If Only We Were Books - What a Story We Could Tell

A book registered on BookCrossing is ready for adventure.

I like to read travel magazines, every now and then I find a really good bit of advice. Did you know that Cipro is becoming resistant to T.D. in Southeast Asia and that Zithromax (or a Z-Pac) is a better choice for the duffel to that destination?

Stuck at home because of a slumping stock market and crazy schedules, it seems easier to read about traveling these days. I am in the middle of reading An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by Ann Vanderhoof recommended by some friends who like to travel the way The Kid and I do. Until recently I've never really thought about the books I leave behind for others to read. Friends who are going to Grenada at the end of January are intentionally taking books that are suitable for the Grenada Library in St. Georges. The library there was devastated by hurricane(s). They are also donating all kinds of goodies to local schools. We asked American Airlines to drop the charge for extra baggage, so book schlepping wouldn't be totally painful, but they couldn't. Times are tough for everyone I suppose.

Aside from intrepid travelers who leave books behind, there is one group - I think is still around and doing good in bringing books to the Caribbean is Boaters for Books.

But back to thinking about the books one leaves behind, it seems there was an entrepreneur a few years back who thought about this too. He started a fun website called BookCrossing where you assign a number to a book and give it away. From the BookCrossing FAQ:

I'm looking at your site here, and I can't believe what I'm reading. Do you actually want me to give away my books?
Ummm, yes. Trust us on this one. Registering your books with BookCrossing.com, then giving them to a friend, a charity, or otherwise releasing them "into the wild" and following their progress and travels, is infinitely more fulfilling than the small satisfaction you'll get by looking at your books in your bookcase every day.
As Austin Powers would say, "It's karma, baybee!"

When you give the book away, it's "released". In releasing a book, you make an entry (journal the book) at BookCrossing indicating that it's been released. When someone "captures" or finds a book with a BookCrossing label and number, they add an entry at BookCrossing. The bookcrosser who released the book - in this case that's you - receives an email telling them it has been found and from then on, everyone in the chain who held/read the book will receive an email every time somebody journals the book. Each person will also be able to see the book's journey you just look at it on your bookshelf at the website. (Please note email address and journals are sent in the form of a PM (personal message) directly from the BookCrossing site.)

Seems like a lot of fun and an interesting journey - if you're a book.

On The Steps to the Launch Pad

Well. I have finally recovered from that rite-of-passage all teenage males go through. Driving the family car, alone. Right now The Kid is at the car dealer, on an errand for mom. The driver seat in the car has to be adjusted one way for me, another way for The Kid. Unfortunately, when that adjusting mechanism broke, it was in The Kid's setting, so off he had to go to the car dealer to have it fixed. It was hard for me to drive the car with my head sticking out through the sunroof. Actually, The Kid has been an excellent driver and on his own in the driver seat for a couple of months now. Between his volunteer work and now his part time job, he uses the car as much as I do, though we've managed to work out a decent schedule of sharing a single car. The steps to the launch pad. It's been fun getting The Kid ready to launch as an adult. He took a part time summer job because he wanted to help pay for that young-male-insurance-heart-attack-sized premium that comes with the rite of passage. In the fall he'll be driving to two classes at the local community college, another step to the launch pad....what's next?

Student Driver: Feel Sorry for Me

There was a time when I would look at a slow moving vehicle on the highway, the one with the "Student Driver" sign taped to the back window and feel irritated, today, I have a different sentiment. That sign should say "Student Driver: Feel Sorry for Me".

The legislators of Ohio must have been really sadistic bunch when they signed into law the condition that new drivers must be accompanied by a licensed driver for at least 50 hours. 50 hours is a lot of hours, especially if you're a single mom. In general I think our lawmakers think about families as ones that include two married adults, thus 25 hours isn't too bad if mom and dad do some of the passenger seat time.

The Kid is basically a good driver, obeys the speed limit to the letter, holds the wheel at 10 o-clock and 2 o-clock, leaves the car seat raised just high enough that I bang my head when I have to get in and drive. We decided that cell phones and radio were too much of a distraction, so neither are on when we drive, and boy, 50 hours is a lot of hours.

The funny think about a 16 year old is that if they think they can get away with something, they will. The Kid was afraid of a moving violation thanks to his driver's ed class at AAA. So after that announcement, it was just too easy for The Kid to let mom drive him everywhere, 5 days a week, so the 50 hours weren't getting done - at all.

Just as I thought I was going to lose my mind with all the driving I was having to do, I realized I needed to get The Kid in the driver seat for 50 hours, and thus the term "Mom's taxi" became a reality. After that revelation, each time The Kid got into the car for a ride to one of his "things", the following conversation would take place.

"Do you have ten dollars?"

"For what?"

"The ride you are about to take."

"I'm tired."

"So. Do you have ten dollars?"

I haven't made one dollar yet and The Kid is a few hours short of the 50 hours he needs to satisfy the requirements for the State of Ohio.....

