Day Six: Thursday, June 11, 2009: The Book is Published

Day Six: Thursday, June 11, 2009
Day 4: Yearbook Institute. The Unveiling of the Institute Yearbook. Heading Back to Sacramento

Even though I got to sleep at 2:30 I still woke up at 6:30. Because we stayed so late and I had Jessica's permission I gave them until 10 to come in. Some may come in at 9:30 as that was the time I said to the first group that left.

I went to the book store and then got to the lab by ten to ten but no one was there. They started to gather but the Tiospa Zina kids were almost an hour late. I waited for them to come and then I decided to do "colors" but it had font problems and I am deciding that it needs some serious revision. It's confusing and frankly a little boring to present.

After that they did the evaluations and I talked for a while to Mary and Jessica. At ten to 12 we went into the room where we had the taco bar and gave out awards. But the big event was the unveiling of the yearbook. And it was beautiful I might add. I was surprised at how well it came out. Everyone was pleased and proud.

Sarah, Justine and Matt.

Laken, Doris, Audra

Katrina, LaRelle

Xana, Cari


After lunch I went back to the bookstore and bought a great fleece sweatshirt thing. Then I got back together with Doris Giago and she drove me to Sioux Falls. The original reason was to have her take me to a local Indian craft store. It was great and I bought a Dakota bloodstone buffalo for myself and some great earrings for Christine and the girls. Christine's were made from silver and the girl's from porcupine quills.

I had been getting emails from United and when Doris dropped me of–guess what–it was true. The plane would be leaving late from Sioux Falls. the originally time was 4:53 and it's currentlu 5:56 and the projected time for leaving is seve, More to come.

Got out of Sioux Falls finally at about 7:30 and was in Denver at about 8. Great but missed my first plane. I am booked on the ten p.m. flight which gets in at 11:40. Hooray summer is about ready to begin.

On reflection the workshop turned out to be exactly as I hoped it would. I learned much about a part of the country I had never visited. I enjoyed working with the kids and advisers. The process of actually putting together the mini yearbook was amazing. It came out far better than I could have imagined. The model of being able to actually create a mini yearbook at a workshop is really the direction we all need to be heading but will probably be impossible until ever kid comes to the workshop with a laptop, InDesign, and Photoshop. I am actually very proud of what the kids produced and how much they learned in just three days.

Day Five: Wednesday, June 10, 2009: Let's Get 'er Done

Day Five: Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Day 3: Yearbook Institute, Brookings, South Dakota and South Dakota State University

Today is production day! I'm not sure it's not a little like asking someone to fly a plane after only one day of ground school flight training, but we will somehow get the plane off the ground.


I got to class at about 8:15 and we all got working soon after. We eventually divided up into teams of two or three. The teams were: Cari, LaRelle, and Katrina; Xana and Austin; Matt, Sarah, and Justine; Audra and Laken; Teri and Deb; and Laura. I knew that this group would not want to be randomly placed into maestro teams so I let them work in school groups.. They had to choose their spread topics and brainstorm what they were going to put on it on a large poster-sized paper.

LaRelle and Justine

Cari and Katrina


Audra

Laura

Time went by pretty fast and we all went over to the Medary Commons for lunch at 11:30.

Fish sticks!
We were back working by 12: 30, then at 2 we all walked over to the Dairy building for ice cream. Apparently the dairy program makes ice cream and serves it in the Dairy Bar.


Sarah, Justine, Audra, Laken



Matt with the last of the Chocolate Chip



Then we walked back past the famous campanile.


Laken and Deb
From three on the time flew. Dinner was at 5:30. I didn't go. And from there on it was a race to the finish. As usually all the detail work took linger than expected. We had to convert photos to Black and White, process them a bit, place the spread onto my template, and then do my final proofing.
By 9:30 almost every thing was done but except for proofing and detail work but all the kids except Xana left. That was kind of disappointing. Jessica and all the adults did stay.

The group shot before everyone left.

Thanks for the profofing help Laura.

And you Deb.

I sent them away at around 11 and I stayed until 1:30 finish the title page, setting up the pdfs, and trying toget the cover together. It was a good thing I started something in the morning because in the end it was all I had. I never was quite statisfied with it. The color on the photos will be bad and all the alignment is not perfect. Quite a challenge with the slow computer I had, and the lack of quality cameras and hence quality photos. I just hope it's not embarrassing.
I pdfed and sent it at about 1:15. Hopefully I copied the email address correctly.

I had dinner at McDonald drive through, came back to the hotel, ate, watched TV, and then went to bed at 2:30. Pretty crazy day.

