NCTM in the Charm City

Part of my job as an 'educator of educators' is making presentations about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).  The NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Math) Conference in Baltimore, MD sounded like a great place to do just that.  I had been to Baltimore about 15 years ago and I thought the weather would be great and the trees starting to turn so my partner in crime, Michelle Buchanan, and I wrote up a proposal about 10 months ago and were accepted to present "Getting Down to the Core with Dr. Seuss".  The workshop was designed to address Common Core Math Standards and Literacy and be full of fun.

Since I was going to be gone, Bestie decided to take a solo motorcycle trip and headed to Nashville to stay with friends and watch a Predator hockey game.  He then went to Springfield, IL for a Monsanto meeting.  Then he wound his way back through Missouri and Arkansas to enjoy the fall weather and have some boy time.  This was fine with me because I don't think I could have traveled all that way and not have died from tissue damage to my booty.  I don't care what he says, the passenger seat is NOT that comfortable after about an hour.  Baltimore on a plane or Nashville and Springfield on a motorcycle?  Not a hard choice.

Home of the Baltimore Orioles

Home of the Baltimore Ravens (both these stadiums were right near our hotel)

Baltimore is a great town.  Like all big cities on the water, there is a great waterfront full of restaurants and shops.  Michelle and I headed to the Harbor in search of great dining and ended up at M & S Grill at the Inner Harbor area.  It afforded great views and opportunities for people watching.  The food was so-so and it took almost two hours to be served so the manager gave us 50% off.  We were happy because even though the food was only so-so, the drinks were strong and the view was very nice and relaxing.

 

Last summer, I went to the Dinah Zike Academy in Comfort, TX (see previous post about Comfort), so I took this opportunity to work in the DZ Booth at NCTM.  It was a very busy time and I got to meet a lot of teachers and talk about what fun it is to do Foldables and how effective they are in teaching difficult concepts!  It also gave me the opportunity to talk STEM which is a topic I could go on and on about.

 With Bob Stemme, a national trainer for Dinah Zike.  I wore my banner for a quick shot with him.

On Thursday, Michelle and I went our separate ways to hit as many workshops as we could and then planned to meet up later to compare notes.  Between workshops on student motivation and making math meaningful, I was able to squeeze in some outside dining time.  The weather was PERFECT and I had to take advantage of dining alfresco.  So many people were in line at Subway and Jimmy John's.  I ate at a little Bistro, had a waiter bring me my food, enjoyed the weather in a nice place and didn't pay much more than they did.  I even watched the line and from ordering to food arriving, I beat most of them in getting lunch.  So here is my firm belief - forgo the chains as much as possible and sample the local flavor!

Much nicer than a chain restaurant!

Workshops were over about 4:30 p.m. so I took a quick run to see some of the less traveled areas of the city.  Here is a safety tip:  if the area smells like urine, it is time to turn back to a more 'tourist friendly' area of the city.  When the smell of urine was overpowering, I did just that and turned back toward the Inner Harbor area.  Little did I know that later we would end up in an even more questionable area.

Michelle is a foodie and had heard about a place that was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Man vs. Food so she wanted to eat there for supper.  Sounds fine to me. I am always up for venturing beyond the tourist trap areas of cities. We checked out the map, got the bus numbers we would need to get there and back, got exact change for the bus fare and were on our way.  Little did we know this restaurant was in the middle of the seediest area of the city - a fact the concierge failed to mention.  I am not the kind of person to be afraid of big cities.  I have walked through areas that make Chet anxious and I am not the least bit bothered, BUT this bus ride took us through areas I would NOT want to be out in day or night.

This picture was taken in the light, but most of our journey was in the dark and these streets have no street lights but lots of questionable activity.  On the way home we even got to see a drug bust. Joy! (sarcasm)

These two businesses were next door to the restaurant.  I kidded to Michelle that we could earn some extra money and then go shopping.  There was a pole dancing contest going on at the Gentlemen's Club and there was a sale at the Adult Store.  More joy! (yep, more sarcasm)

This is what we went for, the Chap's Beef Pit famous Beef Sandwich.  Nice but not worth getting your throat slit over.

