HANDS

A few months ago I was made aware of an organization called E-nablingthefuture.org. It is a group of people who want to help children particularly who have been born with no limbs to have hands made by 3d printers . 

Cindy originally drew my attention to it but I was not interested at the time. That planted a seed though. I read an on-line article in the HuffPost sometime later and I became intrigued. The article included a link to a website and from there I was able to read about this organization. 

Here is what I found: 
"E-NABLE is a growing group of over 1500 members who have come together from all over the World to help create and design 3D Printed assistive hand devices for those in need.
We are engineers, artists, makers, students, parents, occupational therapists, prosthetists, garage tinkerers, designers, teachers, creatives, philanthropists, writers and many others – who are devoting our “Free time” to the creation of open source designs for mechanical hand assistive devices that can be downloaded and 3D printed for less than $50 in materials.
Our designs are open source – so that anyone, anywhere – can download and create these hands for people who may need them and so that others can take these designs and improve upon them and once again share with the World in a “Pay it Forward” type of way."

I sent an email to that organization asking if I was too old to be a part of this and they wrote back saying that no you're never too old. He sent me a link to a video clip of a 70 year old man receiving one. He had never used a prosthetic before. 

A few weeks later I received the following email from them:

Hi Scott!

I just wanted to let you know that you have been matched with a volunteer who will be assisting you.  Jennifer is part of a school program which is making hands for several of our recipients.  You will receive a email from them in the near future but I would think it will at very least be after Thanksgiving.  If you have heard from them by the end of next week, please let me know and I'll check in with them to make sure there aren't any email issues.  

If you have any questions at all, just send me a quick email and I'll be happy to help!

ᐧ

Melina Brown

e-NABLE Matching Coordinator

That sure sounded exciting to me. At the same time I heard from about that match-up I was contacted by David Maulik, a man who lived right here in Riverton. He said he had signed up with this organization about a year and a half ago and was ready to work with me. David didn't think that the odds of him finding somebody in Wyoming were very high. So when he found out about me he was shocked. Not only was he able to find somebody in Wyoming but also in his hometown. Apparently I had met him before although I don't remember it. I informed David that I would love to work with him but that I have been paired up with a school group. So he contacted the organization and told them about the match up and this is their response:

Hi David,

Scott was actually assigned to a school program so we would like to keep him with them so we don't interfere with any of their plans already set into motion with their classroom.   However, I would have no problem with you making him a hand as well.  I think it would be great for him to test drive two different designs and give his feedback.  I think having the perspective of the different age groups would be greatly beneficial to future projects. I think maybe try a Talon since the school will most likely be making a Raptor or a Cyborg Beast.  Let me know what you think. 

Thank you for bringing clarity to the situation, it can be a bit difficult at times to make sure everyone goes through the process so we can maintain records.  :) If you would like to move forward with Scott, we can forward his photos to you for use in Tracker.  

Thank you again!

So I guess how we move from here is up to you. My offer still stands I would be willing to make you any device you want but as Melina says the students will probably want to make you a Raptor hand or Cyborg Beast. A Talon may be a good option as an alternative, but we could also make you the Raptor and the students could make the cyborg beast or vice-a-versa its all up to you. I would like to make you a second hand especially if it is one of the less common designs because there aren't a large number of adult users or at least there aren't many that seem to be active on the Google+ group and if you would be willing to be a "guinea pig" it may be beneficial to the community as a whole.

Thanks,

David Maulik

Just yesterday I met with David. We looked at what he had already done and then talked about where we will go from here. He showed me a model he had already printed. Wow! This is exciting. I have to choose my colors now and then once what he needs arrives he will let me know so that we can go out to the printer in Fort Washakie. 

Last week sometime I Skyped with the school group I am matched with that is from the University of Albany in New York. There are about 12 people in the class. I introduced myself to the class and told them a few things about myself. Over the course of the next couple of weeks they will be making six hands. I don't know whether that means one of them is mine or what they have in mind. The professor said that she would post pictures in Facebook of what they are doing. 

