My Disney World Trip June 2009

Alright, it has been over a month since I left for Florida to go to Walt Disney World. This was the first time to go to Walt Disney World since 2005. I went on this trip as a solo traveler staying at the Pop Century Resort with the Quick Service Dining Plan and Park Hopper tickets. I made a reservation with AAA in December 2008 when Disney first had the “Buy 4 Get 3 Free Plan”. So I had 7 days to spend with me, myself, and I at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

On June 18, 2009, I left West Virginia early in the morning to take the drive to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). I parked in the extended parking lot and boarded the shuttle. At this point I am a little nervous and haven’t flown since 1997. I went to the AirTran desk and was asked if I wanted an aisle or window seat. I said I wanted an aisle seat because I was unsure about legroom and didn’t have to have someone on both sides of me. I went to the gate and waited for the flight. I got on the plane and felt relaxed. I was two rows behind the business class, so I didn’t have to walk too far into the cabin. As soon as the plane moved from the gate I was getting nervous about the movement. I am thinking to myself “How am I doing to deal with the flight?” The plane took off and it made me more nervous. But as the plane leveled off I was okay. When we were around the Carolinas there was some turbulence but I was comfortable with it. I didn’t get up during the flight, but I turned around to look about the cabin to survey who was aboard the flight. There were many children with families and the flight was quiet. Two women sitting next to me were sisters going to Disney also and they were watching and giggling with “The Golden Girls” on their DVD player. Then the next thing I know, we are circling over the Orlando area and I hear families conversing about where they are and what they are about to do.

We landed at Orlando International Airport (MCO) at about 12:30 p.m. and I directly went to the Magical Express Counter on the ground floor. I showed them my voucher and was swiftly moved into a line for Caribbean Beach and Pop Century Resorts. I wasn’t in line more than 5 minutes when my line was escorted to the Magical Express bus. There were about 15 people on the bus. It took about 30 minutes to get to Walt Disney World. While we were on the bus, we watched a video about the Magical Express procedure, checking into the resorts, and then features about the Disney parks. The bus pulled into Caribbean Beach and dropped off guests and then the next stop was Pop Century. I only had a carry-on bag with me because I checked in my luggage where the Magical Express Program would deliver the luggage to the room after a while.

I went to the online check-in desk at Pop Century. The time was about 1:15 and the lobby had very few people in it. I had checked-in online a few days previously and it was a new program so I decided to try it. There was nothing to it. They had the room keys ready and they described your package and told you using the map where your room was. There was a little problem though when there were 4 keys in the packet and I said it was just me. They had someone else’s keys in the packet and that was straightened out right away and I was on my way.

I arrived to room 8432 in the 90s Section of Pop Century. I wondered why they numbered the rooms that way. I got into the room after fretting over inserting the room key a couple of times and the door was hard to open. The room was decent and has two double beds, one sink, and a conventional shower. I turned on the TV and watched resort TV. Now I had to decide what to do.

At home for the past 6 months I sketched out a rough idea of what I wanted to do by writing ideas into a Word document and changing it periodically. This plan included Extra Magic Hours. I knew that Epcot had Extra Magic Hours and compared it with the hours on the “Master Schedule” I got from the Resort desk. So I left for Epcot at about 3:00 and it was open until midnight to Resort guests. Ideally, I would have started with the Magic Kingdom but I was trying to maximize my ticket value for the day.