© 2005-2008. Amy Cortez. All Rights Reserved.

Travels in Your Own Backyard, Happy Birthday to the Kid

We've had a lot of life lately, sometimes life gets in the way of writing. But I can't forget my annual post to the Kid on his birthday. Usually we plan a big trip and we might still do that, but the Travelin' Homeschooler has had an illness that has effected our ability to fly. You never really recognize how important your sense of hearing is until you lose it to a strep infection that perforates the eardum, but enough of our gore.

Late Winter in the Midwest has been rough, but now we're getting ready to hit the road and it's looking like a good travel season is upon us, starting with a milestone Birthday.

The Kid's 16th Birthday, how could I make it memorable? Sometimes ideas just drop into your lap simply by reading a small local paper.

"Aviation show: helicopter rides".

What an awesome memory.

Especially since earlier in the year The Kid gutted a radio control helicopter to build a lighter than air vehicle (LTAV) for an aerospace course through MIT Open Courseware.

Generally we celebrate a Birthday for a week and thata's what we did, starting with the helicopter ride and ending with a cookout and cake.

The Kid is still working on getting his driver's license, the AAA guy is taking him driving soon.

The poor man. I wonder if he'll appreciate the ski helmet and snorkle I plan to hand to him.

Vehicle Theme: Bungee Cords to Keep Orifices Closed

Well Happy New Year.

This year has been an interesting one for The Kid & I. Huge events in our travels, though most of the huge events occurred at home. Yes our travelin' feet got to hit the trail a couple of times in 2007, but it was the things at home that really shaped our year.

In June my brothers house burned to the ground, a frightening thing, to have everything in the your world consumed totally by fire. It makes you wonder what really matters. Wedding, pictures, baby pictures, that knick-knack from Aunt Flossie. My brother being the incredibly brave individual he is and no stranger to tragic events in his life has shown me incredible character and an important lesson, you don't need all the crap you think you do to live a happy life. He has lived the last 6 months in a rental while they rebuild his home with mainly the "stuff" they had the night of the fire and few things friends and family have loaned to them. His shopping list for the new house was rather Spartan and I am in awe at how this has changed how he and his family live.

In August, just before our school year began our beloved guinea pig Daphne went to the great grape bowl in the sky. She was known to many on the web as Daphne the Science Guinea Pig. Daphne answered Math and Science questions from other other homeschoolers and even had her own FAQ page. But to us she was our special pet. In August we learned a lot about Guinea pig physiology. Daphne passed on from heart failure and we learned that guinea pig heart patients get put on the same medicines that human heart patients are on. We learned that they do have intensive care for heart patients that small and how wonderful those veterinarians are and how much they know about these very small patients.

In September, feeling the need to have yet another little furry critter around we got another guinea pig. Named that one Elvis as it was the only name we thought fit. Elvis was a wild-man. He loved being held and was crazy for just about any fresh leafy green you could give him. He could hear when we walked in the front door and chirped for us to come pick him up. As bad luck would have it we were not allowed to have Elvis long. As he was a very young guinea pig, apparently his immune system was not developed enough and he died from an unknown infection about six weeks after we brought him home.

Daphne

Elvis

Oliver

Two weeks ago we got Oliver. We have high hopes for Oliver as he is an older guinea pig and is very healthy. When he went to the vet, she told us he seemed very healthy and weighs 1.9 pounds. A healthy boy and a good eater.

Back at the end of October, to the day, The Kid turned 15 1/2 and in Ohio that means eligible for a temporary driver license, and god-help-me, got one. As I wrote in my last entry, that has been fun. Only 45 more hours of driving experience and class time to go.

In late fall we learned that one of our favorite things to do was coming to an end. The end of an era - Windjammer - the company that has provided tall ship adventures for years was having financial troubles and had stranded ships and crew in various ports around the Caribbean. I tried to set up links to the message boards where this unfolding event is being discussed, but those boards are gone or not working today. Its a good thing this wasn't on our to-do list for this winter!

Also this summer my neighbor moved away leaving her house to her son. An interesting hermit-like bloke who keeps to himself yet continues to add to the fine collection of vehicles in the driveway. This collection has been a constant source of interesting observations and inspiration for The Kid to utter some very funny things that sometimes end up as titles for blog entries. The obvious is so uninteresting.

So Happy New Year to you! All the best for the New Year!

Me & The Kid

You May Know Everything Some Day But Today Is Not The Day

In Ohio, in order for a teen to receive a "probationary" driver license they must take 8 hours of driving instruction in a classroom and then have 50 hours driving experience (10 at night) that a parent or other licensed driver will attest to in a signed affidavit. There are other requirements too, but as a homeschooler, these are the biggies.

Traveling in a car with a new driver is, well, interesting.

It has been suggested that beginner drivers start in a large parking lot and the biggest parking lot I could think of was the one near the raging Ohio river where we sometimes launch our kayaks. Needless to say that first day when The Kid was going to start driving. he was not amused when I appeared as the driving coach wearing a ski helmet and a snorkel. I wonder if the driver's ed instructors at the schools get to have as much fun.