So it looks like I will be getting two different hands. What can I say.

The following are examples of three different designs. Mine will be a different color.

The pink one is called the Cyborg Beast. I think that one is the coolest looking. The seconded one is call The Raptor. The black one is called The Talon and is the most durable and most challenging hand to make and assemble. It is possible the class may make a Talon.

My wrist action will cause the fingers to close on an object. I could have used a second hand yesterday when I was installing a new dishwasher. Most of the time everything is just fine. Sometimes though having two fully functioning hands would be nice.

The challenge is to make the hand comfortable. It will have to be custom fitted to my arm both in length and width. It should be interesting.

D.C. "LABOR CAMP"

Shelves

Now I know what the song means when the guys sing about working "all the live long day."

Actually I paced myself. Let me explain. Matt (son) invited me some time ago to come out and build some shelves for the garage out here Woodbridge, VA. It finally worked out for me to go.

So I drove down to Denver for my flight out. Everything went fine. There were no air-rage incidents to film and post online. It was not comfortable but it was okay. One flight attendant called flying today "taking a flying Greyhound bus." The same narrow row and sitting next to strangers only now at 35,000 feet. You just hope they are not non-stop talkers, grumpy, smell bad or any number of other things.

I got to Reagan, took the Metro and met up with Matt. It sure is great seeing Matt, AJ, Pippa the puppy and being in the city.

The first night we talked over what was wanted and needed. The next day I got busy.

After renting a taller ladder the project took two days total. I was forever dropping things from the top of the ladder and having to move the ladder so between those two things alone I got a work out. It is also very humid here so I was worn out after a time.

Matt and I lifted the shelving into place at the end of the second day, returned the ladder while AJ ood and ahhd appropriately.

It felt good being done and I am glad I was able to do this for them.

Now that I am done and when the western members of the family come in tomorrow the games will begin.

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PLAYING WITH TRAINS

"Playing with trains" doesn't really describe my most recent experience.

Last night I joined a few guys who have been getting together to run the St.Louis train yard circa 1969. There are multiple tracks, engines, cars, buildings, and a schedule to follow. Our job was to move cars around from place to place all the while observing signals, changing tracks by throwing switches and paying attention to where other trains were.

I did pretty good for the new guy. I did manage to jump the track way too many times. I will do better next time.

The guys were welcoming and helped me out while moving their own trains. They even invited me to join them next month.

VISIT TO DENVER IN JULY

During the week while in Denver we were busy.

I like to have things to do that help out my family. Laura did not disappoint. There are always big and small projects to do.

This time I came to mainly work on a cement paver pathway.

"Well the paved project has begun. I cleared away some stones and attempted to smooth out the path so the paved blocks would sit flat. Lily and Ben wanted the help. I was moving some old pavers and had to pry them out of the ground. I knew that I could easily do it myself but these two really wanted to help. So I had them help me pry them out. It was easy but because they pulled on the pry bar with me we did it together. I was proud of my two helpers. Laura in the meantime had started moving the 80lb bags of cement mix. Man, that is heavy work. I broke open the bag, put in water and mixed. That is heavy work also. Finally I shoveled cement into the form and then when done lifted the form off and smoothed off the surface. It was a bit dry but okay. The next one was better since I added a bit more water. 

Since it was so hot and still I suddenly started vomiting and feeling a bit weak. I had become dehydrated. I staggered into the house, laid on the floor and Laura helped me cool off. I freaked the grandkids out I believe when they saw me laying on the floor. They wanted to know what was wrong with grandpa. Then they brought all their toys to me and sat next to me. I love my family. Laura was so calm and helped me. Lily and Ben wanted grandpa to be alright. I am a lucky man."

