Thursday, Friday- Last week of Summer Break
THursday Beatrice and Solomon came over to Lolo and Lola's for fun! I had my first meeting in and tour of the renovated building. I am calling my room the "Fish bowl" because of its location. I will share a desk with Tatiana. I got back for a very very late lunch and teatime thanks to Beatrice and Lola.
Friday Beatrice and Solomon arrived early, whilst I was doing two loads of laundry at home. I went to the library computer laboratory to do some work. On the way home (in St. Paul Cathedral), I met two musicians, Jennifer and Phil, and gave them an overview of this area of Oakland. Stopped in briefly on the teatime makings before dropping in for Ida's farewell party, where I asked her son to take a photo of her and me. Hurried back to Lolo and Lola's for the Mad Hatter Tea Party, with five flavors of fruit fillings in the sandwiches, homemade (by Terri) scones, cookies, and homemade (by Beatrice) trail mix. We all enjoyed Russian/ Friendship Tea.
MOnday, TUesday, Wednesday- with BB & Solomon; with Maureen and UTA, Bible Study
Monday BB and Solomon spent the afternoon and early evening with chez Lolo and I was there, too. We had lunch, snacks, and did Telling TIme with Solomon sheets, fun worksheets, and BB and I did some Scratch programming!
Tuesday Dad left to pick Mom up from Midway with Terri. I chatted with Maureen at East Oakland over some ade. I caught the bus to meet my new UTA in our classroom. We met for about an hour, and he spoke with Russ about Courseweb details. I went to the library computer lab for computer work and printing. Greeted Mom and Dad and had dinner with them.
Wednesday (today) Dad and I went to Bible Study. I walked back to their home, ran an errand and stopped at the bank (I ran into Carlos P on the way), and stopped at the library computer lab on the way back. Ran more errands in North Central Oakland, and am heading home.
Sunday- Lots of excitement
Returned a vegetable to the store and got grapes and coffee at another store. Went to Mass with Dad. Fr. Kris celebrated, Ted W lectored, and Ken provided the music ministry with a new cantor, as well. Dad was an Eucharistic Minister.
We drove (slight detour) for burgers in East Oakland (I saw a former science camper, J in Oakland), Dad went for an afternoon with Tito Larry. I will nap and clean house before I join Jen for dinner.
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23.20 Jen and I went for dinner on Craig Street and watched McFarland on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. Great movie. As Debbie says, watch the movie all the way at least 'til the credits.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2097298/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Post # 2627
Thursday, Friday, Saturday- Meetings, relaxing, fun!
Thursday (yesterday) went to get some annual tests done, went to the library to get some computer printing done, walked home for breakfast, took a short nap, then met up with Joya, my former UTA, for lunch on Forbes Avenue. We chatted about comparative health care systems in the USA, Tanzania, and the Philippines. She gave me a gift of a little colorful giraffe--- twiga in Swahili--- and wrote:
The place where your giraffe was handmade is called the Matumaini Centre in Iringa, Tanzania. It was only a 5 minute walk from where I was staying and serves as a women's center and nursery/preschool. They do not have a website but they have a Facebook page: (https://m.facebook.com/pages/Matumaini-Centre/441601072602626).
For the evening, we had a meeting for the Philippine-American Performing Arts group, and covered a lot in the three+ hours that we met. It was cool, breezy, and partly cloudy (one could spot the stars) and the Cheshire smile waxing when we departed after dark.
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Friday (today) Dad and I joined BB and Solomon after lunch for a visit to the museums. We all started as part of a led tour group, but ended up as a spin-off to Bonehunter's Quarry and then to a part of the museum that the teen camps were leading activities. Natalie, one of my former campers from last week, was leading activities. I spotted Patrick, and took photos of Dad, Patrick, Solomon, and BB enjoying an activity. We went to the Space Jewelry exhibit in the Hillman Hall of Geology, and then the children played in the Lozziwurm. After Marissa came to pick them up we headed back, picking up smoothies on the way home. I took a nap, and then made arrangements for a walk with Stacy.
After dinner Stacy and I went for a visit to her new place, the roof, and as we were passing the Oratory we ran into Tante Mimi, who made me feel as if I were in the presence of Ste. Therese de Lisieux or Papa Francesco. After seeing her off at her bus stop, we walked past the Mellon Institute to the Cathedral of Learning ("Let's see it before the crowds show up,") where we met Daniel, and his family Ben and Sue. We showed them where the Porch is, and then walked back to our side of Oakland, commenting on the great walk---both in the people we met and the weather.