I left and it was partly cloudy in the mid-80s. I took the bus to Epcot and got there and walked around a little bit. I got a Fastpass for TestTrack I decided to go to Mission: Space and took the Orange Extreme challenge. They really want to make you nervous about taking the extreme challenge. I got through and walked the long hallway out into the gift shop and abruptly stopped. I was wondering why it was so crowded in the gift shop. Apparently it was raining. I was thinking that the sky was partly cloudy when I went it, so it couldn’t be so bad. Oh, yes it was – there was a torrential rain! I waited a few minutes and I put on my rain parka (the only one I brought for the trip – I wish I brought a few more). I went to the other side of Epcot Future World by cutting through Innoventions and then went to the Land Pavilion. I decided to go to Soarin’ even with a two hour wait. I liked the interactive activity they have after waiting for the first hour. But it was well worth it to wait for the ride. It is such a beautiful and exhilarating ride. I exited the ride and found that the rain was now a steady drizzle which would remain for the rest of the evening. I walked around until about 8:00 p.m. I decided it was time to eat. Remember I have counter service meals for my trip. I had studied counter service menus from different websites so I had an idea what I wanted. So I wanted Mexican for the evening. I think everyone else in Epcot wanted Mexican at the same time too. I waited over ½ hour in line for Mexican fare and was fortunate enough to have a father share his table with him and his two girls. When I was done with dinner I found a viewing spot near China to view Illuminations. I have always like watching Illuminations. For the next two and half hours I ventured through the World Showcase Pavilions. I watched an American Adventure, went to China, and rode Maelstrom (the Norwegian video was down). I took pictures at night of Epcot but by the time I got to England and Canada. Even the store at Canada was closed by the time I got there. I also got to use my TestTrack Fastpass. The last attraction I went to that day was Turtle Talk with Crush. Even though there were not many people there, it was very cute and kept my attention. At midnight I left the park for my first night at Pop Century.

On Friday, my second day, I started with Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios. Everyone’s plan was to go to Toy Story Midway Mania. I decided to go to Pixar Place and check out the area. I saw a line for FastPass that seemed to be about a quarter-mile line. I decided to go to Sunset Boulevard and rode Tower of Terror a couple of times and as a result of a Single Rider Line I was able to ride Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster three times. I went to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show. It was very hot sitting in that theater but it was enjoyable. I then went back to Toy Story Midway Mania later in the day and waited about 45 minutes. I was able go and see the entire queue of the attraction. I got onto the ride and it was amazing. The video screens were very vivid and makes me want to purchase a Wii and the upcoming Midway video game in the fall.

I went back to Pop Century to wash up and sit for a while. I went back out about 4:00 and the Magic Kingdom had Extra Magic Hours. It normally closes at 12:00 midnight. Extra Magic Hours made closing 3:00. Normally I go to sleep at midnight. But I never felt tired at all that night. I immediately went to Adventureland then to Frontierland to get a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain. I was able to get a FastPass for Big Thunder. I went back to Adventureland and went to Aloha Isle. I got a pineapple ice cream with pineapple juice. Just wonderful! I stayed on this side of the park throughout the night and didn’t even see Wishes or SpectroMagic that night. I spent the night riding the rides on the left side of the Magic Kingdom. It was memorable to catch a ride on the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Skipper I had on the Jungle Cruise was Mike from New York and he did an awesome job. I rode Splash Mountain 5 times in a row that night to close the park. The cast members allowed us to ride through and everyone was thoroughly soaked on the way home. It was after 3:00 when they shut Splash Mountain down. I walked to Main Street via Liberty Square and saw the custodial staff members working with maintenance and construction workers working. It wasn’t until 4:00 by the time I went to bed.

So I decided no more Early Magic Hours. I like the later hours better than the early hours. I went to Animal Kingdom on Saturday at about 10 a.m. I went to see the Festival of the Lion King. It looked the main characters were the same cast as the last time I saw it in 2005. I went to Dinosaur and talked to a guy who was a Ski Instructor from Lake Tahoe and was also a solo traveler to Walt Disney World. It was his first day and I told him he wouldn’t be board. I went to ride Kali River Rapids three times and figured out with the Single Rider Line at Expedition Everest you can dry pretty quickly. I ended up riding Expedition Everest 5 times that day but the Yeti was not working, just the strobe light!

I then went back to Pop Century and then went back to the Magic Kingdom for the rest of the day. I took my camera and took pictures up and down Main Street. As Lou Mongello says “look all around, up and down”, so I got pictures of the windows on the second floor façade of Main Street. There were many Disney Legends’ names on display. This time, I did go to Tomorrowland. I knew Space Mountain was closed, but I walked through the area at night. It was kind of desolate. I went back over to the Liberty Square area and watched SpectroMagic in front of Liberty Tree Tavern. It was a very delightful parade and very reminiscent of watching the Main Street Electrical Parade when I was a child. Then I went to Pecos Bill Café to eat a cheeseburger. Gotta love that toppings bar! I hurried back to the Hub to see Wishes, but the best I could do was get a spot under a tree. I couldn’t get good photos, but I was able to see the fireworks well. Afterwards I went back to Tommorrowland and saw The Laugh Factory. I was almost “That Guy” and my mug was put on the screen. I went on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger ride and it doesn’t even compare to Toy Story Midway Mania! I went to see the Carousel of Progress and I always enjoy seeing it. Then I went to Stitch’s Great Escape – there were about 15 people there! Then I drove for the first time in several days at the Tomorrowland Speedway. Then I finished the day at Big Thunder Mountain where I was able to ride through 5 times that night and at midnight I went back to Pop Century.

