Telling It Like It Is

This was originally posted in October of 2007, but I just ran across it, and thought it interesting.

http://www.patcondell.net/

Family Picnic

Lani and Dad invited Ian and I out to their place for an afternoon of games followed by dinner on the gril. Here they are, with Ian and Justine (Cindee's daughter), playing with a huge frisbee.

It was a beautiful day! I'm glad we were welcome there.

Change is good!

HEEELLLLLLPPPPP!

I'm reviewing calculus in preparation for the semester to start on 9/2. There's no hope for me, I think. Can anyone help with this one? Liiike, Jehf, maybe? :D (Calvin and I have such faith in you.)

[antiderivative symbol] √(4-x) dx

I'm thinking it would be [antiderivative symbol] (4-x)^1/2 dx, but then do I use the formula [antiderivative symbol] x^r dx = (1/r+1) x^(r+1) + C?

I'm getting lost.

JT said...
I got (4-x)^3/2---------- + x3/2by the first rule of Anti-diff. (Anti symbol) x^n dx = x^n+1 divided by n+1 then + C. Hard to show here.. call or email with questions!

JT said...
CALL ME!!

Serena said...
I will - I'm just struggling with the time change. When you're getting home from work, we're heading for bed!

Calvin says hi, by the way. :D

149 Days Left

"I try to go for longer runs, but it's tough around here at the White House on the outdoor track. It's sad that I can't run longer. It's one of the saddest things about the presidency."

- George W. Bush, interview with Runner's World, August 2002

Taken from my Bad President Calendar, August 24, 2008

Check-Up

I had my 4-month blood pressure check today. I'm 'normal' and I've lost 15 pounds.

WHOO HOO!

Note to Self

Ian wants to know how fast the Earth spins, and he figures it's about 500 miles per hour, because when we are on the thruway doing 55 miles per hour, that's really fast, and the Earth moves faster.

I have to remember to show him this website:

http://www.livescience.com/mysteries/070312_earth_moves.html

Cooperstown Bat Company

Our last stop was the Cooperstown Bat Company.


We planned it in time to see a bat-turning demonstration.





Hope and Harry bought the bat he made and will finish it where they work.

***

It is good to be home. I am glad to be single. After spending the weekend in the company of this "happily married couple", I am sure I will never marry again.

Separately, the two of them were fine. Together they drove each other nuts, or at least tried to, spent the weekend trying to get digs in each other (which Hope discussed with her sister, who explained it really isn't bickering, but is actually her putting him in his place, and someday I will choose, for one reason or another, to be in the same situation and will understand), and she wants to return to the 'no men, no kids, no phone' way of doing things and leave Ian home next time, too. I won't do it.

Ian loves Cooperstown so much, it would absolutely break his heart to be left home. Even if I could afford to hire someone to care for him for a long weekend so I could 'get away', I couldn't do it. He was well-behaved, well-mannered and happy. He, the pickiest eater on the planet, even ate his food without complaining. Why leave him home?

A final word on Ringwood Farms Campground... In the past, and one of the reasons why Hope and I revisit this campground every time we go to Cooperstown, is because the place was well-cared for. Grass was mowed, bathrooms were checked on daily, the laundry area was clean. I got the occasional mosquito bite, no big deal, but the campgrounds were attended to.

We arrived early Saturday afternoon and left Tuesday morning around 10 a.m. We spent the entire time with no paper towels in the bathroom and Monday/Tuesday with no toilet paper. The garbage was never emptied the entire time we were there, and the facilities were not checked on in general. The area for washing dishes was in the laundry room, which was obviously not cleaned or checked on. As Hope so aptly put it, "That place was disgusting. I came home and rewashed the dishes." So did I.

Hope and I walked down to the campground office a few times when we were there on Monday, but the office was locked with no number posted to reach whoever was in charge that day. When we checked in, the owner told us he couldn't keep up with the grass because of all the rain, which is understandable, but this year I got myself a nice bunch of chigger bites, which never happened to me before, mowed lawn or not. When we went to check out, the office was again locked, and there was no way to tell anyone we were leaving. I'm sure they've figured it out by now. However,

I think next year we will try a different campground.

The Fenimore Museum

Tuesday morning we broke camp.

At 10, we dropped Harry and Ian off at the closest golf course to play 9 holes while Hope and I visited The Fenimore Museum. They had an exhibit called "Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel", which I was particularly interested in. Hope enjoyed the furniture exhibit called "Gustav Stickley: The Enlightened Home", although the rest of the museum was, I think, torture for her. Ah, well. What are friends for?

The artwork, and the museum, were beautiful. I hurried through for Hope's sake, but I think next time I go to Cooperstown, I'm hitting the museum alone. :-)

The Farmers' Museum - A Working Farm

The Farmers' Museum is actually a working 1800's farm. They have people there that work the looms and make the uniforms for the employees.



