Deadline Approaching

Monday was back to work day for me.  I'm happy it was only faculty and staff present.  (Students start back today after the holiday break)  Is there anything more dull  than a faculty meeting?  Time ticks by...... tick, tick, tick.  The same things are said over and over and over.  And sometimes many words are spoken but nothing is really SAID.  I don't know which annoys me more.  Oh yes I do.  What annoys me the most is the speaker who WALKS as he talks.  You know, kinda paces back and forth and stares at the ceiling as he talks.  And chuckles at his own humour.  All the while not really saying anything at all.  I moved from a full faculty meeting, to a division faculty meeting, to CPR refresher.   A full day at school and I didn't learn anything new or get anything done.

Oh, there was one little interesting thing that happened during the full faculty meeting.  You see, I teach at the same school my daughter attends.  I'm on the other side of the campus but it does allow us the fun of being together every day.  (in fact I'm thinking of leaving this job at the end of the year when she graduates from the middle school and moves on to high school)  Once again, I digress.

The 8th grade science teacher made a quick announcement:  "The Science Fair is a week from Friday.  If you would like to bring your class by to see all the displays please do so after 11:00 as judging will be going on in the morning.  After the juding is complete, you are welcome and encouraged to come see all the neat displays by our middle schoolers"

Can you imagine the part I heard?  THE ONLY PART I heard?

WEEK FROM FRIDAY.

What?

Oh no.  I could have sworn the syllabus said February.............. something.  Didn't it?  Oh great.  Just great.

I immediately texted THe Engineer who is home from college.

Here's my text:

"Science Fair is a week from Friday.  Can you and your sister build the crazy thing?"

Dancer Girl had decided she wanted to build a wind turbine.  The Engineer guided us what we needed to buy and how to build it, etc.  He agreed to help her complete the project over the holidays.  Well the holidays came and went and the bag of materials from Home Depot sat in the laundry room

Text back form The Engineer:  "Yep.  Got it. "

I looked across the table and Mrs. W was looking at me.  She mouthed, "are you ready for the science fair?"  I did the thumbs up.  "We're ready"  I whispered.

Is that a lie?  Ha  I guess it is.  When I told The Engineer he laughed and said, "We're........... not even started"

Oh well.

I am thankful Mrs. D made the announcement.

By the time I got home, my kids had built the frame, coiled magnetic wire, found the Rare Earth Magnets (never even heard of them) found a water bottle to act as the actual turbine.  It will be powered by a fan.  As the water bottle spins above the magnets a magnetic field will be created.  That is as far as we got.  Or "they" got.

Today after school we are going to power it up with the fan, attached the magnetic wire to a gatorade soaked potato, "plug" in a USB port and see if we can generate enough power to charge a phone.

I'm just glad it's going to be finished today.

How's that for a quick science project.


In other news:  P90 workouts going strong.
Mrs. C told me she has joined a gym and hired a personal trainer.  Three days a week after school.
I'm interested to see who sees results.......... quicker and more noticeable.  Me and my DVD or her and her live human.  Maybe that should be my next science project.

Toodles.