Sunday came along. The Weather Channel stated that it was going to be 99 degrees with 108 heat index. I went to Hollywood Studios that morning and I enjoyed the shows and stayed in the air conditioning. I did see High School Musical 3 show and wondered how these cast members stayed cool. I kept the day short at Hollywood Studios and went back to the room. I then went to Downtown Disney. I wanted to ride Characters in Flight. Characters in Flight is a tethered helium balloon on the shore of Downtown Disney that goes up 400 feet. I was a little nervous going on this but I paid my $16 and anticipated my 12 minute ride. Even at 100 degrees that day, Downtown Disney felt cooler because of a breeze from the lake. Because of the breeze, Characters in Flight restricts the number of guests with increased winds. By the time my group was able to board, we were told we would have to wait about 20 minutes. The group waited the required time for the winds to die down and the group of 7 finally was able to board and go up. It was wonderful to see the views of the Orlando area. The pilot was able to tell us where certain locations were. Just don’t look directly under you because you will lose your bearings! After I toured Downtown Disney and spent the required amount of dollars at the Lego Store for my nephew and at the World of Disney for the rest of the family. The rest of the day was spent at Magic Kingdom. I just strolled through the stores and went on the rides. I enjoyed the park until close.

Monday was another hot day. I rode the bus to Blizzard Beach to go to Winter Summerland. This is mini-golf. I had a voucher for a free round of golf and I took advantage of it. I then went to Boardwalk Resort and looked around. I took a boat to Epcot and went to Future World. I was able to go on Soarin’ and in the scene where the golf ball came up to me I thought I should have got out the ball that was given to me at Winter Summerland and pretend that I caught it. I ran into a lady I worked with this year. She asked me who I was here with and she was very surprised that I went by myself. That was only of 1 2 experiences where I was questioned about being a solo traveler. I then went back to Pop Century and this was a hot day again. Animal Kingdom had Extra Magic Hours for resort guests. My intention was to ride Expedition Everest at night. And boy I did! I was able to ride it 6 times and the Yeti was working! It is a totally different experience riding it at night. I was disappointed with Animal Kingdom during Extra Magic Hours as there is Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Dinosaur, and Primeval Whirl open. I now know how the Dinosaurs became extinct – they rode Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl and were jostled to death! I got bruises from riding Primeval Whirl and Dinosaur! I was sore for sure! I left the park at close to keep my record perfect.

On Tuesday morning, I toured the Monorail resorts and took pictures. Only if I had the budget to stay at those resorts! I was concerned about the vultures (?) or whatever birds were at home at the Contemporary Resort. I finished my tour at the Grand Floridian and went to Downtown Disney. I had gone to Planet Hollywood for lunch with my $15 meal voucher. I went in and said I was by myself and they wanted to seat me at the bar. I said I wanted to be seated in the actual restaurant. The restaurant was neat, the entrée of chicken fajita was lackluster, and the dessert was good. I went to Hollywood Studios later in the day just to see Fantasia. For a 9:00 show I lined up at 7:15! I was able to get a front row seat with no obstructions. I’ve never been to Fantasia before and it was very memorable! After the show I went to Epcot by boat for Extra Magic Hours. I went to the Canadian Pavilion to view the film and had fish from Yorkshire County Fish and Chips. I went to TestTrack and Mission: Space again. TestTrack at night is another enjoyable experience. I just hope they keep TestTrack open and maintained if GM drops as a sponsor of the attraction. Again, I stayed to close.

