Tick Tock!

After today, only 4 days of school remain. My pathetic little countdown continues and time marches on! I finish with students next Thursday and have "Teacher Work Day" on Friday. And FYI... it really is a work day. Report cards are due, my classroom is cleaned and everything is stowed and covered for the summer. This year I have the added task of moving everything out of my old classroom and into my new one. After 23 years of teaching, I've accumulated quite a bit of stuff. It's going to be a happy day when I leave school one week from today. I will still be working two jobs this summer, but it's a different kind of work. I don't really mind it and the extra income helps a lot.

It's going to be a tough road getting there though. As we say in the education biz... the kids are done. They have checked out. I won't lie. By this time every year, the teachers have checked out too. The difference is, we still do our jobs. We don't just throw on the brakes and bring everything to a screeching halt the way the kids do. We'll work to the very end.

You know how things will go next week...

4... 3... 2... 1... SUMMER!

Monopoly Problem (SOLVED!)

Raise your hand if you've ever played Monopoly. Yup, I thought so. Me too. Raise your hand again if you've ever declined to play Monopoly because it just takes TOO LONG! Yup, me too! Well guess what folks, we may have been suffering needlessly through long, tedious games of Monopoly our entire lives. Apparently there is an often overlooked, obscure rule that would tremendously speed up the game if followed. In other words, the creators of the game didn't intend for the game to last for hours on end. I'm not a patient person, so count me in! The rule in question states that if someone lands on a property and doesn't want to buy it, the property is is immediately up for auction top all other players. How many times have you circled the Monopoly board hoping to land on that property you needed to complete your color set? I know I have. We've been playing the game completely wrong! This changes everything.

I did not discover this rule on my own. I saw it on FoxNews.com. Here's a snippet of what I read:

If a player chooses not to buy a property after landing on it, instead of his or her turn ending, the property goes up for auction.

“If you do not wish to buy the property, the Banker sells it at auction to the highest bidder,” the Monopoly rules state. “The buyer pays the Bank the amount of the bid in cash and receives the Title Deed card for that property.”

Without observing the rule, Monopoly players can find themselves “suffering long action-free periods in which [they] endlessly circle the board in search of the streets they need to complete a set,”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/29/have-been-playing-monopoly-wrong/#ixzz2UhBXd12h

Unbelievable! Just when you think you know how to play a game!

Monopoly anyone?

Beverly Hills

Yesterday marked a grim anniversary in the tri-state area. May 28, 1977 was the date of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. 36 years later this tragedy is still felt throughout our region. 165 people lost their lives in an inferno on a night that was supposed to be an elegant evening out for thousands of people.

Though I was only 10 years old, I remember that night vividly. We were at my Aunt Rita's house in Sharonville. My mom's side of the family had gotten together for a Memorial Day weekend party. It was a typical family party until the television was switched on to watch the live news coverage of the fire. I remember the horror expressed by the adults and how they all watched a place burn that they had all visited before. The adults stayed glued to the television until it was time to go home. I know the tragedy continued to unfold long after I was home and asleep in bed. Even though I was too young to fully grasp the gravity of what happened, I remember feeling scared (although I don't know exactly why) and I remember knowing that something terrible had truly happened.

That night obviously must have stuck in my mind. As a college student I read a few books about the tragedy and even did a research paper on the topic. As I grew into adulthood, the subject of this fire fascinated me more and more. The more I studied the fire and all the circumstances surrounding it, the more captivated I became. I won't bore you by regurgitating every little detail of what happened that night (I could probably type for hours), but I will tell you that this event never ceases to amaze me. Only the sinking of the Titanic surpasses my interest in an historical event. I think the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire is more personal to me though. It happened in my lifetime, I saw it happen on television and drove by the site of the tragedy every day on my way to NKU. I also have a close friend who grew up only a mile from where this all happened. He was 9 years old at the time. He said he remembers looking at the sky and seeing smoke and an orange glow. He also remembers  laying in bed hearing sirens all night long. The whole thing creeped him out. I can only imagine what it must have been like for him that night.

If there's anything you want to know about this story... just ask me.  I hope you don't think I'm morbid. I do not enjoy the fact that scores of people died. There are so many side stories, back stories and stories of true heroism around the entire event. However, this is one of those things you can probably file under "Things that interest only me".

