The Stars That Usher Evening Rose

This past Wednesday I had to get up at 7:30am which isn't the most delightful time in the morning for a college student. I had to get up because I was going to Vance Elementary School in West Asheville to go talk to a 4th grade class about weather. Another fellow student, Chad Hutchins, and myself got there just before 9pm. We had some trouble finding out exactly which class it was we were supposed to be speaking with but with a little help from someone in the front office we found it. We went in started to set up our stuff and ran into some problems as the projected was being incorporative with us. Finally after getting some help we got it all up and running. We then talked to the students about severe weather. Chad went on to discuss what classifies as severe storm. I then followed with and explanation of how a storm forms, how hail forms, what causes lightning (as well as the different types of lightning). Chad then talked about tornados and how they form. We both talked about safety concerning each of the things that we were talking about and how to prepare. Throughout the whole thing we asked them several questions which some were easy and some were a little more difficult. We had them share some stories of their own about some neat weather events they had seen or been a part of. The students were very receptive to us and asked a lot of questions and had a lot to say even to the point to where we had to calm them down a few times in order to proceed. We eventually ended at 10am which was 20 minutes longer than the planned time, though the teacher didn't seem to mind and neither did the students. So all and all for our first go at it I would say AMS Outreach (AMS=American Meteorological Society)was a success. We had two other groups to with other people, one also later on Wednesday and then another one today. From what I have heard it has been a success on their end as well. We plan to continue AMS Outreach next year as well following these same students on to 5th grade and working with them there to try and help broaden their understand and increase their awareness of weather. Hence the name AMS Outreach. It should be a lot of fun as I know I enjoyed it and look to continue with it next year.

As for other things still not much going on as all I have left now are my finals next week before I finally head out of here for the Summer on May 9th. Which will signify then end of Physics and Calculus. Thank God, because I have no idea how much more my brain could have handled.

It is kind of annoying when you have absolutely nothing to post about. Then you go several days without posting anything and people wonder what happened to you, if you quit, etc... Anyway that has been my issue and seems to have been my problem a lot over the last several months. I know I don't lead the most exciting life in the world but you would think something would pop up every now and then to post about. Atleast something more interesting than what I have left in school like two test and then finals. Also I have no idea whats up with my comments and why it just says "comments" and not have a number like it normally does, been this way for a little while now.

Though I did have another weird dream about a week ago that I had meant to post about several days ago. This dream did something that no other dream of mine that I can recall has done before, in that it tied it self into a book I am currently reading. That book being Watchers by Dean Koontz. The dream started with me running towards a movie theater from something that was chasing me. I hadn't seen what was chasing but I knew it was huge. I ran into the theater and made my way quickly into a movie where I sat down hoping the thing chasing me couldn't find me there. My hopes were dashed when a huge creature smashed its way in through the side of the theater. I didn't get up and run right away I instead watched for a couple seconds as it attacked some of the people in the front rows. Finally I jumped up and ran out of the movie making my way to the front of the building were instead of exiting the building I hung a right and ran into a restaurant that was adjacent to the theater and ran towards its bathrooms thinking I could hide in there. But, just as I got to the bathroom doors I stopped and realized running into the bathrooms was a bad idea because if the creature found me in there I would be trapped with almost no escape. So I turned around and fled out of the restaurant and into the parking lot. I ran down the side street of the parking lot eventually turning left into one of the lanes of the parking lot where I stopped running and turned back around. Within a couple seconds I saw a shadow approaching towards my lane from the side road. I stood there almost as if in a trance watching the shadow grow. Then a girl around my age came running up towards me and as she got to me she said "If I was 14 feet tall you would be dead." Those seemed to be the magic words as it snapped me out of whatever trance I was in and I turned around and ran towards my car which I found parked in one of the parking spaces to my right. I jumped in the car started the engine, looked in my rear view mirror and saw the large creature approaching from behind. So instead of packing up I just put the car in drive and drove over the median in front of me and accelerated towards the exit of the parking lot. I reached the light and it had just turned red so knowing I had a couple seconds before the cars started coming from the other direction I nailed the accelerated and took off out of the parking lot (tires squealing and all) and headed as quickly as I could down the road. Once the theater and restaurant were out of my rear view mirror I started thinking to my self "Ok, the creature can only travel three miles per day so if I get myself a large enough distance away from it then I should not have to worry about for an extremely long time." This thought I got from that Koontz book I am reading as there is a creature in that book known as "The Outsider" which is an ape that had been mutated though genetic engineering to become a killer to be used to fight in wars. In the book it escaped from a lab, along with a highly intelligent dog, and is stalking the dog to kill it. In the book it is mentioned that it travels an average of three miles a day. So, going back to the last piece of the dream I continued to race down the road until eventually I woke up.

