My philosophy of education...

I feel that the fundamental purpose of education is two-fold: first we must teach children how to behave and function productively in society, and secondly we must continue to pass the knowledge and insights we have gained from the past onto future generations. Children should be taught to think for themselves and be able to solve problems intelligently and efficiently. I think that by having an organized, national educational system we can ensure that the best educational techniques and ideas are shared and that new knowledge is available to everyone equally.

The educational curriculum should begin with the basics which will create a strong foundation for which to build upon. Once the basics are mastered, students should be exposed to a wide range of subjects to allow them to be able to find and area they are both comfortable with and interested in. Only after a student has mastered the basics and learned about a wide variety of different topics should they be ready to branch of into a semi-specialized path of study. This would give everyone a strong foundation on which to build and allow most everyone to excel in a field that interests them, thus giving greater returns to society as a whole.

I believe that an interested student is the most receptive to learning. Keeping the students focused on the lesson and interested in what they are learning is vital. Simply lecturing or assigning the students busy work is not enough. The teacher must change with the needs of the students and has to wear many different hats in the classroom; as a facilitator, a mentor, an instructor, etc. While each of the six different types of education philosophies certainly has its merits, I do not feel that any particular one is right for all occasions. Without question, I am eclectic in my philosophical thoughts about education. There will be times and situations when different techniques will be required and sticking to one philosophy will not work.

Teachers have many roles. They are role models, instructors, mentors, and sometimes just someone to talk to. Teachers need to set positive examples both in and out of the classroom. A teacher needs to be able to change lesson plans when things are not working and be able to recover an unruly class. They need to encourage students to do their very best and challenge them to achieve to be more than just average. Teachers are helping shape the future.

The role of the student also varies. While this is not always as obvious, the students need to do more than just sit quietly and listen. Active participation is important to the learning process. Students not only learn from the teacher but also from other students. Ideas, constructive comments, and thoughts should be encouraged and built upon when it will benefit the lesson.

Of the six different philosophies of education, I would have to say that I agree with points from several, thereby making me eclectic in my educational philosophy. While all of the different philosophies have their merits, I do not feel that any certain one is best for all situations. Differences in learning styles, age groups, etc. cannot all be addressed by the same teaching style. In fact, changes may be needed daily to continue to help students progress and learn.


.

Rise of the machines...

While I certain find the headline distasteful, as well as the author's insistence on pushing the reader away from the programming and optics of the robot, and towards the seedy side, you have to admire the guy's abilities. Assuming all of the demonstrations in the video are real, then this is a very impressive piece of work.

I worked a little with A.I. back in the 90s when computers were just getting fast enough to make a difference (worked on a 'smart' search engine for searching databases). I have since tried to keep up (when I can) with the news coming from that part of science. The progress they are making is truly amazing, but this it pretty advanced. A few minutes into the video he holds up a hand written math equation that she solves almost instantly. Later she recognizes objects just by looking at them.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2023392.ece


.

So much for posting every day...

Sorry. I have college finals this week and part of next. It's been a tough couple of weeks.

And so it begins...

I talked once before about posting links to funny/odd/weird things here. So, let's begin, shall we?

Picard vs Arnold

Star Trek vs Star Wars

The Front Fell Off



...

Back to school...

Well the holiday is over and it's back to school/work. As I write this post, I am sitting in a small room in the Science Building, freezing my behind off. It seems to me that at a college of technology, they could at least get the heat to work. :-/

Finals are next week so I guess we'll be hitting the books pretty hard for the next few days and looking forward to Christmas break.

I thought about posting things I find online to this blog and I think I will start doing that. Only thing is, most of the stuff I find I forward to family and friends (the only people who see this) so for a while, it may seem redundant. Anywho, I'll start gathering up the links and posting them tonight. I hope to post something everyday and I'll still post personal events I feel are share-able!

.

Thanksgiving...

My wife is a great lady. She was up before dawn cooking Thursday and prepared food for about 15 people all by herself. We had turkey, stuffing, and all the traditional dishes plus 4 or 5 different deserts. By the time I finished eating I felt like I would bust.

I tried to take a quick nap but Molly beat me to the bed!

