Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Clock and Me
I just got home from a 12 and 1/2 hour day at work. I hardly looked at the clock. I only looked to see if I had enough time to do such-and-such before this bell or that bell. Very different from my old way of looking at the clock (at my old law job.) I used to look at the clock, which always moved painfully slowly towards my lunch break or the end of the day, with sadness and frustration. The clock and I are much better friends these days. Except maybe during sixth period. Even then, we're working things out. Now the clock is telling me to go to bed. The geckos agree. Bedtime.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Back-to-School Blues and "Courage"
Hello friends!
Believe it or not, today is Friday August 17, 2007 and I have been back in school teaching for two and half weeks already! Luckily, thanks to Hawaii Statehood Day, I have a well-needed three-day weekend. Actually, as I will spend one full day of the weekend doing work for my classes, I should say it is my first two-day weekend of the year. It has not been an easy start, but I'd like to think I'm getting into a routine that will be manageable.
Anyway, the beginning of the school year was tough. In retrospect, the number of things that didn't go right were almost comical. At the time, however, they resulted in a few gray hairs and even a few tears. If anyone has a doubt that public schools are desperately short on funds, let Kahuku High and Intermediate School clear your doubts. If I were to compare the operations of my school with my old DC law firm, it would be instantly obvious how much an extra million or two could improve the operations and overall quality of our school. That said, most of the teachers and administrators dutifully undertake their labors-of-love while simultaneously trying to respect their personal time, not allowing themselves to become work-for-free slaves of Hawaii. That in itself is a tough balancing act, never mind the thousand or so and ever-increasing expectations placed on teachers.
So, let me start from the beginning. Because Hawaii's schools start so early, I actually was two days late returning to work for the new year. Luckily, my principal gave me permission to miss those two days as I was completing my M.Ed. back on the mainland. Still, missing two teacher work days was a lot, especially when your classroom had become the storage space for several other teachers who left the school in the spring. That was strike one. When I did arrive on campus on Monday July 29th, however, could I begin sorting through the chaos that my classroom had become? Nope. I had to attend an all-day training session for the new reading program I would be teaching. The training was helpful, but it included a lot more of a sales-pitch than I thought was necessary. Sigh...
Finally, I got one full day in my classroom to set up for the students' return. Unfortunately, I spent most of that day dealing with a crashed computer, looking for a functioning photocopier, trying to track down a TV and DVD-player that I would need to teach the new reading curriculum, and searching in vain for my students' textbooks. In the midst of it all, a handful of new 7th-graders and their parrents appeared in my classroom as part of their orientation. Could someone have sent me an email, memo, or anything to let me know that they would be coming?!?? Apparently, only core course teachers were privy to this orientation. Many of us "fringe" teachers had a similar experience of shock when these students and some parents arrived in our rooms unannounced. I felt completely deprived of that oh-so-critical opportunity to make any sort of first impression. I winged-it the best I could, but I had no handouts, no nothing. In fact, my classroom was still a mess from its role as a summer storage center. I'm not saying that I could have cleaned up everything, but I could have pulled something together that would give an impression that a) I am an organized teacher and b) students might enjoy the class. Again, sigh...
Now, about those textbooks: When I was a student back at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St.Louis, Missouri (which I am learning in retrospect why it was such a good school) it was part of the first-day ritual to collect all your textbooks from your teachers. No time to waste, you pretty much jump right in to learning. In Hawaii this is not an expectation. I was appalled to learn that teachers cannot necessarily expect to have their new books on day 1. I would have had a clash with our school librarian over this, except I realized that she was working as hard as she could to get them in our hands and complete her inventory of the new books. This was another instance of culture shock. Apparently, the state doesn't have much concern over the fact that librarians need more time to complete this task. Rather, many teachers just start the year without books. While teaching without books doesn't necessarily amount to lost instructional time, it definitely interrupts it. Furthermore, it leaves students the impression that it is acceptable to be unprepared. How can we expect students to be prepared for school when the school itself isn't prepared for school?
While I was frustrated by delay on the books, it was when they finally arrived that I just about lost it. Two days into the new year, I received an email from the school librarian informing me that I could come over and pick up my new books. Our campus is huge and roads/sidewalks are crumbling all over the place. (At least I had secured a functioning computer on which to receive said email. Ha!) Anyway, the thought of carrying the books from the library was ridiculous. I had three 30-lb boxes waiting for me. I had no cart and certainly no one to deliver the books, so I drove my car to the library intent on loading up my trunk. There was no place to park at the library and there is no loading zone, so I pulled my little car onto a little corner of entrance ramp and put on my flashers. When I came out about ten minutes later, I found a parking ticket on my windshield!! Are you kidding me?!?? How on earth am I supposed to do my job here? In my best attempt to remain calm, I had (kind-ish) words with the library security guard and managed to convince her to rip up the ticket. Still...is all this supposed to support teachers? Its supposed to make us want to come to school and work every day? Chasing around books, broken computers, and broken photocopiers?