"The paver path project is finished. I ended up working in the morning and evening so I could stay out of the heat of the day. The first block didn't turn out too well, It was too dry. After that more water made the blocks smoother. The hardest part of the project was dealing with the 80lb. bags of cement mix. That about killed me off. Thankfully Laura moved 1/2 of the bags. So once the water to cement ratio was figured out the project moved right along."

It turned out pretty nice.

I replaced the weatherstripping around a door. That took 30 minutes. Then I helped prepare some pendant lights for Laura to hook up in her entryway. Nothing too hard.

The biggest deal revolved around getting tattooed. 

"Daughter Laura and I decided that today was the day. So we went to a local artist a few days ago, set up an appointment and put down a nonrefundable deposit so we wouldn't wimp out. I had to go first. Chad was great. He has been doing this for 20 years."

""Some have wondered if this adventure into tattoos was real or whether it would wash off since I don't do needles. Well, it is real. I have been thinking about it for some time. So has my daughter Laura. So we decided to do it. Laura has decided that if they have any more kids the names have to be short.
Chad explained to us everything we needed to know about how things would go then it was my turn. Chad shaved the spot on my shoulder and cleaned it off with antiseptic lotion. Then he took my chosen design and placed it on my wet shoulder where it left on outline. Then once we agreed it was placed right he sat me down and got his equipment ready. All the while he worked we talked. I don't do needles is not strictly correct. When younger I would get light headed when getting shots but honestly I had a shingles shot some months ago and hardly felt it. Well getting a tattoo is not like getting a shot. It was more like getting scrapped with a sharp object. The needle goes so fast it feels like a continuous scraping. It was a bit uncomfortable but not really painful. In about 30 minutes he was done. He then placed a bandage on my shoulder and then a young lady explained how to care for it. So, it is real. It won't wash off anytime soon and I am sure it will be my one and only one. If my son Matt can get a tattoo and parachute out of a perfectly good airplane I could get a tattoo. So there, all you doubters out there."

We went to Evergreen, CO for a picnic and a walk around a mountain lake. We went to eat at the Cheesecake Factory and the Rio. To get to the Cheesecake Factory we took the lite rail. The grandkids really enjoy it and it sure is easy.

The final day of our visit involved a few hours at a park for BJ, the grandkids and I. Laura & Cindy went to look at a house since we will be moving in a few years. It was a great visit.

FAMILY

This is part of my family. I am so lucky.

OBSERVATIONS

I like to watch people around me. I wonder what they are like. If they are really young I find myself wondering what great adventures they will have, how the world would be benefited by them. Sometimes my thoughts are less lofty and wonder what they are thinking and hope they have nice homes and friends.

When I look at adults or seniors I wonder what they looked like as young adults. What great adventures did they already have? What did they do professionally. Stuff like that.

In my work I regularly visit folks in our local Alzheimer unit at the nursing home. Yesterday I watched as these folks sat quietly, or walked about, or spoke to no one in particular. I held Jean' s hand for a time. I don't know what Jean did in her past life. I listened to her chatter away in meaningless gibberish while looking into her eyes and wondering about her. She has such nice smile. Is Jean behind those eyes and nice smile or is Jean gone? What is going on with her? I am saddened for her as well as her husband, family and friends. What adventures did Jean have as a young woman, wife and mother?

How about the younger man who reminded me of a farmer in the way he was dressed? Did he ranch or farm in the area at one time? Who did he leave behind when he took this road in his life? How about the others around the room? I don't imagine any of them thought they would end up like this.

Since dementia is in my family does that mean my chances of ending up like these folks is pretty good? Those who had it were all women. Does that bode better for all the men?

Each time I hear on the news about medical progress in the area of dementia I pray that a cure is coming soon.

It is one thing to die from those diseases we hear so much about. It is another thing to live but not be there.

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ARAPAHOE, WYOMING

Today I decided to take a jaunt on my moped. Cindy is traveling back from Minnesota so I am by myself. It is a beautiful day so an adventure seemed in order.

