Duckie Family at Work

Was walking to my car at about 7:00 PM when I was greeted by this local family:




Image courtesy of my Motorola e815

Does anyone know why pictures from my phone are so washed out?

About "K-life"

I wrote this to my friend, Christine, the other night.

K-life...oh, where do I begin?

Kansans are family-oriented. People--especially young'ns--are often seen with their whole families. Either they go with family members or a group of peers.

Our daily schedules are pretty laid back. Many leave for work at 7:30 and arrive before 8:30. Unless you commute to the metro areas such as Kansas City or Grandview (Missouri) your one-way commute usually takes no more than 1/2 hour. My commute, btw, is about 6 minutes, or 1-1/2 tracks on a CD. Traffic jams/accidents are rare...evident by the morning traffic reports that consist of

"And now here's Paul Cramer with traffic."

"The roads are clear, traffic flowing at 70, green lights all the way. Back to you, Jerry."

Evening commutes typically mirror the morning commute. Most families are used to home-cooked meals, but with both full-time mom & dad families on the rise, people are turning to local fast-food joints for quick dinners.

Weekends typically consist of either watching sports on cable, shopping at the local malls/groceries, watching movies, fishing, or biking. Families attend church services every Sunday. What's so different is that people here go to church as a family unit, unlike in Cali where people either go individually or not at all.

"Waiting in line" in Kansas typically means there are 3 people in front of you. Any lines extending beyond the counter or having bends are considered "marathon" lines. The exceptions lie at the government offices, which are not that well-organized.

You'll find McDonald's, a pharmacy, or Wal-Mart/Target/Big!Lots on every street corner. People here care about their money. Speaking of money, everything here costs the same as in Cali, except housing. You'll find new homes here, selling for $300,000, that in Cali start at $750,000. No bull!

Finally, people here tend to be somewhat lazy. Parking is usually found right in front of where you want to go--work, school, store, bank, etc. Most people will drive to where they want to go...even if it's just to the video store around the corner.

Registering my car with the Kansas DMV

Today was the last day for me to register my new car with the Kansas DMV. They have quite an interesting set up over there.

The waiting area is made up of a combination of chairs and old church pews. I was shocked at first, but I remembered that we're in Kansas! Only here in the middle of the Bible Belt will you find church pews in a DMV.

I like their system of helping customers. Since this office is only for titles and vehicle renewals, each customer is supposed to bring certain kinds of documents. Here's how it works. First, you go to the ticket machine and press the button corresponding to why you're there. (I pressed Title.) Next, you're called up to Window #1 where all they do is check your documentation. If your stuff is incomplete, you'll be forced to come back when you have it all. Otherwise, you hold onto your number and wait to be called again to another window. All in all, I waited about 5 minutes for the first window and 20 minutes for the second. I was out of there in less than 1 hour.

You won't see any of these in a California DMV!

Tomorrow, I'll apply my new tag, making me a bona-fide Kansas driver! :D

California, Here I Come!

California here I come,
Right back where I started from,
Where bowers and flowers bloom in the sun,
Each morning at dawning birdies sing and everything.
A sun kissed miss said "Don't be late."
Thats why I can hardly wait,
So open up those Golden gate California here I COME!

I'm off to orientation!!

Update

Here are some pictures of the hotel. I don't think they would have allowed us to take pictures inside the classroom. It was an unusually beautiful week in San Jose!

NSTA Conference - Anaheim, CA

April 8, 2006

I was invited by some folks at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) to be the featured speaker at the Science Education for Students with Disabilities (SESD) session, at their 2006 national conference, in Anaheim, California. The theme of my talk was Living with Tourette Syndrome in an Educational Atmosphere. Mom took pictures using my cell phone camera. Here's a shot of me at the lectern, getting started.

I couldn't believe how many of these distinguished educators approached me after my talk and said so many nice things! My talk actually sparked some curiosity in these fine teachers. Many approached me with questions on how to help their Tourette Syndrome kids. What an honor to be regarded as an "authority" figure regarding Tourette's in the classroom! If you want to know what questions were asked, click this download link. (Download - ppt)

One gentleman, Saul, teaches science to Grade 9-12 at a school for disabled Orthodox Jewish students. He told me so many inspiring stories about his students. I mean, this guy has two students that not only have Tourette Syndrome but are also deaf! He had this other student with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Most awesome part was this kid's will to live. If you haven't heard about Duchenne, it's the most severe form of Muscular Dystrophy that causes severe neuronal degeneration (in other words, your body eats your nervous system alive). Most Duchenne patients don't even make it to their teen years. The fact that this student is already thinking about college is nothing short of a miracle.

If anything, this was a gentle reminder that the personal impact of my own disability is a cakewalk, compared to so many other students. And yet, it's inspiring to see them succeed. If only everyone would recognize that....

Laureen Summers is a co-coordinator of the NSTA ENTRY POINT! program for students with disabilities majoring in science disciplines. This was our first face-to-face meeting. In spite of her own disability, she is nonetheless wonderful, funny, and intelligent.

After my early morning session, I used my conference pass to check out the exhibits at the Anaheim Convention Center. So many great things for teachers! So many teachers checking out those great things! These teachers are so lucky that their districts send them to these conferences. A must-see for all teachers K-12.

Oops! I was giving someone the OK to cross while Mom adjusted the camera. Haha, I guess she was ahead of me on that one! So we tried another pose.

It was truly a wonderful experience!

Quickie update

AAA has some awesome rates on renter's insurance and auto insurance. Now my apartment possessions and new car are insured! Time to hold a party!

I'm also a licensed Kansas driver! It means that my California license is no longer valid...but CA allows me to drive with a KS license for up to 10 days. No biggie there.

Found out today that, in Kansas, the Department of Motor Vehicles is separate from the License Bureau! Means I went to the wrong office initially. Doh!