This ain't your grandfather's second grade class any more........

   As I walked from the living room to the kitchen the other day I passed  by the television. Much of the time the television is turned on just to provide background noise and sometimes entertain the dog, but this particular report caught my attention.

   The news was reporting on the number of schools that are dropping recess for students during the school day. Favorite time of the  day? As a kid... you bet. As a classroom teacher, it was a good break and a time for  kids to get rid of some of that built up energy after all those math problems. But  eliminate recess? Was it now considered unsafe, unhealthy, discriminatory? I pulled up a chair to listen.

   Schools are beginning to eliminate recess because it takes too much instructional time out of the day for more important subjects. It's a waste of valuable teaching time.

   The  broadcast went on to discuss the impact “The Common Core” is having on what is being taught in the classroom, the new expectations of what students need to learn and know for the remainder of the 21^st century. Teachers and schools are finding there is just not enough time each day to 'get the job done.' The obvious solution, do away with some of the 'time wasters' in the school day, one being recess. Could lunch be next?
   The history and development of “The Common Core” is not something that dates back hundreds of years although I think  deep down inside we all know what we should know, a common core of values that should be learned. This new  "Common Core had it's formal conception a few years ago. But it is an issue with strong political agendas and we know what happens when politicians  gets involved in issues and making decisions. It stirs up the 'pot of emotion.' But that may be a  topic for another day.

   I spent a major part of my working life in the field of education, dedicating my career to insure that the next generation would have the skills, the knowledge and training to take society to the next level, whatever that level was to be. But I must confess there were times that I felt that what we were trying to do or achieve... it was almost like driving a car down a highway, except that we were driving the car in reverse to get ahead, trying to move forward but constantly looking back in the rear view mirror.

   American public education is rich with history and traditions. It's goal has always been to provide some level of learning, open and available to anyone  who wanted to take advantage in order to create a better society. With its beginnings in the tiny one room school houses scattered across the country to where we have evolved today, public education set out on task to make this country a better place and one only needs to look at the famous people, political and business leaders, the doctors. scientists and teachers to measure its success, remembering. too, that success is not always measured by fame. But, one  also needs to look at the  failures and struggles  as well in order to understand the mistakes that were made.

   But American education has also become the  great “gate keeper,'” an institution and structure reluctant to change. Some often describe it as 'not stepping out of the box'. And there in lies a great  irony,  "resistance to change". Isn't that what education is all about, the ability to learn, change and grow?

   For example, most students are requires to attend school each year for 175 day, give or take a few days. But do all students learn the same amount of knowledge in that 175 days. What we do know is that some of us take a bit longer to learn than others, yet the expectation for each student is the same, get it in 175 or else.

   For many, the school day begins around 8 AM and ends shortly after 2:30 PM. Recent research shows that high school students are more successful if the day and classes begin around 9:00 in the morning, a bit more sleep. But that schedule would effect the after school activities, the basketball and soccer practices and all the other things teenagers  do after school.

   Originally, if my memory serves me, the school calendar was based upon an agricultural calendar. After the harvest in the Fall and before the Spring planting seemed like a good time to spend in school. There was nothing else to do in the winter months except annoy parents until Christmas anyhow. Late Spring, Summer and early Fall were busy times on the farm and everyone was needed to pitch in and help. Attending school stopped in the summer. Even to this day, there are school districts that shut down in the Fall for a week or two because of the potato harvest. Yet how many kids today help with the harvest. Is it just the continuation of a time honored tradition?

   What I think and hope people are beginning to realize and discover is that with all this new knowledge  that needs to be learned, schools can not operate as they have in the past. Perhaps for some it is a year around activity, of course with a few vacations included. (That does not  mean making all schools charter schools designed 'for profit' as some are proposing.) The world is demanding new standards, new expectations for what kids need to know and perhaps it is time to 'jump out of the box' and be willing to try some new and innovative approaches.

   But... One more thought here. It takes time for ' meaningful change' to occur. In the past we have been too quick to not give “change” a chance. As an institution, 'public education' is often criticized because we start something new and if we don't see immediate results we quickly give up and move on to the next 'new' thing. How many mathematics and reading programs have your children been exposed to in the last ten years?

   I did not attend a one room school, although there are some who may think I may be that old. My second grade classroom with Mrs Graham, the teacher, was very different from the second grade class my grandchildren attended just several years ago. I can only image what the second grade classrooms will look like twenty years from now.

