I've been collecting a few videos here and there on YouTube. This playlist has grown rather large at 43 videos and over 2 hours long! I'm surprised at how catchy some videos still are like Ah Leah by Donnie Iris. A couple of videos do not play in the playlist so the unhappy face will show up for those.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Nephew is Custom Harvesting Again
I have a nephew who lives in Kansas; he could definitely survive off the land.
He has been a part of a custom harvesting crew this summer. Custom harvesters travel from Texas to Montana during wheat cutting season as hired hands to cut the wheat and haul the grains of wheat to storage for market. It is not a glamorous life. But seeing America has to be a great experience.
Here is a picture from his combine cab. The crew is currently in Montana! The fact that a company trusts a 17-year old with a hundreds of thousands of dollars equipment is saying a lot!
If you want to read a great blog about family custom harvesting--great because it is well-written and has plenty of photos- read Tracy Zeorian's blog at http://nebraskawheatie.com/
He has been a part of a custom harvesting crew this summer. Custom harvesters travel from Texas to Montana during wheat cutting season as hired hands to cut the wheat and haul the grains of wheat to storage for market. It is not a glamorous life. But seeing America has to be a great experience.
Here is a picture from his combine cab. The crew is currently in Montana! The fact that a company trusts a 17-year old with a hundreds of thousands of dollars equipment is saying a lot!
If you want to read a great blog about family custom harvesting--great because it is well-written and has plenty of photos- read Tracy Zeorian's blog at http://nebraskawheatie.com/
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Food on the Road for Summer Leadership Training
One of those questions always asked of summer leadership training staff is where and what did you eat. Usually, we don't tell, but I'm going to commit a faux pas and dedicate this post to answering that question. I would say first that I did bring a big bag of snacks and drinks that I paid for without reimbursement, so I provided my own road-tripping snacks and Mountain Dew. As did every other member of the traveling team.
After arriving Friday night, the whole team drove out to a PTA supporter's house, a beautiful home by the way. Her and her family had us as guests for dinner. A delicious fare of salad and lasagna was served. I would have to say that the lasagna was better than almost any Italian restaurant I've visited. Then she brought out a homemade parfait for dessert. Yum, yum!
On Saturday, we had breakfast provided for us at the Clarksville training stop by Sango Elementary and the vendors at the stop.
When we got back to Nashville, we ate a late lunch at Chilli's on West End Ave. I had the very delicious shrimp tacos. Oh yeah, definitely worth it! And spicy too!
Dinner was on our own Saturday night. Some went back to the PTA supporter's home as guests for dinner. I and another team member had coupons for free pizza! And when I say free-no money needed. But let me tell you--Jets Pizza in Nashville is voted number one for a reason. A small pizza (a small pizza!) each stuffed my friend and I full! And man was it good. When I have a chance, I'm going back to pay for a pizza from Jets because I know it will be worth it both in quantity and quality.
My Sunday morning breakfast was provided by my snack bag. I brought cherry frosted pop tarts with me knowing I needed some type of breakfast Sunday.
On the way to Memphis early Sunday afternoon, the travel team stopped for lunch at Logans in Dickinson. I had the chopped sirloin steak with two sides. Great meal!
After settling into our hotel, the travel team went to Jason's Deli. Each one of us received a donated $10 gift card from Jason's Deli. I had the roast beef sandwich and chips and free ice cream. All for under $10!
The Hampton Inn at Southwind had a great complimentary breakfast. So, the whole travel team was able to eat a free breakfast before going to stop number two at Southwind High School.
Our Monday lunch was paid for by Memphis-Delta PTA Region, the local host for our stop number two. McCallister's Deli provided different choices of boxed lunches.
After packing up and leaving Southwind High School, the team stopped at the local Dairy Queen for ice cream. I had a vanilla malt. The whole tab was picked up by a volunteer from the travel team! Thank you, kind sir!
Our Monday evening dinner was my first visit to a P.F. Chang's! Hmm, hmm good! I had the surprisingly delicious orange peel shrimp! Are you seeing a seafood pattern? I love fish and seafood!
Stop number three was in the state office in Nashville. The vendors were there at 7:30 am so an early free breakfast could be found.
Mid-Cumberland Region and South Central Region, the local hosts for this stop, paid for the team's lunch of deli-sliced meats and cheese and cake!
On the way to Chattanooga, we stopped at Sonic in Smyrna for more ice cream! But I didn't have ice cream as I settled for a corn dog. But the whole tab was picked up by another volunteer from the travel team! Thank you!
Well, I went home for dinner Tuesday evening as the travel team pulled into Chattanooga for stop number four as did another person from the travel team who lives in Chattanooga. So, I don't know where the remaining travel team ate. Their hotel had complimentary breakfast for them.
Lunch at Chattanooga for the travel team was barbeque and all of the fixins provided by Renee at World's Finest Chocolates. Man that was some good BBQ!
Well, I had to go to work the rest of the week but as you can tell, we had a lot of free food and we didn't go hungry!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Extreme Volunteerism and Opportunity of a Lifetime
Today, I sat down and pondered.
From Friday to today (Wednesday) I went to Nashville, to Clarksville, back to Nashville, to Memphis, back to Nashville, and then to Chattanooga. It was the Tennessee PTA summer leadership training for parents and PTA leaders. What a learning experience but also what an opportunity for service leadership.
Can you imagine taking a week's worth of vacation time and dedicating yourself as a volunteer to traveling in a van from city to city in six days? One can imagine but there is nothing like reality. No one really knows unless it is experienced.
