6 Days

We have 6 class days before the state mathematics assessment. I just wanna get it over with!

Right now the K-State Girls Basketball team is playing Marquette for the NIT Championship next door at Bramlage. Thre is just about 30 seconds left, and we are up by 10 points. And we just won! Yay. I don't even like basketball and yay. Winning a championship is always good.

Here's a thing. A protestors sign said "Support our troops, question the war." Do you see the catch-22 in this? "Support our troops." okay, can do. I agree with that. But if you "question the war" you are implying that the war is bad, so if the war is bad, then we shouldn't be there, then our troops wouldn't be there, or wouldn't have jobs. So support the troops, but question thier job?

Another St. Louis Weekend

This last weekend, Shannon, Newgen, Andrea, and I went to St. Louis, again, for hockey. But I didn't play. None of us played, we watched my very first NHL game. We saw the Colorado Avalanche versus the St. Louis Blues. It was sad, first the Avs were down, 0-1. Then they went down 0-2 :(. But then it all went good. They scored two goals in the second, bringing it tied 2-2. The game ended the 3rd tied, and 53 seconds into overtime, Joe Sakic (yay!) scored the winning goal! Yay! We won! It was very fun. It'd be even more fun if it was at the PepsiCenter. Next time.

We also went to the Gateway Arch. 630 feet high and wide. It is rather large. We went back a second time on Sunday so we could ride the creepy tiny tram to the top. I am a wuss. I was pretty scared up top.

It was pretty neat though. We drove home. Found some Dr. Pepper Berries & Cream soda at a gas station. It was pretty good, but I don't like Dr. Pepper, so I'm a bad judge. Also on our way home, while driving through the curvy part of Topeka, our car turned 100,000 mile!

Woohoo! It took us just under 6 years and 5 months. Which is kinda fast. If the average car travel 12,000 miles per year, it would take over 8 years to reach the mark. But it is really hard to find on the net. So, if you have a different estimate, I'd be glad to hear it.

For All Seasons

I made a tablecloth today. Oh, ah. I haven't made one in, oh, over a year. I've had the fabric, just never made it. Well, today my friends I build a K-State-ish table cloth. Viola.

PandAventure

What a cute little game. In PandAventure, you are looking for your red-cap friend. He wants to eat bamboo and so do you. So go find your red-cap friend and eat bamboo!

My Semispinalis Capitis

It's broke. My semispinalis capitis, that is. Now don't panic. I went on-line, searched for neck muscles and realized what it was. I know it is my semispinalis capitis because when we were at Quizno's, I tried to turn my neck but it shouted "NO!" and I was stopped and writhing in pain. It was not a happy feeling. And now I know why.

Happy Birthday Chris

Today while at Wal-mart, Shannon and I bought Chris a whole bunch of stuff from the cheap-o isle. Then we got some cake and had a lil' party! Yay!

Attacktix is a fun Star Wars game. You actually get to shoot with the models! WOo HoO!

Bumparena is a neat game from the Cranium people. It is fun enough for us, and easy enough for younger kids.

Fun times. We even used cheap sleds in the sparse snow. :) What a nice Spring Break.

Also, Japan just won the World Baseball Classic! Yay Nihon! Yokudekimashita!

Copy Cats

So, I am a proud alumni and graduate student at K-State. While walking through Target today, we happened upon some golf clubs. Hmm, I didn't know K-State made golf clubs?! Oh, wait they don't, it's Cougar. They just stole the powercat.

Pizza Hut Update

Today Shannon, Jenette, Chris, and I ventured to recently drunk-parking damaged Pizza Hut. Our first question was "booth or table?" Knowing full well a booth would put us close to the damage, we agreed on the terribly small booth. Throughout the filling meal, I was taunted by a giant black tarp covering the damaged area, and our not-forgotten table.
While Shannon distracted the employees of Pizza Hut by gladly paying for the bill and leaving the usual over 15% tip, I struck. With camera in hand, I kneeled on the floor, sneakily stuck the camera under the forboding tarp and snapped a shot. I could see the flash through a tiny hole in the thick tarp. What was underneath? No one would have not expected it. Plywood.

Fight Probability

I try to relate new vocabulary words to things they already know. So when discussing independent events, dependent events, simple events, and compound events, I related them to the part they knew. But some students never make the jump to the mathematical implications. Here is an example, check out question #4. Genius.It's hard to feel like I'm getting somewhere with some of these 8th graders. Well, at least he tried.

The Backhoes

I enjoy large machinery. It is cool. Here are 3 backhoes by 4th street.

And this one is sleeping. aww.

Happy Pi Day!

It's not 1:59, but I'm busy teaching at that time. So here is my Pi Day present this year.

This is a link from one of the math teachers here at school to a song about pi. It's done by Pi-Diddy to Lose Yourself. If you've got some time, check it out.

Not to mention how cool this poster is.

Everybody had Matching Towels!

So, the oldest Pizza Hut in the world is in our town. And our seat in this old hut was attacked last week by a drunk driver. Luckily, we weren't there (although we had thought about going that night...). However, now we can't sit there. Here is a pic of what it looks like now. The important part is the cars in front. Have you ever noticed, PT Cruisers almost always come in pairs? It's crazy.

Rhonda and Michelle came up on Friday and we ate and sat around kinda fun though. We ate at Los Potrillos on Saturday and I did something. I did something crushing.

Innocent cup. Some person must have tragically forgotten you by my tire.


Just be glad it wasn't a squirrel. The sound probably would have been the same, but a little redder.

On a happier note, Michelle redid her blog and now it looks really cool.

Zombie Dragon

He's coming along. I have the wings left to finish, but maybe by next week I'll be ready to take some photos and post them.

Today at So Long, there was 3 parties of JCMS crew. Me, Team 7(?), and Pam's student teacher. Fun.

I haven't posted anything good in a while

So here's something good.

Smartness

It's nice to know my friends can do the stuff I endlessly teach my students. Thank you Lance and Maria.

Also on smartness, I talked to Dr. Boyer today and now I need to apply to grad school (again) and send in 3 letters of recommendation (again). But good news is, 6 hours (of the 18) from my education classes will transfer to statistics.

Can You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Shannon had this "Could you pass 8th grade math?" test up. So I was like, hey I teach 8th grade math. I took it and it's pretty good. The first 9 are really good, as in they are very 8th grade-y. #10 is a little more difficult, but my smart kids could still get it. So if you wanna know what stuff i teach (mostly) check it out.

Happy March

You can hear but not listen. You can see but not watch. That's what I'm thinking about instead of what do do in class tomorrow.