Yes, my Jack is the poster child for scaredy cats. If I ever thought he would alert me to danger, I was sorely mistaken. This is what he does whenever there is a knock at the door:
24 February 2008
14 February 2008
History Boys
I was a History major in college. Whereas my primary focus was Imperial Russian History, Colonial/Revolutionary American History was a close second. When I heard that my next work conference was going to be held in Williamsburg, Virgina, I was thrilled. I first went to Williamsburg when I was in fifth or sixth grade. I got to travel with Grandma when she went there with the Somerset High School marching band. We went to Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens. I have vague memories from that trip - more of Christmas shops and roller coasters than anything historical. I was there again in high school during one leg of the Project Close-Up trip. Most of the week was spent in DC, seeing our government "close up". We spent 2 glorious days in Colonial Williamsburg. We toured the historical colonial area and saw the Governor's House, had lunch at the King's Arms Tavern (peanut soup - yum), and visited the apothecary, the wig-maker, and the shoe-maker.
For those who have been to Sturbridge Village or Plimoth Plantations, Colonial Williamsburg is very similar, but better. I only had a few hours to spend in between sessions and the weather was cold and wet so many of the places were closed, but I was able to get to see enough to tide me over until the warmer weather when I make a return trip.
The conference itself was great. It was the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. I attended sessions on the Privacy Act and how to best communicate with students in this age of texting, myspace, and facebook. We had a traditional "Groaning Board" dinner on Tuesday night, complete with colonial dancers and balladeers. It was a great conference in a perfect location. The sun coming out would be the only thing that could have made the trip better.
For those who have been to Sturbridge Village or Plimoth Plantations, Colonial Williamsburg is very similar, but better. I only had a few hours to spend in between sessions and the weather was cold and wet so many of the places were closed, but I was able to get to see enough to tide me over until the warmer weather when I make a return trip.
The conference itself was great. It was the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. I attended sessions on the Privacy Act and how to best communicate with students in this age of texting, myspace, and facebook. We had a traditional "Groaning Board" dinner on Tuesday night, complete with colonial dancers and balladeers. It was a great conference in a perfect location. The sun coming out would be the only thing that could have made the trip better.
05 February 2008
Training Day
I was always one of those people who loved school. I liked shopping for school supplies, new school clothes, and I was eager to find out who my new teacher was. It didn't matter what kind of school - elementary or grad school. I loved being in class and learning new things. Okay, maybe not Calculus, but pretty much everything else. This week I get to go back to class...sort of. I have training on our information system as we will be upgrading to version 9.0 in July.
I'm an impatient learner and I think that this week will be a lesson in patience for me. I like to move along quickly and with little interruption. It's kind of hard to do that when you are in a class with people of varying expertise and experience. I understand why we go at the pace we do. It doesn't mean that I have to like it. Day 1 is not completely over yet and I kind of wish I could just take the book home with me and teach myself. Of course, in doing that, I miss out on the classroom experience - which I really enjoy. I got to meet other people from across campus who I e-mail a lot, but very rarely see. So, I'm looking forward to the rest of the week if only because I get to see these people for three more days.
I'm an impatient learner and I think that this week will be a lesson in patience for me. I like to move along quickly and with little interruption. It's kind of hard to do that when you are in a class with people of varying expertise and experience. I understand why we go at the pace we do. It doesn't mean that I have to like it. Day 1 is not completely over yet and I kind of wish I could just take the book home with me and teach myself. Of course, in doing that, I miss out on the classroom experience - which I really enjoy. I got to meet other people from across campus who I e-mail a lot, but very rarely see. So, I'm looking forward to the rest of the week if only because I get to see these people for three more days.