Wednesday came along and it was my last day for tickets to the parks. I started the day by going to Animal Kingdom because I wanted to see Finding Nemo: the Musical. I was very impressed by the performance, but in my mind The Festival of the Lion King was better. I went to the Festival of the Lion King afterward. There I saw a different cast than before and I was impressed with the first cast I had seen. I also went to see A Bug’s Life and then went back to Pop Century. I was tired that day and took a nap for about an hour. I finished the day with Hollywood Studios after 7:00 and it was their Extra Magic Hours. I had eaten dinner at Pop Century and a guy gave me a card that had 3 Magic Fastpasses from DVC. I was palling to use it for Midway Mania. It was not to be. I used them on Tower of Terror though. Hollywood Studios has the same problem with Extra Magic Hours with limited amount of attractions open. I went to Star Tours, Rockin’ Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror since Midway Mania was out the question with no Fastpasses and a long 120 minute wait. So I went to Sunset Boulevard and got 5 Fastpasses ultimately for Tower of Terror. The preshow got old after watching it over and over. I pretty much rode it 5 times in a row within two hours. I think I got a concussion after the third consecutive time. The ultimate experience of the night was when I ended the night at Rockin’ Roller Coaster. I went in the Single Rider Line for the third time of the night. But it was different as a guy in the regular rider line wanted to ride at the front of the coaster. I was next in the Single Rider line and I was to ride in front of the coaster. Usually with Single Rider Lines, the single rider does not ride in the front or the back. The guy was there with his family but they didn’t want to ride so he went by himself. The first part of riding Rockin’ Roller Coaster is almost frightening but it is a really enjoyable ride. I thanked the guy I was sitting next to because it was the last ride of my trip and I got to sit in the front of the “limo”. I went back to Pop Century at park close knowing it was to be the end of my trip.

On Thursday, I spent the day at Pop Century after I left the room at 11:30. My bus for Magical Express didn’t come to 3:00 so I have to wait several hours. I checked into the airline at the resort and checked in my luggage there also. I got on the bus and the two sisters from my original flight boarded the bus at the same time. They were to be on the same flight but in the row behind me. The bus was not a Magical Express bus as we know, but it was a Mears bus with large Expedition Everest decals on it. We arrived at the airport. Everyone but the sisters and I remained on the bus after everyone else got off at Terminal A. We got to terminal B and went upstairs to the main mail area. I visited the stores for about an hour and a half. I went to the competing theme park stores as well as the Disney stores at the airport mall. I went to the gate and CNN was on and found out that Farrah Fawcett had died. Then a few minutes later, it said that Michael Jackson went in cardiac arrest. By the time we boarded the plane, we found out that he had died. Then I knew what was going to be on every TV show for the next few weeks!

I was among the last on the plane as I was talking to the pilot with an older couple. He told us his schedule as he started his day in Las Vegas to Charlotte, and then to Orlando. As we ascend, the flight attendant stated that there was sad news. Everyone was startled as if we needed to go back. She was telling us that Michael Jackson had died and we could find more information about on Wi-Fi. She advertised that Wi-FI would be free if you filled out an airline credit card application! Wonderful! I listened to XM radio (admittedly a little of MJ, but mostly music). The flight back to Pittsburgh was pretty looking out the window. It was going to storm in Pittsburgh. We flew over PNC Park as a Pirates game was going on and then flying into PIT there were increased winds and lightning all around. I got into the shuttle bus in the parking lot, it was windy. By the time it got to my car it was raining sheets and terrifying lightning! But I was glad I went to Disney by myself. I would recommend to anyone to go solo because you can do things at your own pace and do what you want to do when you want to do it!

West Virginia State Museum at the Culture Center

The West Virginia State Museum opened in the Culture Center (not Cultural Center) at the Capitol Complex in Charleston, West Virginia. This museum opened on West Virginia Day, June 20, 2009. Yesterday, I went to the museum with a couple of fellow Social Studies teachers. I was really amazed with the layout of the facility.
You enter the Culture Center through the main lobby and take the escalator or elevator downstairs to the museum. The museum is laid out as a "showpath" which is basically a walking timeline. Visitors start out in the prehistoric age, then meander to the first cultures in what is now West Virginia. There are samples behind glass and in drawers of rocks of the era.
The museum progresses to the settlers and the Revolutionary War, to the Civil War, statehood, the Capitals of West Virginia, and then to the 20th Century. There are also exhibits of mines, pastimes, fairs and festivals, as well as West Virginia's involvements in wars throughout history.
We teachers were talking about how we would take middle school and/or high school students through this museum. We talked to the people at the main desk and said there is an Education Director for the museum who is going to send out much information by the time school starts. We talked about including a tour of the Capital building to alternate with students in the museum so it would not get too crowded. There is also the possibility of having students do a scavenger hunt to find details in the museum. This is not an all inclusive museum of West Virginia and its History but I feel it aligns with the 8th Grade West Virginia Studies Curriculum. This museum will takes 3 to 4 hours to go through at a leisurely pace. I would suggest you to go to the museum because you would much appreciate it.