It is amazing how the transformation from child to teen enables them to feel that they now know it all - until they sit in your car for the first time.

Journeys in My Own Backyard: Teach Your Children Well

Me: “How would you like to go see the Rolling Stones movie at the OmniMax?”

The Kid: “ We see documentaries at the OmniMax. We learn stuff there. Why would I want to go see Mick Jagger 1,000 feet tall? Their logo came from somewhere.”

Me: “Sigh.” “How would you like to learn about how your mom spent, wait, misspent some of her youth?”

This was the deal sealer. The Kid was very interested in this idea.

It wasn’t Mick I wanted to see, anyway. I wanted to see Keith Richards 1,000 feet tall. I have always been a fan of Keith Richards.

Our local OmniMax has just been renovated and they were having special showings of The Rolling Stones, during their Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour, shot on location in Turin, Berlin and London. The show was pretty good and a great introduction to what a concert was like for mom when she was a teen. The performance included such classics as “Satisfaction,” “Ruby Tuesday” and “Start Me Up.” The showing was very loud and there was much eye-rolling from The Kid. His tolerance of “my music” was greatly enhanced when I told him to focus real intensely on Mr. Richards and think “Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man’s Chest”, Boostrap-Bill. The light went on and the rest is history. We had common ground for the moment, though I have to admit, I borrowed the Kid’s iPod once and there were some Stones on it. I guess the Music History classes are sinking in.

And he thinks he wants to go to a Buffett concert....

I Voted Today

The place where I vote is a Catholic church situated on the Ohio River. I have never really understood how they got such great real estate, and it is beautiful, but there it is on the mighty Ohio river, up high, yet right on the banks, away from flooding. It is a beautiful building, and for a country that believes in separating church from state, quite a statement to The Kid who is currently studying the US constitution in depth.

Voting Tuesday in Southern Ohio was rainy, so we weren’’t assaulted by the usual mob of campaigners, who by the way I am sick and tired of.

As we approached the Gothic structure, The Kid reminded me of The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom co-authored by founding fathers, Jefferson and Madison, where “No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever...”. I often wonder why he can’t remember his multiplication tables. I told him it was actually the bingo hall that was our destination, so it really wasn’t a religious worship place. The Kid continued, he wanted to know why the rest of us had to vote on gambling and slot machines but this place was allowed to have bingo...sigh... the trials of mentoring this sort of human being.

The Kid is in general very Liberal in his politics -- who wasn’t when they didn’t have any money to call their own? The Kid takes great delight in harassing his Grandfather and anyone else who speaks of anything conservative. A friend recently shared this story:

Subject: A FATHER DAUGHTER TALK A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat and was for distribution of all wealth. She felt deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican which she expressed openly. One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and more welfare programs. In the middle of her heartfelt diatribe based upon the lecture she had from her far left professors at her school, he stopped her and asked her point blank, how she was doing in school. She answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain. That she had to study all the time, never had time to go out and party like other people she knew. She did not even have time for a boyfriend and did not really have many college friends because of spending all her time studying. Furthermore, that she was taking a more difficult curriculum. Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Mary?" She replied, "Mary is barely getting by," she continued, "all she has is barely a 2.0 GPA" adding, "and all she takes are easy classes and she never studies." But to explain further she continued emotionally, "But Mary is so very popular on campus, college for her is a blast, she goes to all the parties all the time and very often does not even show up for classes because she is too hung over. " Her father then asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your friend who only had a 2.0." He continued, "That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair equal distribution of GPA." The daughter visibly shocked by the father's suggestion angrily fired back, "That would not be fair! I worked really hard for mine, I did without and Mary has done little or nothing, she played while I worked real hard!" The father smile and said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

The look on The Kid’s face was classic and the backpedalling was interesting.

But to get back to our adventure, in general I take The Kid with me when I vote so he can see what goes on and understand the process a little. This day, The Kid accompanied me because I was certain he would be able to figure out how to use the electronic voting machine even without reading the instructions. These kinds of things escape me and frustrate me to no end and that’s why we make such a great pair.

Later that day in TaeKwonDo, The Kid’s Master told me that she was so proud of him, she continued “it’s so cool to see kids excited about politics, he said he couldn’t wait until he was old enough to vote.”...If she only knew...

Who Knew Adams County Was so Beautiful?

It’s been a while since we’ve written. Our “school” year started and we have been wrapped up in many new courses of study. We always have time to think and plan new adventures of course. Once we have our study topics for the year the “field trips” get easier to think about. We’ve enjoyed the theater as part of our travels in our own back yard so far this“school year”. We saw the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park production of Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”. It was an excellent production. We also saw “Spamalot” a “musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. Also a great production.

