June 10

And, the exam is over.  The waiting begins.  I need a 70% to pass.  Could be close, but who knows?  After 200 multiple choice questions, one's brain turns to mush.  I find out the results mid-July.

Unfortunately, the to-do list of things I have put off until after the exam is too long.  :(

Surprise

Only a month and a half late, but I managed to surprise my husband for his 50th birthday party.  Thanks to all for attending, and to Tine for creating the perfect invitation.  If you need a custom invitation, let me know and I will connect you.

A camping cake

A couple of dudes in their old man hats

Camping Decorations -- and no complaints from the condo board!

Book #20 -- The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty by Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely is the professor of the Irrational Behaviour online course that I have been taking for the past 6 weeks.  This is the third book that I have read.  I have to admit that I liked the other two better (to be honest) but he has more insights into human behaviour that are relevant to everyone.  Well worth the read.

Book #19 -- Home From the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean

I was laughing out loud while reading this on the cruise ship.  Other passengers asked me what I was reading.  I tried to explain Vinyl Cafe to them, but they didn't get it.  Must be a Canadian thing.

Cruise -- Houston, we have a problem.

We arrived back at port at 7 a.m. which gave us a lot of time to kill before our flight left at 6 p.m.  I took advantage of this time to visit the Johnson Space Centre where all the astronauts train for their missions to space.  They also do a lot of research at this facility for current and future missions.  

This first photo is scale model of a portion of the International Space station as it is currently configured in space.  Astronauts use the model to be able to orient themselves to the floor plan, and become familiar with the location of all the modules they will be using in space.  Engineers also use the model to troubleshoot problems that arise at the actual space station, and the solutions they come up with are relayed back to the space station for implementation.

This robonaut is being developed to replace humans during spacewalks.  The torso is already on the station.  The rest of the body will be sent up as the testing is completed.  

This is a model of the Canadarm.  This model is very different from the one in space . . . the one in space would collapse if lifting space station and satellite components on earth because it was not designed to withstand the force of gravity.  However, this model is used to train astronauts in the use of the Canadarm while in space.  I'm sure Chris Hadfiled spent a lot of time playing with this while he was stationed here.

Cruise -- Sea Stuff

Seaweed in patches as we sailed by .  . . .

Oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, seen on our return to Houston.  This is the first one I saw, and I was so happy that I was able to take a picture of one . . . and then we passed about one hundred more.

Cruise -- Boat Stuff

It was really tough to choose three photos in this category.  Being my first cruise, there was a lot to see.  I'm really into the logistics of how things work . .  which is probably why I'm a vice principal . . . I like organizing big ideas to make them operationally efficient, but I don't like coming up with the ideas myself.  I've spent the last five years running the Lock Down and Fire Drills in schools.  Before we set sail, lifeboat drills were mandatory.  They took attendance.  If you didn't participate, they held a special session for you later in the day.

This first photo was taken during a Man Overboard drill that they ran while in port at Honduras.  They used one of the lifeboats to go after the "missing" person.  The lowering of the lifeboat to deck level, the loading of the boat, and then lowering to the water was interesting to see.  They then moored the boat to an opening on deck three that we used for tendering at Belize.  They must have run training sessions for the lifeboat pilots during the day, because they were boating around the harbour all day.

I was wondering where the gas station was . . . . the gas station comes to the ship.

I don't know what these lights are for, but they are located on the deck on top of the bridge.  This was the best place to take pictures of the sunsets, but I didn't discover it until the last day of the cruise.

Cruise -- Sunsets

You can see bright lights on both sides of the sun.  These are called sundogs, and are formed when sunlight is refracted through the ice crystals in the cirrus clouds high in the atmosphere.  Derek has a great sundog picture from this winter where the sundogs complete a full halo around the sun.  This picture is better because I didn't have to brave -20 degree temperatures to take the photo.

This is my favourite sunset photo of the hundreds that I took, just because of the different colours in the sky.  The dark cloud offers a great contrast with the blue sky and cirrus clouds behind it.