Civil War Re-enactors

I had some Civil War Re-enactors in my school last Thursday. Two of the boys were sons of Julie Rowand, a teacher at Taylor County Middle School. She came to me several months ago and asked if she could have her family do a presentation for my students. So last Thursday I had all the 8th graders during their West Virginia Studies period to go to a colleague's room to see the presentation. Drew Rowand is a Junior in High School and Zack Rowand is in seventh grade. Their friend, Jesse, graduated from South Harrison High School last year.
They did a great job describing how a soldier from the Union and Confederate sides would live on the battle front. They brought in paraphanalia of soldiers. They were dressed in garb of the time and even brought in weapons of the time.
I learned a lot about this time period. I taught about the battles in the classroom but I didn't teach about the lifestyle of the time. It is very improtatn for the students to see up close how people lived then. Since it is hard to take students on a field trip, this is the next best thing. This is a perfect primer for me when I go to Gettysburg in July.

Accepted to study Lincoln

The other night I got an e-mail and I opened it up. It was for a program I applied for in February. It is the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. I filled out an application online and chose from several seminars to study. I found out I got accepted to study President Lincoln and the Civil War at the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. It is going to be from July 5th through July 11. Here is a link to the website. I'll be sure to blog about it when July comes. This is alink to the website: http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/seminar_descriptions/seminar_borrit.html

A new "toy"

I got a new toy over the weekend. A Nikon D40 SLR camera. I have always wanted an SLR camera and I got my state tax refund the other day and decided it was the time. I have been using my digital point and shoot camera for several years and taken several thousand pictures. I just wanted something that was faster and more powerful. The new camera could use more zoom, but that is something I could buy at a later time. It isn't cheap to buy a new lens, but at least these days, I don't have to develop pictures for everything I take.
I had actually researched SLR cameras and what I saw was that D40 was a good starter SLR. I could have paid a little less for it. I have been playing around with it. I used it on Sunday to add on to my other blog and it worked well. So, when you see pictures on my blogs, you will probably see pictures taken by this new camera.

Technology in Schools

After a week in Charleston with my students, I had them to write a journal that I would post on the following website: www.tcmsyandg.blogspot.com My roommate in Charleston taught at Ripley Middle School and he asked me how much I used technology in my classes and how much my colleagues used technology. I said I try to use technology but I am limited because I only have one computer in my classroom and the labs and library are usually booked up. I assign work for students to look on the computer feel they don't have to use a computer for class outside of the actual classtime, so I feel limited with that. As for my colleagues, I try to get them to use computers and similar technology in the classroom as well. In fact, I had one teacher give me an e-mail from our County Technology Coordinator today suggesting that I should go complete courses for a Techonology Integration Specialist certification the state has. I was asked by another teacher to do this last year also. But the dates of the training conflicts with a vacation I have this year although I would still like to do.
I see my kids imersing themselves with technology everyday that adults including most teachers cannot catch up with and grasp how they are using it. I got a couple of students added to my Facebook account today. So I have to be especially careful with what I put on that, but I don't put anything incriminating on it anyway.
So here I go working on a new chapter in my class this weekend and trying to figure out what technology to use!

I just started a new blog today that I intend to chronicle auto dealerships in the area. With changes in the auto industry and the economy, I would like to record changes with pictures and a brief history. The site is www.autodealershipsusa.blogspot.com

