Our Wet Week So Far.

Hello Troops,
This is what the night sky should look like if you lived at the top of a high dry desert far from the artificial lighting of our towns and cities. It's a wondrous thing to behold, wouldn't you agree?

We had a great time with the 5th grade classes of Rowland Hall Saint Mark School the last few days. They were sharp, enthusiastic kids. I think the staff are ready for something other than Cry from the Dark now. I like the story but playing the part of the Ferengi with the high whiny voice and lisp for two days in a row is enough for me.

And, striking it out of the park for a third day in a row, we had a great time with Mrs. Gurr's ALL class. They were remarkable. They were polite, attentive, and appreciative of our work and vocalized that appreciation. You wouldn't have to pay me if all our classes were that awesome (that's a figure of speech not to be taken literally. I still need to eat and pay bills).

The Voyager Simulator was in one of its moods yesterday. Rachel struggled at the IIFX station. I don't know what the problem was but she just couldn't get that computer to respect her. Brittney suggested she talk nicely to it. She swears by it, saying it works for her all the time in the Magellan when her computers act up. Instead, Rachel used a heavy handed approach and after using language not fit for print (under her breath of course - we are located in an elementary school - and she is training to be a nurse) quickly adopted a Zero Tolerance policy and restarted the machine every time it went on strike.

"Take that," I heard her say multiple times from my flight control station. The fiendish smile on her face was worth the occasional pause in the mission. The Central fifth graders were a bit spooked by her reactions to the computer. I noticed that on the fifth restart they slide down the bench in my direction and away from her.

"Rachel, you're scaring the younglings," I said as my hands played the keyboards and sound mixer. "You know what to do."

Rachel nodded, opened the drawer next to her and pulled out a Tootsie Pop for each. Within minutes the younglings were calm.

"What is it about those suckers?" Rachel asked.

"My mother's special recipe," I answered. "You soak the Tootsie Pops in Benadryl overnight then rewrap them. Better than a tranquilizer. I never leave home without one or two in my top pocket."

We made it through the missions. I'm hoping the Voyager is more cooperative today.

And Now, A few items from the Imaginarium....

The perfect entrance to any book store or library. Do you think book lovers would be offended?

And something for all you students out there facing you year end Nemesis - Madame Testing.

Again, a simple and imaginative way to liven up a school or office hallway.

Bookmark Perfection

And finally, this photograph was taken over Utah on Tuesday. This three day rain promises to last until Friday. It's a monster storm bringing snow to the mountains and heavy rain to the valleys. Remember, all that snow must find its way to the valleys - and when it does it will not be pretty. Get your sandbags packed and your swim suit, snorkel and goggles ready. It's going to be a rough, wet ride as we warm into summer.

Mr. W.