Thursday, May 31, 2007

Magic Carpet Ride

Let's all go for a magic carpet ride!

I just did a YMCA Core Value Training at the Sunbury YMCA. It is so much fun to go train with these people. They are so motivated and smart. We did a team building exercise called 'Magic Carpet'. (We being Heather Hieny and myself) We thought it would take about 20 minutes and three or four restarts for the forty participants to flip the carpet over with their feet. It only took about eight.

The training was for Day Camp Staff. Many of the participants came from YMCAs other than Sunbury. They were all quality staff members. The Directors at these camps know how to pick people. These day camp staff members are going to be great with their kids this summer.

Personally, I really enjoyed two things in this training. First was returning to the YMCA to meet old friends. Liz is still a hoot, Bonnie (who I see all the time) brings so much energy into everything she does, and I straight up miss being around Lori - she is just a super caring person. All the new faces bring excitement and mystery into the mix.

Second was working with Heather. I had never worked in a training with Heather. I know she is a wonderful people person from working near her at Bethesda. She is the ace caseworker on the day treatment side (while I am a lowly math teacher at the soon to be done for the summer alternative ed.). She is as great a facilitator as she is a caseworker. I want to do more trainings with her.

Magic Carpet this year -- hopefully next year I will get invited back again and we can try something else new and exciting.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Pardee Rope Swing

I have a new neighbor. He moved into the third floor apartment next to mine. He had a U-haul truck full of stuff (some of it very big) and no-one to help unload it. I started to help him. Jimmie and Jerry helped when they got home. And then Eddie and a friend of Juniors joined in. It took quite a while to move everything.

After we got done I took the lads up to Pardee to let them try the rope swing. Jerry is a veteran.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Chuck Norris

It is sad, but I have really gotten into the Chuck Norris Jokes. You know them.

"You know how some kids wear superman pajamas to bed; Superman wears Chuck Norris Pajamas."

"If Chuck Norris were an element on the periodic table, what element would he be? The element of surprise, of course."

I've added a random Chuck Norris Fact Generator. Click the reload button to get a new fact.




Sunday, May 13, 2007

The Big Leak

Not a good Friday morning. The sewer line on the third floor clogged and the wax seal on the toilet gave out. The resulting mess streamed through the horse hair plaster ceiling of the dining room.


All the plaster over the book shelf eventually fell . It is a mess. I don't think that the rest of the ceiling is going to fall. It looks like I have a summer project now!

Monday, May 07, 2007

At World's End

Jack Sparrow will be back soon. Check out the movie trailer at the very bottom of the page!