10th Anniversary

Today is the tenth anniversary of my father's passing. I remember February 2, 1999 in detail and even the week prior to that. It is one of those days in which all four of us were at the house at the same time. It was 7:00 P.M. and "Jeopardy" had just started and he suddenly convulsed and passed. We called the EMS and they spent about an hour trying to revive him. My sister was just getting ready to wash the dog, Missy, and the dog was in the tub. The dog was in the tub four about four hours I bet. After the hubbub of the EMS crew, my mom, sister, and I just sat in the living room talking about dad. By the way, Missy was still in the tub.
I also remember as the EMS crew was in the living room with dad laying on the floor, one of our outside dogs, King, came in. King never comes into the house unless there was a thunderstorm. (Big scare-dy cat) King just looked at him and wanted to know what was going on. He did not try to intrude, but we got him out of the way quickly.
I remember the next few days with making funeral arrangements and family coming in for the funeral. It's still surreal but I know it's something that families go through all the time all over the world, yet in different manners of paying homage through funerals. Dad had been ill for a long time, but he was one of those people you can see who is struggling with his issues, but didn't want to let his family down. I remember that he took naps and that is something I treasure myself. He like to cook and I remember what he had cooked on the last day. He baked a cake and cooked pork for dinner. That is a passion he passed to my sister. She likes to cook and share what she cooks. No one else would eat the cake that he baked, so I ate it all. And just look at me - of all people, huh!
These aren't all the memories I have of that day or of that week, but just some of them. It wasn't a tragic time, but it was somber but memorable.

West Virginia International Auto Show

Yesterday I went to the West Virginia International Auto Show in Charleston. For me, this was a relaxing time looking at all the cars and trucks. I have been a fan of new cars and trucks since I was about 6 or 7 years old. I can recall most car models from the late 1970s on. It is sort of an obsession since I have car magazines and car brochures at my house dating back from the 1980s. Of course they are all organized into a computer database. However, I don't look at them very often. Sometimes I think I would be able to sell them, but not now.
I got into some of the cars. Some were easy to get in and out of, but others such as sport cars were easy to get into, but very hard to get out. It's a result of the extra girth around my waist.
Right now I plan to go to the Pittsburgh Auto Show in February. I liked going to Charleston since the ceiling were more intimate (lower ceilings) and separate rooms. The Pittsburgh Convention Center is more open and more crowded.

The Inauguration of President Obama

Today was a day of fanfare and optimism as President Obama takes the oath of office on a cold wintry day in Washington, D.C. The oath was fumbled by both the Chief Justice and the President. It was amusing to see a such an eloquent speaker such as the President being tongue twisted by the Chief Justice.
I didn't get to see much of the days events except for watching the oath of office during my lunch period. But I tried to catch bits and pieces throughout the day such as the parade and the balls. And check out "The Beast" aka the Presidential Limousine.
So tomorrow is going to be a different story. I want to see change in the air in Washington, D.C. to shift to our cities and towns. I want change for the better. I want to see jobs to stay and multiply. I want to see new energy resources open to the populace. I want to see children stay in school and educated. I want our country to have a sense of optimism. Most importantly, I want everyone to make the right decisions for themselves, our nation, and our world. Don't just rely on our lawmakers to make decisions for us, but make decisions for yourself and to help others.
President Obama wanted the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday to be a day of service. I just don't want one day to be devoted to a day of service. I want lifestyle devoted to service. I want families to be role models and spend time and money for those who are less fortunate and be an example how lives can change. That is change we can believe in!
God Bless America!

Brrr...A Cold Day Out!

This morning I got the dogs out at 7:30 in the morning and the temperature was -6 degrees. I got up early to go to the RV Show in Pittsburgh. This is the third consecutive year I have gone to the Pittsburgh RV Show. I has shrunk every year to contract with the economy. A slowdown in RV's and travel are one of the first signs that an economic slowdown in coming. This year it was very evident. There were many less vendors at the show and the show was normally on two different floors, but this year it was on one floor. I spent a couple of hours there talking to some of the vendors about their feelings this year and they have seen an extreme downturn in their sales. I wished them the best. There usually are a good mix of motor homes to trailers. There were many trailers and very few motor homes. The most expensive motor home this year was $260,000 when in the past I have seen half-million dollar motor coaches. The dealers were heavily discounting their vehicles, many by as much a 1/3. One new vendor I saw there was Trailer City from Fairmont. Usually all the vendors are from Pennsylvania and I told Trailer City that I thanked them for coming to the RV show this week.
Later I went to Wheeling to Cabela's. That place seems to be bustling even with the economy. There is still some growth in the area with new retail and new restaurants. Across the interstate from Cabela's was a new dealership built for Bob Robinson Chevrolet-Pontiac-GMC-Buick that had relocated from downtown Wheeling. They are continuing to build more showrooms adjacent to the facility that they have open now. I just hope after all the financial investment they put into the new showrooms, General Motors doesn't go out of business.
Then I went to Washington Crown Center outside of Washington, Pennsylvania. All of its anchor stores are still open, but many stores have closed such as AT&T, Old Navy, and The Gap. KB Toys are in the process of being liquidated at this time. It's sad to see the demise of that mall since a year or two ago it was still bustling.
After going to Washington Crown Center, I went to Washington Mall. I first went to the JCPenney that had moved back to that mall after the new store subsided last summer. They had the glass doors to the mall closed and painted over. I wanted to go into the mall and see whats left. I exited JCPenney and went to the mall doors on the outside. The first set of doors I went to were locked, then the second, and a man exited the third set and went through those doors. I walked in and on the left there was a Coldwell Banker agency and on the right there was a photography studio. They were both closed, I presume for the day. I noticed the entire mall was cold, maybe 50 degrees. I kept walking through the hall, turned left, and show no stores or signs until I saw the JoAnn Frabric store at the end. I circle around and walked to the other end thinking about all of the stores that were once in the mall and all of the people who have once worked there. I remember the pastry shop and the Baskin-Robbins, as well as the Langs and the Christian bookstore that was once there. The ceilings in the mall were leaking through. I had a camera in my car and I had the notion to go get it, but it was just too cold to go back in the mall to take picture.
Let's just say it was a day to reflect on where we are now at in America! God Bless America in our next four years!