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Saturday, awoke early to Skype-chat with Caroline. We had a great talk. She told me about the Americans on a Thalys train between Brussels and Paris who diverted another attack. I went with Debbie (stopped at the bank, Gaby et Jules pour un peu patisserie, and headed out to her friend's home to puppy-sit and order pizza. I read a bit, renewed my library book, and watched some Mel Brooks (the 2000-year-old man). We decided to head back to town. I took a nap.
Dad and I drove to Little Italy Days. We walked, hearing three stages of performers' music. I got us ice cream, Dad had his favorite flavor, I had salted caramel. We stopped at the grocery store before heading home.
Monday,Tuesday, and Wednesday- Ending the Summer
Monday I talked with Marguerite at the departmental library, who kindly showed me how to get to Jean's office. We chatted for a bit, I stopped by the office to take care of administrative stuff (hard copies of my contract). Then I picked up my manual and notebook from Jean. Stopped by the Freshman Programs office to meet Marie (the new assistant), pick up some items and make photocopies, and to say a warm hello to Laura, the director. Had some meetings in Oakland, with an ice cream break between meetings.
Tuesday (yesterday) I watched the selection of seven to go further on the show "America's Got Talent" with Mom and Dad.
Today (Wednesday) I picked up a box of supplies left over from Science Camp (last week), and dropped it off at home. I loaded Mom's gifts and suitcase into the car, and we drove to West Virginia to meet her friend Terri midway. I had a burger for lunch, and they arrived at Terri's home twenty minutes before I did, probably due to the construction and accident I encountered, which made the journey to the other side of the city take a whole thirty minutes. I had chicken and rice for dinner, and went to Bible Study. The readings were:
I believe the first reading deals with the Faith of the Israelites in new lands. The second reading deals with love of Christ for the Church, and love of two spouses for each other. I mentioned the singing of "The Servant Song" (at Ken and Maggie's wedding), and how each spouse serves each other, just like we (in the Body of Christ) serve each other at the same time we serve Jesus. In the passage of the reading "So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies," it hints at the taking of the Faith from the first reading, and giving it a home (almost a Temple), a Place, for which the spouses can carry out the love of Christ/ God's Grace, etc. in the world. The Gospel reading mentions that many reverted to old ways, but the Twelve disciples continued to follow Christ. ("Jesus, we don't understand what you just said about body and blood, but you are amazing, so we're following you," as stated in the Bible Study this evening under the cicada trees and the Cheshire smile waxing moon.)
There were fourteen of us, discussing the readings for this coming Sunday. Joe led the group and I chatted with Bob, Christina's brother, afterwards. Saw Ben and Shawna from last time and there were also two new persons, one of them was Alyssa, who works downtown. A great group!!
Headed back to create this blog post, and to wind up the evening.
Thursday to Sunday, the end of Science Day Camp!
Thursday was the continuation of day camp. Brendan and Amanda came by for more astrobiology Gedanken work with the kids. After lunch, Jonathan joined us for bending circuits fun! The campers called him the "Wizard"!
Friday was the last day of camp. We did Scratch versions of each of our favorite projects. Scratch is a great programming language for newbies from the MIT Media Laboratory. Then, it was time for Makey Makey circuit boards and video games, lunch, a break with MEGA bubbles at the school playground, Fabulous Fun Fountains and making ice cream/ milkshakes. The last half hour was devoted to camper presentations for the family members who chose to come. After clean-up, I spent time with Nina writing the last email to parents describing the week's activities, possible follow-up activities for the campers, and a request to fill in survey/s about the summer camp.
Saturday Mom and I went shopping at the Waterfront. She got gifts for family members, especially Greg's birthday. We also got gasoline. We went shopping in Bloomfield, as well.
Sunday (today) we went to noon Mass and saw EJ and his parents afterwards, as well as Regina's two parents and Laura (a former choir member), and her mom and aunt, Nilda. I got us burgers for lunch. Then for a nap, Don's organ concert at St. Paul Cathedral, dinner, and a trip back to Moon Baby's exhibit to pick up Science Camp supplies and to get some ice for bubble peach milk tea (as per Miranda's recipe). I cool the bubbles by first draining them in a colander and then immersing the whole colander in ice water, then placing the black tapioca bubbles in honey, making a syrup. Next batch of bubbles/ boba will have maple syrup, then dark brown sugar for our third batch.
