To juice something is to enhance it or get it started.
Today we are juicing the housecleaning with the help of one of the aides from school. We are paying her to "help" us clean the house.
It really works. Sue participated more before and during the housecleaning chores. I did some of the really nasty stuff.. because you really don't want to reveal that kind of mess to someone that doesn't live in it.. cat boxes, around the toilet.. In the mean time while she is cleaning Sue is picking up stuff.. granted it is very difficult for her to pick something up off the floor.. but she is doing some of that. I am taking the recyclying stuff to the limited places that collect the stuff. This morning there was a significant line to do that.. an all of the tops had to be off the plastic bottles. Its not such a hard thing when you have a little.. its kind of major when you have a lot.
So having some one juice the activities multiples the success greater than the mathematical inclusion of one more helping to clean the house.
The first thing that she did was dig into the public areas and their floors. Boy was that needed. Of course there were ancillary projects that arose off of that.
I have been having difficulty getting some decent prints from my printer.. and Dad was right as usual, you just have to print a great deal on the Epson 2200 to keep the heads from clogging.
Yesterday I replaced three cartridges.. the biggest change occured when I changed the magenta cartridge and the yellow. It was trying to print everything with the light magenta.
Suddenly the rusty sculpture on the Malacon of Puerto Vallarta was actually rusty looking. I have some very nice photos of the girls and the public sculpture. Its amazing what these little cameras can do. The first one I had was a sony mavica.. it tried to reinvent photography. The big feature was the photos could be storeed on a plastic computer disc. The ones that the first macs sort of invented.
My latest is a neearly undistructable canon SD 790 IS Elph. A no visible plastic model. It takes credible movies as well as 10 mega pixel photos that match pretty closes the 14x19 paper that I run in the epson 2200. When it works.
Have a great Saturday
: ) Pat
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
What Happens when you Think it Happened and it didn't?
A teacher was about to be non-relected.
This teacher submitted a resignation letter to the principal instead.
The principal may or may not have forwarded it to the HR person.
The HR person went ahead and processed the paperwork so that the teacher could and was not relected for the next school year.
The principal in during this time submitted to the entire faculty a letter of resignation posted to the end of the year.
The teacher's resignation was not honored, but the district's non re election was honored and the board passed the non re election.
The principal's election for the next year was honored at the board meeting and the principal's name was offered and voted to be renewed for the next year.
The teacher did not want the non re election on her record. The district's HR person said that after talking with counsel, there was no way to "undo" a non re election. When asked to recognize the date and meaning of the letter, the HR person said that the HR person needed to consult with counsel.
The HR person was very sorry that an error was made. The HR person said that good recommendations would be provided if asked since the teacher's evaluations were good. Still what was done by the board could not be undone.
The issue lies on the continuance of the HR person to remember the situation or to even stay in the same job during the need for recommendations. We are in a very scary position when a dated letter of resignation is not honored and the machinery of process continues to take its toll whether right or wrong.
Pat
This teacher submitted a resignation letter to the principal instead.
The principal may or may not have forwarded it to the HR person.
The HR person went ahead and processed the paperwork so that the teacher could and was not relected for the next school year.
The principal in during this time submitted to the entire faculty a letter of resignation posted to the end of the year.
The teacher's resignation was not honored, but the district's non re election was honored and the board passed the non re election.
The principal's election for the next year was honored at the board meeting and the principal's name was offered and voted to be renewed for the next year.
The teacher did not want the non re election on her record. The district's HR person said that after talking with counsel, there was no way to "undo" a non re election. When asked to recognize the date and meaning of the letter, the HR person said that the HR person needed to consult with counsel.
The HR person was very sorry that an error was made. The HR person said that good recommendations would be provided if asked since the teacher's evaluations were good. Still what was done by the board could not be undone.
The issue lies on the continuance of the HR person to remember the situation or to even stay in the same job during the need for recommendations. We are in a very scary position when a dated letter of resignation is not honored and the machinery of process continues to take its toll whether right or wrong.
Pat
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Sac Bee Bento Boxes
I know of a couple of readers of this blog that are very interested in the Bento box lunch idea. This Sacramento Bee article lists some pretty low cost on-line sources for that interest.