Day Four: Tuesday, June 9, 2009: Teaching Layout on CS4

Day Four: Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Day 2: Yearbook Institute, Brookings, South Dakota and South Dakota State University


Slept pretty well until nearly 6:30 and have been working on today's activities. Went for a very short run and it had been raining. Breakfast at the Fairfield Inn included one of those hot self made waffles which was amazingly good. I had to rush a bit as it was a bit after seven. It just reminded me how I never cut my time close ever when it comes to work. I am always early.

Got to the the school at about 8:20 for the 8:30 start and loaded in some files on the server. I am definitely going to have to get a real server for school. It makes it so nice.

I started with "50 Ways and More" and then took a break at 9:30. When they came back I had them brainstorm coverage ideas for their 2010 book and for our workshop yearbook. They came up with some good ideas and hopefully we can execute them. I am a little nervous.

Next I did my "Basic Design Principles" which then went into the step-by step Homecoming spread. We barely got started with the picture placement before it was 11:30 and lunch. At lunch the advisers in the class and I sat down with Mary and Doris from the department and we learned a lot about South Dakota, "the Natives," and South Dakota State.
I learned that there are three major groups of "natives" here. The Dakota, the Lakota, and the Nakota. SD is divided into two parts by the Missouri River and they are referred to "East River" and West River." The Dakota mostly live "East River," the Lakota in "West River," and the Nakota in the South.

Department head, Dr. Mary Arnold

Tribal drum in the middle of the conference room.


Doris

Painting in the conference room.

After lunch we kept working on the spread and almost got it finished before they had to leave for the Daktronics tour at 1:45. The five kids from Tiospa Zina did not get back from lunch for about a half an hour and Jessica even went out to look for them but they did return.

I hung around after they left to wait for Mary who had to meet her dean before we were going to hang out. I made a call to a guy who wanted to talk with me about Laura and Euna on Sacramento's version of All Things Considered. Mary came back at about 2:30 and we headed over to see her house. Basically all we did was just hang out and chat. She has a beautiful house that is heated by geothermally. Water is cycled down six "wells" to be heated or cooled to a 55 degree constant. Sounds very interesting. they got the floor plan from an architect in Oregon on line. After a while I couldn't take it, and I had to check out for a ten minute "power nap." I thought we were going to seem some sights, but we never did. She dropped me back at the school right at 5:30 and the groups still had not returned.

When they got back, we worked to totally complete and print the Homecoming spread. Then we started the final project which was to choose one of the spreads I had provided and copy it changing the font type and adding new content. They made progress but no one had totally finished by 9.

I drove around the downown area of Brookings and then I stopped for what turned out to be a pretty awesome burger at Z'kota Grille. One of thoe burgers that tasted like one I would make.

Got back to the hotel and a little after nine.

We also pick "Never the Same" as our theme for our little yearbook. My favorite was still learning curves, but this one will work well.

Before they left I told them that tomorrow we would break into groups of two and each group would produce two layouts, the content we would determine tomorrow. That would give us 10 spreads to choose from.

Day Three: Monday, June 8, 2009: Denver to Brookings, South Dakota

Day Three: Monday, June 8, 2009
Denver to Brookings, South Dakota and South Dakota State University

I am supposed to be getting up in Brookings, South Dakota to start a workshop at one but instead I am sitting in a hotel room somewhere near the Denver airport at 5:30 a.m. after a terrible night of sleep.
I have finally gotten my bearings. Still no coffee though and I am heading off the the airport at 7:30. What will today bring?
Got some free coffee, caught the 7:30 shuttle, and was in the airport by 7:50. After circling around a bit I got into the security line only to realize that I did not have a boarding pass. I kind TSA guy gave me a pass to get back in line and so I went up to the United kiosks, got the boarding pass, and was through security in no time. A DIA you often get to ride the cool train/tram thing and I had to use it to get over to the B terminal and Gate 90 where my flight is supposed to leave at 10:37. I walked most of the way to where the gate is and then went back to the center area to have a delightful egg, bacon, cheese biscuit meal. The simple pleasures. Ahhh.
It's now nearly 9 and we shall see if and when I actually get to South Dakota.
I went down and hung out near Gate 90 and we got out on time at 10:40 and we touched down roight around 1 p.m. Mary Arnold was there to pick me up and drive the 50 miles or so to Brookings.


We were in town and on campus by 2 and I got set up and starting teaching right around 2:30 as we thought we might. I have 13 students I think-ten kids and three advisers, and they are all really green. Only two of them have any experience and most of them do books under 100 pages. In the afternoon I did my "what every yearbook should have" and it went well but it probably needs some updating. Next it was "Think Theme" and that took us to dinner time. Jessica drove me to the hotel, The Fairfield Inn, and I got the keys to my car a new Impala.
I then tried to find the Medary Commons for dinner and couldn't so I stopped at the campus police office to get a map. I did find it and I'm not sure I'm glad I did. I had a lovely salad and the baked ham, scalloped potatoes, and carrots. May not eat there again. :)
After dinner we started at 6:30, we went over their theme ideas and we actually came up with a few good ones, and I taught my intro to copy piece. The kids actually did a great job writing and being coached and all of them compelted the profiles. A great start.





