'Twas a couple of weeks before the Big Day, and I decides it's a good time to head to StL with a fabulous friend, check out an art festival, and camp!
Neither one of us had really camped in the Loo area before, but we found a nice site online that was pretty close to where we wanted to be. Excitement ensues, plans shape, vehicles fill, driving happens, maps direct, arrival ... and we are greeted by a 'No Vacancy' sign. Huh? It's the END OF SEPTEMBER! No one should be camping now! Let's drive around the park anyway.
As we drive around, we could see the pitying faces of the old folks sitting by their ensconsed RVs, and every time we reach a turnaround, our spirits inch closer to diving off a cliff. We drove the whole park, and indeed, not a single site was available. The day is getting darker, literally and figuratively, so we both get on our cell phones, madly trying to avoid having to (egad, no!) stay at a hotel.
On our way to Plan B, still trying to be positive but having been seriously emotionally damaged by the DNR, we started discussing our Plan C options: pitching a tent in a church lot, squatting on land that was for sale, setting up camp in the entrance to the park ... but luckily Plan C wasn't necessary. We found a sweet spot, and the camping was ON!!
Over the course of the weekend, there were many highlights:
- Beth exercised her awesome punkin carving skills and created Cap'n Slappypants-McPie (or something?), and his 'X that marks the spot'.
- I earned my campfire-making badge, and my campfire burrito-making badge.
- We discovered the Strange Folk Festival. And decided it was a one-time event.
- We made friends with Shifty the Walking Stick. Well, as good a friends as we suspect you can be with such an aloof character.
- No matter how many times either one of us tried (oh, did we TRY) to yank the tree root out of the ground to chuck it onto the fire, it simply would not budge. Truly, the thing was right in the center of the campsite, just sticking out of the ground. I think the tree had a good laugh over that one.
- We had the absolute most perfect camping weather ever created.
- We both asked a number of 'dang, wish we had the Internet' kind of questions that neither one of us could answer, but would be awesome for a trivia night.
- I got the chance to reconnect with my camping equipment, which was lovely.
- Because of our camping detour, we ended up driving back through a part of Missouri neither one of us had ever been through before - Washington and Hermann - and it was GORGEOUS! If you've never been, I strongly suggest motoring down around there, and do your best to make it through in the fall. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It'll be hard to keep your eyes on the road, though, so be sure to bring a co-pilot. Those drop offs would definitely leave a mark.
Thank you, Beth, for making the trip a reality. Thank you, Katie & Clint & Boo, for the firewood. Thank you, Adam & Indiana "Where is that, anyway?" Lady for your supporting roles in Plan B.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Remember the rake!
I think that's going to be my battle cry to begin every hay season from now on. It's got significant historical value, plus it has a nice ring to it. Just yesterday, the rake was FINALLY fixed. The company that made it had to actually manufacture a unique part just for li'l ol' me and my botch job. I feel so special, knowing that somewhere in Iowa, a machinist is cursing my name. Witness:
And, after the efforts of two equipment experts, over the course of about 2 1/2 hours, ta-da!
Thank goodness. The rake will live to rake another day ... on someone else's farm!
And, after the efforts of two equipment experts, over the course of about 2 1/2 hours, ta-da!
Thank goodness. The rake will live to rake another day ... on someone else's farm!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Not like the other ...
So I’m kind of wearing two different shades of fingernail polish today. Well not really ‘kind of’ … I am. And it’s not really a ‘Wow, I’m such a rebel. I shall wear two different colors of polish and you shall be awestruck by my individuality.’ It’s more of a ‘Whee, this color is pretty, I like it. Crap! It’s not really THAT late is it? I gotta go to bed.’ Yeah, I’m such a rebel. :)
See, I got this new shade last night, and I was thinking that if it worked out, I’d paint my nails that color for the wedding. Started painting one hand, then realized that it was waaay past my bedtime, so I just decided I’d try and avoid society (that, or keep one hand in my pocket at all times) until I could fix it. And so far, I’m getting away with it! It almost makes me want to do this often, just to see who’s paying attention …
See, I got this new shade last night, and I was thinking that if it worked out, I’d paint my nails that color for the wedding. Started painting one hand, then realized that it was waaay past my bedtime, so I just decided I’d try and avoid society (that, or keep one hand in my pocket at all times) until I could fix it. And so far, I’m getting away with it! It almost makes me want to do this often, just to see who’s paying attention …
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
In a Grammar Fury.
Recently, THIS was published in the local newspaper:
Go ahead, click through the image and check it out. These articles are written by high school students - and apparentely, they even have a HS faculty advisor (who is obviously asleep at the wheel). If you care at all about English, grammar, and education, you'll be infuriated. And I do, so I was ... which prompted me to write this letter to the editor. I have sent it, signed, and am inclined to believe it will be printed. I'll keep this updated if anyone has the gumption to tell me I'm wrong or otherwise engage in a debate on the subject.