So, those are a few of the things that marked the beginning of the new school year. There were a couple of positive things. After working at the school since February, I finally got a key to a faculty bathroom, I learned that there are two other photocopiers in the school besides the main office copier (not that they always work), I met a slew of very kind teachers and administrators, and I've made some headway - albeit slow - in classroom discipline. I learned that I can borrow books from the English Department book room. I also learned the location of said mystery book room. I have already obtained a couple dozen books from said mystery book room that will benefit my beloved ELL students. I *finally* managed to get a working TV and DVD player, although after searching in vain for the cord to connect the components, I had to break down and buy one at WalMart with my own money (along with another $50-worth of other needs I couldn't wait for a purchase order to fill).
As an ELL-certified teacher (not reading certified), I'm on a steep learning curve with respect to my reading classes. I have a class made up of six 7th grade boys who manage to make me crazy nearly every day. By sixth period when they arrive, the classroom is at least 80-degrees and dusty. The tradewinds, while giving some relief, blow the dust from the adjacent football field directly into my classroom. Still, I'm breathing and day by day things are getting better. My grade-level vice-principal and some other teachers have given me some helpful tips for dealing with my tough 6th period crowd. They at least appreciate my determination to improve the class. I've also managed to persuade a few of these boys to help the class stay a bit more focused. Deep down I know that these boys are good human beings who are merely trying to fit in, find their way, and are extremely insecure about their reading abilities. Any insults they hurl at me (or each other for that matter) are simply not personal.
So, after all of this, you may wonder why on earth I am still in this job when I indeed have a law degree and could probably increase my salary by at least 50% and be back in an air-conditioned office with a state-of-the-art computer? Here's a short-yet-true story from the first days of school that will explain it all:
Last spring, I had students in my 7th-8th grade ELL class write about the four events that impacted their lives the most. The things that students had experienced floored me. One particular student wrote about his move from a small South Pacific nation to California, how his mother had died in childbirth, how he himself had to have open-heart surgery, and how his family left their somewhat violent neighborhood in Southern California to live in Hawaii with relatives. When we were coming up with a title for his piece, I suggested "Courage" because I was amazed at how much courage he had to get through all those tough circumstances. He liked the title and used it.
This year, I have the same student back as a 9th grader. On an information sheet that I have the students fill out to give me contact information, their class schedules, etc., I also ask them to write five words that describe themselves. The student's first word was "Courage."
Now you know why I keep coming back.
Believe it or not, today is Friday August 17, 2007 and I have been back in school teaching for two and half weeks already! Luckily, thanks to Hawaii Statehood Day, I have a well-needed three-day weekend. Actually, as I will spend one full day of the weekend doing work for my classes, I should say it is my first two-day weekend of the year. It has not been an easy start, but I'd like to think I'm getting into a routine that will be manageable.
Anyway, the beginning of the school year was tough. In retrospect, the number of things that didn't go right were almost comical. At the time, however, they resulted in a few gray hairs and even a few tears. If anyone has a doubt that public schools are desperately short on funds, let Kahuku High and Intermediate School clear your doubts. If I were to compare the operations of my school with my old DC law firm, it would be instantly obvious how much an extra million or two could improve the operations and overall quality of our school. That said, most of the teachers and administrators dutifully undertake their labors-of-love while simultaneously trying to respect their personal time, not allowing themselves to become work-for-free slaves of Hawaii. That in itself is a tough balancing act, never mind the thousand or so and ever-increasing expectations placed on teachers.
So, let me start from the beginning. Because Hawaii's schools start so early, I actually was two days late returning to work for the new year. Luckily, my principal gave me permission to miss those two days as I was completing my M.Ed. back on the mainland. Still, missing two teacher work days was a lot, especially when your classroom had become the storage space for several other teachers who left the school in the spring. That was strike one. When I did arrive on campus on Monday July 29th, however, could I begin sorting through the chaos that my classroom had become? Nope. I had to attend an all-day training session for the new reading program I would be teaching. The training was helpful, but it included a lot more of a sales-pitch than I thought was necessary. Sigh...
