Competition Day (May 20/continued again)

The restaurant we ate at on competition night was wonderful.  It was within walking distance of the hotel.  It was full of all kinds of local people - prom attendees eating prior, retirees having dinner, families eating out.

The Malibu Grill in Bloomington, Indiana was worth the few minutes it took the staff to set up the three rows of tables for our group of over 35.  The menu was wonderful - from pasta to steak to pizza to Thai chicken to homemade soup of the day.  I seriously could not decide what to have.  The wine list looked extensive, though I did not imbibe.

Foods were served quickly.  There was fresh breadsticks and a marinara sauce or olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Their house salad was amazing. 

Our reservations were for 5:30 p.m. as we had an awards ceremony to be at on the campus of Indiana University later in the evening.  There were absolutely no problems with being back at the hotel to get the bus to campus by 7:30 p.m.

The younger, middle school students had their awards ceremony first.  When we arrived at the IU Auditorium, it was still full of those competitors and their coaches and families.  We waited, none to patiently, for the auditorium to empty so we could “storm” the doors.

After getting everyone seated, we waited for the awards ceremony to start.  Our first event medal was a second place or silver medal for the trial event of Junkyard Challenge.  This was a group of ninth graders and one tenth grader who offered to help at the last minute.  It was a wonderful end to a great time that these kids had on this first trip.

A considerable period of time went by before we heard Maine-Endwell called again.  This is how, as the time slipped past, we knew that we were slipping out of top five position.  In the end, the team placed seventh in the nation.  This is truly amazing when you figure we have about 800 students in the high school, 2700 in the district and are not a magnet district or school.  We are a small, public school in upstate NY which is competing with larger schools, private schools, magnet schools and still showing a respectable finish.

That Whole ONLINE Dating/Meeting Thing

So, as I said before, I put up a profile on cupid.com.  I have had profiles on other internet dating sites before so this is not new.

I found someone on there I know.  I am not what he is looking for for a number of reason.  I do, though, feel like I should respond in some way.  We have a relationship currently that is not even platonic, more a business acquaintance I guess is the way to describe it.  I just don’t know if I feel comfortable letting him know I saw his profile.  Not sure why.

I have done this online thing for several years.  I want to let him know that it works in some ways.  He needs to work it more - not having logged into the site in 4 weeks is not working it. 

Oh well, who knows!

Competition Day (May 20/continued)

Once we got to campus, we unloaded the bus.  We had breakfast foods, snacks, binders, all kinds of things that were necessary for the day.  As the last two of us were walking up to the team room, one student came back.  He was sure he had left his books on the bus for the event he had just before noon.  It was an event were materials were allowed.  He needed the books.  Kathy started calling the bus driver.  We sent him on to get a bite to eat before a 7 am event, assuring him the books would be found and there for him on time.

The students were basically on their own.  They all had schedules and events to be to on time.   They were all set with maps and their reference materials.  It was the day to be professional.  This was the day they had waited for all year.  When you start practicing in November, you not only don’t know what you may eventually be competing in, you also don’t know when you will end your “season.”  This is the end and the only end any of them want to have.

As the competitors filtered in and out of the team room, they left little notes behind - hints to tell those of us supporting them how they felt they did - “good,” “lovin’ it,” “it was a two hour test in 50 minutes.”  You get the idea.  As parents, coaches, chaperones, we watched, calmed and walked all over campus.  We hiked up to the far end to watch planes fly and trebs launch.  We walked to the grass field to see bottles launch.  We sat inside, on a beautiful day, to see eggs hopefully not scramble and junkyard wars with marshmellows.

At 3 pm, we were cleaning up the team room.  We packed up the garbage and tied up the bags.  We wittled down the boxes of snacks.  The leftovers would, of course, be used on the long bus ride home.  We started moving items out and off towards where the bus would be.  We would wait but NO!  Eric, the bus driver, was wonderful.  He was there early and the kids were loading the bus as the adults walked up. 

By 4:15, we were back at the hotel getting ready for dinner.  This was a dressy affair.  There were pants and shirts to ironed, hair to be fixed.  In the lobby at 5:20 pm, it was a different group.  There were dress shoes and ties.  There were heels and jewelry.  The stress of the day was behind all and the anticipation of the awards ceremony was in front of us.

….more later ….

Competition Day (May 20)

Well, there would be lots of images taht could be in the photo spot today.  The day began early.  At about 11:30 pm Friday night I was at the front desk of the Hilton Gardens in Bloomington, Indiana.  I wanted to be able to use the restaurant ice machine at 5 am rather than the one on my floor.  I knew someone rooming next to the ice machine on floor six would be happy, even if in a non-cognizant way.  What I did not anticipate was the line at the front desk at 4:50 am when I got down there with the cooler.  A half a cup of coffee later and I was putting a cooler filled with ice next to the desk so I could go iron and get ready.