I'm playing with the structures on the ship here to frame the sun as it is setting.

Cruise -- Mayan Temple at Tulum

This Mayan temple to the gods was the third of three temples built at this site by the Mayan people.   The other two temples couldn't be seen because this temple was built on top of the second temple, which was built on top of the first temple.  Tulum was one of the youngest Mayan cities, established in about 1100 AD.  The location of the community was chosen because of a freshwater stream that is about 200 m north of this photo.  Mayan civilization disappeared due to wars between the cities, not because of the arrival of the Europeans.  The language of the Maya is still spoken in the Yucatan peninsula and is being taught in Mexican schools again.

This is a door through the walled city of Tulum.  The Mayan people were very short.  It was easy to tell which Mexicans had Mayan ancestry because I towered over them.

Part of this excursion was supposed to be a swim at the beach at Tulum. Unfortunately, the tide and winds were high making swimming conditions so close to the rocks pretty dangerous. Mexican authorities had closed the beach accesses, but I was able to take this photo from the ruins.  Too bad . . . it was a very hot and humid day, and the break from the heat would have been very welcome.

Cruise -- Animal photos

Fossilized brain coral at the Mayan temples.  What can get cooler than this?

These critters were everywhere in Tulum.  They were very cooperative subjects.  They are as ubiquitous as the chipmunks while camping in Ontario, except they don't beg for food.

Diving pelican approaching Playa del Carmen which was a ferry ride from our port at Cozumel, Mexico.  Somehow I managed to capture this shot in this surf while my ferry-mates were being seasick.  I probably took about 50 shots of this bird to get this.  Thank goodness for digital cameras.

Cruise -- Houston

I'm fascinated by the differences in American entrepreneurs and Canadian entrepreneurs.  Here is a not-so-typical shop along the highway between the airport and the dock.

There are 5 terminals at Houston Airport, but I don't think they are as large as the terminals at Toronto.  The terminal we departed from had less than 20 gates. The terminals were connected by a monorail.  The trip across the 5 terminals took less than 15 minutes.  The trains seemed to be driverless -- at least we couldn't see a driver.  This photo shows a switch coming out of terminal E on the line that allows trains to return to terminal A.

The port of embarkation was huge, and it was designed in anticipation of cruise traffic that hasn't quite met the expectations of the community.  However, with the upcoming expansion of the Panama Canal, they are hoping that more traffic will come their way.

Cruise -- Prelude

The following posts include some of my favourite shots from the cruise I was on with my mother.  What I found fascinating while I reviewed the photos was what I discovered about myself.  Since I didn't have my kids with me, I had to turn to other subjects to shoot.  I took thousands of photos, and deleted most when I returned to the cabin each night.  Upon return home, I had 400 photos which I whittled down to 300, most of which will be put on Facebook and even fewer printed for the album.  The following posts contain a maximum of three photos, and a description of what I saw and why I was fascinated by it.  I hope at least one of these photos captures you as much as they captivated me.

Book #18 -- The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov

This is a murder mystery, taking place in the future, on a world settled by Earth but has a very different culture.  It reads almost like an Agatha Christie novel which I wasn't expecting.  I should have predicted the ending, but was too much caught up in the robot laws and their simple complexity to figure out who-dun-it.

Book #17 -- Mr. Darcy's Diary by Maya Slater

LOVED IT!

I have read another fan fiction of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's viewpoint, but this one's plot is much more believable than the other.  Mr. Darcy's character isn't as well developed as in the other version.  It is written in a diary format which makes it quick and easy to read . . . perfect for a vacation read.

Book #16 -- lullabies for little criminals by Heather O'Neill

I loved the character development in this book, but hated the ending.  The book just ends, without a real resolution.  I'm sure an English teacher could tell me why books have to end this way, but I don't have the patience for it.  Winner of Canada Reads 2007 is well deserved if there was an ending to the book.