Finally, I got one full day in my classroom to set up for the students' return. Unfortunately, I spent most of that day dealing with a crashed computer, looking for a functioning photocopier, trying to track down a TV and DVD-player that I would need to teach the new reading curriculum, and searching in vain for my students' textbooks. In the midst of it all, a handful of new 7th-graders and their parrents appeared in my classroom as part of their orientation. Could someone have sent me an email, memo, or anything to let me know that they would be coming?!?? Apparently, only core course teachers were privy to this orientation. Many of us "fringe" teachers had a similar experience of shock when these students and some parents arrived in our rooms unannounced. I felt completely deprived of that oh-so-critical opportunity to make any sort of first impression. I winged-it the best I could, but I had no handouts, no nothing. In fact, my classroom was still a mess from its role as a summer storage center. I'm not saying that I could have cleaned up everything, but I could have pulled something together that would give an impression that a) I am an organized teacher and b) students might enjoy the class. Again, sigh...
Now, about those textbooks: When I was a student back at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St.Louis, Missouri (which I am learning in retrospect why it was such a good school) it was part of the first-day ritual to collect all your textbooks from your teachers. No time to waste, you pretty much jump right in to learning. In Hawaii this is not an expectation. I was appalled to learn that teachers cannot necessarily expect to have their new books on day 1. I would have had a clash with our school librarian over this, except I realized that she was working as hard as she could to get them in our hands and complete her inventory of the new books. This was another instance of culture shock. Apparently, the state doesn't have much concern over the fact that librarians need more time to complete this task. Rather, many teachers just start the year without books. While teaching without books doesn't necessarily amount to lost instructional time, it definitely interrupts it. Furthermore, it leaves students the impression that it is acceptable to be unprepared. How can we expect students to be prepared for school when the school itself isn't prepared for school?
While I was frustrated by delay on the books, it was when they finally arrived that I just about lost it. Two days into the new year, I received an email from the school librarian informing me that I could come over and pick up my new books. Our campus is huge and roads/sidewalks are crumbling all over the place. (At least I had secured a functioning computer on which to receive said email. Ha!) Anyway, the thought of carrying the books from the library was ridiculous. I had three 30-lb boxes waiting for me. I had no cart and certainly no one to deliver the books, so I drove my car to the library intent on loading up my trunk. There was no place to park at the library and there is no loading zone, so I pulled my little car onto a little corner of entrance ramp and put on my flashers. When I came out about ten minutes later, I found a parking ticket on my windshield!! Are you kidding me?!?? How on earth am I supposed to do my job here? In my best attempt to remain calm, I had (kind-ish) words with the library security guard and managed to convince her to rip up the ticket. Still...is all this supposed to support teachers? Its supposed to make us want to come to school and work every day? Chasing around books, broken computers, and broken photocopiers?
So, those are a few of the things that marked the beginning of the new school year. There were a couple of positive things. After working at the school since February, I finally got a key to a faculty bathroom, I learned that there are two other photocopiers in the school besides the main office copier (not that they always work), I met a slew of very kind teachers and administrators, and I've made some headway - albeit slow - in classroom discipline. I learned that I can borrow books from the English Department book room. I also learned the location of said mystery book room. I have already obtained a couple dozen books from said mystery book room that will benefit my beloved ELL students. I *finally* managed to get a working TV and DVD player, although after searching in vain for the cord to connect the components, I had to break down and buy one at WalMart with my own money (along with another $50-worth of other needs I couldn't wait for a purchase order to fill).
As an ELL-certified teacher (not reading certified), I'm on a steep learning curve with respect to my reading classes. I have a class made up of six 7th grade boys who manage to make me crazy nearly every day. By sixth period when they arrive, the classroom is at least 80-degrees and dusty. The tradewinds, while giving some relief, blow the dust from the adjacent football field directly into my classroom. Still, I'm breathing and day by day things are getting better. My grade-level vice-principal and some other teachers have given me some helpful tips for dealing with my tough 6th period crowd. They at least appreciate my determination to improve the class. I've also managed to persuade a few of these boys to help the class stay a bit more focused. Deep down I know that these boys are good human beings who are merely trying to fit in, find their way, and are extremely insecure about their reading abilities. Any insults they hurl at me (or each other for that matter) are simply not personal.
* * *
So, after all of this, you may wonder why on earth I am still in this job when I indeed have a law degree and could probably increase my salary by at least 50% and be back in an air-conditioned office with a state-of-the-art computer? Here's a short-yet-true story from the first days of school that will explain it all:
Courage - by Lisa Rodvien
Last spring, I had students in my 7th-8th grade ELL class write about the four events that impacted their lives the most. The things that students had experienced floored me. One particular student wrote about his move from a small South Pacific nation to California, how his mother had died in childbirth, how he himself had to have open-heart surgery, and how his family left their somewhat violent neighborhood in Southern California to live in Hawaii with relatives. When we were coming up with a title for his piece, I suggested "Courage" because I was amazed at how much courage he had to get through all those tough circumstances. He liked the title and used it.