Bento-box lunch guidelines
ShareThis
Published: Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 2D
• Try to abide by the color rule: Have at least five colors of food in each box.
• Food should be tightly packed inside a bento box. Use reusable muffin cups as dividers and fill gaps with foods like cherry tomatoes and grapes. This not only gets the portion right but also keeps food from moving around.
• Generally a 600-milliliter bento will hold 600 calories if it is packed with about three parts carbohydrates, one part protein and two parts fruits and vegetables.
• An easy way to keep bento packing simple is to keep three bins – one in the refrigerator with grapes, blueberries, single-serving cheeses and hard-boiled eggs; another in the freezer with leftovers frozen into reusable muffin cups such as frittatas, dumplings, rice balls and mini-hamburgers; and a third in the pantry with portioned-out nuts, crackers and puddings.
Sources: www.lunchinabox.net; www.globalgourmet.com;
REUSABLE GEAR
Regular Tupperware can be used to carry lunches, and two online companies sell lunch gear: • www.ichibankanusa.com (items cost from $1-8.50)
• www.laptoplunches.com (the basic lunch box with containers that fit inside costs $22.99)
Bento-box lunch guidelines
ShareThis
Published: Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 2D
• Try to abide by the color rule: Have at least five colors of food in each box.
• Food should be tightly packed inside a bento box. Use reusable muffin cups as dividers and fill gaps with foods like cherry tomatoes and grapes. This not only gets the portion right but also keeps food from moving around.
• Generally a 600-milliliter bento will hold 600 calories if it is packed with about three parts carbohydrates, one part protein and two parts fruits and vegetables.
• An easy way to keep bento packing simple is to keep three bins – one in the refrigerator with grapes, blueberries, single-serving cheeses and hard-boiled eggs; another in the freezer with leftovers frozen into reusable muffin cups such as frittatas, dumplings, rice balls and mini-hamburgers; and a third in the pantry with portioned-out nuts, crackers and puddings.
Sources: www.lunchinabox.net; www.globalgourmet.com;
REUSABLE GEAR
Regular Tupperware can be used to carry lunches, and two online companies sell lunch gear: • www.ichibankanusa.com (items cost from $1-8.50)
• www.laptoplunches.com (the basic lunch box with containers that fit inside costs $22.99)
Monday, March 16, 2009
New Photos from Mexico on Flickr
Slowly the photos from our trip are starting to appear on the Flickr photostream.
Some are taking some more work than I imagined.. I think the results are worth it. I took some very nice photos at twilight in Puerto Vallarta. I am sure that some people will be a little squimish regarding the big iguana that I took in the trees. I really don't think that he is real. Every time we have been near the overpass, an excited native is quick to point him out to us in hopes that we will drop a few pesos in his hands for spotting such a wonderful piece of wildlife.. I really think he is stuffed.. or at least is maintained there so that people will be in awe of him.
In Cabo as you walk into the town there were iguanas dressed up in funny costumes. Its amazing what our species does to others. Iguanas should not have chaps, a cowboy hat and a holster on. These animals I assume were born and raised in captivity.
There are some really nice photos of the PV cathedral. The horizontal one needed extensive clone work to remove the idiot photographers in front of the photo. I know I could have waited for them to pass. Its kind of interesting to see the before and after shots.
I think a really nice photo is the one with the girls watching the waves come in on the wrought iron bench of the Malacon. When I printed it at home I lost a lot of the delicate tans in the photo. They over saturated and its just not the same.
The new photoshop has some keen features with adjustment layers. Its a big improvement.
: ) Pat
Some are taking some more work than I imagined.. I think the results are worth it. I took some very nice photos at twilight in Puerto Vallarta. I am sure that some people will be a little squimish regarding the big iguana that I took in the trees. I really don't think that he is real. Every time we have been near the overpass, an excited native is quick to point him out to us in hopes that we will drop a few pesos in his hands for spotting such a wonderful piece of wildlife.. I really think he is stuffed.. or at least is maintained there so that people will be in awe of him.
In Cabo as you walk into the town there were iguanas dressed up in funny costumes. Its amazing what our species does to others. Iguanas should not have chaps, a cowboy hat and a holster on. These animals I assume were born and raised in captivity.