Letter to the Editor:
I don’t remember the last time I was this ferociously angry. Let me explain.
A little over a year ago, I made the decision to move back to this area. I was excited to get back to the place I loved so much. I have very fond memories of growing up in this community, and I have always had visions of returning here to raise a family.
Aside from my parents and my church, the next biggest influence on my formative years was the Milan school district. True, I had a blast in school, but I also gained a good, foundational education. My classmates and I challenged each other, comparing grades, jockeying for class rank, even bragging on our ACT scores. Of course, our teachers encouraged our behavior. They were demanding and difficult, giving out homework and assignments that we sometimes loathed. But we begrudgingly did what they asked, and became better and smarter because of it.
Recently, I picked up the Standard and read the MHS page. It didn’t take long for my proud remembrances to be crushed. These articles were the stuff of drafts, not the final printed pieces. I understand the articles weren’t written by Hemingway, but I wasn’t expecting brilliant content – just Basic English. Who is responsible for the egregious spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, punctuation omissions, incorrect verb tenses – heavens, even the wrong word altogether? This was allowed, even approved by someone?? Did anyone even bother to read them before sending them to the paper, or are we just counting on our word processing programs to teach English nowadays? Were we hoping our newspaper editors would correct them, so the authors learn nothing from the experience? If our educators don’t have enough pride in their students’ published work to help them get it right, then don’t waste the newspaper space.
Why are we setting our kids up to fail, by hiring teachers who casually say that it’s “really easy to get an A” in their class? With such mottos, the only thing that’s ‘easy’ is how easy it is to see why the articles were so disastrously edited – or disastrously not edited. It will be ‘easy’ to see why students’ English scores will be so pitiful on the ACT. It will be ‘easy’ to see why they won’t even get interviewed for good jobs.
I sincerely hope our school board read the articles, and is as infuriated as I. Perhaps it’s not a new building we need, but teachers who actually teach our students. We certainly didn’t have ideal facilities in my era, but that was completely irrelevant to the teachers who wouldn’t let us squeak by with a mediocre effort. It didn’t matter to them if the paint was peeling off the wall, a D effort earned a D grade (and any extra help you needed to get a better grade).
What a sad disservice we are doing to our young community members. It makes me furious that our kids are graduating without such basic knowledge. It’s pathetic, and breaks my heart to say that unless an acutely drastic change occurs, no child of mine will ever walk the halls of my alma mater.
Most sincerely,
Laura Booth
Go ahead, click through the image and check it out. These articles are written by high school students - and apparentely, they even have a HS faculty advisor (who is obviously asleep at the wheel). If you care at all about English, grammar, and education, you'll be infuriated. And I do, so I was ... which prompted me to write this letter to the editor. I have sent it, signed, and am inclined to believe it will be printed. I'll keep this updated if anyone has the gumption to tell me I'm wrong or otherwise engage in a debate on the subject.
Letter to the Editor:
I don’t remember the last time I was this ferociously angry. Let me explain.
A little over a year ago, I made the decision to move back to this area. I was excited to get back to the place I loved so much. I have very fond memories of growing up in this community, and I have always had visions of returning here to raise a family.
Aside from my parents and my church, the next biggest influence on my formative years was the Milan school district. True, I had a blast in school, but I also gained a good, foundational education. My classmates and I challenged each other, comparing grades, jockeying for class rank, even bragging on our ACT scores. Of course, our teachers encouraged our behavior. They were demanding and difficult, giving out homework and assignments that we sometimes loathed. But we begrudgingly did what they asked, and became better and smarter because of it.
Recently, I picked up the Standard and read the MHS page. It didn’t take long for my proud remembrances to be crushed. These articles were the stuff of drafts, not the final printed pieces. I understand the articles weren’t written by Hemingway, but I wasn’t expecting brilliant content – just Basic English. Who is responsible for the egregious spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, punctuation omissions, incorrect verb tenses – heavens, even the wrong word altogether? This was allowed, even approved by someone?? Did anyone even bother to read them before sending them to the paper, or are we just counting on our word processing programs to teach English nowadays? Were we hoping our newspaper editors would correct them, so the authors learn nothing from the experience? If our educators don’t have enough pride in their students’ published work to help them get it right, then don’t waste the newspaper space.
Why are we setting our kids up to fail, by hiring teachers who casually say that it’s “really easy to get an A” in their class? With such mottos, the only thing that’s ‘easy’ is how easy it is to see why the articles were so disastrously edited – or disastrously not edited. It will be ‘easy’ to see why students’ English scores will be so pitiful on the ACT. It will be ‘easy’ to see why they won’t even get interviewed for good jobs.
I sincerely hope our school board read the articles, and is as infuriated as I. Perhaps it’s not a new building we need, but teachers who actually teach our students. We certainly didn’t have ideal facilities in my era, but that was completely irrelevant to the teachers who wouldn’t let us squeak by with a mediocre effort. It didn’t matter to them if the paint was peeling off the wall, a D effort earned a D grade (and any extra help you needed to get a better grade).