This year, I have the same student back as a 9th grader. On an information sheet that I have the students fill out to give me contact information, their class schedules, etc., I also ask them to write five words that describe themselves. The student's first word was "Courage."
Now you know why I keep coming back.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
July 2007 in DC
Hello again, long lost friends! The past month was way too busy to leave any time for blogging. Now that I'm coming up for air, I thought I'd report on my awesome month in DC!
Aside from the fact that I had to attend 6-hour classes each day, I had a great time in DC. In fact, even the long classes managed to be fun occasionally. I met a lot of great fellow ELL teachers and made some awesome new friends.
I also got new ideas for my classroom as well as a good dose of inspiration from the creativity and passion of my colleagues. The best part of the trip, however, was that I had the opportunity to visit with my DC friends. I stayed with Shelly and Andrew who were wonderful and fun hosts. We had some great "Three's Company" moments.
Anyway, my first weekend in town allowed me to catch up with a lot of old pals over cards and good food and also to head off to Six Flags for some roller-coaster/water-park action. Jess and Rob had a poker tournament where I got to catch up with the two of them and their adorable new kittens as well as Mike, Rachel, Donna, my sis, Becca and a few others. On Sunday, I got quality time with my sister, a new GMU friend Jackie, and little posse of dance pals at the amusement park. Ya know, I don't fare as well on some of the roller-coasters as I used to, but I still had a great time just bumming around with friends on a nice and hot summer day. Though I may not do the coasters so well, I love giant water slides every bit as much as I did when I was eight. Yay for feeling like and eight-year-old!
Having classes out in Fairfax at GMU, put me around the corner from Hyong, Cary, and Duane's house, so I got to spend several evenings hanging out at their place. They were kind enough to cook for me and Jackie! And as lovely as the food was, the company was even lovelier.
My second weekend in town brought me my bachelorette party in West Virginia. I had a great time with seven of the most awesome women in the universe. Many of our activities must remain secret, but we had a great time wandering around Shepherdstown, WV on Saturday evening and then tubing down the Potomac River near Harper's Ferry on Sunday. My friends really put together a memorable and special weekend for me.
My third weekend involved a lot of homework for my classes, but some really nice bonding time with my sister at Glen Echo Park and a fun afternoon with four of the five bridesmaids in my wedding to pick out dresses. We managed to have a nice time, even though David's Bridal stresses me out! We got the dresses selected quickly and I am confident that everyone will look absolutely GORGEOUS on October 6th.
After a final marathon-week of school, I at last, after more than two years, managed to complete my Master's degree! I was lucky to work with some really nice teachers on several group projects, each of whom inspire me in different ways.
With my degree finally behind me, I really let loose and relaxed during my last DC weekend. It was entirely too short, but I really did milk every minute of it. I had a celebratory glass of wine in my hand within minutes of completing and submitting my Master's research project. I had a great night with Susan, Shelly, Becca, Alison, and Andrew drinking wine, eating pizza, playing a cute board game and generally being silly. I had a nice breakfast with Alison on Saturday, a picnic with a little bunch of friends on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, and a party to attend on Saturday evening.
I even managed to squeeze in one last breakfast with my sister on Sunday morning before heading off to the airport. It wasn't easy to say goodbye and I wish I'd had a little more time before having to jump back into work in Hawaii, but I guess that's life.
Still, it was a great trip, and it made another month without my sweetie pie, George, go by a lot faster. (I've started the countdown!!) While my trip was a bit of a whirlwind, that's par-for-the-course for me, no? If you have any doubts, check out my post on my first week back at Kahuku. (coming soon) Yikes!!
Love yas,
Lisa
PS - I've posted SIX new sets of pictures of my trip. Among others, the new albums include an artsy set I took at Glen Echo Park and some pics I took of the Grand Canyon from the plane on one of my flights back to Hawaii. See 'em all at http://picasaweb.google.com/LisaDeanna
Aside from the fact that I had to attend 6-hour classes each day, I had a great time in DC. In fact, even the long classes managed to be fun occasionally. I met a lot of great fellow ELL teachers and made some awesome new friends.