Seriously though, it was great having all the kids together again and spending time just talking and cutting up.

When we all felt a little rested we decided to head over to my grandparents' house to visit. Nearly everyone from my side of the family was there, even some I had not seen for a long time. The babies have grown up and the kids are now teens. Man time can get away from you if you don't stop and look around occasionally.

Howdy Howdy Howdy...

Last weekend, Joy and I went to a B&B in the mountains and it was nice. Turns out the owner is a gourmet chef. While the Bed part was great, the Breakfast part was worth the money.

The cabin was right on top of a mountain so we had a spectacular view of the sunrise and the sunset (and we watched them both). We spent the days driving around Banner Elk and Boone.

Not much else has been going on the last few weeks. Been busy with school and stuff. I have not really been posting because nothing major is going on. Jessica got her permit this week. I guess that's kinda big news. :-)

I've been thinking about expanding this blog to include some of the funny/weird/strange things I find while surfing the internet. I promise to keep it SFW (but just barely). Any thoughts? Let me know.

Super Mike...

http://www.makemesuper.com/r.php?i=1_a93d2-171414-m-Mike

I was as surprised as you...

I baked you a cake, but we eated it...

We had two birthdays in the family this week. Landon is the oldest and just turned 23 two days ago and Jessica turns 15 today. We have always tried to keep the two birthdays separate and to keep the birthdays separate from Halloween. This means two parties, two cakes, etc.

I guess the next thing is to take Jessica to get her driving permit...

Volunteering...

Sometimes, when you offer to do something to help someone else out, it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Well, I volunteered for a program at a local elementary school to have breakfast with a student once a week. And I am certainly glad I did.

My breakfast buddy is a fourth grader and Friday was my first time meeting him. We sat and ate cereal and chatted. He likes Star Wars (who doesn't? :-)) and has a small dog named Sally. He's a really cool kid! I'm be joining him for breakfast every Friday for the rest of this year.

NC State Fair...

Last Saturday we went to the North Carolina State Fair. It was great. Miranda (my oldest daughter) and Sam (her beau) live in Raleigh so they went with us. We were able to park at Sam's mom's house and walk to the fair grounds (just a couple of blocks) . Since Sam worked there last year he knew pretty much where everything was.
We decided to throw caution to the wind and try some of the food found only at the fair. The deep fried Snickers was actually not bad, but the deep fried Reese's Cup was a little better (not peanuts :-)). We didn't ride too many rides but Joy (wife), Jessica (youngest daughter), Miranda (you met her earlier), and Sam (still dating Miranda) did ride the twister (pictured above). I'm too old for that kind of shenanigans. (Actually, I just didn't want to get sick after the corn-dog, giant burrito, and deep-fried candy bars).

Classroom Observations...

This week, during my 7th grade class observation, the teacher finally put me to work. After helping out by grading some quizzes and a chapter test, I helped out in the students while the class worked on a 'cut and paste' project. They were tasked with cutting out 24 squares with fractions on them and aligning these squares on a new sheet in order, where each fraction lined up with a matching fraction. I tried to use the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle (finding the corners, then the edges, etc.) but I was very surprised to learn that there was not a single student I talked to that had ever worked a puzzle. I felt so old.

The Economic Mess...

After watching the market nose dive over the last 6 months and especially the last week, I am SO glad I decided to retire from software design at the beginning of this year. I cashed in my 401K to live on for the next few years while I return to school. I would hate to know I had lost all my entire retirement fund because of this mess. Once I get my teaching license and start teaching, maybe things will be back to normal and I can start saving for my golden years. :-)

It's snowing in Fairbanks...

The photo in the right is a live shot of downtown Fairbanks in Alaska. As I write this, it is snowing heavily and has been since before daylight. This is not their first snow of the season but it's the biggest I have seen so far this year. Most people think it is like this year round, but in the summer, Fairbanks (and most of Alaska) is as warm as the rest of the lower 48 (though temps matching those in the southwest would be rare).

As for the weather where we are, it is really nice today. 73 degrees and sunny. We took Molly to the park to walk and she apparently stepped on a bee. She didn't yelp or even make a sound but we saw her limping and found the bee still stuck to her paw. I ended up carrying her all the way back to the car. She seems to be fine now.