   I know the political debates will continue as to what should be taught, when it should be taught and who should teach it. I  do believe the discussion is a healthy one though and needs to be ongoing. But to drop recess? Come on! It was my favorite time of the day.


PS. If you doubt the importance of a free and open educational system, one only needs to take a look at countries and areas of the world under siege from radicals and terrorists. The first thing they do? Close down the schools. Sounds a bit like history repeating itself, don't you think?  

AAAAA......(Don't worry. Your eyes are fine)

   I was recently part of a discussion in which, for the most part, I had no clue what was being said. Now for me, that might not be that unusual and there will be some who will agree. But in this particular situation, I was somewhat, or I thought I was, familiar with the topic and the subject matter. But the person leading the discussion used so many abbreviations and shortened terms in his presentation it was difficult to follow and understand. In his speech he had forgotten one very important thing, his audience. Many in the room, including myself, needed a dictionary of terms and abbreviations to understand what he was trying to tell us. We were not familiar with all the acronyms, abbreviations and shortcuts.

   Several months ago, with a new cell phone in hand, I ventured into the world of texting and sending messages via my phone and I wrote a blog about the 'new' language and the spelling of words that was quickly taking over the world. One year later, I still often have difficulty understanding some of the messages sent to me, but I'm catching on thanks to an understanding granddaughter.

   Acronyms are a bit different than many of the texting shortcuts and have been used a long time, or so I am told.

   According to Wikipedia, and who would ever doubt Wikipedia, an acronym “is an abbreviation formed from the initial components of a word or phrase.” OMG! The definition goes on to say that while abbreviations for words and phrases have been used for many years, the 20^th century has seen a dramatic rise in their use as we look to find ways to shorten our speech and writing. But does it shorten our understanding?

So let me send you a brief memo..............

To all staff,

The ETS and the HO will be conducting a TBA over the next several months. SV's, AC's and AA's will be assigned a specific ICT during this time. On the forms provide to you, be sure to include your MOB and your HOTs that you generally perform each day.

After you have completed your individual TBA, be sure to E-File the results on the appropriate AIF immediately to your SV.

Thank you for your cooperation, understanding and participation in this very important job assignment study.

FM

   Out of the context from the business or industry from which these acronyms came, you might have no idea what was taking place or what an employee was being asked to do. Even if you work within this group you still might not know.

   I was not surprised to recently learn that in many organizations new employees are given, in addition to all the other paperwork the fill out a sign, a copy of the “The Company Guide to Abbreviations ” in order to help and assist in learning to understand the business language, terms and jargon. And how do I know this? I was given one of those guides at my recent orientation.

   Abbreviation and acronyms have been around for many years. Some are quite funny.

   For example....AAAAA (see blog title) is the American Association Against Acronym Abuse. If you happen to see AATO , know that Acronyms Are Taking Over. If you thought that ABC was a television channel, you might be partially correct. ABC......A Boring Channel. Everyone knows about FAQ's, And maybe with April 1 just around the corner, you may want to think about pulling off an AFJ, April Fool's Joke.

   As the world continues to change, as we move forward toward a total butchering of language and communication, I envision a society where we do very little speaking or writing in full or complete sentences or thoughts, where correct spelling was something taught by Mrs. Graham back in the second grade, rest her soul, and junior high English, where we learned that a sentence must have a subject and verb. What's a subject and verb anyway? Are these  just a distant memory of a missed ALO (a learning opportunity).

   I have come to the conclusion there is a transition taking place. With the increasing use of texting, once easy and understandable abbreviations such as IBM or AT&T are being replaced with a new language and unless someone publishes the 'U.S. Guide to Abbreviations for the Common Citizen,' we may never truly understand what each other is trying to say.... to each other. (Poor subject-verb agreement there.)

   And about that FAQ? We all know that is an acronym for 'frequently asked questions.' So my most frequently asked question is quickly becoming....”What did the memo just say? Did I forgot to submit my QCB on time! What's a QCB?”
  I guess over time I'll start to figure all this out.  UNT........be safe!

Full and fair disclosure... The memo included in the blog was not a real  memo. The acronyms are, however.

Sitting by a warm fire in a comfy chair....

   Sitting comfortably in an overstuffed chair next to a roaring pellet stove with my computer in my lap, thus the name 'laptop' I would assume, I am surfing the web, checking up on the latest news, sports scores and other somewhat meaningless pieces of information.