We made it back home by the grace of God and lived to see another day which is good because Friday was OUR day - the day to present our workshop.  While we were setting up, the director of the program committee for NCTM came in to introduce herself and said she just wanted to meet us because she was on the review committee to select what workshops would be accepted for the program and ours was so outstanding she wanted to make a special trip in to meet us!  WOW. (not sarcasm)

The workshop went very well.  Teachers seemed to really enjoy it and they especially liked the door prizes.

 

Oobleck from Bartholomew and the Oobleck

 Ramps from The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins

We had a lot of teachers come up afterwards to say how much they enjoyed the activities and several even mentioned ideas they wanted to try in their classrooms now.  Sounds like a success to me!  Math class does NOT just have to be worksheets and drill and practice homework.  It CAN be full of fun activities too!

A good workshop deserves a celebration so we headed across the street to another little bistro to enjoy the beautiful weather, toast our success and have a small lunch before heading to the airport.

Another travel tip: When possible, use public transport to get around town.  It is MUCH cheaper than a taxi.  Just be sure to ask about the safety of using the transport system after dark!  We LOVED using the metro to get from the airport to downtown.  A $30 cab ride was only $1.60 on the metro and took about the same amount of time.

When we get to the airport, this sign was right at our gate.  We decided it was a perfect photo opportunity and so appropriate for this trip.

 

So it was a great trip to the "Charm City".  We made it back alive and maybe inspired a few teachers to think beyond worksheets and look for ways to make math fun with activities that provide a context for students to understand the abstract concepts of mathematics.  If not, at least we have great stories to tell!

Oh yeah, Bestie made his trip just fine.  He did say his booty was sore. I tried to be sympathetic but somehow he didn't believe me.  I wonder why?

A Trip to UT in Austin

I know.  A trip to University of Texas in Austin, TX for someone in my family is like a trip into enemy territory, but since it is the headquarters of the TEACH program, I do venture down there from time to time. In an effort to minimize the stress this causes sweet little Bestie I refrain from talking about my trips and just say I will be gone on business.  If I even mention the word "Texas" in the house I get to hear about how we (Arkansas Razorbacks) were cheated in the Big Shootout of 1969.  Bestie and one of his friends recently went to see a documentary about the Big Shootout.  Now Bestie is even more rabid when discussing the states that start with the letter "T".  I know some of you find that hard to believe, but he CAN be pretty vocal when it comes to his feelings about sports.  For those of you that don't know, orange is not allowed in our house.  No orange clothing, no orange decorations, I even have to beg to get orange juice.  The pumpkins on our porch at Halloween are white.  That is how crazy Bestie can be - pity me!

Amazingly, there is a lot of orange in Austin. It made me wish I had packed more red - and next time I will.

Notice how the street signs are orange AND have a longhorn on them.

Every other time I have traveled to Austin I have stayed at the conference hotel, but last minute travel arrangements this time made it impossible for me to get a room there, so I decided to try a local Bed and Breakfast I had heard about - The Star of Texas Inn.

It appears to be leaning because it is - but don't all the best old houses or maybe that is just the way they build them in Texas.  Who really knows?

Leaning or not, the front porch was terrific.

I was in the guest house just behind the main house and even had my own front porch which will be wonderful in a month but was pretty hot on this lovely, hot as hell day in Texas.

The room was decorated with antique furniture and interesting art pieces - some more interesting than art.  I hope this picture was created by the children of the owners.

The room featured a soft robe, lovely soaps and lotions, free wine, and best of all - a fan!  As women of a certain age know, it is imperative to sleep with a fan in order to maintain a comfortable temperature!