New profile photo...

I've been working out every day for the past few months. I feel great and I have really started to get into better shape (round is a shape, right?) I have had to buy new pants (two sizes smaller) and the shirt I am wearing the this picture is smaller than what I used to wear. I usually smile more, ut the sun was in my eyes in this one.

Anyway, I uploaded a new photo taken this weekend at the Autism Walk. And here is another. ;-)

Sigh... I know, I know...

I am really sorry it has taken me a month to post. I know I said I would post more often, but I have been really busy the last few weeks. I promise to try to post more often.

Now, here is what is new. I have begun my classroom observations for the lab portion of my Foundations of Education class. I sit in on a 7th grade math class (two periods) once a week. So far it has been a blast.

The Autism Walk was a great success. I raised $115.00 and all together I think our team raised $680. The event itself raised over $400,000. I posted plenty of pictures on my Flickr site. We walked 2 laps around Lowe's Motor Speedway. This picture was taken at the start of the walk.

Walk Now for Autism

I am participating in Walk Now for Autism to help find a cure for autism. Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.  

Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my fight as I raise $250 to help fund essential research. I will be walking on October 4th (at Lowes Motor Speedway) and would like you to support those affected by autism. 

You can donate to Walk Now for Autism and join my team online through my webpage at www.walknowforautism.org. Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on my page or send me a check made out to Autism Speaks. My team name is GTCC; please note this on your check and the donation form. Please join me in my fight against autism. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today.

If you would like to make a donation online, here is the link to my page.

I hurt all over...

I joined a local gym closer to home this week and worked with a personal trainer for the last three days. Every muscle in my body hurts (even my brain because of all the homework from school :-)). We have a dog-gate blocking access to the bedroom which we use to keep Molly pinned up when we need to and stepping over it tonight was painful. But I know in the long run I will feel better and be in much better health overall.

The long days are starting to catch up with us. Joy has to be at work at 6am (we get up at 4:30am) and is working 10 hours a day, then has two classes at High Point University each night during the week and does not get home until after 10pm. Jessica doesn't get home from school now until 5:30pm and has Drivers Ed two nights a week which gets her home after 7:30pm.

My schedule is not quite as bad, but I am taking six hard classes this semester and I have to do a lot of the chores around the house (doing laundry now), so we are all really busy.

I cracked my butt...

Wednesday morning I went out to bring in the trash cans from the curb. I stepped a little farther out onto the top step (going down from the front porch) and it was still wet from the night's dew, so my foot shot straight out. I landed hard on my behind (got a nice bruise but I'll refrain from posting a picture).

I don't think I broke anything, but damn it hurt. Still does. Nice and sore I is.

Hey, I said I'd post more often but I never said it would be fun to read. :-)

Congraduations...

Congraduations (congratulations + graduation) to Joy for getting her Associate of Arts Degree from R.C.C. Her diploma arrived in the mail last week and we couldn't be more proud of her! Way to go dear! She starts classes at HPU next week.

Sorry for the delay...

I know it's been a while since I've updated and I know I said I would update more, but it has been a very busy few weeks. First, we've moved. For those that need to know where to, you already do. :-)

Secondly, school has started back and since all three of us are in college now, everyone is covered up with work, homework, and chores. I know it's not really a good excuse, but it's all I have.

I WILL update more often. I promise! ;-)

Responsibilities suck...

We do not watch a lot of television. Some sports, educational shows, and a few sitcoms from time to time, but usually it stays turned off. Oh and cartoons :-)

Earlier this summer there was a show we ran across called The Alaksa Experiment, where four groups of people were dropped off in remote areas in Alaska for three months to fend for themselves. The show tracked their progress (good and bad) and showed how hard surviving in the Alaskan wilderness could be.

That was something I have always wanted to do. Just be dropped off and left alone in the Alaskan wilderness in the fall/winter and made to survive on the land. I think it would be a life altering experience. So, after finding out about the show I went to the Discovery Channel website to get more information on the series (next showing, times, etc.) and they had a link for expressing interest in being on the show next year. So I filled out the sheet and sent it in.

Well guess what. We were selected to audition for the show! Yeah! I can't wait! What? I have work and school and a family and...resposibilities. DAMN! Damn, damn, damn.