The team loaded the bus for the University at 6:15 am.  Believe it or not, we were all there and ready.  Some kids went via car to be able to impound items for tech events.  Life was good.  No late arrivals.  Only one small snafu as we seemed to leave some books behind.  A few cell calls and we sent the competitor to his 8 am event and knew that the books were in the hands of one of the late arrivals and would be at the campus in plenty of time for the event in question.
…more later

First Full Day in Bloomington

Typing while traveling was fun.  The final straw has occurred.  We have explored campus.  It looked huge on the map but in reality is not bad.  I think the 15 minutes between events is more than enough time, even for the slowest of the students.  We found all the locations and, as the boys say, green space as more important – somewhere to play Frisbee and football.
 
The kids were given an hour plus to explore around the town last night.  We are at a Hilton Gardens Inn – probably the best hotel many here have stayed in.  Bloomington, itself, is a typical college town.  Nice things around – sandwich shops, chain stores, music stores (which Ben and I have visited)…a great location.

More Indiana - SciOly (5/18)

Yesterday it was movies.  Today it is “Stadium Arcadium” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers – brand new album and atop the Billboard album chart. A good listen and dulls the boredom of the road.
 
Yesterday it was NY, PA – a little as we went around Lake Erie, and the OH as we made it to just outside Cleveland.  Today it is OH.  I forgot how flat the states get in the Midwest.  OH is not true Midwest but it, nonetheless, reminds me of the trip across country in 89.  The middle of the US is flat.  As you are driving, you can see forever.  OH is sort of like that.  We  hae hd good and bad weather and construction.  My guess is Binghamton is not the only area that has a construction season.
 
And speaking of Binghamton, I am in agreement that gas in that area is really high prcied.  Gas in the Erie, PA area – a much larger metropolitan area – was under $2.90 a gallon for regular unleaded.  Gas in the Cleveland area was the same.  Gas along I-70 outside Columbus is under $2.80 per gallon.  So why is Binghamton at $3.00 a gallon?

Indiana’s calling….(5/18)

Wasn’t that the lyrics of a song in the late 70s ?  Well, whether it was or not, Indiana’s calling as we finished our first day of travel to National Science Olympiad competition in Bloomington, Indiana. 
 
Coming from upstate NY, there is probably no easy way to get to Indiana.  I am sure there are parts of it that there are no easy ways to and Bloomington may be one of those parts.  So at 3:30 PM on May 17th, the charter bus with 21 high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 and seven coaches/chaperones set out from Endwell, New York.  Final destination:  Bloomington, Indiana and the campus of Indiana University.
 
The first stop on the trip was about two hours out.  Traveling west on NY Route 17/ Interstate 86 (where 17 meets interstate codes) we stopped in Hornell, NY for dinner.  Thankfully, I was use to the area because my son goes to a small private university about 17 miles west of Hornell.  Hornell is big city to Andy and the rest of the students at Alfred University.  By 6:30, all had eaten and we were on our way again. 
 
Do you ever wonder what people on a bus trip do?  While, these days on a charter, movies are the big thing. We had the “pleasure” of subjection to “Starsky and Hutch,” “Batman Begins,” and “SpaceBalls.”  As you can tell, the intellectual quotient of the movies was not in question.  There was none!
 
The rain was hit and miss then hard and steady.  At 10 pm, after watching three movies on the bus, we were outside Cleveland and at the Fairfield Inn for the night.  Unfortunately, there was a bit of stored up energy but the kids used it up quietly for the most part.

Travelling Again

Okay, so when the 17 year old asked why I was low on money, I pointed out the $120 in gas since last Thurs.  I went to Niagara Falls to pick up my older daughter from college.  Even managed to get gas on the Indian reservation up there which is much less expensive than normal as they don’t have some of the NYS taxes.

Anyway, I am leaving the car here with a full tank of gas and heading to Bloomington, Indiana for five days.  Granted only three of those days will actually be spent at Indiana University but still…gone from home five days.  I will have laptop with me and presume the Fairfield Inn that is tonight’s stop and the Hilton Gardens in Bloomington will have internet.

I am a chaperone for the high school Science Olympiad team’s trip to Nationals.

See you all on Tuesday.

Online Dating Sites

Okay, so I posted a profile a few days ago.  I am not sure I like this.  I am finding that the men I would be interested in are not on there.  Not sure whether I should remove the profile or just see what comes my way.  I realize it has been less than a week but still….