I also got new ideas for my classroom as well as a good dose of inspiration from the creativity and passion of my colleagues. The best part of the trip, however, was that I had the opportunity to visit with my DC friends. I stayed with Shelly and Andrew who were wonderful and fun hosts. We had some great "Three's Company" moments.Anyway, my first weekend in town allowed me to catch up with a lot of old pals over cards and good food and also to head off to Six Flags for some roller-coaster/water-park action. Jess and Rob had a poker tournament where I got to catch up with the two of them and their adorable new kittens as well as Mike, Rachel, Donna, my sis, Becca and a few others. On Sunday, I got quality time with my sister, a new GMU friend Jackie, and little posse of dance pals at the amusement park. Ya know, I don't fare as well on some of the roller-coasters as I used to, but I still had a great time just bumming around with friends on a nice and hot summer day. Though I may not do the coasters so well, I love giant water slides every bit as much as I did when I was eight. Yay for feeling like and eight-year-old!
Having classes out in Fairfax at GMU, put me around the corner from Hyong, Cary, and Duane's house, so I got to spend several evenings hanging out at their place. They were kind enough to cook for me and Jackie! And as lovely as the food was, the company was even lovelier.
My second weekend in town brought me my bachelorette party in West Virginia. I had a great time with seven of the most awesome women in the universe. Many of our activities must remain secret, but we had a great time wandering around Shepherdstown, WV on Saturday evening and then tubing down the Potomac River near Harper's Ferry on Sunday. My friends really put together a memorable and special weekend for me.
My third weekend involved a lot of homework for my classes, but some really nice bonding time with my sister at Glen Echo Park and a fun afternoon with four of the five bridesmaids in my wedding to pick out dresses. We managed to have a nice time, even though David's Bridal stresses me out! We got the dresses selected quickly and I am confident that everyone will look absolutely GORGEOUS on October 6th.
After a final marathon-week of school, I at last, after more than two years, managed to complete my Master's degree! I was lucky to work with some really nice teachers on several group projects, each of whom inspire me in different ways.
With my degree finally behind me, I really let loose and relaxed during my last DC weekend. It was entirely too short, but I really did milk every minute of it. I had a celebratory glass of wine in my hand within minutes of completing and submitting my Master's research project. I had a great night with Susan, Shelly, Becca, Alison, and Andrew drinking wine, eating pizza, playing a cute board game and generally being silly. I had a nice breakfast with Alison on Saturday, a picnic with a little bunch of friends on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, and a party to attend on Saturday evening.
I even managed to squeeze in one last breakfast with my sister on Sunday morning before heading off to the airport. It wasn't easy to say goodbye and I wish I'd had a little more time before having to jump back into work in Hawaii, but I guess that's life.
Still, it was a great trip, and it made another month without my sweetie pie, George, go by a lot faster. (I've started the countdown!!) While my trip was a bit of a whirlwind, that's par-for-the-course for me, no? If you have any doubts, check out my post on my first week back at Kahuku. (coming soon) Yikes!!
Love yas,
Lisa
PS - I've posted SIX new sets of pictures of my trip. Among others, the new albums include an artsy set I took at Glen Echo Park and some pics I took of the Grand Canyon from the plane on one of my flights back to Hawaii. See 'em all at http://picasaweb.google.com/LisaDeanna
Monday, July 02, 2007
30 Miles to Kahuku, Part I
Anyone who knows me, knows I've had my share of lousy commutes: Germantown, Maryland to Georgetown; Ashburn, Virginia to downtwon D.C.; even Falls Church, Virginia to D.C. was exhausting on the days when the Metro just didn't seem to move. On the best days, my Germantown to Georgetown trip was 75 minutes one way. I recall a few icy days where my commute lasted nearly three hours each way.
At my new job in Hawaii, I have another long commute: almost exactly 30 miles and 45 minutes each way. Luckily, I consider this commute payback (the good kind) for all the lousy, broken-down-metro, traffic-jam, snowy, sweltering, no-seat, tired feet, crowded-bus days I've experienced during the past ten years. For that reason, I decided to take you all along for a ride. This entry will look at the first half of my commute: from Mililani to Hale'iwa, from central Oahu, across the pineapple fields and down to the North Shore. In part II, (coming soon) I'll take you along the North Shore from Waimea Bay to Kahuku.
So here I am every morning, at our new place in Mililani. Granted, its dark sometimes, but lovely nonetheless:
As I pull down to the end of the driveway, I can see the mountains in the distance:
As I leave Mililani, I pass its beautiful monkeypod trees, which line Mililani's main roads:
Then, I come upon Wheeler Army Airfield. On many mornings, there are soldiers in the midst of their morning PT. Sometimes the Chinook pilots are already involved in flight exercises, as they were today (note chopper at right in photo). Either way, the Waianae Mountains, where George and I have hiked, provide the backdrop:
If I'm running low on gas, I'll stop at the Aloha gas station in Wahiawa. Yes, there really is a gas station chain here called "Aloha"! The prices are about as good as it gets. I paid 3.15/gal this morning for regular 87. Yikes!
