Phone Plan

I called in to see about using my phone while in Honduras.

It costs $2.30/minute and 50 cents to send a text.

But for only $6 I can reduce my rate to $2 a minute.

And that's not all folks. That's not all.

If I want to sign up for the 50-g plan I get 100 texts for just $50.

Grandma

I don't know if those of you that read my blog today reacted emotionally when hearing that Grandma read my card before she died, but I do know I cried quite a bit when I wrote that yesterday. I did not cry proof-reading it today.

Previously on my blog I have posted a couple comments from grandma.

Last June she said this about her dress. She was wearing that in her open casket last Sunday.

Here she summed up our entire education system.

When I was out there for grandpa's funeral she handed me my 30th birthday card and said, "This is your last one with money it. I stop at 30. It might be your last one anyway."

She lived one more.

Grandma was a very special woman.

Vickie and Craig put together a fantastic video that was played at her viewing and funeral.

Plane Flight

On my return flight left St. Louis at 3pm, and my parents flew out at 3:30pm. They gave me a call from the airport just as Luke and I were loading up the car. It made me laugh that they were already there as we were heading there even thought there flight was later.

Plus I landed in San Jose about 2.5 hours ahead of them. I travel well.

She got it

Last week I sent grandma a card. I spoke at her funeral today. I held it together real well until I talked about the card I got her. I said, "I don't know if she got it." My aunt and uncle said, "she did."

That's when I started crying.

It was a nice service for grandma.

Business Ethics

An article discussing how big business can learn from ultimate (Frisbee).

15%

If my gratuity is written in on my check out of principle I usually do not leave any more than the stated amount even if the service was good.

Price of a Stamp

I don't know the current price of a stamp, but I do know I just put two .39 stamps on an envelope.

Visit with Eugene

Last Saturday I was eating lunch on the patio at Cafe Bernardo on Capitol. Eugene came by and started talking to us. He has been living in Sacramento since '35 and currently lives downtown. He retired from carpentry 33 years ago, and his wife has been dead 15. The only thing he does now is make is own bed. (He told us that several times). However, he also multiple times a day makes it out of the house and uses his walker to take his 93-year-old body down to the end of the block and back.

And sometimes he stops and talks to strangers.

AVID

Several people recently have asked me what AVID is. Avid is currently in 4,500 schools in 45 states and multiple countries, yet people are still not familiar with the program. Every year it grows in popularity and the success is evident.

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. The idea is that if a student has individual determination we can teach them the rest of the skills they need to be successful in high school and college.

It targets students that are in the academic middle, particularly those that may lack support from home, or come from traditionally under-served populations. It has given me the opportunity get involved in the lives of these kids beyond what I can do in my math class.

To learn more about avid you can visit their website, avid.org.

Click here to see the Cold Hard Truths With Mr. B. The ones in blue I have already taught and the ones in black are ideas I am contemplating. I have a powerpoint I made with subpoints I could send via e-mail if either of you reading this are curious to see that.

A few years ago I wrote down my goals for my students. That was when I was only teaching math. It is more interesting now that I am teaching AVID as well.