There are some really nice photos of the PV cathedral. The horizontal one needed extensive clone work to remove the idiot photographers in front of the photo. I know I could have waited for them to pass. Its kind of interesting to see the before and after shots.
I think a really nice photo is the one with the girls watching the waves come in on the wrought iron bench of the Malacon. When I printed it at home I lost a lot of the delicate tans in the photo. They over saturated and its just not the same.
The new photoshop has some keen features with adjustment layers. Its a big improvement.
: ) Pat
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Tuba Music acquistions on EMusic
One of the latest acquistions form E-Music is an album from the modern jazz tuba project. Here is the scoop on them:
The MJT Project is a ten-piece modern jazz group consisting of professional jazz musicians, primarily based in Nashville, Tennessee. Barely three years old and MJT has already produced two critically acclaimed recordings ("Live at the Bottom Line ", Heartdance Music HDM 1090 & "Favorite Things", Heartdance Music HDM 1120) and has presented performances at the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Kentucky, the U.S. Army Band Tuba Conference in Washington, D.C., the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, the International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Greensboro, NC, the Texas Music Educators Conference and the Florida Music Educators Conference.
This group presents an exciting new approach to contemporary music. With six low brass instrumentalists and a four-piece rhythm section, the MJT Project builds upon over fifty years of tradition utilizing the euphonium and tuba as lead instruments in jazz. This tradition started in the late 1940s with "the birth of the cool" and the collaboration between Miles Davis and Bill Barber on a number of recordings arranged by Gil Evans, and was extended through the 1950s by Harvey Phillips (the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Gil Evans, etc.) and Don Butterfield (Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus and others).
Pretty cool.. hun?
Pat
The MJT Project is a ten-piece modern jazz group consisting of professional jazz musicians, primarily based in Nashville, Tennessee. Barely three years old and MJT has already produced two critically acclaimed recordings ("Live at the Bottom Line ", Heartdance Music HDM 1090 & "Favorite Things", Heartdance Music HDM 1120) and has presented performances at the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Kentucky, the U.S. Army Band Tuba Conference in Washington, D.C., the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, the International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Greensboro, NC, the Texas Music Educators Conference and the Florida Music Educators Conference.
This group presents an exciting new approach to contemporary music. With six low brass instrumentalists and a four-piece rhythm section, the MJT Project builds upon over fifty years of tradition utilizing the euphonium and tuba as lead instruments in jazz. This tradition started in the late 1940s with "the birth of the cool" and the collaboration between Miles Davis and Bill Barber on a number of recordings arranged by Gil Evans, and was extended through the 1950s by Harvey Phillips (the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Gil Evans, etc.) and Don Butterfield (Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus and others).
Pretty cool.. hun?
Pat
Its Corned Beef Time!
Tuesday is St. Pat's Day... so its not too early to get out the corned beef and cook it up for a nice Sunday dinner.. and so we did.
In latter years mom came to the conclusion and of course its true, the its not worth your time and energy to waste your time cooking a corned brisket. It better to get a big chunk of round. You don't have to deal with the fat, its better for you, and there is significantly less shrinkage involved.
Along with the corned beef,there has to be some potatoes,carrots, and cabbage. The potatoes go in after the meat shows some tenderness. Then 20 minutues later the carrots go in, and finally in the last 5 minutes, the cabbage. Oh we dearly love the cabbage done this way.
Rumor has it that one of our stray cats (Gauguin, since departed from us) was lured out of his stray catdom by a tiny bite of corned beef. The girls have since confessed. I think that he hung out at our house in hopes of recapturing the moment of bliss of chowing down on some corned beef crumbles.
My daughter have long since believed that corned beef and cabbage is the ultimate Thanksgiving fare.. with the exception of the year that we deep fried 6 small turkeys in the front yard of Granpa's house.
So its corned beef season. Although its not really authentic, it stil spells I R I S H...
Love.. Pat
In latter years mom came to the conclusion and of course its true, the its not worth your time and energy to waste your time cooking a corned brisket. It better to get a big chunk of round. You don't have to deal with the fat, its better for you, and there is significantly less shrinkage involved.