We got done at a little after nine and it felt good to have the work part of the day completed. I then had an Oreo Blizzard and bou some chips and stuff at Wal-Mart.
Now I'm just chillin' and not feeling like doing much.

Day Two: Sunday, June 7, 2009: Stuck in Denver

Day Two: Sunday, June 7, 2009
Heading off to South Dakota for Workshop Number 1
I slept well and had decided to stay home to do some workshop preparation. I thought it would be cutting it a bit if I tried to go to church. But I did manage to get a lot done.

Kate and Zoe got back from church at about 11:20 and Kate drove me out to the airport at about 12 for my 2:10 flight.

United has gone wacky. You actually have to pay $15 for your FIRST bag. Why don't they just build it into the price of the ticket? I quickly noticed that my flight was delayed and after being misdirected to the wrong line I finally was able to speak to some one. Because of storms in Denver our plane had not even left yet. So there was no firm time we would be leaving but something was said about 3:25.

After working on my computer for a while I went up to the counter and they really didn't know much. I still might be able to make my plane out of Denver, if I don't get in too late. A bit later they came on and announced that the plane had lefter Denver but wouldn't leave here until 5:30. Surely I will miss my Sioux Falls connection in Denver and have to spend the night there. Stay tuned.
I actually checked it on line and the Sioux Falls plane may not leave until after 10. There's still a chance.

The Denver planed just arrived and is unloading. We will see how long it takes to turn it around. They are trying to get us out of her by 5:30.

We actually did leave by about 5:45, but to no avail. We got to Denver by about 8:45 and as I figure, the Sioux Falls plane left about ten minutes earlier. I got in line at the United Customer Service area and I probably only waited about and hour. Turns out the only morning flight leaves at 10:30 and gets in to Sioux Falls at 1:12! So much for being there for the 1 p.m. opening. The good news was that the guy got me a hotel voucher so at least I didn't have to sleep in the airport. I got to stay at the DIA Marriott and even had a $15 food voucher. No bad. Tom Sawyer would call it "an adventure." I had a club sandwich at the bar and it's now 12:4o.

While I was on the shuttle, I got the news via Facebook that Laura and Euna had been sentenced to 12 years hard labor in North Korea. What a travesty. I can only hope and pray that it's just part of the posturing and political process. I was contactd by both the Bee and News 10 but couldn't do mch for them since I was in Denver. I did give the Bee a quote.
Not forgotten.
It will be interesting ot see what tomorow brings. I think I will leave here about 8.

Day One: Saturday, June 6, 2009: Zoe's Graduation Party

Day One: Saturday, June 6, 2009
Zoe's Graduation Party

I had an Elder meeting at 6:15 that went very well until 9. I told the guys that I would have to leave at 9 to be able to get and help get the party together. so promptly at nine I was in my car driving out of the lot.
I was looking for party decorations primarily and I found some cheap "congratulations" crepe paper rolls at the corner of Kenneth and Madison. The only other place I found anything was at the Dollar Tree where I did find some placard and I bought a cool bouquet of nine balloons. Although it was a bit of a trick driving home with them in the cab of the truck.
I was back at home about 10 and I gave myself about two hours to work on the yard. I mowed and weed wacked everything, cut up the branches that were left out front, swept, and generally slicked up everything. I was finished about noon and then worked inside on what Christine needed me to do.
At some point I went down to school to work on the slide show. I added a few slides and then tried to burn it. It was all good as It gave me time to pull together my workshop stuff. I decided to bring a hard drive and I willed it with all kinds of stuff I might need. I was going to take longer than I had to process so I went back home to shower and get ready, but when I went back it was clear that it would never be done on time so I just bought the computer it was on and set that up for viewing. In the end it have about 664 slides and two movie clips. I never really had time to go through it all.

Welcome to the party!

Zoe, Carolyn Delgado, and Stacy Bonin. Stacy was the first one to arrive. Lindsay did not come because she was playing polo in LA.

Ellen Baker and Keksey Eaton.

Papa made it to the party!

John and Bonita Davis. Zoe had Mr. Davis for Geography.

Zoe and Bob Easter-friends from the Texas Mission trip.

Zoe adn Shannon Pierce, Zoe's water polo coach

Zoe and her French teacher, Jen Jenks

With Jim Wagner, her Honors English 2 and AP English teacher.

Zoe and the Noland family.

Zoe, Lauren Shafer, and Stacy Bonin.