BBBrrrr!

We are now in our second consecutive snow day and the third so far this school year. I a concerned that students are missing instruction. I know as a teacher I am working about three hours a days finding new material and arranging ideas for school. In my humble opinion, I believe students should be working on content during snow days. Teachers used to be urged to make snow day packets for students to work on during snow days, but I haven't heard of anything like that for several years.
Many schools have Ed Line now and my school does too. I like adding material to Ed Line for resources and I encourage students and parents to utilize it besides checking for grades. But I don't get much feedback on it. I would like to see students use Ed Line on snow days to put in at least 15 minutes of time into an online quiz or activity to keep up their skills. Another idea I have would be to use a conferencing tool such as Skype that allow teachers and students to interact with one another during an assigned time.
These are just a couple of ideas I have for using snow days instead of letting it go to waste. For this work, we need families to have computers in their homes with Internet connection. We know this isn't going to happen anytime soon, but I want students to know that I am making education available to them right now even if it isn't a requirement!

I stepped into the Labyrinth!

Today I stepped into the labyrinth. This is my second day on retreat and Sister Mary set up a labyrinth in the basement of the Pastoral Center. When I usually think of a Labyrinth I think of a movie or a book in which a character is lost being chased by dragons and such. But this labyrinth is a path that looks like amaze, but you won’t get lost in it like a maze. While walking on the labyrinth, it is an opportunity to pray and reflect. We started on the edge of the labyrinth and followed the path that started as short chutes and turns. The further we got along the chutes became longer. As we were about three-quarters of the way through the paths were very long without a turn. So my reflection on the labyrinth was that I said prayers for my family and those I know. Then looking out of the window of the building, I reflected on our society and nature. I looked at the hills and wondered how it has been created over the period of thousands and millions of years. I looked at the stream below and wondered how it became essential to the lives of most living objects. I saw a trash can and thought about what humans are doing to this earth. Also, looking at the path and the others in the group taking part in this activity I saw it as the path of life. It started out as short path. We were close together where we could support one another like a parent could support a child. As we moved further in the path, I saw it as a person being an adult and able to function on his or her own. Towards the end of the path, the short turns returned and I viewed it as a point when life is nearing the end and who have to move slowly because we know what is coming. Finally the end is here at the middle and I think that I went through all these feeling and emotions I felt relieved. Then I back tracked the labyrinth and I was moving much faster than on the way in. I used this as a reflection of what I was thinking about at various points. I stopped at a point where I knew I thought of something important. Just like life, I was reflecting on the important memorable parts of life, but I don’t remember everything that I had done. I think going through the labyrinth is a metaphor for life and if done carefully, it is an opportunity to reflect on the things you have enjoyed in life and something to think about when you go through it.

Light and Joy

This weekend I am attending a retreat at the Bishop Hodges Pastoral Center in Huttonsville, West Virginia. The theme of this retreat is “Light and Joy in the Season of Epiphany.” The leader of this retreat is Sister Mary Clark from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The topic of this retreat is very interesting to me and something I think about quite often.