Book #15 -- Event by David Lynn Golemon

WASTE OF TIME

I read it because I had nothing left to read on the cruise.  The science is incredibly awful, the characters are cliche, and the author throws in all types of specifications for military hardware without really understanding what it all means.  And to top it off, one of the main characters, a navy pilot, doesn't know the coordinates of the South Pole.  Incredibly unbelievable, even though I was willing to suspend disbelief because of the genre (science fiction).  Don't read it unless you are trying to distract yourself from a painful and itchy sunburn.

Book #14 -- An Astronaut's Guide to Life On Earth by Chris Hadfield

How can one live in Milton and not read this book?  He has made us all proud.  He is a little older than me, just enough so our paths would not have crossed at high school.  But we would have had many of the same teachers.  In fact, his favourite math teacher was my favourite math teacher at high school.  However, that is where the comparison between me and him has to end.

He had a goal established for himself at the age of 9, and in making many of his life choices, he always asked himself if his decision would get him closer to being an astronaut.  I was never that goal driven, because I never knew, and I still don't know, what I want to be when I grow up.

I remember very vividly when they first started looking for Canadian astronauts, and they advertised in every high school across Canada.  They had a guest speaker come to my school and tell us what they were looking for in an astronaut. Ironically, I got to see this presentation at his alma mater and he didn't.

The book was fascinating.  I pretty much finished it in one day.  I never knew how complicated being an astronaut was.  I watched the movie "Gravity" recently.  In it, they prepare for a space walk in just a couple of minutes.  In the book, he describes it as a minimum two day ordeal getting the equipment ready, and then practicing what they are going to do, while figuring out everything that might go wrong and coming up with a contingency plan for it.

If you watched any of the videos sent by Hadfield to earth during his stint on the ISS, you have to read this book to see the context in which they were created.  A thoroughly enjoyable read. 

March 30

Fifteen years ago today, Rachel was born.  Look at her now:

OK, she may look a little tired and stinky, but she just won a bronze medal in the U15 Women's Epee Provincial Champions.  Here she is with her coach after the medal ceremony.

Book #13 -- The Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely is the professor of one of the on-line courses I'm currently taking.  He has written three books, all offered generously as a bundle through the course, but I opted to borrow the books from the library.  That said, they are probably worth the price because they are well-written and insightful.

There are a couple of ideas that I'm taking out of the books that are easy to implement, and are fairly effective.  These ideas are nothing new, but the fact that they have been validated by experimental data, makes it more compelling to ensure I behave in this way:

1.  Acknowledge the work of others.  People want to know that their work is meaningful in the large picture.  We, as human beings, are always looking for validation of our work.  A simple nod of the head of a manager acknowledging the work of someone else is enough motivation for him/her to keep going.  Ignoring or destroying the work of someone else will quickly cause him/her to lose steam, and stop his/her output completely.  
2.  An authentic "sorry" makes a world of difference when dealing with people on a one-to-one basis.  

Book # 12 - Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

The book was written by my instructor for the on-line course entitled A Beginner's Guide to Irrational Behaviour.  He offered his three books in an e-bundle at a great price.  I picked the cheap way out . . . I signed them out from the library.  I'm sure that one of the reasons behind his course is to market his books outside of academia . . . but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  He deserves a wide audience.

His books are extremely easy to read, which is a huge accomplishment for any academic.  He uses anecdotes that are accessible for a wide audience, and he has a gift for explaining dry academic research in a manner that is extremely entertaining. As part of the course, I have had to read some of the articles.  I never would have made it to the end of the articles without falling asleep if I hadn't read his book ahead of time.

Ariely covers topics including marketing strategies (for example, how you are being manipulated if you are getting something for 'free'), why we volunteer to do things we would never do in a million years if we got paid for it,  and the psychology of honesty.  An excellent book if you are interested in human behaviour, that seems irrational at the surface, but actually may have evolutionary (or creationist?) explanations behind it.