Once on the UT campus (a short two blocks from the B&B) I use the UT Tower to find my way.  The landmark is great to use to find something because the tower is visible from almost everywhere on campus.  I noted where the Tower was when I left the B&B and was able to find my meeting room easily.  I won't tell Bestie, but the campus really is beautiful.  Unlike many fast growing campuses, UT did not get rid of all the trees as they built new classroom and research facilities.  They also severely limit the parking on campus and place most parking lots and parking decks around the perimeter in an effort to increase safety of students as they move from class to class.  This is something that was also done at UA and UALR, but UA  still lets scooters go through campus.  UT does not so you see hundreds of students on bikes zooming around.

 

So, will I tell Bestie that I do enjoy visiting Austin?  No.  Will I ask him to go with me to Austin sometime?  No.  What do you think I am?  Crazy?  Bestie going to Austin might lead to another Tower Shooting incident.  I know he could only take so much orange, so many drawings of longhorns, so many times of hearing "Hook'em Horns!" and he might just lose what little sanity still lurks in his consciousness. His true love of the Razorbacks and vehement hate of all things Texas is just another facet of what makes me love him.  What you may call insane, I find endearing.  It is another eccentricity that makes Bestie MY Bestie.

Adventures for the Autumnal Equinox

The day dawned bright and cloudless so what else were we to do but get on the Harley and start exploring part of our beautiful state?  Bestie made me breakfast and we ate on the patio and reveled in the excellent weather after such a horrid last few weeks with hell-like heat and humidity.  If we had weather like today all year it would make everyone want to live in Arkansas, so I am glad we have some days of heat and humidity just to keep those Yankees out.

Bestie always looks at the road map before we start but doesn't usually have a set plan.  We generally just head in a direction and see where the road leads.  This time he decided to head southwest and maybe end up in Hot Springs or somewhere near the lake.  I didn't care.  I had a warm jacket and my cell phone had a full charge so I would be fine no matter how long we were out or the destination Bestie would finally choose.

 

Now getting ready for a road trip usually takes me 10 - 15 minutes.  If the road beckons, I put on jeans and a t-shirt, grab my cell phone, credit card, helmet, jacket and boots and am out the door.  Bestie takes a little longer to prepare.  As with most everything, Bestie can take an action that should be easy and turn it into a full production. From dressing in the right "tough biker outfit" to polishing and packing the Harley, it can be 30 minutes to a hour before Bestie actually starts the bike and it moves toward the road.

About 45 minutes after I was ready to go, Bestie was finally ready to hit the road  and we were off.

After an hour or so of  riding we ended up at Lake Ouachita State Park and Bestie had to scope out the marina. Like most men, Bestie is just an overgrown boy who loves looking at "toys" (boats, bikes, motorcycles, planes - you get the idea).  The lake is fairly low right now but this part of the lake does have a lot of fluctuation in depth.

Now, I'm not confirming that we skinny-dipped at this point, but the lake here is very secluded and the weather was just about perfect.......

Dry and back on the bike and down the road, Bestie assured me he was dodging the potholes, but I was beginning to wonder.  The weather was perfect and Bestie promised the road wouldn't be this rough the whole way so I settled in with Twitter and waited to see our next destination.

Lo and behold, we did end up in Hot Springs . With Bikes, Blues, and BBQ in Fayetteville this weekend I didn't expect to see tons of bikers out in this part of the state, but I was mistaken.  There were tons of bikes out and lots of people strolling just enjoying the weather.  Hot Springs is such a great town to visit.  I always feel like I should be wearing a flapper dress and looking for Al Capone or Bugsy Malone and perhaps even carrying a Tommy Gun.  Like Eureka Springs, Hot Springs has such a great history and visiting is like taking a step back in time.

 

Bestie was ready for grub so we wandered Central Avenue looking for some place cool to eat and boy, did we find it!  The Ohio Club has great food, excellent staff and a fabulous history.  The bar is lovely and the pressed tin ceiling adds a great feel to the place.  It was a gambling hall until 1968 when it was finally closed down and now is a bar/restaurant where some fantastic bands play on the weekends.