Sister Mary introduced the retreat as a way that a simple life from a candle can represent us as a body to guide us where we want to go. We start out as this dim light, but as we gain stre3ngth and confidence, our light becomes much brighter and reveals our potential to ourselves and to others.

I also see light from the sky. At night we see pitch black if we don’t have any lights around, but we see the faintest of lights to guide us. Then if we look up on a clear night we can see the entire universe. We can see stars, artificial and natural satellites, and o9ther celestial properties. But in my mind I see those who have passed before me like famous people and family members. I see these people in my mind who have done things to aspire me and others. It has been about ten years since my father has died and I look up into the heavens and think what it’s like in that place after death. I hope it’s a place where he is not judging me and others in my family, but offering support and praise. As a child, I often thought that looking up to the sky and clouds were the people who have gone to heaven and that weather formations were ways of sending us messages. For example, if it’s sunny, one must go outside and enjoy it while on the other hand if there is a fierce snowstorm – it is then time to spend time indoors. If you are in Minnesota and there are fierce snowstorms all winter long, it’s time to move to Florida!

Steve Wariner had a song several years ago “Holes in the Floor of Heaven” and it reminds me of tragedies and shortcomings in the past are overcome by the things we look forward to in the future. This is what I see when I just see a little bit of light – JOY!

Whoa! Oh Dear!

Finally, the holidays are over and I am now seeing the effects from the recession in North Centreal West Virginia. I heard on the news this morning that Goody's Clothing Stores are closing all of their stores. Goody's has a store in the center of NewPointe Shopping Center in Clarksburg. I went their this evening and saw a hand full of people shopping there.
I was also at Meadowbrook Mall this evening. I walked the mall. Steve & Barry's closed several months ago and I foresaw its closing due to the fact that I felt they were expanding too much and moving away from its core market which was affordable clothing like T-shirts. They had signed athletes and actors to promote the company.
I walked further down the hall at the mall and saw Coach House Gifts had closed and moved into the Hallmark Store across from its location. Next to Coach House's former location, B. Moss Clothing had closed prior to the Christmas holiday. There are also some seasonal stores like the calendar store and craft type of stores that are winding down after the holidays.
I also got to thinking about the auto industry in the our area. The local Honda dealership has a lot full of cars. I don't know if they are really selling anything, I know I got a vehicle there in November. I went to a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealership last weekend and its lot was packed as well. I just shudder at the thought of what would happen if one an entire auto company would just vanish! Chrysler has suspended production for the month of Janaury with no guarantee that it will resume in February even with a government bailout.
We'll just have to see what happens and pray for individuals and their families on the safety of keeping their jobs.

New Year - New You

New Year, New You! How many times have you heard this statement this year! Well, I am one of these people who made a New Year's Resolution. What were my resolutions? One, is to lose a little bit of weight and the other is to save a little bit of money.
I just want to discuss losing weight. Several years ago I lost about 40 pounds and I kept off most of the weight. However, my weight has been creeping up over the past two or three years. I would like to lose about twenty to thirty pounds in the next six months. So far six days into the new year, my weight has been steady. I am going on the scale each time I go into the bathroom. I have made sure i am not nibbling on little things or adding extra things when I eat.
The problem I have right now is that I don't have much energy to exercise. I belong to a gym and I find it had to stay on. I don't have enough energy. I come home from work really tired. I try to walk on most days for about an hour. This walking does me good as I gives me things to think about and relax.
On the sixth day of the new year, I went to the gym, it was just packed. I thought to myself the other day, I wonder how of these people will stick around. I have seen people that I haven't seen there for a while and I have seen people i have never seen there before. Right now, it's just too crowded for my tastes.
I am also worried about people in my family. I try to keep active. My mother lives a sedentary life and just sits in a chair watching television most of the day. She doesn't get out much and has relegated herself into getting a roll-a-tor (rolling walker) because she gets short of breath after a short distance. I get very frustrated with her because I feel she has given up.
I am also worried about my sister. She is only a year older than I am, but she is also stumped with a weight issue. I just worry about my family members and their weight because it translates into weight issues.
I am currently watching "The Biggest Loser" and I wish these people the best and hope to use them to encourage me to take the initiative to work harder.
Well, here I go trying not to nibble on anything and I wish you the best in fulfilling your new year's resolution!