So, of course, I'll not respond. I'll stay home and be responsible, again.

The first college graduate in the family...

My wife is in the process of taking her last course needed for graduation from college. By the end of August she will be the first college grad in her entire family. It has taken a few years, but she's worked full time and raised a family at the same time. We couldn't be more proud of her!
I'm planning to try to do something a little special for her but since she tends to check this blog from time to time I can't really say what that might be. :-) If anyone has any ideas, feel free to share them.

Huston, we have a problem...

Last Thursday, at about 5:45 pm EST, my youngest daughter Jessica got into a small single engine plain with a friend and classmate of mine named Josh. As my wife and I watched them taxi to the runway, we could see Jessica sitting in the front passenger seat, her face filled with excitement and anticipation. Roughly an hour later they landed and we waited patiently for them to return to the parking lot. She had an experience she will never forget and her cheeks must have hurt from the smile she wore well into the evening.
What is the problem you ask? Ah, yes... the problem. Well the problem is that now she wants more. She's extremely bright (all our kids are) and interested in becoming an astronaut (or at the very least working for NASA as a researcher/astronomer), so this simply fueled that dream. That was the point of course, but she wants to try to get her pilot's license and that takes money. Lots of money.

To the moon, Alice, to the moon...

A few weekends back, we took our youngest daughter on a tour of Washington DC. She's 14 and starts college in the fall (yes, you read that right :-)), and even though she is not certain what her future holds she is very interested in space and astronomy. While we were there she had the chance to meet two astronauts at the Air and Space Museum. We were at the doors when they opened so there was no line and she was able to spend a few minutes talking to the astronauts.
One of them asked her if she had ever flown in an airplane before. He told her she needed to find a local pilot and have him take her up for a short trip. Well, as fate would have it, the young guy that sits next to me in class this semester is a pilot. After getting to know him a little I finally asked about taking her up. So, this Thursday she gets to take a one hour flight around Winston and Pilot Mountain. This digs deeper into our dwindling savings, but it is an experience she will never forget.

Can I call you a cab, sir...

Last fall, when I decided to change careers and become a teacher, we knew we would have to make a few sacrifices. We moved to a smaller, cheaper home, and we sold my Jeep to remove that payment from the monthly bills. For almost 10 months living with just one vehicle was worked out well, but yesterday I ended up stuck at home with no way to get to my 8am class.
I've been doing very good in school and missing one day would normally not be a big deal, but at about 8:30am yesterday morning I suddenly remembered I have a major paper due that I should have taken to class. I actually considered calling a cab but decided to take the 5 point grade cut and turn it in late. I emailed the instructor to let him know and all should be well now.
The ability to take college course online is a big plus for people returning to school years after joining the workforce. While the class I mentioned above is on campus (I have 2 on campus and 4 online this semester), most of my classes are online. This fall will be the same way with a few classes in person and a few more online.
The money from my 401K and our savings is drying up faster than I expected so I'll have to find a job or two in the fall to help pay the bills. Hopefully new year I can qualify for financial aid.

I know, I know...

I know I said I would try to post more often. Every time I say that I dissapear for a few weeks. But I have an excuse this time. :-)
Classes during the summer are divided into 'mini-mesters' of 5 weeks each. This means that a 16 week course is taught in 5 weeks. Some instructors cut the class a little slack and cut out a little of the work. Some don't. My Humanities class that just started falls into the latter group. The instructor is cramming all 16 weeks worth of work into the 5 weeks we have in class.
I agree with this completely. There is a lot of work but it is a very interesting class. I will try to keep it from taking up all my free time. :-)

I guess it could have been worse...

I had to have a broken tooth cut out yesterday. Everything went okay and I'm recovering nicely (thanks to the Vicaden :0) but I haven't been able to eat anything since Sunday night. I was going to try to write a witty entry with a catchy title, but instead you get this and I get to go back to bed.

The things the mailman brings....

My youngest daughter Jessica is an aspiring writer and she entered a short story in a national contest recently. Today she received a letter informing her it was chosen to be published in a book called Anthology of Short Stories By Young Americans. If anyone would like to read it (and it IS really good) here is a link: http://valen-san.deviantart.com/art/AoSSbYA-Entry-81480579

Chick Flicks...

