Happy 4th of July

Our day started with the Peachtree Road Race 10K. We took off at about 8:18, after all the winners were already done. It was hot and had a moderate warning for temperatures. That ended up with RED which was more sever. Over all though, it was a great race. The water stops were frequent, the volunteers were awesome and the fresh Georgia peaches were wonderful at the end of the race!  Yes, we will do it again next year.

After getting cleaned up from the race, we went to the Varsity for our usual after-race meal of a naked dog and fries for me and slaw dogs and fries for DD.  Then we topped it all off with Georgia peach ice cream. We ended the day with a fun Braves game (against the Cubs).

We wore our race t-shirts to the game. See, they are the design we had hoped for. The Braves didn't win, but we sat next to some fun Cubs fans and had a great night. The weather was awesome.

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!!

Day Before Peachtree Road Race

We started our day by heading to the Peachtree Road Race Expo. There we picked up  our numbers for the race. This is the bib number we will be wearing tomorrow. This year it even had our first name on our bib along with the number. I also picked out a pair of red running shorts to wear in the race and an Atlanta Track Club shirt that was on sale!

There were many other booths to check out while we were at the Expo. Then we went to the World of Coca-Cola. We only went to the store since we have visited the rest of the exhibits many times. We got some place mats for the table in my new space at home and I got a sleep shirt to wear, too. We got ice cream at Peachtree Center mall and then headed to our hotel in Buckhead on MARTA. The weather was still very warm, so we spent some time at our hotel's great pool!

The last thing we did today was to have supper at a nearby restaurant with Cousin Kelly who lives here in Atlanta. We only get to see her once a year but we always look forward to catching up with what is happening in her life. A perfect way to spend the end of a perfect day.

ATLANTA HERE WE ARE!

Supper on the patio of Gordon Biersch!

We left Indiana at 6:00 a.m. and traveled through Kentucky and Tennesse to make it to Georgia.  We were in Atlanta by 5:00 and settled into our hotel.

Our first stop we supper at Gordon Biersch Restaurant in Buckhead. After a wonderful crab, shrimp and lobster salad we walked to our favorite book store: Barnes and Noble.

We also stopped by a park on the way. There is a statue there called The Storyteller. Naturally, that would be a favorite of mine since I love stories!!! This is the first time I have had my picture taken there.

It is hot here, but not much different than northern Indiana right now. Tomorrow our plans are to go to the Peachtree Road Race Expo and the World of Coke early in the morning. After that, it just depends on what our mood is at the  moment.

Kathy with The Story Teller at Buckhead.

Peachtree Road Race 2012

Our choice for the t-shirt design!

Today was spent getting ready for our road trip to Atlanta in order to run the Peachtree Road Race. I put in six miles plus weight training early this morning to satisfy my physical training. The rest of the day was spent in gathering food for the trip, cleaning the house, doing laundry and packing.

Since the weather is just as hot here in Indiana as it is in Atlanta, the choices for clothing was easy. It was just a matter of getting the laundry done so we had clean clothes! We have decided to purchase the availabilty of wifi in our hotel so we can stay in touch via blogging, Facebook and Twitter. I sure wish wifi was automatically available for free!!!

We have a rented car all packed up. We have bought ice for our cooler and will stock it and load it into the backseat in the morning.  We have our traveling clothes laid out and ready to go. Dave, the dog, is ready for his dog-sitter to come stay with him.  I think we are ready for our big trip!

See you in HOT-lanta!

Cleaning Out Files, Binders and Life

Today I hit the binders. That was my first step in getting rid of things that I will not need any more. Things that have no place in my life at this point. Things that belong in another era.

I pulled out old binders with titles like: Poetry, Poetry by Kids, Lesson Plans for First Grade. There were stories by kids who I had in second grade but have long since graduated from high school. There were a few pieces I just had to keep...too many memories rolled into the construction of that writing. Most of them, however, are stacked in the corner of my basement, ready to hit the recycle bin.

I need to purge these things and clean out my space. I have new plans for that area. I have new plans for the file cabinets. I have new plans for those book shelves. Most of my information I have gathered over the years are stored on a "smart drive" attached to my computer. It is there just waiting for me to need it again. I can always call it up from some drive.

But for now...I'm looking forward to what comes next. A clean space to create, think and explore!

Ready for Peachtree Road Race 2012

This morning we ran two miles starting at 5:30.  The temperature was already at 70 degrees. Then at 7:30 I walked two more miles and the temperature was in the low 80's. I finished my weight training and later in the afternoon did laps in the pool.  It was now in the mid 90's.

The storm hit at about 3:30 leaving downed trees, no power in areas and even a tornado sighting. We took our final two mile walk tonight at 9:00 when the temperature was in the mid 70's again. 

We feel we are ready to head for Atlanta on Monday morning early, get our race numbers at the Expo and run the 10K race on Wednesday morning. Our weather here in northern Indiana has really prepared us for Hotlanta and the Peachtree Road Race!

Eye Examination vs Eye Assessment

Since my insurance will be done the end of June, I made an appointment with the eye doctor for today...only three more days in June! I hadn't seen him for two years, so I wasn't sure what I would find out.

I first had to fill out sheets of information. Homework, the nurse called it. Then I was led into a series of rooms so she could conduct various tests on my eyes. Tests to see if I could read with my contacts in. Tests to see if I could see with my contacts out. Tests to see if I could see little wavy lines at random spots on the screen in front of my eyes. Not just one test, but multiple tests.

Finally, the doctor came in and gave me one final test and pronounced the overall assessment was that I did not  have to have any changes in my glasses or contacts. So, I just bought a new pair of glasses for the vanity of it!

This reminds me of the tests we give children for reading. We don't just give one test and then say...okay they can read. We give multiple assessments which include running records, individual conferences, and yes, DIBELS. There is not just one-test-tells-all. Just like my doctor today needed to see a variety of assessments, so do we as teachers need to see many ways a child might be struggling. Hopefully, at the end of the assessments we can pronounce the overall view is that the child can read and therefore enjoy books!