Yes, there is the grunt work. Loading and unloading, sometimes twice-a-day; last minute changes; setting up and then putting back up: the variety of tasks will make you recall that line in your job description: other duties as assigned. Other duties included to keep on going on even after a squirrel ate through a power line, which cut off power to the AC and for the projector.
Yes, there are other sacrifices such as leaving family, sleeping on a hide-away bed, and doing things outside of your comfort level.
But there is the best part, of course, presenting workshops-answering questions-meeting PTA leaders.
There is nothing more important to me and to the traveling team than serving others by sharing information, by imparting necessary knowledge, and giving support.
And the camaraderie among the Tennessee PTA traveling leadership team is icing on the cake.
From Friday to today (Wednesday) I went to Nashville, to Clarksville, back to Nashville, to Memphis, back to Nashville, and then to Chattanooga. It was the Tennessee PTA summer leadership training for parents and PTA leaders. What a learning experience but also what an opportunity for service leadership.
Can you imagine taking a week's worth of vacation time and dedicating yourself as a volunteer to traveling in a van from city to city in six days? One can imagine but there is nothing like reality. No one really knows unless it is experienced.
Yes, there is the grunt work. Loading and unloading, sometimes twice-a-day; last minute changes; setting up and then putting back up: the variety of tasks will make you recall that line in your job description: other duties as assigned. Other duties included to keep on going on even after a squirrel ate through a power line, which cut off power to the AC and for the projector.
Yes, there are other sacrifices such as leaving family, sleeping on a hide-away bed, and doing things outside of your comfort level.
But there is the best part, of course, presenting workshops-answering questions-meeting PTA leaders.
There is nothing more important to me and to the traveling team than serving others by sharing information, by imparting necessary knowledge, and giving support.
And the camaraderie among the Tennessee PTA traveling leadership team is icing on the cake.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Crazed Time of the Year
My luggage is meeting me in the living room. It is afterall July--the crazed time of the year for statewide PTA leaders.
The cool thing for my social media friends--I am presenting a workshop on social media for PTA non-profits in Clarksville, Memphis and Nashville.
But I am also giving two other workshops in each of those stops and away from my family for the second weekend in a row. The life of an executive volunteer in a state nonprofit organization.
Well, I am also on the TNPTA marketing committee, and this image post has gone viral all over PTA-land in Facebook. The committee created the picture to help combat stereotypes of PTA volunteers. Enjoy. I'll tweet some pictures and check-in on foursquare when I can.
The cool thing for my social media friends--I am presenting a workshop on social media for PTA non-profits in Clarksville, Memphis and Nashville.
But I am also giving two other workshops in each of those stops and away from my family for the second weekend in a row. The life of an executive volunteer in a state nonprofit organization.
Well, I am also on the TNPTA marketing committee, and this image post has gone viral all over PTA-land in Facebook. The committee created the picture to help combat stereotypes of PTA volunteers. Enjoy. I'll tweet some pictures and check-in on foursquare when I can.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Quite a rain storm today
When I left work this afternoon, wicked tree-bending winds combined with pea-sized hail and a hard cold rain created some interesting moments of trying to get to the parking lot for my son and I.
But as soon as we turned onto Amnicola and drove under the DuPont parkway overpass, it was gone. Viewable in the rear-view mirror but very little where we were then on Amnicola.
I learn a lot from my son about weather and clouds and wind patterns. Afterall, that's a major part of his course of study in college: environmental geology. A mix between environmental science and rocks from the earth. And he's good at studying it--still on the Dean's List despite those required science lab courses.
I said to him as we passed the Burger King and Wisdom Street, "Look at that cone-shaped cloud over Lookout Mountain."
Seeing the mountain at that point was easy; no rain blocking the view. Clear and crisp viewing.
He said, "That's not a tornado but it sure is a weird-looking wall cloud."
He continued, "See the shelf-cloud above it, but the wall cloud is a triangular shape. And this wind here keeps changing direction."
He was right about the changing directions on Amincola by the swamp: downforce, hard to the left and then to the right. Very strange wind patterns.
As we crossed the bridge by the American Water tanks, I suddenly realized the impact of the wall cloud coming across the mountain and down towards downtown.
"Driving towards the wall cloud is not a good thing is it," I asked.
"Nope," was the reply.
We veered left at UTC and headed east to get away only to run into it by Warner Park.
Just glad to make it through to Main Street where, once again, nothing was happening but in the rear-view mirror.
Picture at UTC before we turned left down Third Street.
But as soon as we turned onto Amnicola and drove under the DuPont parkway overpass, it was gone. Viewable in the rear-view mirror but very little where we were then on Amnicola.
I learn a lot from my son about weather and clouds and wind patterns. Afterall, that's a major part of his course of study in college: environmental geology. A mix between environmental science and rocks from the earth. And he's good at studying it--still on the Dean's List despite those required science lab courses.
I said to him as we passed the Burger King and Wisdom Street, "Look at that cone-shaped cloud over Lookout Mountain."
Seeing the mountain at that point was easy; no rain blocking the view. Clear and crisp viewing.
He said, "That's not a tornado but it sure is a weird-looking wall cloud."
He continued, "See the shelf-cloud above it, but the wall cloud is a triangular shape. And this wind here keeps changing direction."
He was right about the changing directions on Amincola by the swamp: downforce, hard to the left and then to the right. Very strange wind patterns.
As we crossed the bridge by the American Water tanks, I suddenly realized the impact of the wall cloud coming across the mountain and down towards downtown.
"Driving towards the wall cloud is not a good thing is it," I asked.
"Nope," was the reply.
We veered left at UTC and headed east to get away only to run into it by Warner Park.
Just glad to make it through to Main Street where, once again, nothing was happening but in the rear-view mirror.
Picture at UTC before we turned left down Third Street.
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