Along with the corned beef,there has to be some potatoes,carrots, and cabbage. The potatoes go in after the meat shows some tenderness. Then 20 minutues later the carrots go in, and finally in the last 5 minutes, the cabbage. Oh we dearly love the cabbage done this way.
Rumor has it that one of our stray cats (Gauguin, since departed from us) was lured out of his stray catdom by a tiny bite of corned beef. The girls have since confessed. I think that he hung out at our house in hopes of recapturing the moment of bliss of chowing down on some corned beef crumbles.
My daughter have long since believed that corned beef and cabbage is the ultimate Thanksgiving fare.. with the exception of the year that we deep fried 6 small turkeys in the front yard of Granpa's house.
So its corned beef season. Although its not really authentic, it stil spells I R I S H...
Love.. Pat
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Pink Shirt
Today was pink day throughout California.
The CA budget for education has a great big hole in it. The only way to fix the hole is to layoff teachers and programs.
The California Teacher association along with the support from the management organization felt that the demonstration should happen at the schools not in Sacramento like it has in the past. So we all wore pink to point out that when people are not needed any more they are given "pink slips."
Today was the last day that school could get out the pink slips. And many of them did.. but much earlier. Even districts like ours with a sizable rainy day fund felt they needed to "non elect" many of the teachers and professionals they paid bonuses and encouragements to come. This leaves a bad taste in many of these professionals mouth and it make teaching a significantly less secure job.
I have a marvelous pink shirt. Its an IZod. I got it for a song on Ebay. I am sure that some poor wife thought that a very nice shirt like this would be great in her husband's closet. When he got it.. straight to the moon Alice! So on Ebay it was very cheap.
So pink day.. I wore it. The reaction was pretty interesting. Some students tried to dismiss the fact that a male teacher was wear such a shirt. They said out loud.. you can't be a teacher.. what do you teach? As the walked quickly by me.
A para (classified teacher's aid) stopped by and said, "I need to take a photo of you wearing that shirt. I have a great pink shirt for my husband and he won't wear it"
All through the day I received.. love your pink commments.
I picked up Sue's prescription at Walgreens. A tough looking hispanic guy looked me over and gave me a wink.
Guys out in the parking lot shouted at me.. hey Pinkie.. and gave me the I love you sign in sign language.
I picked up pizza and the guy that owns the place pointed at me as I left and said.. pink and gave me a thumbs up.
So a pretty unusual day with the recognition of a big pink shirt on a guy in their midst.
: ) Pat
The CA budget for education has a great big hole in it. The only way to fix the hole is to layoff teachers and programs.
The California Teacher association along with the support from the management organization felt that the demonstration should happen at the schools not in Sacramento like it has in the past. So we all wore pink to point out that when people are not needed any more they are given "pink slips."
Today was the last day that school could get out the pink slips. And many of them did.. but much earlier. Even districts like ours with a sizable rainy day fund felt they needed to "non elect" many of the teachers and professionals they paid bonuses and encouragements to come. This leaves a bad taste in many of these professionals mouth and it make teaching a significantly less secure job.
I have a marvelous pink shirt. Its an IZod. I got it for a song on Ebay. I am sure that some poor wife thought that a very nice shirt like this would be great in her husband's closet. When he got it.. straight to the moon Alice! So on Ebay it was very cheap.
So pink day.. I wore it. The reaction was pretty interesting. Some students tried to dismiss the fact that a male teacher was wear such a shirt. They said out loud.. you can't be a teacher.. what do you teach? As the walked quickly by me.
A para (classified teacher's aid) stopped by and said, "I need to take a photo of you wearing that shirt. I have a great pink shirt for my husband and he won't wear it"
All through the day I received.. love your pink commments.
I picked up Sue's prescription at Walgreens. A tough looking hispanic guy looked me over and gave me a wink.
Guys out in the parking lot shouted at me.. hey Pinkie.. and gave me the I love you sign in sign language.
I picked up pizza and the guy that owns the place pointed at me as I left and said.. pink and gave me a thumbs up.
So a pretty unusual day with the recognition of a big pink shirt on a guy in their midst.
: ) Pat
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