The blacksmith makes the metal things that are sold in the museum shop and anything that is used around the museum. Here he is, demonstrating how to make a nail hook:



And here is a toaster:





They had old fashioned games:













The Empire State Carousel was in operation:







Ian got to milk a 'cow':








On display in the doctor's office:


A pill finisher in the pharmacy:

There is a working print shop where various invitations or whatever is needed is printed:


There is so much information packed into that museum, I could have taken a few hours to read everything.

The Farmers' Museum - Ice Cream Exhibit

After a damp, cold night in the tents, we just couldn't seem to get going as early as we planned, but no worries. Today, we toured the Farmers' Museum.

(photo taken by Ian Tabor)

They had an entire exhibit on "Ice Cream - Our Cool Obsession".

("Who Invented the Ice Cream Cone?")

(A milk truck)

("You want some damn ice cream, or not?")

("I'll have one of each!")

(A modern 1940's kitchen)

And in closing:







We were extremely disappointed at the end of the exhibit. There was an old-fashioned ice cream shop set up, and they were serving Nutty Buddies, ice cream bars and things like that. After the exhibit, we sure could have gone for a REAL Milkshake! {heavy sigh!}

Baseball Hall of Fame Kids' Area

Since the last time Hope and I were there, the Hall of Fame opened a kids' area.

My future Hall of Famer

Living room furniture

Baseball Hall of Fame

Anticipation was building to an unbearable level! After waiting more than 50 years to get there, Harry wanted to do the Hall of Fame first. As I said, plans were flexible, so off we went!

(Harry and Hope in front of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York)

Our hands were stamped for readmission, if need be (and usually is, for it takes more than one day to see everything there is to see in there!):




The best 'starting point' for the Hall of Fame is their theatre, which shows a 13-minute multimedia presentation about the Game. It just sets the mood for the self-guided tour.

(Ian in front of the 'screen' for the multimedia presentation that introduces the Hall of Fame)

The Hall is packed full of just-plain-fun stuff, like this exhibit. You open the door, push the button, and inhale - the wonderful smell of fresh-popped ballpark popcorn:

(Smell-o-vision?)

Of course, there are famous documents:

(Jackie Robinson's letter of resignation)

... and paintings:

(Babe Ruth's Called Shot; I Wish I had written down the artist. The painting is beautiful!)

... and irreplaceable memorabilia:

(the cornerstone of Ebbets Field)

... as well as life-size sculptures:

(Roy Campenella catching, Harry batting, and Ian umping)

(pitching like Johnny Podres, almost)

... and famous quotes:

I live for this. :-)

On the Road Again

Today, at about 9:30 a.m., we headed off for Cooperstown, New York, also known as "Baseball Heaven". Dick Williams and Goose Gossage were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year. I enjoy this trip immensely every time I take it.

The weather forecast for the weekend should make things interesting in our tent-camping adventure:

Saturday: Scattered T-storms

Sunday: Isolated T-storms

Monday: Partly cloudy

Tuesday: Scattered T-storms

Never a dull moment!

We planned out our menus and things-to-do lists so we didn't forget anything, and eating our own food at the campsite is sure cheaper than eating in restaurants in a tourist town! Our sketched out plan for the weekend is:

Saturday: sandwiches for lunch on the road, set up camp, marinated pork chops and salad for dinner at the campsite, stargazing event at the Glimmerglass State Park.

Sunday: Breakfast at the family restaurant across the street from the campground, Cooperstown Bat Company, Farmer's Museum and Fenimore Museum, lunch in one of their cafes, hot dogs and potato salad for dinner at the campsite.

Monday: Pop-Tarts for breakfast at the campsite, Baseball Hall of Fame (on Monday, when it will be less crowded than a weekend day), lunch at the tavern in the basement of the inn near Doubleday Field (can't remember the name of the place, but their cheeseburgers are Wonderful), catch a game at Doubleday Field, souvenir shopping, marinated chicken and salad for dinner.

Tuesday: Cereal for breakfast, break camp, sandwiches for lunch, drive home.

Of course, the plans are not set in stone, and we expect them to change as our weekend unfolds, especially since we have 'the boys' with us.

In the past, Hope and I always made our pilgrimage to Cooperstown a "no men, no kids, no phone" weekend, a chance for the two of us to get some coveted peace and quiet. Three years ago, we took Ian with us, and he has been begging to return every year since.

This year Ian and I are going with Hope and her husband, Harry. We are staying at the Ringwood Farms Campground, where we have stayed in all our previous trips to Cooperstown.

***

On the way to the campground, we saw signs for the Petrified Creatures Museum. Harry and Ian went though it while Hope and I went into town to purchase charcoal and firewood.

As it turned out, it was overcast (understatement) Saturday evening, so we scratched the stargazing at Glimmerglass State Park.