One thing I think is important in a relationship is compromise. My wife and I have quite a bit in common, but choice of movies is not one of them. But she's caved and gone to movies with me that she really did not want to see, so today I went with her to see "Sex and The City." It was not really that bad. There was an uncomfortable moment with a scene (definitely designed for the women) of a muscular guy showering in slow motion, but overall it was a decent movie. I won't give anything away, but if you have never seen the show on HBO you might be lost not knowing everyone in the movie. It's basically a 2 hour episode of the show.

GTA IV ...

I don't get a chance to goof off much, but I've been playing GTA IV on XBOX360 and it rocks. This week I decided to try playing online...100 times more fun! At one time today, there were four of us in a stolen armored truck running from the cops. One guys driving and the rest of us shooting.

Never say never...

I did something yesterday I said I would never do; I signed up to run a 5K (The Joann Gaddy Grimes Big Event to Fight Cancer). I am not a runner and never will be, but it is for two good causes. First, is it for cancer research. Joy's father died from lung cancer several years ago and we are doing this to both honor him and contribute to a good cause. Secondly, it is for a major project grade in my PE class.

The event is June 7th and if anyone would like to participate or make a donation, please feel free contact the official website or let us know. The team name is "Olen Harrelson Mem" (short for memorial - not enough room for more text), just select the team name when donating.

One in a billion....

There are roughly 6.5 billion people on the planet. I'd guess that half of those are female and about one third of the females are of the right age to date/marry. So how'd I get so lucky? 25 years ago today I took the love of my life on our first date. We were married in Novemeber of the same yearand we've been pretty much inseparable ever since. We still enjoy each others company. We still hold hands, talk, share, laugh and cry together. So you've heard the phrase 1 in a million? I've found my one in a billion!

I can't believe my little girl is going to college...

My youngest daughter is 14. She starts driver's ed this summer and college (yes college) in the fall. We took her to the freshmen orientation tonight and filled out all the paper work. They grow up so fast...

Memorial Day...

First off, thanks to all the men and women who have or are currently serving in the United States armed forces. Here's a pic of the ship I served on in the late 1980's, the USS Marvin Shields. This pic was taken while we were in Hawaii (lovely place).


We grilled out today, a little cliche I know, but it was really good. Tough luck for Danica in the Indy 500, but at least it was a safe race.

School's going well. Having to run the mile for my PE class was tough but I did better than I expected. Jessica, Joy, and I ended up joining the YMCA last week so I'm sure I can improve my overall time before the end of the semester.

Have I finally bitten off more than I can chew?

Since I am not working this summer (so far I have emptied my savings account and have cashed in my tiny 401K) I am taking as many classes as possible to make sure I finish on time. I have English, Psychology, Sociology, Humanites, Health, and Physical Education this summer and classes started yesterday. It's certainly not an impossible feat, but like everything else I tend to do, I always try too hard and end up doing more work than I usually need to to get the job done.
I just can't settle for passing, I have to excell. Gotta go for now since I have homework. :-)

Old friends, new friends...

After finding out about my 25 year high school reunion, I filled out some info on classmates.com. I have since heard from a couple of old high school buddies and it's been very cool cathing up on what everyone is up to. Also, I've made a few new friends while going to college.

Languages...

I have a thing for learning new languages. I'm not sure why, but they draw me in. Because of this I have studied several over the years(Japanese, Chinese, German, French, and Russian) but I never get to use them.

Several years ago, my youngest daughter and I started studing Japanese. Once we felt we could communicate slightly better than a drunken tourist, we wanted to test it out. So we promptly visited the nearest "Japanese" resturant to mingle with the natives. Not a single person in the place spoke or even understood Japanese. The chef was from Mexico! At least at the Chinese buffett they understood 'thank you' (and even seemed pleased I actually made the effort).

But it is not like riding a bicycle, you will forget if ou don't practice. So today when I visited my wife's work and I ran into a co-worker of her's that is learning Japanese, I blanked...

Back to the books I guess (I still may need it someday :-))

Yikes...

