach some substitute classes. That soon changed, however, and I will be, starting this Saturday, flying down to San Jose every Saturday, teaching a total of 9 classes in San Fransisco and San Jose, and flying back Wednesday to Buffalo. Since the terms are on different schedules, I will be starting the 2nd summer term out West, while still finishing up two weeks worth of classes here in Buffalo on Thursday and Friday. That means that starting today, I will be teaching 28 classes in 14 days. My schedule looks roughly like this:
Pretty intense, no? As you may have noticed, my schedule allows me to teach an Intro to Flash 8 class at Squeaky Wheel here in Buffalo from August 9 - August 30, about which I am very excited.
Anyway, I will be using this blog to post updates on how things are going during this hectic time during which I probably will not get to see friends and family. Please keep in touch with me, either through comments here or via email, myspace, facebook, twitter, or just the old-fashioned telephone. And oh yeah, wish me luck!
-Alex
I started this blog because, as some of you may know, for the next 5 weeks I will be traveling back and forth between Buffalo and San Jose to teach classes for IRD. This started as the notion that I would simply be going this weekend for a 3 day stint in the Bay Area to teach some substitute classes. That soon changed, however, and I will be, starting this Saturday, flying down to San Jose every Saturday, teaching a total of 9 classes in San Fransisco and San Jose, and flying back Wednesday to Buffalo. Since the terms are on different schedules, I will be starting the 2nd summer term out West, while still finishing up two weeks worth of classes here in Buffalo on Thursday and Friday. That means that starting today, I will be teaching 28 classes in 14 days. My schedule looks roughly like this:
- Thursday July 19: Teach 2 classes at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville, NY
- Friday July 20: Teach 3 classes at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville, NY
- Saturday July 21: Fly from Buffalo, NY to San Jose, CA. Get rental car, check in at Best Western Lanai Inn and Suites.
- Sunday July 22: Teach 3 classes at San Francisco State University in San Fransisco, CA
- Monday July 23: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Tuesday July 24: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Wednesday July 25:Check out of hotel, drive to airport, return car, fly from San Jose, CA to Buffalo, NY
- Thursday July 26: Phone interview with Google at 12:30PM. Teach 2 classes at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville, NY
- Friday July 27: Teach 3 classes at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville, NY
- Saturday July 28: Fly from Buffalo, NY to San Jose, CA. Get rental car, check in at Best Western Lanai Inn and Suites.
- Sunday July 29: Teach 3 classes at San Francisco State University in San Fransisco, CA
- Monday July 30: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Tuesday July 31: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Wednesday August 1: Check out of hotel, drive to airport, return car, fly from San Jose, CA to Buffalo, NY
- Thursday August 2: Nothing.
- Friday August 3: Nothing.
- Saturday August 4: Fly from Buffalo, NY to San Jose, CA. Get rental car, check in at Best Western Lanai Inn and Suites.
- Sunday August 5: Teach 3 classes at San Francisco State University in San Fransisco, CA
- Monday August 6: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Tuesday August 7: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Wednesday August 8: Check out of hotel, drive to airport, return car, fly from San Jose, CA to Buffalo, NY
- Thursday August 9: Teach Intro to Flash 8 class at Squeaky Wheel in Buffalo, NY.
- Friday August 10: Nothing.
- Saturday August 11: Fly from Buffalo, NY to San Jose, CA. Get rental car, check in at Best Western Lanai Inn and Suites.
- Sunday August 12: Teach 3 classes at San Francisco State University in San Fransisco, CA
- Monday August 13: My birthday! Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Tuesday August 14: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Wednesday August 15: Check out of hotel, drive to airport, return car, fly from San Jose, CA to Buffalo, NY
- Thursday August 16: Teach Intro to Flash 8 class at Squeaky Wheel in Buffalo, NY.
- Friday August 17: Nothing. (Birthday party?)
- Saturday August 18: Fly from Buffalo, NY to San Jose, CA. Get rental car, check in at Best Western Lanai Inn and Suites.
- Sunday August 19: Teach 3 classes at San Francisco State University in San Fransisco, CA
- Monday August 20: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Tuesday August 21: Teach 3 classes at Almaden Preparatory School in San Jose, CA
- Wednesday August 22: Check out of hotel, drive to airport, return car, fly from San Jose, CA to Buffalo, NY
- Thursday August 23: Teach Intro to Flash 8 class at Squeaky Wheel in Buffalo, NY.
- Friday August 24: Nothing.
- Saturday August 25: Nothing.
- Sunday August 26: Nothing.
- Monday August 27: Nothing.
- Tuesday August 28: Nothing.
- Wednesday August 29: Nothing.
- Thursday August 30: Teach Intro to Flash 8 class at Squeaky Wheel in Buffalo, NY.
- Friday August 31: Nothing.
Pretty intense, no? As you may have noticed, my schedule allows me to teach an Intro to Flash 8 class at Squeaky Wheel here in Buffalo from August 9 - August 30, about which I am very excited.
Anyway, I will be using this blog to post updates on how things are going during this hectic time during which I probably will not get to see friends and family. Please keep in touch with me, either through comments here or via email, myspace, facebook, twitter, or just the old-fashioned telephone. And oh yeah, wish me luck!
-Alex
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