Then, I cross a quaint bridge over a small section of a reservoir that weaves through Wahiawa:
I go up a little hill and I find myself in the vast agricultural plain of Oahu. The area between the Waianae and Koolau mountain ranges is absolutely gorgeous. I've seen many a beautiful moonset over the mountains as I drive the miles from Wahiawa to the North Shore:
It is in this stretch of the Kamehameha Highway (known locally as "the Kam Highway") that the Dole Plantation makes its home. Its visitor center sits a few dozen yards from the road:
Then, miles and miles of pineapple, coffee, and sugar cane fields:
Midway across the plain, the ocean comes into view. On most days, you can see the ocean from 5 to 6 miles away. Within a 2-3 miles, you can begin to see the surf conditions. Today, like most summer days, the surf was very calm on the North Shore:
There are only a handful of stoplights on my entire 30-mile commute. Most of the way is just open road with sparse traffic:
At last, I approach Hale'iwa (pronounced HAH-lay EE-vuh):
On the way to work, I always bypass the historic town, but occasionally I stop in Hale'iwa on the way home at its unhurried post office or in its cute shopping district:
Then I take the fork on the Kam Highway towards Kahuku:
After only 2-3 minutes, I've passed my final opportunity to stop into to Hale'iwa:
In the stretch of the Kam Highway just past Hale'iwa, I always seem to see - or hear - chickens. Occasionally, I ask myself: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" I still don't know the answer:
Along this section of the Highway, there are many of the sirens that together comprise the Pacific Tsunami Warning System. They are tested at 11:45am on the first Monday of the Month. It reminds me of the Tornado Siren testings of my Missouri childhood!
In addition to chickens and sirens, I pass a horse ranch and see horses grazing in a big open field. Lucky horses:
In Part II (coming soon), I'll take you the rest of the way to Kahuku, starting at the approach to Waimea Bay. We'll pass Shark's Cove, the Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, a dairy farm, Turtle Bay, a few Shrimp Trucks, and a wildlife preserve. Stay tuned!
At my new job in Hawaii, I have another long commute: almost exactly 30 miles and 45 minutes each way. Luckily, I consider this commute payback (the good kind) for all the lousy, broken-down-metro, traffic-jam, snowy, sweltering, no-seat, tired feet, crowded-bus days I've experienced during the past ten years. For that reason, I decided to take you all along for a ride. This entry will look at the first half of my commute: from Mililani to Hale'iwa, from central Oahu, across the pineapple fields and down to the North Shore. In part II, (coming soon) I'll take you along the North Shore from Waimea Bay to Kahuku.
So here I am every morning, at our new place in Mililani. Granted, its dark sometimes, but lovely nonetheless:
As I pull down to the end of the driveway, I can see the mountains in the distance:
As I leave Mililani, I pass its beautiful monkeypod trees, which line Mililani's main roads:
Then, I come upon Wheeler Army Airfield. On many mornings, there are soldiers in the midst of their morning PT. Sometimes the Chinook pilots are already involved in flight exercises, as they were today (note chopper at right in photo). Either way, the Waianae Mountains, where George and I have hiked, provide the backdrop:
If I'm running low on gas, I'll stop at the Aloha gas station in Wahiawa. Yes, there really is a gas station chain here called "Aloha"! The prices are about as good as it gets. I paid 3.15/gal this morning for regular 87. Yikes!
Then, I cross a quaint bridge over a small section of a reservoir that weaves through Wahiawa:
I go up a little hill and I find myself in the vast agricultural plain of Oahu. The area between the Waianae and Koolau mountain ranges is absolutely gorgeous. I've seen many a beautiful moonset over the mountains as I drive the miles from Wahiawa to the North Shore:
It is in this stretch of the Kamehameha Highway (known locally as "the Kam Highway") that the Dole Plantation makes its home. Its visitor center sits a few dozen yards from the road:
Then, miles and miles of pineapple, coffee, and sugar cane fields:
Midway across the plain, the ocean comes into view. On most days, you can see the ocean from 5 to 6 miles away. Within a 2-3 miles, you can begin to see the surf conditions. Today, like most summer days, the surf was very calm on the North Shore:
There are only a handful of stoplights on my entire 30-mile commute. Most of the way is just open road with sparse traffic:
At last, I approach Hale'iwa (pronounced HAH-lay EE-vuh):
On the way to work, I always bypass the historic town, but occasionally I stop in Hale'iwa on the way home at its unhurried post office or in its cute shopping district:
Then I take the fork on the Kam Highway towards Kahuku:
After only 2-3 minutes, I've passed my final opportunity to stop into to Hale'iwa:
In the stretch of the Kam Highway just past Hale'iwa, I always seem to see - or hear - chickens. Occasionally, I ask myself: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" I still don't know the answer:
Along this section of the Highway, there are many of the sirens that together comprise the Pacific Tsunami Warning System. They are tested at 11:45am on the first Monday of the Month. It reminds me of the Tornado Siren testings of my Missouri childhood!