As usual as part of our Autumn studies, we go to the Ohio Renaissance Festival in Harveysburg, OH. There’s really not much in Harveysburg, OH, I suppose you could check out the Caesar Creek flea market if you really wanted to make a day of it, but we go for the Renaissance Festival. At the Renaissance Festival you can always catch a sword fight, but being the theater animals we are, our favorite is naturally the “Theater in the Ground” where one may just luck in and see a great production of Beowulf. The actors perform in a mudpit, yes, hard to imagine, but nonetheless, worth the trip to Harveysburg, OH.

As civilized as all the theater talks sounds, we just can’t help ourselves, we’d rather be paddling. As our luck would have it, we were fortunate enough ot get to Adams County, Ohio. Near the Ohio River yet far enough away from the city to be able to see thousands of stars at night. The kid and I got the opportunity to paddle Brush Creek in early fall and boy was it beautiful. An unspoiled creek that has the occasional cabin perched on the hills and home to that illusive Kingfisher I have been trying to photograph all summer. Brush Creek dumps into the Ohio, but instead of that treat, we paddled up river. The Kid stopped to fish and I explored with a camera. No fish but great pictures - though no pictures of the Kingfisher...maybe next year.

In our future we are planning a trip to Southern Europe and soon we are heading to the Caribbean for some sailing in the French West Indies. We are in the process of planning other trips as part of our homeschool so stay tuned! When you take your homeschool on the road, life is an adventure!

Not Back to School

Every homeschooling family celebrates a “Not Back to School Day”, at least that is what I like to believe. Our day to celebrate was Mondaythis week. The plan was to go to our local coffee house to catch up onthe latest news with the coffee-house-posse, to go to Staples to not-buy back to school supplies, to go to Morgan’s Livery one last time to kayak our favorite river and then to Eat at Joe’s (Joe’s Crab Shack) on the river for dinner.

You always see a flurry of noteworthy news regarding the idea of students returning to school:

Parents Clueless on Drugs Surveys show teens, folks out of synch, out of touch... BY PEGGY O'FARRELL | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER A comparison of two recent surveys shows parents apparently don't have a clue about their teenagers' use of drugs and alcohol....[Read on] Goal is Grads, Not Dropouts Schools put emphasis on getting to finish line BY DENISE SMITH AMOS | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Glen Este High School in West Clermont missed its graduation goal last year by four-tenths of a percentage point, the equivalent of one student dropping out, says Superintendent Gary Brooks...[Read on] No Cheating, Kids Pledge BY SARAH HARDEE | ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR When Villa Madonna Academy senior Sean Spille turns in his schoolwork, you can be sure it's his own - he even put it in writing. Spille is one of the high school's 180 students who signed a new honor code this year that calls for honesty and academic integrity....[Read on]

Just once I’d like to see for example, the Literature reading lists that returning students are required to read, the lists of texts being used and perhaps a syllabi or two of some of the more enlightening classes offered in our schools. This might make me wonder what we are missing by “not-going-back-to-school”.

On our "Not Back to School Day", Staple’s is always a fun stop. As we walked the crowded rows, we saw parents and kids pouring over lists of items required for learning at school. The bulging baskets made me wonder if I had missed something in our planning. There really isn’t much “stuff” a homeschool needs, though I have to admit to replacing our 7 year old laptop this year. Published in Today’s local paper:

How much we spend (selected items) Clothing and accessories - $230 Shoes - $98 School supplies - $86 Electronics (lower grades) - $114 Average total spending (lower grades) - $527 Source: Bigresearch What I spent Clothing and accessories - $0 Shoes - $0 School supplies - $61.60 Electronics (lower grades) -- $19.98 Average total spending (lower grades) - $81.58 Source: My Staples Receipt

Though, if I really wanted to start totalling my dollars that go toward education, including the property taxes I pay to fund what our local public school system does, we’d be in the thousands...though I am not going there today. (I generally have that number ready for when they start the cries for more taxes to pay for the schools in November.) We did have a glorious day on the Little Miami River. The leaves on the trees were that green, showing a golden glow that Autum is just around the corner. All the turtles we saw in the early spring were back lazing in the sun on the logs. Several large fish jumped for us and the ducks and herons were all there to celebrate our "Not Back to School" day on the river. Sunburnt, and tired, we finished our day at "Joe's Crab Shack". It was a good "Not Back to School" day.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Sometimes you can find the best things right in your own back yard! We spent the summer discovering the local waters in our kayaks and boy do we have some good stuff here in the midwest!

Licking River, Kentucky

The Morgan Family pioneered the canoeing industry in the Southwestern Ohio and Southeastern Indiana regions nearly 50 years Morgan's has 3 locations and we chose the Little Miami for most of our summer adventures. Every Wednesday this summer, until the river got really, really slow, we went to Morgan's Ft. Ancient to paddle six miles. The river is generally a Class I and mellow is just what we wanted each week! They also provide a shuttle service for those with their own boats, and we like that! What's fun about this place is the campground stop. There's a snack bar, good conversation and a frisbee dog that doesn't stop. We like Morgan's because it really is a feel good place. You can tell there is a family pride there as you will encounter many of the Morgan family involved in every aspect, from running the grill at the snack bar to giving paddle lessons in the parking lot to driving the shuttle bus. So far Morgan's Ft. Ancient is our favorite locally. We definitely want to check out Morgan's in Costa Rica, but we'll save that for another day...

