To speak is a gift.  To be a great orator is a gift.

To teach, is something else entirely.  I was at a training today. Three hours long.  They guy, as entertaining as he tried to be, read from a packet he had handed everyone.  The packet was 38 pages long.  Every word on the packet was read verbatim.  It was dull and excruciating.  I had read the entire packet in under half an hour and had to sit through his reading.

He did, to his credit, try to insert pleasant little stories along with what was in the packet, but some were personal stories that were way to close to his heart to be effective, and others were stories that did nothing to elaborate or add new material to the packet.

It reminded me of college, when a professor would hand out a note packet that went along with their PowerPoint slideshows.  But the fact that there was space for notes was redundant, everything they wanted to say and did say was already in the PowerPoint.  The note section was never touched and if you read the packet then there was no need to ask questions or even pay attention to the PowerPoint.

It wasn’t interesting, it wasn’t compelling, if you weren’t a student who learned best through reading or listening, there was no way you would retain anything from lesson.

When I taught we did use PowerPoint slideshows, but in collusion with video, lecture, readings, activities, and research projects.  Granted we had the benefit of teaching of a longer period of time, not a three hour period, however, if you plan to teach something in a three hour period, and you want people to pay attention, give them the resources in one form and ask for or plan activities that encourage participation.  At the end of the training, offer the information in other forms for review and reference.

Or at least that is how I would approach it.  Sitting for two and half hours, after absorbing all the information in the first half an hour, leads to boredom.  And doodling.

I was out with my friend Dan on Saturday night.  I had a lot of trouble not being irritated.  I am not sure if I am showing my age, or its an appropriate response, but I get extremely irritated and frustrated when I hear anyone say “IDK” or “JK.”  Even “LOL” gets to me, but I can overlook that one on occasion.

I understand in text messages (I don’t abbreviate myself but I understand), but how am I supposed to have a conversation with someone when they say “IDK” instead of “I don’t know” or instead of “just kidding” they say “JK.”  It kills me.  It makes me wonder how they got through college, or got a real job.

Man it irks me.  When I heard that girl say “IDK” and follow it up with a “JK!!” I was ready to yell at her.  But she was (is) Dan’s friend.  I held my tongue…..

For a while at least.

Ella rocks. Even on her off cranky days she still likes Funcle AJ.

Visiting Buffalo is always full of peaks and valleys.  High spots and good times and down time that drags.  Its good to visit friends, to see old spots that were home, and people that make you miss being here.  On that point its three in the afternoon and I’m drinking a beer by myself.  That’s ok though, soon its off to visit Baby Squire and the smiles she brings (I suppose I’ll visit the Parent Squires – Sean and Missy – at the same time).

But while sitting here I am trying to figure out what to do about my birthday.  Its less than two weeks away.  Normally I say screw it, and do nothing.  I have a history of bad birthdays.  This one is on a Friday.  I’m contemplating driving someplace I’ve never been before by myself for my birthday.  Literally running away for a weekend.  Whats to stop me?

What I really need is a destination that excites me and at the same time isn’t a ridiculously far drive.  Say less than 4 hours, maybe 5 tops.  Chicago is five (although I’ve been there before).  Ann Arbor is three.  Indianapolis is 5, and Wussy plays there Friday night on my birthday, but I wouldn’t make it unless I took my birthday off of work (tempting).  Cinncinati is just over 3. 

Maybe the Wussy line of thought is the right way to go.  Find a show somewhere on Friday or Saturday that is within my driving limit and go to it for my birthday.  I think I’ll do some research this week and put wheels in motion.

I’m feeling freaking great this morning.  I am rested (relatively), caffeinated, and smiling.

Anyways I’m looking forward to heading to Buffalo this weekend.  Watch the Superbowl with friends (not that I care too much about the outcome), see Baby Squire (that’s right, Funcle AJ is on his way), and in general have a great weekend out of town.

But more than that, I get to drive to work this morning.  And if the tradition I’ve had going for the last two weeks stays, I will happily be passed by the same car with a donut on its front driver’s tire going 70 on the highway.  That’s right, those dinky little replacement spares that are supposed to get you to the repair shop slowly and not too far, its been on this one car for almost two weeks. And the guy cruises, fast, while talking on his cell phone (that’s only been a couple days).  But it makes me smile.  And laugh, and wonder if I’ll get to see the crash when he eventually dies because the donut explodes.

Ok.  This is obviously a work in progress.  I am so out of date with my coding that it is kind of disgraceful.  But I’m no chump when it comes to learning new things (or relearning things I used to know).  It all comes back pretty quickly (and I’ll have Reg as a resource, suck it Reg, questions coming your way).

So this is a borrowed theme, til I get my own up and running.  All in all though, man am I excited.  Like, really excited.  This is going to be fun.  And I’m looking forward to it.  Now to work on getting my Daily Drawings page up and running.