What a sad disservice we are doing to our young community members. It makes me furious that our kids are graduating without such basic knowledge. It’s pathetic, and breaks my heart to say that unless an acutely drastic change occurs, no child of mine will ever walk the halls of my alma mater.
Most sincerely,
Laura Booth
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Good, Better, Worst.
My summer was floating along. Not a cloud in the sky, happy days, starry nights, crickets chirping, tra-la-la!
-record scratch-
Then the planets aligned (literally. DOWN WITH MARS I say!), and all hail broke loose. First, picture this: a beautiful, warm August day. Sunshine, hayfield, tractors motoring along rolling up big sweet-smelling bales. And then, without even the satisfaction of that horrible screeching sound you'd expect and even hope for, I BENT THE FRAME ON THE RAKE. The huge, square, STEEL frame. Didn't hit a tree, didn't dump it into a ditch ... just tried to use the hydraulics to perform an action that the rake should have easily, normally done, and was even DESIGNED TO DO! In doing this, I have rendered the rake completely unuseable, and I believe I have also totally baffled even the Vermeer folk who created said piece of e-crap-ment. What can I say? If you're gonna screw something up, do it well.
Then, follow me if you will, to the very next day. Another beauty, just waiting to be curdled. There I am, in the tractor with the mower. Mowing away over hill and dale, I manage to encounter the harrow (a small piece of metal equipment that you occasionally see being drug behind tractors on high school baseball fields, to spread out the rocks and dirt and even it up a bit. Farmers use them in fields too). Yep, mowed over that. Two new mower blades? Check.
I don't know how long this planetary alignment/stellar screw-up is supposed to continue, but it is still affecting my world. Stay with me, citizens.
Last week:
- my work computer stopped turning on. I have taken it to IT twice, with the response: we can't get it to replicate the problem, it works just fine for us. Now, I may be a little computer handicapped, but come on, I can't even get a computer to TURN ON?!?!
- my home computer ceased all operations. Three times. Guess where the nearest Mac fixer-person is? 1 1/2 hours away. Got some good driving time in last week.
- in the midst of all the driving, I totaled my car. Had just gotten it paid off three months ago. Managed to get a new/used one. Welcome back, Car Payments.
- had a freelance client ask for a total, complete rewrite. Which, I have to say, is well within their perogative. But with everything else that has happened, this news did not make my day.
- plus, I have not had a good hair day in weeks. It seems that Mars is emitting a terrifyingly high level of static electricity - concentrated directly at my head.
I hope Planet Mars gets sucked into a very large, lonely, powerful black hole, never to return again. I think I'm gonna go back to bed. Someone let me know when it's safe to come out and live again.
-record scratch-
Then the planets aligned (literally. DOWN WITH MARS I say!), and all hail broke loose. First, picture this: a beautiful, warm August day. Sunshine, hayfield, tractors motoring along rolling up big sweet-smelling bales. And then, without even the satisfaction of that horrible screeching sound you'd expect and even hope for, I BENT THE FRAME ON THE RAKE. The huge, square, STEEL frame. Didn't hit a tree, didn't dump it into a ditch ... just tried to use the hydraulics to perform an action that the rake should have easily, normally done, and was even DESIGNED TO DO! In doing this, I have rendered the rake completely unuseable, and I believe I have also totally baffled even the Vermeer folk who created said piece of e-crap-ment. What can I say? If you're gonna screw something up, do it well.
Then, follow me if you will, to the very next day. Another beauty, just waiting to be curdled. There I am, in the tractor with the mower. Mowing away over hill and dale, I manage to encounter the harrow (a small piece of metal equipment that you occasionally see being drug behind tractors on high school baseball fields, to spread out the rocks and dirt and even it up a bit. Farmers use them in fields too). Yep, mowed over that. Two new mower blades? Check.
I don't know how long this planetary alignment/stellar screw-up is supposed to continue, but it is still affecting my world. Stay with me, citizens.
Last week:
- my work computer stopped turning on. I have taken it to IT twice, with the response: we can't get it to replicate the problem, it works just fine for us. Now, I may be a little computer handicapped, but come on, I can't even get a computer to TURN ON?!?!
- my home computer ceased all operations. Three times. Guess where the nearest Mac fixer-person is? 1 1/2 hours away. Got some good driving time in last week.
- in the midst of all the driving, I totaled my car. Had just gotten it paid off three months ago. Managed to get a new/used one. Welcome back, Car Payments.
- had a freelance client ask for a total, complete rewrite. Which, I have to say, is well within their perogative. But with everything else that has happened, this news did not make my day.
- plus, I have not had a good hair day in weeks. It seems that Mars is emitting a terrifyingly high level of static electricity - concentrated directly at my head.
I hope Planet Mars gets sucked into a very large, lonely, powerful black hole, never to return again. I think I'm gonna go back to bed. Someone let me know when it's safe to come out and live again.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)