Paddlefest - Cincinnati, Ohio

A unique events happens locally in the early part of summer. Last year we attended this event to try out kayaks, this year we were volunteers at Paddlefest. Paddlefest is a huge event where Tevas and Chackos are the footwear of choice and language like "Perception", "Dagger", "good shuttle bunnies" and "Class IV" is spoken. If you paddle, this event is for you. Two days of events, booths, waterhounds and fun. The "float" down the Ohio river to the Public Landing in the city is awesome, almost 1,000 kayaks and canoes in the water floating by River boats and docks hosting a variety of bands playing music for the paddlers. The best part about volunteering aside from meeting other paddlers are the Ohio Riverway water maps you get to keep. Though my back was stiff for a day or two after helping to launch paddlers into the Ohio River for 3 hours, it was one of the best volunteer gigs I ever participated in.

Licking River, Kentucky

Even though we are finding riverways in Ohio to be awesome, Kentucky has some great places too and The Kid and I find ourselves traveling over the Ohio River bridges to the Bluegrass state as often as we head for Ohio water. Once the Little Miami got a little bit lower, we wanted to find moving water, and the Licking River was it. The Licking River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows North and it is right here in our own back yard.The day we were there showed us that it is Class I [where we were] and perfect for a hot July day! Thaxton’s South Fork Canoe Trails, Inc. and Paddlers’ Inn is located on the Northwest side of the US 27 bridge on the banks of the Licking River is where we put in and found shuttle service. Thaxton's is also a family business and you will find family members operating most of the facilities here. Generally The Kid is pretty agile when we have to launch from a dock and that's what you do at Thaxton's, but it was here that I successfully learned how to get into my kayak from the dock without getting wet, and I'll always remember this place for that knowledge. My grand kayak accomplishment for the summer. Now all I need to do is practice what I learned.

Laurel River Lake, Kentucky

We chose to do our big kayak trip for the summer during one of the several midwest heatwaves. Ever slept in a tent with freezer ice packs? Yep. That's what we did, though the water was great! Rockcastle River and Laurel River Lake, both in Daniel Boone National Forest were the places where we spent more time in the water than on it. The Rockcastle River got its name from the majestic cliffs that tower above the river and it is a beautiful place. The Upper Rockcastle is normally suitable for the less experienced paddlers and the Lower Rockcastle should be attempted only by experienced, well-equipped paddlers. I read that Rockcastle can be Class IV, but when we were there seemed like a "pussycat". [links: Nature Conservancy Rockcastle River watershed ] The Rockacastle campground was a very scenic place and camping spots are on a first come basis. Next time we'll probably stay there, but this trip we stayed at Holly Bay campground on the Laurel River. The boat launch was easy, the marina was fun and the scenery was great.

And now it is time for us to get back to schooling but we're planning another sailing trip, so stay tuned......

---

WHITEWATER RATING SYSTEM

Rivers are classified based on the International Scale of River Difficulty. Skill level needed is based on both the general fitness and strength of a paddler, plus paddling skill, judgment, and expertise.

CLASS I
SKILL: Beginner, easy.
DESCRIPTION: Moving water with few riffles and small waves. Few or no obstructions.
CLASS II
Intermediate, requires care and some knowledge of paddling and reading of the river. Easy rapids with waves up to 3 feet and wide, clear channels that are obvious without scouting. Some maneuvering is required.
CLASS III
SKILL: Experienced, difficult.
DESCRIPTION: Rapids with high, irregular waves often capable of swamping an open canoe. Narrow passages that often require complex maneuvering. May require scouting from shore.
CLASS IV
SKILL: Highly skilled, very difficult.
DESCRIPTION: Long, difficult rapids with constricted passages that often require maneuvering in very turbulent waters. Scouting from shore is often necessary, and conditions make rescue difficult. Generally not possible for open canoes. Boaters in covered canoes and kayaks should be able to Eskimo roll.
CLASS V
SKILL: Team of experts, exceedingly difficult.
DESCRIPTION: Extremely difficult, long, and very violent rapids with highly congested routes which nearly always must be scouted from from shore. Rescue conditions are difficult and there is significant hazard to life in event of a mishap. Ability to Eskimo roll is essential for kayaks and canoes.
CLASS VI
SKILL: Team of experts with every precaution. Utmost difficulty, near limit of navigability.
DESCRIPTION: Difficulties of Class V carried to the extreme of navigability. Nearly impossible and very dangerous. For teams of experts only, after close study and all precautions taken.

Traveling the Road of Life: Happy Mothers Day!

Many of my girlfriends have daughters and tell me that it is my job to teach The Kid how to be a good husband...