Don's concert this afternoon consisted of the following pieces:
Concerto (transcribed for organ by J.S. Bach) by Vivaldi (Allegro, Adagio, Allegro)
Prelude and Fugue in f (Dorian) by Flor Peeters
Sonata III in f minor, Opus 65 by Felix Mendelssohn
Choral Prelude on 'There is a Happy Land' by George Shearing
Balletto del Granduca (Five Variations) by J. P. Sweelinck
Communion, from Triptyque, Opus 58 by Louis Vierne
Carillon de Westminster, Opus 54 by Louis Vierne
The concerto truly sounded orchestral, played nimbly on the Beckerath by Don. And hearing the bells of Big Ben's chimes were a magnificent way to end the program.
Sunday through Wednesday- end of the weekend and beginning of Camp Week!
Sunday Fr. Kris and Fr. Joe F celebrated the Mass at noon, where Dad was Eucharistic Minister. Don and Becky provided music ministry. We saw EJ after Mass and met Michael and his daughter, as well.
Monday was the first day of camp. We played Icebreaker games, brainstormed about notebook keeping, and presented famous scientists' notebooks. We set up a week-long crystal-growing (rock candy) experiment. After the lunch and our outside break, we brainstormed the steps of the scientific method, and then the teen library staff presented the science databases, and presented a scenario for ustilizing them. At the end of the day we documented each student's favorite page of work that day.
Tuesday- We made collages of brainstormed questions and topics for a science fair project, and then made DNA jewelry. Next was setting up coin experiments and then slimy GAK and Oobleck! After our indoor lunchbreak, Becky and Issam from the University of Pittsburgh did an interactive DNA experimental extraction with the campers. The end of the day was similar to Monday.
Wednesday (today)- We decorated the covers of our notebooks, continued to document the long-term experiments, Then we visited the local museum. After lunch and a visit to the local school playground, Dr. Brendan led us through a Gedanken process. The end of the day was similar to Monday and Tuesday. I got home about an hour earlier today than I did on previous days this week.
Saturday- Helped Mom and Dad with directions, Errands, etc.
I helped Mom and Dad with directions to their meeting, ran errands to the optometrist's office, public library, and the drug store to get vitamins, a lock, etc. Had lunch and a nap afterwards.
Went for another walk at 6.30 in the evening.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday- Prep week for Day Camp
Tuesday Kelly came by and picked up her Jeep.
Wednesday I stopped by the Trust Arts in the morning and evening for a meeting. Mom and Dad dropped me off at my camp site mid afternoon to meet with Nina. I took care of paperwork there, and we looked over supplies (I brought two boxes of supplies, as well).
Thursday I met Rich and Lauren at the POST Natural History Museum. Brought in more paperwork, and luckily ran into Nina whilst Fabienne and I met. Jordan, Zia, and Veronica are eager helpers.
Today (Friday) Debbie and I will go for a couple of movies. I took care of some electronic documents for Biology and for Freshman Programs...rest will be taken care of after camp week! I made some honey espresso latte cool drink. Drank some of it.
Got some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from Dave and Andy's and enjoyed that with Debbie (and Orville Redenbacher's sweet and salty popcorn) over Vacation and over Train Wreck.
Monday- Correspondence, Meetings and Appointment setting, and Bills
Today I awoke early and took care of correspondence, meetings, and bills, including Dad and Mom's E-Z Pass for the highway. Had Eastern Carolina BBQ for dinner late last night and for lunch today. Paired it with cole slaw and rice (or bread) and sweet iced tea with milk.
Sunday- Packing the car and Driving Home: Bible Church with Praise and Worship
Sunday (yesterday) we packed the car and had McDonald's breakfast, headed out on 70W, switched drivers and stopped across the street at the Bible Church (Baptist?), which was heavy on the Praise and Worship music, as well as the friendly greetings! Lunch was at Carolina BBQ and Chicken, the same place as on the trip south.
I drove a second time on 79N,
We went through the final toll plaza at ~21.13, and were home before 22.00.