Got some bad news concerning Clancy earlier today. Basically he is dying. Sounds a lot worse than it is I guess. Figures just a couple days after I brag about what great health he is in that something like this would pop up. First off the vet is about 90% sure he has cancer. But at the same time that vet is also about 90% sure its an extremely slow moving cancer and so much so that they say that considering his age that it's not really something to worry about. They also found his heart is enlarged. This isn't uncommon for dogs his age but none-the-less even though it hasn't go into anything serious yet it definitely could and probably will down the road. Also his trachea is slowly collapsing they said that in some places its pencil thin and that at some point in the future it will completely collapse. Despite all these they have no idea how long that means he has. They told my parents it could mean six months or it could mean two or so more years. Though all that a side my mom says Clancy has been doing great lately. She said he has been playing a lot more and his back and joints don't seem to be causing him near as much trouble. So despite all these new problems arising they don't seem to be effecting him at all as of now. So we shall see how he does and like I told my mom all that matters is that he is happy, which he is.

Today is my dog Clancy's 14th Birthday. I seem to be the only one in the family who remembers his birthday. My parents always forget so I have to remind them every year. Despite now being 14 he still is doing very well. Other than his back he is still in great health especially for a dog his age. Therefore, as long as his back holds out then who knows how much longer he will be around. Hopefully a while longer though as I am in no rush to lose him. I even have a picture of him up on Facebook now. I still remember when we bought him way back when in early August of 1992. That was even before my nephew William was born (October 1992). Happy Birthday Clancy!

For a large part of last week I was at my sisters place in Charlotte which is why its been a while since I last posted. While at Cathy's house I didn't do a whole lot as I mostly just enjoyed being away from all the stresses of school for a few days. Though on Wednesday I did go to Jacqueline's horseback riding lessons. Helped William improve free throw shot in basketball though he still needs some work. I also played him in a game to 21 and kicked his butt 21-5. Went to the mall on Saturday and I bought some National Championship stuff for Florida(a shirt and a hat). But that's basically it. Though I did have a weird dream while I was there but remember very little of it. I remember being in a hotel being chased by some deranged man in a pirate costume. I didn't know if he was trying to kill me or not but I know I was scared of him. I also remember locking myself in a hotel room to get away from him. But that's about all I remember.

Now I am back at school to continue the torture. Thankfully I only have one month left. I still have a 12 page paper, 4 test and finals to go between now and then. Not to mention my other homework I have every week. I am just ready for it all to end. I also signed up for my classes next semester today. I signed up for German I and II (a whole year worth in one semester so I will have it every day), Differential Equations, Thermodynamics in Meteorology and Synoptic Meteorology I. So it will be a tough semester but not as bad as this year as been.

FLORIDA GATORS 2006 NCAA BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!

I can't believe it. I am not going to be able to get this simle off my face for a month. #1 Baby!!

Today is the big game. At 9:20pm my Florida Gators take the court against UCLA for the National Championship in basketball. I think Florida does have the edge in this game but then again I am biased. Only thing that sucks is I have to work from 10pm-12am tomorrow night which runs right over the game. Though thankfully working in the game room gives me a TV to watch, so I will still be able to watch it except I will just have to put up with a bunch of noisy people.

Anyway NCUR starts here at UNCA on Thursday and runs through the weekend. Classes have been canceled during that time. So I am heading off to Charlotte, after classes on Wednesday, to get away from the over 2,000 people they are expecting to be here. Hard to believe that when I get back that following Sunday that there will only be about four weeks left till school is over. Though unlike last year I am definitely ready for this school year to end. Then just one more year left.