I guess that could a subject in Life Skills, "Husbanding 101". Being a single mom, my opinions on what a good husband is may be very different, though I do pay close attention to this development in The Kid!

Part of our Mother’s Day Tradition is that The Kid makes mom a pot of coffee, brings in the paper and we have a special “mom outing”. The Kid thought bringing in the paper sounded more like the job of our faithful dog than a teenage son, so this year it was breakfast. I still got to be the mentor to this event. Egg in the Nest , sausage and coffee. There are skills that need to be taught in breaking an egg into a slice of thick French Bread, it is tricky business....

Recently, I went with a new friend to a Jerry Garcia Art show and I thought The Kid might enjoy it as well so I suggested it as our outing. He had remembered that I had gone, so he asked if there was any place else. I suggested the Marvels of Maiolica at the Cincinnati Taft Museum. It’s an Italian Renaissance Ceramics collection, from the Corcoran Gallery. That was not a huge hit, though we’ll still go. The kid thought a day of Italian Pottery and Hippie Art was the perfect thing for mom!

Happy Birthday to The Kid

We celebrate a birthday at our house for a week. Often the celebration includes some sort of trip or a series of outings, often a chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and always some laughs. This week is a birthday week for us.

So far our week has included our annual trip to Amish country for a checkers set. I have an agreement with the Kid that when he can beat his mom at checkers, he’ll be ready to leave home. That agreement can contain a lot of symbolism if you know the rules of checkers. People generally react to the idea of this simple pleasure that it is an easy way for The Kid to stay at home forever, or they’ll say “what if he never beats you”. (Those folks do not understand the true nature of a homeschooler or The Kid!) Our outings in this week of celebration in addition to Amish country include a trip to the Cincinnati Flower show , a golf outing to maybe beat Grandpa this year, a trip to Montgomery Inn for world famous ribs. There will also be Birthday cupcakes from Grandma, hamburgers on the grill and of course, a game of checkers.

Visit our archives to read about a year of our adventures!

Celtic Music, Bockwurst and a Pint of Guinness®

Quite often travel can involve not leaving your own backyard. You can tour the world in your mind through the study of music. Music study doesn’t need to involve the Symphony or Opera, it can involve World Music too. World Music is one of the best ways I know to travel when travel isn’t an option....

Recently I had 2 tickets to see a popular musical group that has been around for 40 years and always sells out when they come to our town. The Chieftains have had 19 grammy nominations and have won six grammys and have collaborated with Jackson Brown, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Sinead O’Connor, Emyylou Harris, Ricky Scaggs, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Earl Scruggs and others I am sure I have missed. Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains were nominated for the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Folk Album- Live From Dublin - A Tribute to Derek BellThe thing about this group is that they always surprise you and you don’t need to travel far to see them, especially if they come to your town.

Though The Chieftains still invite you to enjoy the finest Celtic music around, they also invite your mind to venture into listening to sounds and songs from other places in the world. In concert with The Chieftains was The Cottars, a group from Nova Scotia also incredible musicians and capable of some pretty interesting music.

The sounds you hear when you listen World Music inspire you to recall imagery from your own travels. If you are unable to conjour up the imagery yourself, enjoy the poetry of the stories that come with the music. This particular form of World Music has drawn many cultures and age groups together. The Vice Mayor of our town, Jim Tarbell, was on hand to make that observation and to present the key to the town to Paddy Maloney of The Chieftains.

And speaking of our Vice Mayor, as luck of the Irish would have it, I was able to tie the whole evening together for "The Kid". Earlier for dinner we went to Arnold's Bar & Grill, Cincinnati's oldest tavern, was owned by Jim Tarbell from 1976 to 1999. (Owner Ronda Androski bought Arnold’s from Jim Tarbell in 1999 [history].) So that appearance by the Vice Mayor was really perfect for me as I was able to string that Cincinnati history together with the culture of the food we ate.

At Arnold’s we ordered 2 Bockwurst Plates, a pint of Guinness® and a soda. Even though we were going to listen to Celtic Music, but being in a German town and having dinner at Arnold’s the oldest Bar and Grill in town, we naturally ecountered the Springtime tradition of a Bock Festival. Bock is a style of lager beer which originated in Germany. It is traditionally brewed in the fall, at the end of the growing season, when barley and hops are at their peak. It is "lagered" all winter and enjoyed in the spring at the beginning of the new brewing season. Bocks can be pale (helles) or dark (dunkles) and there are double (doppel) bocks which are extra strong. Even though I do appreciate a good Bock, I definately prefer Guinness®, it’s a better dark beer and just the ticket for the evening! Typically eaten with bockbeer is Bockwurst is a german kind of sausages. Bockwurst is one of the most favourite sausages eaten in Germany, but tonight we ate it with Guinness® and Soda in honor of the Celtic culture we were about to absorb.

Our study of Music and the culture of the world continues! We’re thinking about Southern Europe next!