(Steve Hester and DeJaVooDoo is there September 27-28 and they are WONDERFUL!)

 

 

Bestie had to try out some of the micro-brewery flavor but I don't have that much of an adventurous streak in me.

 

We just absorbed the local flavor (and an Ohio Sampler Platter) and marveled at how wonderful it is to spend time together not just because we are married, but also because we are best friends.  I know Bestie loves riding motorcycles so I go with him and we have a great time.  He knows I love junk shopping so he goes with me sometimes and - guess what - we have a great time doing that too.  Whatever you do with your partner, make a point of enjoying it because you are together.  Even work is fun when done with someone you enjoy so imagine how fun it is when you are with the one you love!

I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful weekend.  Make it a goal to do something this week with YOUR Bestie and let me know about it.  Empty Nesters or not, make time for each other and have a great life! YOLO.

Arkansas Football Means Tailgating With Style

I have long operated under the delusion that I am the "hostess with the mostest".  I have hosted charity dinners at my house, had ladies club meetings in my home and served 'high tea', participated in home tours where I served heavy hors d'oeuvres and coordinated catered events attended by over 800 people. All this should make me well prepared for tailgating and provide me the opportunity to show off this self-proclaimed title, but setting up and hosting a tailgate has a whole catalog of challenges.  I have battled insane heat, plagues of insects, torrential rain, blistering cold, high winds, unruly tailgating neighbors and even thieves.

We didn't tailgate the first Razorback game this year.  With predicted temperatures in the upper 90's, it just was not feasible for food preparation and bodily health to be out in the heat for 6-8 hours or more.  Instead, I shopped in air conditioned stores and let the rest of the fans enjoy the game at the boiling hot stadium.  (As I have mentioned in previous posts, I do not attend the games with Bestie because he has a tendency to misbehave - seriously misbehave.  I send the kiddos with him!)

The second game was in Little Rock and we "tailgated" at our house.  Can you tell where we live?  I usually just tell people to look for the house with the Razorback stuff.

 

It was lovely to just set up the party in the house and backyard, have a refrigerator with plenty of ice, clean flush toilets and AIR CONDITIONING.  Yes, the second game was still HOT and I do NOT enjoy sweating.  Being old enough to have an empty nest means also being old enough to have hot flashes so I am never too far from an air conditioner or a fan of some kind.

The third game was set for an 11:00 a.m. kick off.  I decided not to tailgate with my excuse being that it was too early to have to set up a tent in Fayetteville and no one wants to get up early - right?  WRONG.  I was over-ruled by kiddos and Bestie and a tailgating we did go.

We are in a new parking lot this year so we left kiddo #1's apartment to set up early (before 7:00 a.m.).  We also wanted to scope out the 'best' spot to set up the tent.  I think we found a pretty good spot.

This spot stayed in the shade all day long, is near a small creek, is level and has trees that will be perfect for a hammock.  It is also near the Campus Police Department where there are clean flush toilets.

Tailgate creator in training - Kiddo #1

For the breakfast of the tailgate we had Mississippi Monkey Bread, bacon wrapped sausages with brown sugar glaze, hashbrown casserole and Bloody Marys or Fuzzy Navels to drink.  Delicious.  I don't like to cook, but I can when the Hogs truly need me to be there for them.

Mississippi Monkey Bread with a honey glaze

Is it considered 'drinking' when it contains vitamin rich juice? I don't think so!

The after game meal was an enchilada casserole (baked in an electric skillet - imagine that!) with picante cheese sauce and chips with salsa.  The kiddos brought by their friends and they made short work of the food that was left.  College kids do hunger for home cooking.

Bestie likes to set a fashion trend at the games so he chose to wear his custom designed pants.  We met the designer at a bar in the River Market area about 2 years ago.  The designer (Chris Hess of Hess Clothing) had on these pants and Bestie fell in love with them so Hess created a pair just for Bestie.  

Fashionista Bestie!