I filled the tank, packed water, and headed off on my adventure. I have heard people talk about St. Stephen Mission school and Arapahoe so I decided to ride out there. I figured once in Arapahoe I could stop at a cafe and get a soda or something.

Well off I went. It was great. Traffic wasn't too bad and the road was great so I wasn't too worried. I drove out unto the Wind River Reservation and passed ranches and trailer homes. Poverty seems evident everywhere. Parts of what I saw was rather pretty.

I drove and drove all the while looking for Arapahoe. I never did find it. I found the school and St. Stephen's Mission school but no Arapahoe.

I put on roughly 20 miles and came home with tired legs and a bit of a sore butt.

I googled Arapahoe once home and discovered there is no town of Arapahoe. It is a geographical area within the reservation with two schools which I saw. So it ended up being an adventure and s learning experience as well.

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PLANTING

Let the work begin. It was a gorgeous day yesterday so it was time to work outside.
The kids have Cindy a gift certificate for our local nursery so we bought a plum tree and some shrubs. After finding out they do have a planting service but that it would be 3 months I knew it was going to be me again.
This will be my 5th time writing this on my Kindle. I keep losing the changes.
Well I removed the stone from the rectangle you see above. That took a long time but I got it done. Once done with that part I started to dig the hole for the tree. First I ran into something underground called a water muffler. Anyone know what that is? I figured it was there for a reason so I didn't disturb it. Instead I moved the hole over. It was a pain but once again I got it done.
After a break I dug holes for three shrubs and planted those in a different bed. I believe once we are done it will look nice.
I made sure the plants are getting plenty of water. I put something called a Treegator around the tree. It is a bladder that holds water and slowly releases it over a week. The shrubs are on our drip system so that is automatic.
In the rectangle I will plant perhaps 4 shrubs or perennials to sort of anchor the corners. Then I will  be putting mulch down to finish it off.
So we are getting close to being done in the front. In the back I have seeded a few bare spots.


We want to plant one more tree in our front yard. Once we buy it I will get it done.
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GETTING THE JOB DONE

It was a VERY LONG WINTER or at least it seemed like it. I'm not really complaining mind you since Minnesota and Wisconsin seemed to get a lot more snow than we did. I'm just not used to long winters after having lived in New Mexico for 9 years.

Anyway Spring seems to be here finally. It is still too early to plant this far north but at least we are getting warmer weather. I turned on our sprinkler system a few days ago.

There was a large dirt pile & weed patch behind our garage we wanted to do something with. We are not gardeners at this point in life but the weeds were an eyesore. So I borrowed a rototiller from a friend. Now I had to learn how to use it properly. I used them before but years ago. I knew they could be sort of hard to manhandle so I gave it some thought. It was then I remembered something from 40 years ago. Man, it still bothers me that I am old enough to say I remember something from that long ago. I also remember 50 years ago but talking like that just makes me depressed.

It began with a Cessna 150 and flying lessons. In college I had what was called a j-term which was the month of January when rather outside the realm of normal classes were offered. One j-term was about Bug-Eyed Monsters and consisted of studying science-fiction writing. Well another j-term had me taking flying lessons. The class consisted of classroom instruction plus behind-the-wheel training in a Cessna 150. So we studied navigation, radio work, flight controls and all the other things necessary to know about flying.

The day finally arrived when each of us got to ride with a pilot and observe what went on when flying.

Now this is what I saw. A lot of gauges, peddles used for taking off and landing, the throttle controls and the steering columns. So far so good. The pilot lined up on the runway, reaching, I believe 80 miles an hour or was is kilometers an hour and then pulled back on the steering column and up we went. Wow! I was actually in the air. After buzzing around for about 30 minutes we lined up on the runway, slowed our speed from 120 to about 80 and then landed. It was exhilarating. 