Paddling and Swatting, Wet Entries, Impossible Boatdocks

As I wrote last time, for kayaking, a paddle and a fly swatter are necessary in Canada this time of year. The campground we booked in Algonquin sent us a coupon for “OFF”, our suspicions have been confirmed. My student's comment “think this is a hint of things to come mom?” My reply “we’ll be too in to paddling it to notice.”

One thing I have noticed is how interesting people are when they are so into what they do. I know my Guinea Pig is a fascinating creature, she’s very into her plate of lettuce right now. But seriously, yesterday as we got to know our new kayaks on a local lake I noticed how into watersports everyone around me seemed to be. They were interesting to me. There were sailors very intent on catching wind, anglers, well intent on whatever they get intent on, boaters very into speed and dragging people behind their craft, jet skiers, yes I had forgotten about jet skiers, the snowmobilers of the water sports. Even jet skiers are into what they do. My student was so worried that we’d look dumb trying the techniques we were taught in our classes and clinics. I pointed out to him how intent everyone else was around on their floating craft of choice. No one would notice our antics. I suppose it was that thing we all go through as teenagers, not wanting to look dumb in front of anyone. I imagine we were amusing for those into their sunbathing on the beach as we intentionally tossed ourselves from our boats in a variety of amusing ways.

Of all the techniques we have been exposed to, climbing into a kayak from the water (wet entries) and getting out of a kayak at a dock are the two I would consider the “test” for graduation for any new paddler. These are impossible tasks requiring the “doer of the deed” to bend in ways they didn’t even remember that their bodies could. Unless of course one weighs under 100 pounds and don’t care about grace, composure, scrapes and bruises. I am sure the whitewater kayakers have a few moves they’d consider graduation maneuvers, but right now we’re into the touring aspect of this sport, so we’ll save the Snake River for another outing and look forward to our “graduation day”.

The Twenty Five Thousand Dollar Pig, Nerd Parties and Crazy Expectations

I am writing this blog just moments after I basted the pig. “Excuse me?”you say. Daphne the Science Guinea Pig had surgery last week. We’re down to only having to baste her once a day. I chose nighttime because it’s quiet and she’s half asleep(I am posting this AM however!). We’ve had to irrigate her 7 incisions three times a day for several days, and got to giggling about it one night calling it basting the pig. The surgery was to remove three large tumors in her chest region. My family usually rolls their eyes when I tell them of our antics with Daphne. But when it’s just you and another who’s 13, you do what your reality dictates! My very busy brother who used to call her “the rat” even phoned to inquire about her well being. Daphne charmed him when he was here for Father’s day. We sometimes “pass the pig”, she’s such a social creature. One person snuggles with her and she charms them with a gurgle or a yawn as they scratch her soft back. She managed to charm my brother with a kiss. I had no idea Guinea Pigs gave kisses, until I met Daphne. Needless to say he phoned about her health this week. She’s no longer “the rat”. It was a huge week for us - me. What we do for our kids.

While we were at the veterinarians office for the third time we ran into a friend with whom we’ve discussed the possibility of our owning alpacas and boarding them near her. As we joked about how much it would cost to buy and care for an Alpaca, we guessed $25,000 just to buy a healthy Alpaca, it occurred to me that with all the procedures I have had to have done with Daphne, she may as well be an Alpaca. We have a lady in our homeschool group who actually raises Alpacas for sale and for the wool. She teaches knitting classes at The Farm at Brushy Fork in Owensville, Ohio where you can also meet her Alpacas. I am still considering Alpacas as a hobby. Seems like a mellow way to go as I get further over the hill. Perhaps I’ll travel to Peru before I commit to these more expensive animals.

I love the journey to Owensville to see my friend and the Alpaca lady, though I’ve never taken a knitting class I have considered starting a “Stitch 'n Bitch” in our neighborhood just to get to know my new neighbors better. Stitch-n-Bitch is a new phenomenon in the under 30s age group, (I think the over 40s enjoy it as well) where a group of women meet, learn how to knit and well, bitch. Politics, Religion, men. Nothing is sacred. What better way to get to know my neighbors? Though, I may reconsider this deal because of a flyer that was in our mailbox yesterday. The flyer read:

“Nerd Party - join your neighbors as they celebrate the halfway point of their med school careers. Beer music and entertainment provided. No need to RSVP, but if you choose not to come and feel our shenanigans have become too rowdy, please contact us rather than the local constabulary.”

Seems like these boys have some high expectations and that the Historic District will be rocking Saturday night. Maybe I’ll send them a pizza.