The rabbit died

The rabbit died. No, Tami is NOT pregnant (heaven forbid!). The rabbit literally died! Here's the story: Last week a student asked if she could bring her baby bunny in for show and tell. I reluctantly agreed because the slightest deviation from normal classroom procedures is enough to cause an uproar in my classroom. Well..... Today the student walked into my classroom carrying a baby bunny in a cage. I was a bit surprised to see it was a wild rabbit and not a domesticated one. I also noticed this baby bunny seemed awfully small. I asked the student to put the cage behind my desk. My students were heading directly to Art class and there was no time for show and tell until later in the day. While my students were in Art class, I was sitting at my desk grading papers. I don't know what caused me to check on the bunny, but I did. I noticed it wasn't moving. I thought maybe the pitiful little thing was sleeping. A closer look revealed this bunny laying on its side with its eyes open. Still the bunny was motionless. I reached into the cage and gave the bunny a gentle poke. Still no movement. I couldn't believe it. 20 minutes ago this girl carried a live bunny into my classroom (and before you think it was dead when she carried it in... I know it was alive... I saw it with my own eyes) and now it was dead. OH GREAT! This is just how I wanted to start my week. Well, I marched down to the art room to get the little girl who brought the bunny. As delicately as I could, I told her the bunny had died. She puffed out her lower lip and started to whimper. She asked what I had done to it. I assured her I hadn't done anything to her bunny and told her sometimes animals die. I was as gentle and compassionate as I knew how. She wasn't consoled by my words and just stood looking at the lifeless body in the cage as a few tears trickled down her face. Lord, why didn't she just rip my heart right out of my chest! The whole time I kept thinking this was my own fault for going against my better judgement and allowing her to bring the bunny into school in the first place. In  reality, I think the poor little thing was taken away from its mother too quickly. It was meant to be in the wild with her, not in a child's cage as a pet.

So as I sit typing this, there is a dead bunny in a cage behind my desk chair. It will stay there for the rest of the day. Teaching is always an adventure. There's always something new happening and I've learned to expect the unexpected.

How many more days until summer vacation? 7 and a half, but who's counting?

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. The unofficial beginning of summer. Across this great nation people will be grilling burgers and dogs, swimming in their pools, playing cornhole, going to the park, going fishing or enjoying any number of the thousands of activities Americans do in warm weather. All that stuff is great. I enjoy popping a cold one, grilling out and soaking up the sun just as much as the next guy, but today I want to make sure I reflect and remember why I'm able to do these things. It's because brave veterans before me have fought to preserve these often taken for granted freedoms. The brave folks, some no more than kids, gave their lives for our country. Not all of them died. There is a well known saying about veterans (I have no idea who said it or where it originated). "All gave some. Some gave all." It really does say everything you need to know. Today I thank God for these people who served (or are serving) in our nation's armed forces. God has blessed the United States of America for well over two hundred years, and I pray for His continued blessing. Enjoy your Memorial Day folks, but please don't forget the true meaning behind this national holiday. God Bless America!

P.S. Tami saw this post from Michael on his FaceBook page. I just felt like I needed to share it because it shows that my son "Gets it". I am so proud of him!

I don't particularly want to work tomorrow. But you know what, men and women died to give me the freedom to pick what job I please. And they gave me the freedom to work for a living. What blessings those are! I am writing this status from the comfort of my middle class American home, not having to worry that the government will drag me out in the middle of the night for my religious beliefs. So, why complain about work? I am a blessed man indeed. I love being an American, and I am thankful for it!

Our church and its veterans

Tomorrow is Memorial Day (Decoration Day if you're old enough to call it that). As my family always does, we attended Sunday School and the morning worship service today. I love so many things about our church, but one thing in particular is the way it recognizes veterans, celebrates patriotism and acknowledges God's continued blessing on the United States of America. It is so wonderful to hear all of this from the pulpit knowing our church does not shy away from such things. We even sang a hymn (the title escapes me), but the lyrics sang of God protecting our soldiers on land, in the air and at sea. It was just beautiful. How many churches today do that? I'm guessing not very many. I always make it a point to thank veterans, but today I was a man possessed in seeking out every veteran I could find. I shook their hand heartily while looking them in the eye and thanked them for their service to our nation. In this age of political correctness, it is so refreshing to be a part of a church that boldly embraces the ways of the past and doesn't worry about offending someone in the recognition of veterans and Memorial Day. It's because of these brave men and women that we enjoy the freedoms we have today.