The first "real" tailgate of the season was a success.  Everyone had good conversation, good food and lots of fun.  On top of that - the Razorbacks won which means Bestie was in a good mood so we could all be in a good mood.

Perhaps "Hostess with the Mostest" is a fitting title after all.  I am already planning out the menu for the next game.  Thinking of trying something completely different from anything I have done as a tailgater before.  I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out or you can just stop by.  Look for us in the Plaza parking lot (aka Lot 47N) between the Campus Police Station and Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. We will be opposite the outdoor track and field facility.  Ours will be the tailgate in the tree area (perhaps we will be sporting red balloons).  Look forward to seeing you at the tailgating party where we celebrate (or mourn) with style!

100 miles and counting

In May, I heard about the Dirt in Your Skirt 100 Mile Challenge.  The premise of the Challenge was to run/jog/walk 100 miles between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Since that time frame was three months long and I am putting in miles anyway to keep from being HUGELY overweight, I decided to take the plunge and make the commitment.  Since going it alone can be daunting, I drafted my cousin to participate with me.  She and I have done a few 5K races together and are planning on being in the Disney Princess 10K and Half Marathon in February 2014.  We do a pretty good job keeping each other going when the going can get tough.

Michelle and I at the Color Run earlier in the running season

We started the challenge by participating in the Riverfest Rock and Stroll 5K. In this race, participants are encouraged to dress in costumes showing favorite rock stars.  Michelle dressed as Elvis and I HAD to go as Cyndi Lauper.  After all, girls just wanna have fun.

This pic also shows our running kids - Robby from The Saw, Claire and Sabrina as mini Elvises.

Michelle went home to Missouri, but we still stayed in contact and posted our mileage on the Dirt In Your Skirt Facebook page weekly.  I did feel obligated to keep my mileage up, even when I was tired or it was hot.  Having a partner who challenged me was a definite asset.

It was mid July when I realized I would need new shoes. Bestie had been telling me to get new shoes for weeks.  My old shoes had done several 5K races and trained and run a half marathon and were starting to show the wear and tear of it all.  And, let's just face it, they were developing an odor.  Shoes can only do the whole wet, dry, wet, dry cycle so many times before they become too foul to deal with any longer.  I found these BRIGHT pink shoes and could not resist.  I have gotten more comments on them than I have on any other shoes I have ever owned.

My new shoes.  They don't glow in the dark but they look like they could!

I got to within one mile of finishing the 100 miles and decided I wanted to finish up with Bestie Boy by my side. He had been behind me 100% and cracked jokes all along to keep me motivated and on track. Bestie doesn't run with me because of a bone injury, but he does ride his bike along side me and make smart aleck comments about my pace. It only seemed fitting that Bestie would finish this by my side since Michelle and I would be unable to finish together.

Bestie mixed a celebratory cocktail for us in a thermos and we headed to Knopp Park which overlooks the city.  This was the location where Michelle and I made the commitment to each other that we WOULD finish the Challenge.  I had to hum the Rocky tune as I closed in on the final mile and, yes, I even threw a few Rocky like punches and showed off my muscles.

Check out those guns!

It may not seem like a big deal to have 3 months to cover 100 miles and for the really serious runner it is not a tough challenge.  I am not a 'serious' runner. I will never look like a world class runner with a great stride and a lean body. I run/jog because I have to in order to keep from being 500 pounds and being fit will help me live longer.  The main reason I do races is because I love bling.  I won't break any land speed records and I won't be on the podium at any races, but I WILL finish because I have more stubborness than I have sense sometimes and because I want that finishers medal. Yes, it is a sickness.

When Bestie and I got home from the first football game, lo and behold there was a package for me on the front porch and it contained my first "belt buckle" medal.  It is a beauty.

BLING !!!!  Now I just need a belt with my name on the back......

My cousin, Michelle, finished the Challenge the week after I did and now has her medal too.  We are now looking forward to racing together in Disney World in February as we continue our quest to collect the bling.  Hopefully I can get Bestie to be our paparazzi during the race!  My one man fan club!