In addition to chickens and sirens, I pass a horse ranch and see horses grazing in a big open field. Lucky horses:
In Part II (coming soon), I'll take you the rest of the way to Kahuku, starting at the approach to Waimea Bay. We'll pass Shark's Cove, the Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, a dairy farm, Turtle Bay, a few Shrimp Trucks, and a wildlife preserve. Stay tuned!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Summer Arts and Crafts Project
My summer vacation came just after George and I bought our new house. And then George got deployed. Arggggggh!... but such is life. Thankfully, I talk to him every day and he'll be back in only 2 more months!
In the meantime, I've been itching to start the improvements on our new house. First on my list was begin to make our little courtyard a little more attractive. Before my project, the space I worked on looked like this:
After several hours of hemming and hawing and searching the store for just the right hardware and lumber for the job, I came home with this:
George and I had recently bought a new cordless drill which would going to be the perfect tool to get those ugly two-by-fours out of the block wall, right?
Wrong. I managed to get more torque by hand using a ratchet handle on a socket wrench. Good old fashioned muscle.
The next step was begin assembling the wood. I laid down my first row of carefully measured and cut pieces and began nailing them together using roof brackets.
I did the whole first layer by hand:
After about 45 minutes of hammering and probably driving my neighbors insane, it occurred to me...we have a nail gun! So, I lugged out our brand new air compressor, primed it for use, loaded up the nail gun, attached the hoses, etc., etc. After an hour or so of preparation, I was all ready to go.
Then, as I prepared to fire the first nail, I realized that the nail gun wasn't going to shoot the right size nails. The nail heads were WAY too small to hold the brackets in place. Argh! Since I had the nail gun out, I did some nail shooting into the first layer of my project - in an invisible spot - just for fun. That thing is loud!
After my playtime it was back to the old fashioned method again:
After about two more hours of hammering, I had the entire thing put together and ready for the trees. Little did I know that getting the trees out of the pots was going to be the biggest and dirtiest challenge of the day.
Ignorant of what was to come, I moved forward and laid down a layer of gravel to help aerate and drain the soil beneath the trees. Is that right, George? That gravel is for drainage, yes?
After tossing in a bit of soil, I was ready to take the trees out of their pots. Whoa, those things did NOT want to budge! I literally had to cut the dirt from the inside surface of the pots with a large kitchen knife. (That reminds me, I think I left that knife in the courtyard. I should go get that.) Anyway, after I cut...still nothing. Ugh! I pounded the sides of the pots with a shovel and shook the darn things upsidedown until I finally started to get them to come loose. After a looooooong and muddy struggle, I pulled the little trees out of their pots and placed them in their new home.
Then, another half-hour or so of filling the box with uber-stinky mulch and potting soil between thin layers of gravel, I had successfully provided a home for two of our new oleander trees. If you look closely, you can see just how dirty I got!
Here, you can see the finished project...complete with a totally flooded courtyard. Luckily, it dries up quickly back there and then I should be able to do the final cleanup with a shop-vac! Just kidding. I think a broom will work just fine.
Anyway, I'm very happy and proud of my summer project, and it will be so much nicer to wake up in the morning and look out the window to see these trees than a couple of half-rotted two-by-fours. Drop by sometime, and I'll show you in person. :-)
In the meantime, I've been itching to start the improvements on our new house. First on my list was begin to make our little courtyard a little more attractive. Before my project, the space I worked on looked like this:
Beautiful, right? So I'm thinking flowers, garden, basically anything less ugly than two-by-fours drilled into a block wall! I already had some oleander trees that needed a home, so I headed over to Home Depot with my design ideas and started to look for lumber to make a pretty flower box. I had to throw in this picture of the Home Depot in Pearl City. Check out the gorgeous sunset out the back door! This is why Hawaii is awesome.
After several hours of hemming and hawing and searching the store for just the right hardware and lumber for the job, I came home with this:
George and I had recently bought a new cordless drill which would going to be the perfect tool to get those ugly two-by-fours out of the block wall, right?
Wrong. I managed to get more torque by hand using a ratchet handle on a socket wrench. Good old fashioned muscle.