First Dip

Friday evening Michael came over for dinner. We had a nice visit and were able to catch up with what is going on in his life. Before he left, Michael (along with Abby) took the first dip of the season in the pool. Tami offered them $30 apiece to jump in the frigid water. Before you think we're crazy for paying our kids $60 to jump in the pool, the truth is, Tami was looking for an excuse to float the kids a few bucks (no pun intended). The pool jump was just a fun ruse. It seemed like a better idea than just handing the kids some money. It was also a good excuse to put the rubber mat under the pool ladder (it protects the liner). You have to get in the water to put it in place and there is nooooooooo way I was going to do it. It was a fun way to end an already good evening.

Thinking about it. That water is COLD!


Ready?


On your mark...


Get set...


Go!


Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!


All wet!

She laughed, but then...

Tami read my post yesterday and howled with laughter. She said I am sooooooo predictable. I don't deny it. I am a shallow, simple and quiet man. This blog has always been about what's on my mind at any given time. As my wife so accurately pointed out, my blog posts can generally be classified into a few simple categories: Family life, yard work, the pool, the Reds, my job and Sveta. I've always said if you're looking for deep, thought provoking topics, you're not going to find them in this corner of the blogosphere.

She found my complaints of losing the battle to the thousands of locust blossoms clogging my pool filter very entertaining. The more I scoop them out of the pool, clean them out of the skimmer basket and sweep them off the deck, the faster and more numerous they fall. It's a futile effort and downright exasperating. She continued laughing until I presented the following scenario: I told her the next time she vacuumed the carpets and swept and mopped the kitchen floor, I was going to follow behind her sprinkling flour over everything she had just cleaned. I would then smile knowingly as she again cleaned the carpets and floor she had cleaned only minutes before. After re-cleaning everything I would again follow and sprinkle flour over everything she had just cleaned for the second time. Time and time again I would sprinkle flour on everything she had just cleaned. At that time I think she got the picture. I told her every time she cleaned, it would all seem for naught. I think she began to realize how I felt about working so hard to keep the pool clean only to have it wrecked a little while later.

We had a good laugh over the whole thing. It was all good natured conversation.

Tami also said I should broaden my blog topics to draw in more female readers. Next week I will be posting my favorite recipes and cleaning tips. I will post where the best sales are at the mall. I will offer hair and make up tips as well as my favorite method of keeping my skin moisturized. Nah, just kidding. I think I'll stick with grandchildren, yard work and the Reds. It's who I am.

The Dreaded Locusts

Ugh! The dreaded locusts! No, not the kind that plagued Pharaoh in Exodus, but the trees. I have four honey locust trees in my yard and I DESPISE them with every fiber of my being. They are the bane of my very existence! For starters, these trees are covered in thorns. These thorns can get up to 6-8 inches long and are just like nails. They puncture my riding mower tires rendering it useless most of the time due to flat tires. It's a real pain getting the tires off and getting them plugged and patched. These wretched trees are also constantly dumping debris in my swimming pool and on my deck. All trees are "dirty", but it seems locust trees drop more crud than an average tree. This time of year is particularly troublesome. Locust trees drop tiny buds by the thousands. They are about half the size of a kernel of popcorn. For about a week each year it truly looks like it's snowing in my back yard. These buds clog and choke my pool skimmer for a week every May. I can't even run it while I'm at work. I don't like turning it off, but I have to. Yesterday when I returned home from work I turned the filter/pump on and starting scooping locust buds off the surface of the pool. Within ten minutes the skimmer basket was full and my pump was starving to get any water at all. This is bad because pool filters and pumps NEED water to operate. I repeated this process three times before I finally got most of the buds out of the water. I will probably be doing the same thing for the whole weekend. Sometime early next week all the buds will have fallen and I won't have to deal with them for another year.

If I had three wishes, my first one would be to remove the tree closest to my pool. My second wish would be to remove the tree next closest to my pool. My third wish would be to remove the tree third closest to my pool. In all seriousness, I would love to get rid of these nasty old trees, but they are MUCH too large to take down myself. Having them removed by a tree service is really expensive and not in the budget right now. For the time being I will continue to scoop these buds out of the pool manually. Oh the joys of owning a pool!

These are not my trees, but you get the idea.

Just in time!

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the pool at the Meyer resort is open. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth (actually it was just getting the new pump connected and LOTS of cleaning), the pool  is ready for the season. I'm not saying the water is warm enough for us thin-blooded old folks to take a dip, but the kids probably won't mind the chilly water temperatures.

We are looking forward to our 9th season with our humble little pool. It's just an above ground, run-of-the-mill pool. 24 feet in diameter and roughly 4 feet deep. Nothing fancy, but it will keep you cool on a sweltering summer day.

Last one in is a rotten egg!