I received a message today from a high-school classmate about our reunion coming up. Has it been that long? 25 years already? Wow. Where did the time go?

Anyway, I think it'd be great to meet some of the folks I went to high school with. Not sure what I'd say or talk about, but it'd still be fun!

Washington DC

We have been wanting to take a trip to Washington DC for a while now. I have been a couple of times in the past on business trips, but never on vacation.

We left about 6am Friday morning and arrived around noon. Very smooth trip, very light traffic, and the hotel was right off the interstate. Everything was within walking (or a short ride on the subway) distance.

Friday we went through Union Station on the way to the Zoo. The Zoo was really nice and the pandas came right up to the glass while we were there. Unfortunately the elephant exhibit was closed.

After leaving the Zoo we ended up eating dinner in Chinatown. That was THE BEST Chinese food I had ever eaten. I ordered to same thing I would have gotten at home, but it was 100 times better. I can only image how good the food would be in China.

Saturday we left the room early and walked to the Smithsonian and the National Mall. We got to the Air and Space Museum a little early, but went right in when the doors opened. Jessica ended up meeting several astronauts and got autographs and pictures. She was beside herself with excitement.

During the day we walked and walked and walked and saw tons of cool buildings, museums, etc., but in the evening when we decided to visit Union Station again (we rushed through the first time) to look around we took a cab. Union Station is huge; the pictures do not do it justice.

When we left Sunday morning, we drove by the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. The drive home on Sunday was just as smooth and traffic free and the drive up. I was surprised.

Here's the link to the pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaellandonhatfield

It's been a while...

Sorry it's been so long, but I'll catch everything up and try to start posting at least one a week.
First off, I'm not going to China after all. I still have family and responsibilities here that I can't leave; even for a few months.

One of these, and probably the one at the top of the list, is the fact that my youngest daughter, Jessica, was accepted into the early college program. This means that instead of being a freshman in high school this fall, she's going straight to the local community college instead. She'll graduate in 4 years with BOTH a high school diploma and an Associates degree. (And it's free.)

I am currently taking more classes in anticipation of transferring into East Carolina University's teaching curriculum next fall (2009). Two years after that (once I finish school) I'll be ready to become a full time middle school math teacher.

Flickr...

For those interested I've setup a Flickr site.

Been a while...

Sorry for the long delay between posts but a lot has been going on. More correctly, I've been going through a lot. I've always wanted to travel around the world and visit everywhere and see everything. Lofty goals I know, but I'm finally going to do something about it and I have really been agonizing over this for the last few weeks.

I am not sure of all the details yet as I still have a lot to work out, but I am going to China in the fall to teach English. Currently, it looks like I will be leaving in August and spending about 8-9 months in Harbin, China.


Harbin is the capital city of one of the northern provinces and is located in the north eastern corner of China. Very cold winters... They have a huge winter festival every year (the picture above is from a past one).

I am very excited about this opportunity but the decision to leave my family for such an extended time was very hard to make. I know if I don't do it now, then I never will and that will be every harder to deal with.

I'll keep you posted!

Laid off...

The company I work for agreed to let me take the afternoons to go to school. I was working 6am to noon and then some evenings from 3pm to 6pm or so. Then work slowed a bit and there was no more afternoon/evening work. That was fine, I was stretching myself to thin with work and school anyway. Then yesterday I was given the option on moving to another department full-time or being laid-off. Since I'm not quitting school (and I have classes all week in the afternoons), I got laid off from my job yesterday. At first I was a little upset, but then I realized I really didn't like the job anyway and now I can concentrate on school for a while.

Valentine's Day...

Card and a box of candy...$20.00
Dinner for two at Ruth's Chris steakhouse...$150.00
Two tickets to the Greensboro Symphony and a special song dedication...$350.00

Seeing the dress come off to reveal sexy black lace stockings and matching undies..... PRICELESS!! :-)

Is 42 too old to change careers?

For those of you who do not know me, I have worked in the furniture production field and I worked as a computer programmer for several years. I have had good success in both, but have never really found my niche. Recently I decided to finish school and get my Masters Degree.