My pilot/instructor then talked about when I would have my turn and the problem I presented. The solution to "my problem" was ingenious and gave me the answer for my rototilling problem.

You see, the controls on the Cessna were laid out so that the pilot steered with the left hand while working the throttle with the right hand. I do not have fingers on my left hand so I cannot grip a steering column. Now what? Here is where ingenuity comes in.

My instructor first had me put on the jersey glove on my left hand. Then he proceeded to tape the glove to my hand and to the steering column. It worked. So all through my 10 hours of flight time I was taped to the plane. I never did solo. My instructor thought the FAA would have a problem with a student pilot flying around the countryside while taped in. Besides flying is expensive and I was just taking a j-term so that was the extent of my flight training.

I remembered this incident when I was ready to rototill. I got out my duct tape, found a winter glove and taped myself to the rototiller. It was slick and it worked. Boy am I good or what?

Maybe I should have someone print me a new hand on a 3D Printer. What would that be like after all these years? Intriguing idea.

GRANDKIDS

Well Laura, Lily and Ben are here. They arrived from Denver last night. The games have begun.
So far we have gone swimming at the rec center here in town. Both kids love the water. At home Lily has taken swimming lessons to get used to the water. We have played with blocks and built stuff. They rode scooters on our driveway. We introduced them to marbleworks - a building set our kids used when they were kids. And now we are watching Shaun the Sheep videos. Pretty soon is bedtime for the kids.
Tomorrow we plan to drive to the hot springs in Thermopolis for more swimming. It will be fun.

CARMINA BURANA REVISITED

Rehearsals are going well.
The longer we are into this piece the more I am learning to love it. Floret Silva, Swaz Hie Gat Umbe, and others are gorgeous. The soprano /alto parts just soar so gently away. Then the bass/ tenors come in and provide a beautiful lower sound. Musically they are fairly easy.

Then there is In Taberna Quando Sumus. Man it goes fast. Spitting out those unfamiliar words in staccato and super fast is a challenge. Our director told us that we have got to work on it on our own apart from rehearsals. We are to learn little phrases at a time slower than performance speed. Then we are to gradually take it faster and faster until the words and rhythms just spew forth from our mouths.

This is exactly what he told us during rehearsals for The Music Man. I didn't think I was ever going to get my lines that had to be delivered very quickly. I practiced like he suggested and they did come. You get to the point where you are saying the lines without really knowing what you are saying. They are simply sounds that go together.

Our performance is going to be here before we know it. We were informed again how musicians from all over the state are joining us for the performance. It should be great fun.

O FORTUNA (CARMINA BURANA)

Carmina Burana is so different than I thought. Read the Wikipedia excerpt that follows:

"Carmina Burana (/ˈkɑrmɨnə bʊˈrɑːnə/; Latin for "Songs from Beuern" ("Beuern" is short for Benediktbeuern) is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreverent, and satirical. They were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces of Old French or Provençal. Some are macaronic, a mixture of Latin and German or French vernacular."

First of all I didn't know any of that. I thought O Fortuna was it - the only piece. I had only heard that piece. So to discover it is so much more was surprising. It is composed of 25 sections with the first and last sections being the same. The other surprising thing is that it is so beautiful. Musically it is not difficult. The lyrics though are in Medieval Latin and Middle High German so are a bit different from other Latin pieces I have sung. I love singing in Latin for some reason. Usually though the songs I have sung have been sacred pieces. The difficulty in this piece is the speed of some pieces. Spitting out unfamiliar words very quickly poses some problems but we are working at it.

A web site called Cyberbass contains midi files of each of our parts in Carmina Burana and other pieces as well. I am using it to practice.

Our performance is in 8 weeks so we need to work outside of rehearsal to pull this off. Our director is retiring from his directorship after 35 years so this is his last big performance. He has invited former students and choirs from around the state to join us so it can be a mass choir. It should be very exciting.