Speaking of crazy expectations, I recently met a person in the cyber-neighborhood who is planning an intimate around the world trip with a complete stranger. They are apparently going to pay all expenses, but it seems those who line up to go must also pay an admission price to get invited to the ball. In order to be included on the dance ticket they have to send a biography and a video of themself so they can be considered. Being the kind of person I am, I asked this person in so many kind words, if they were insane. They replied that they appreciated my honesty and that they were not crazy. We’ve kept in loose contact ever since as this quest has mushroomed. I love to follow the adventures of other travelin’ fools. I hang at TravelBlog some days. The writers there are doing what I did in my youth and what I hope my student will do one day. But back to my cyber-acquaintance, imagine the process one might go through to choose a stranger to travel extensively with. What can one really learn from a crafted biography and a video? When I travel intimately, meaning that the other person has at least seen my toothbrush before, I know going into the deal that we’re at least going to get along and be able to cope cohesively if adverse conditions arise in our journey. What’s so interesting to me about this is the idea of going with a complete stranger with the crazy expectation that the companionship will make the travel more fulfilling. I don’t understand how that might work out. Seems like an incredible personal gamble. I used to travel to some pretty intense places with some pretty intense strangers for business and in those circumstances I found that I was more of an accidental tourist and not the traveler I am. I think that when you want to travel with a companion, it’s to explore another dimension of the person you already know, in another setting away from your “ordinary”, otherwise, I afraid you end up being more of an accidental tourist. I wonder if this is what my cyber-acquaintance’s experience will be like. On the upside, imagine getting to witness the world through the eyes of complete strange who hasn’t seen the stops along the way. It’s a fascinating opportunity to study human nature and human qualities. I can’t wait to see how my cyber-acquaintance’s adventure turns out.

People find adventure in all sorts of ways and travel doesn’t necessarily need to involve geography and it sometimes doesn't turn out the way you thought it would. But that's what makes it an adventure. A lesson I continue to share with my student, especially as we head into yet another week of great adventures.

Journeys in My Own Backyard: The Maiden Voyage Was Flawless....

I had always hoped I would write that about a great sailboat that I had comsissioned. Haven’t gotten that far in the master plan yet. Have one going to college in a few years, so that plan is in a holding pattern for now. No this maiden voyage was of the antique tub I restored. I refinished it, I hooked up the plumbing, I hung the shower curtain surround. All the maiden voyage needed was a screwdriver. It seemed I neglected to screw down the faucet handles as the hot was running more than cold.

Journeys in My Own Back Yard: Ferocious Wolves and Pizza Eating Yogis

Recently we moved into the city. We have a park nearby. This morning t 6 AM, I decided to start power walking again. I headed up the hill - straight up the hill. At the top of the hill where the path through the woods to the park begins, I saw a wild animal. Well, I saw his (or her) hindquarters and a fluffy tail resembling that of a wolf.

I froze. I waited. I turned off my Jimmy Cliff CD and hoped this creature would disappear. I braved the path slowly remembering the Dimple Dell Canyon in Utah I used to walk where they warned of lions, tigers and bears - oh my (no really, it was coyotes, wolves and mountain lions). I completed this wild city path without another sighting of the ferocious wolf. Once I was actually in the park, I passed a person peacefully practicing yoga. I figured a wolf of all creatures would respect a yogi. I sighted another power walker and asked them if they had ever encountered a wolf in the park. She said there were no wolves and that she was glad I saw the local fox.

When I returned home from my walk, my garden was populated with a lizard, a snake and a hummingbird. A good day was beginning for sure.

When my student got up, for what I hoped was one of our last days of school work, I told him about the wolf-fox. He laughed. He wanted to know where the path came out because we tried to find it the other night from the park-side. When we went for coffee and croissants, I drove to the park to show him. The yogi was the only other person in the park I observed, still peaceful as the time of day. I showed my student where the path came out. As we left the park a Dominos pizza delivery truck was entering the park. My student said “20 bucks says the yogi ordered a pizza.” “It’s like you and your Twinkies ”. We giggled.

Book Burners and a Rare White Buffalo

There are days when my email is just loaded with all kinds of goodies. I can join in a debate going on between left and right-wing homeschoolers about a list of books that should not be read, I can get directions to go see a rare white buffalo , I can track those items I ordered from LL Bean.

The living gets easy when I’m winding down the school year. Well, I never actually ring the “dismissal” bell at our school, we just switch gears from being bookworms to traveling fools.

We have our list for this summer. COSI is at the top, followed closely by Niagara Falls , Quebec City , Prince Edward Island. We also want to buy those kayaks and spend a few days at a lake, maybe near the white buffalo's farm, learning all the “stuff” we’ll need to know to take them to Cabbage Key this winter. Yep, our summer is planned. Now if we could just finish the work in the Algebra book!

Sleeping on a rock under a hankie

Between the appliance guy and the foreman on the Painted Teenagers gas line project, it's 1:43 PM and I still haven't gotten down to writing about our kayak lesson from this past weekend. As many ideas as I have to describe and share this story, I just can't get to it and it will probably have to wait until next week or until the wee hours one of these days. Living in a Painted Teenager and homeschooling teenager who doesn't like to write just doesn't leave any time for me to write! Perhaps things will slow down tomorrow and I can tell you the tale of sleeping on a rock under a hankie!