I'll spare you the details, but it seems that very few of my past educational credits will transfer so I'm basically starting over. No big deal, I've forgotten a lot of stuff and I enjoy school, so it's all good. (Do the kids still say things like that?:-)). Well, I've always thought of teaching and I enjoy subjects such as math/science/astronomy that have limited career options. (How many ads for astronomers do YOU see in the want ads?)

I also want to see the world (which was one reason I joined the Navy in 1983). I've been looking into TESL (Teach English as a Second Language) programs for a while now. Foreign countries hire qualified teachers to teach English to all grades (from elementary to university) and they pay you well for it. Well being relative of course, you'll make good money for the are you are living in. This would be the best of both worlds. You spend as long as you want (6 months, 2 years, whatever) living and working in a foreign country. You get to EXPERIENCE a place not just see it.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I've decided to change my major to Elementary Education. I feel like this will give me plenty of options for the future. Worse case I get stuck teaching here in central NC and that wouldn't be so bad would it. ;-)

Went to visit Miranda and Sam...

Joy, Landon, Jessica and I went to visit Miranda and Sam today in Raleigh. We had a good time eating lunch at a small grill/cafe and walking around at Best Buy. It was a fun day.

Smells...

It was very cold and raining when I left work Friday morning around 10am. The company is installing a new conveyor system in the assembly area and the plant was basically closed except for a few people coming in to catch up on their backlog of daily chores. As I opened the door and stepped out I took a deep breath (I love cold weather). I was immediatley taken back to a moment in my childhood when I was visiting relatives in the moutains of Kentucky.
I could smell the homecooked (any very artery clogging) fried meat and eggs cooking. We were getting ready for a big country breakfast including eggs, gravy, biscuits, various fried meats, etc.
Suddenly I stopped and thought, "Where did that (memory) come from?"
It took me a few seconds, but I realized that the frigid air carried smells from the mutiple fast-food resturants nearby still cooking and serving breakfast. I was amazed how that smell has taken me back in an instant to a memory I would not how thought of otherwise.

The human mind is an amazing piece of work. (Yes work, not happenstance, but I'll save that for another post.)

Good news, bad news...

Way back before comedy became vulgar, there was a routine called good news, bad news. Basically one guy would say something and the other would respond 'that's good', then the first guy would say, 'no...such and such' and the second guy would say 'oh, that's bad'. This would repeat several times, and apparently passed for entertainment. So here goes...

"I had to start an internet blog for school."
"Oh, that's bad."
"No, not really. Turns out it's kinda fun."
"Well, that's good then.
"It was hard to think of a name and title, etc."
"That's bad..."
"But I did a good job I think."
"That's good."
"It's online for everyone to read."
"That's....bad."
"I used my name for the title."
"That's.....bad"
"Now I can't talk about work, personal things I want to keep quiet, family..."
"Crap...that's really bad...."
"No, that's good. I can talk about positive things and stuff that others might find helpful and interesting."
"BOOORING!!"

"You aren't playing the game right..."
"You could dis me on your blog."

Be careful what you ask for...

Apparently the old saying is true. Everyone was complaining that it has been unbearably hot in the Astronomy class room until today. It was 58 degrees. In the class room, not outside.

Long day...

I want to try to update this blog every day or so. It was a long day today with work and homework, so this update will be short.

We are supposed to get some wintery weather in the morning, but we'll see how that turns out. Seems like we get less and less snow/ice every year. The snow that fell Saturday was nice. I closed the bedroom door, opened the window next to the bad, and curled up and watched it snow until I fell asleep.

School is going well. I'm taking 6 classes this semester. Joy (wife) is taking 3 and will graduate at the end of the summer semester baring any unforeseen problems. She thought she would be finished this semester, but her adviser goofed up and she was 4 classes short instead of just 2.

Anywho, see ya in a day or two.

Hi. I'm Mike...

This is my first blog. I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while now and since I have finally gotten around to doing do, I guess I should introduce myself.

I am 42, married, and I have 3 children (22, 20, and 14). I have spent most of my adult life working in the computer software industry and I have recently decided to return to school. My overall goal is a PhD, but in what, I have not decided (something in the Astronomy field probably).

I have 42 years worth or stories to tell (actually 41 years worth, I just ate, slept, and pooped for the first year) So check back often for current updates and flash backs.