The next step was begin assembling the wood. I laid down my first row of carefully measured and cut pieces and began nailing them together using roof brackets.
I did the whole first layer by hand:
After about 45 minutes of hammering and probably driving my neighbors insane, it occurred to me...we have a nail gun! So, I lugged out our brand new air compressor, primed it for use, loaded up the nail gun, attached the hoses, etc., etc. After an hour or so of preparation, I was all ready to go.
Then, as I prepared to fire the first nail, I realized that the nail gun wasn't going to shoot the right size nails. The nail heads were WAY too small to hold the brackets in place. Argh! Since I had the nail gun out, I did some nail shooting into the first layer of my project - in an invisible spot - just for fun. That thing is loud!
After my playtime it was back to the old fashioned method again:
After about two more hours of hammering, I had the entire thing put together and ready for the trees. Little did I know that getting the trees out of the pots was going to be the biggest and dirtiest challenge of the day.
Ignorant of what was to come, I moved forward and laid down a layer of gravel to help aerate and drain the soil beneath the trees. Is that right, George? That gravel is for drainage, yes?
After tossing in a bit of soil, I was ready to take the trees out of their pots. Whoa, those things did NOT want to budge! I literally had to cut the dirt from the inside surface of the pots with a large kitchen knife. (That reminds me, I think I left that knife in the courtyard. I should go get that.) Anyway, after I cut...still nothing. Ugh! I pounded the sides of the pots with a shovel and shook the darn things upsidedown until I finally started to get them to come loose. After a looooooong and muddy struggle, I pulled the little trees out of their pots and placed them in their new home.
Then, another half-hour or so of filling the box with uber-stinky mulch and potting soil between thin layers of gravel, I had successfully provided a home for two of our new oleander trees. If you look closely, you can see just how dirty I got!
Here, you can see the finished project...complete with a totally flooded courtyard. Luckily, it dries up quickly back there and then I should be able to do the final cleanup with a shop-vac! Just kidding. I think a broom will work just fine.
Anyway, I'm very happy and proud of my summer project, and it will be so much nicer to wake up in the morning and look out the window to see these trees than a couple of half-rotted two-by-fours. Drop by sometime, and I'll show you in person. :-)
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Movie Review: Who Killed the Electric Car?
Wow! I just watched this extremely compelling movie about how corporate greed can turn to absolute lunacy when a brilliant step toward the future threatens the corporate cash cow. The film shows, for example, how General Motors literally repossessed every last EV1 (its electric car of the late 1990s) and sent them off to an automobile shredding facility in the desert of Arizona. Despite long waiting lists for the car, GM claimed that consumer demand was insufficient to continue production. The oil industry's biggest players including Mobil and Chevron are also shown playing part in the ugly demise of the electric car. These entities created faux consumer groups that advocated against the creation of charging stations in California, among other below-the-belt antics. Although much of it is not news for folks who have been paying attention, the film gives helpful historical insight on the oil markets of the last 30 or so years.
Despite the persuasive indictment of the oil industry and automakers for undermining the growth of the electric car market, the movie ends on an optimistic note. Like it or not, Mobil, General Motors, and Chevron must face the reality that the technology exists for electric powered cars. Unlike hydrogen fuel cells and other "potential" fuels, electric technology is ready for the road right now. In fact, it was in mass production nearly ten years ago. While GM may have backed out on this alternative, many hobbyists and environmentalists have converted their gas-powered cars to electric. Toyota is in the midst of developing an even more fuel efficient version of its hybrid that relies on a plug-in rechargeable battery. After seeing this movie, I can see how my little "Carlita" (my Honda del Sol) would be a great candidate for conversion to electric power. Can I put a conversion kit on my wedding registry?? Oil independence, here I come!
Despite the persuasive indictment of the oil industry and automakers for undermining the growth of the electric car market, the movie ends on an optimistic note. Like it or not, Mobil, General Motors, and Chevron must face the reality that the technology exists for electric powered cars. Unlike hydrogen fuel cells and other "potential" fuels, electric technology is ready for the road right now. In fact, it was in mass production nearly ten years ago. While GM may have backed out on this alternative, many hobbyists and environmentalists have converted their gas-powered cars to electric. Toyota is in the midst of developing an even more fuel efficient version of its hybrid that relies on a plug-in rechargeable battery. After seeing this movie, I can see how my little "Carlita" (my Honda del Sol) would be a great candidate for conversion to electric power. Can I put a conversion kit on my wedding registry?? Oil independence, here I come!
The final word? This must-see movie gets Lisa's super five-flower rating! 
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