FINAL PERFORMANCE

The Music Man will be over in an hour or so. We are leaving it "all on the floor." I believe that is theatre talk for giving it everything you got. It is probably bad luck to say too much at this time.

It has been a great adventure. At first I didn't know how I was ever going to learn those lines. Well now I will never have to say them again. Some time in the future I bet I will listen to the DVD and sing along. It will be good memories. Some of the cast are students who will be graduating so I will probably never work with them again. Others will be in future productions so we will work together in the future.

We finished on a high note. It was a great audience with great energy. I believe there were 489. Over the course of the run maybe a dozen people from church came.

Once the folks cleared out it was time to strike the set. That was a lot of work. It meant we had to take everything apart. Most everyone stuck around. So with hammers, wrecking bars, drills and brute force we slowly worked at it. I left after 3 hours and there was still work to do.

When I got home I was really tired yet it wasn't long before I shaved.

I'm back.

BIG BROTHER, BIG SISTER OF WYOMING

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. They have been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors children, ages 5 through high school graduation, in communities across the country - including ours.

Lisa Beamer, the Chief Executive Officer of BBBS of Northwest Wyoming spoke to our Rotary Club sometime back. Now I had heard of the organization so I knew sort of vaguely what she was going to talk about. Well I learned something different that day about a program that I thought I could do.

The following is an excerpt from their web-site:

School-Based Program
Sometimes the best place for enjoying activities together is at the child’s school. And, the best part is, it can be a great learning experience, in or out of the classroom.

It may sound obvious, but sometimes the best place to help a child realize their potential is at school. Kids enjoy having their Bigs meet with them there, whether it’s in the classroom or on the playground. And parents know what a positive impact it makes.

It’s teacher-approved.

Some of the biggest supporters of our School-Based Mentoring program are actually teachers. They see students come back from their time with their Big filled with confidence, smiling big, ready to learn and eager to succeed.

Learning about life.

Although it takes place at schools, our School-Based Mentoring program isn’t limited to the classroom. Of course, some Littles do talk with their Bigs about class, or do homework, or read together, but it’s perfectly fine to shoot hoops in the gym or play on the playground. At the end of the day, it's really all about starting a friendship, providing guidance and inspiring them to reach their potential. 

At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we have tremendous confidence in our ability to impact children and put them on the right path. But it means even more when an outside study comes to the same conclusion.

A school based program would be a perfect place to start. I eat lunch and I am close to the school and I enjoy children. So I signed up, got my background check and got started. I have discovered that other friends and family members are in the BBBS program as well. That was great to hear.

January 9

I became a BIG BROTHER today. My LITTLE'S name is Storm. He is 7 years old and in 2nd grade. He is excited about having a big brother. I met his teacher and the school counselor also. I am his Lunch Buddy, a school-based program, which means I will meet him once a week in school for lunch and then recess. He seems nice. I was a bit nervous meeting him for the first time but everything seemed nice. His parents are gone so he lives with an aunt and uncle.

STORM

January 15

Day one as Big Brother to Storm. After signing in as a visitor I went to Storm's 2nd grade room. Everyone was curious about the new guy. Now it was time to learn the routine. After getting permission from the teacher we put on our coats and got in line. Then in an orderly manner we went outside for recess. Now what? Well Storm led me over to the swings and I pushed . So he could go high. After that the real fun began. Storm saw my hand for the first time. I do not have regular fingers on my left hand. After looking it over he wanted to be in charge of who else got to look. Slowly he let others in on his secret. I must have shown 12 kids during recess. Of course the reactions were anywhere from curious to revulsion. We climbed the monkey bars together since he didn't know if I could climb. Those monkey bars are made for those a bit smaller than me. I almost got stuck in the middle. Then the bell rang. From recess it was back in line to go to eat. What treat awaited us now? It was French toast sticks, syrup, sausage and chocolate milk. It was good. My favorite mean 50 years ago in school was hot dogs, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Yum. While we ate the word spread that the guy with the weird hand was there so more kids dropped by and wanted to know more about it. Then we were dismissed and we walked back to class. It was fun. I think I'm going to like it.

January 22

I'm going to the school shortly to have lunch with Storm and his classmates. So what will happen today? I think I'll stay away from the clutches of the MONKEY BARS. That doesn't leave me with much. Maybe we'll play catch. Once I get permission to take his picture I'll post a group shot.

My Little (Storm) and I played catch on the playground. His good friend Santi play too. It was fun really. That kept us busy for the whole time. Only a few were curious about my hand today. Kids really can adjust quick. Lunch was tacos, baked beans and chocolate milk. A guy who works in a local store was visiting his son so they ate with us. Dad's name was also Scott. Well that to comments about having two Scott's there at the same table. It was a nice time. The other Scott sent in his application to be a Big Brother. How about you?

February 5

I just got back from Big Brother time with Storm. It is very cold (minus tempts) so no outdoor recess today, thank goodness. That meant we were in the classroom. For 20 minutes kids played scramble, masterworks, with plastic chain links tying up each other, etc. The time went fast. I am getting acquainted with the kids. Many of the kids are still curious about my hand. I calmly explain that I was born that way and then I watch as they try to process that. Oh, the kids do not know about the Big Brother, Big Sister program so they can't believe I am Storm's Big Brother. I may be his grandpa but not brother.

After 20 minutes it was time for lunch. How do you describe a roomful of k thru 3rd graders who haven't been outside in a few days all in the same room sitting next to each other. Think chaos and you are close. The room monitors (grown ups) roam the room while the inmates eat. There is supposed to be no touching and eating is supposed to be taking place. We had taco salad today which was good. Anyway kids were bouncing off the walls. I saw more kids being moved by the monitors to other tables because of issues. Kids took food and nibbled at it never finishing it. There were loud voices and some horsing around. Finally a monitor blew her whistle and informed everyone it was keep your mouth shut time. That of course lasted all of a few minutes. I was thankful when lunch time was over. I emptied my tray in the proper fashion then walked back to the classroom. Of course I always was a brown nose. Storm and a number of classmates ran and had to go way back to the lunch room to walk back. I didn't have to. I said my goodbyes and scurried by to the peace and quiet of my car. I made it yet another day. I am enjoying the experience.

My "Little", Storm". Last Wednesday it was mild out so we had outdoor recess. So we played catch. He is pretty good. Another kid, Brice, joined us. After catch it was lunch time. So we got in line, Storm picked up his ticket, I paid my $2.70, we grabbed our trays and milk, found our spot, went to the salad bar and finally sat down to eat. This is pretty much what our time is like. It goes by too fast.

February 19

It was my day with my little brother Storm today. I went down to his room as usual and the kids noticed right away my new look. They thought it was "weird." They are not the only ones. I freaked out people at rehearsal last night too. We went out and played catch with a nerf football. Santi (his friend) played with us also. I talked to them about how to throw spirals when we were lining up to go eat. Lunch went fine. Storm actually talked a bit more today. I guess that is progress. He did tell me he had gotten a new bb gun and at one point either hit or aimed at a bird. Now I did not know what to say. I do not object to hunting for food but I have issues with injuring animals just for fun. I am going to ask for advice from my team leader as to how to react and what I could possibly have said. Then he and his friend were goofing around doing things that could have gotten them into trouble. I didn't say anything. Should I have? I am the adult. Or what? As you can tell I am sort of feeling my way around here.

February 25

Since the last post I heard from numerous friends who gave me some advice. I even talked to the Director about these issues. Thank you one and all.

February 26
It was indoor recess today - still cold. The kids in class are really comfortable around me now. They greet me and come talk to me. Miss Dell seems happy I am there also. Today Storm gave me a man-hug when I left. That was unexpected and nice.