  A very quiet “ding” tells me that someone has just sent me an email or posted something to my Facebook page. Most of the time the instant communication we now have with others, with the world, allows us to react and respond at our own pace, in our own time. Should I look now or wait until later? What if it's something important? What would I have done twenty years ago before computers or email. I think I'll wait and look a bit later.

While on my 'surfing expedition', I found several pages of 'best life quotes” and sayings, not necessarily by famous people, many from just ordinary, common folks like you and me.

As I scrolled down through the list I found some to entertaining, humorous, serious and the…."I could have said that" type. Here are several examples:

“Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go,
be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and
one chance to do all the things you want to do.” (anonymous)

Someone looking for ideas for a New Year's resolution may want to consider this one. "Dream what you want to be..." But for many of us, there are times when it difficult to take that first step. We are afraid to fail.

"Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.” (anonymous)

Society has done a great job of creating a cultural belief that 'failure' is a bad thing or that winning is all that really matters. A failing grade on a report card often results in restriction to the use of the television, or taking away the cell phone or shutting down the Facebook page, with the intent of teaching a lesson, to work harder. But the result is often an increased fear in trying something new, taking on a new challenge for fear of failure.

    If Christopher Columbus had been afraid of sailing across the ocean because of a fear of failure, of not keeping his promise to the find new sailing routes to the Far East, how many more years might it have taken before the discovery of a new part of the world.(Speaking of Columbus, aren't there some Columbus Day Sales coming up soon.)

   One of my favorite 'life quotes' has to do with open and closed doors.

   “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.” (Alexander Graham Bell)
   
   Personally, I have had my share of doors closed in front of me, most recently in my attempt to get people to take part in a health study survey sponsored by one of the government agencies in Washington D.C. In some cases, I was also told to get off the porch and never come back again.

   Now, I add that as a bit of humor, but  in reality how often have had what we thought was going to be a 'golden opportunity' placed before us, only to have it swiftly taken away and we spent too much time focusing on the closed door, what we thought we lost, we didn't see the new one open  right next to it.

   (I find it interesting this quote credited to Alexander Graham Bell, focusing on open and closed doors and not the possibility of cell phone in the future. But back then, who knew.)

   One of the all time 'sages' of life lessons was Dr. Seuss and without a doubt his wisdom and perspective on the world is missed. One of my favorites …....

   “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” (Dr Seuss)

   …...may have more meaning today that it did years ago. How many of us pretend to be someone we are not for the sake of trying to impress others? Now if you are trying to get a date with an attractive young lady or handsome young man, that's one thing. But what politician or leader has not said things, made statements, to get the vote, when in reality it is not really what they meant to say or reflect upon who they really are as a person? At what cost are they willing to sell their soul to the devil?

   As I get older, I hope I get wiser, learn from previous mistake, but always knowing I may make new ones. Making mistakes is often how we learn. But it is way to easy to get stuck in the past, reliving the memories, both the good ones and the bad.

   “I've learned that things change, people change, and it doesn't mean you forget the past or try to cover it up. It simply means that you move on and treasure the memories. Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means accepting that some things weren't meant to be." (Lisa Brooks)

   But the time has come to add a bit of humor and lightheartedness so, from an unknown source, I close with the following thoughts about success...............

“At age 4 success is not peeing in your pant
At age 12 success is having friends.
At age 16 success is having a drivers license.
At age 20 success is having sex.
At age 35 success is having money.
At age 50 success is having money.
At age 60 success is having sex.
At age 70 success is having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is having friends.
At age 80 success is not peeing in your pants!” 

                                   

                     
For a complete listing of  thousands of  "life sayings and thoughts", you can visit the Best Life Quotes website.              

There are some days when......

   There are some days when, after just a few short minutes, you know that it might be better to go back to bed and start over. No, however, this is not going to be your typical..."you know you are having a bad day when".....posting.

   After discovering that  I forgot to buy coffee on my last trip to the grocery store or forgot to press the 'wash' button on the dish washer before going to bed, I began to wonder what other surprises the day had in store for me. (There were a few old tea bags in the cupboard, but tea just doesn't have the same morning 'kick' as coffee does for me, but...sometimes you make do with what you have.)

   After a brief visual scan of the yard, I finally found the morning newspaper sitting in a puddle of water at the end of the driveway, only this time the delivery person had not put the neatly folded newspaper in a plastic wrapper and the paper was too wet to even think about spreading out to dry. Not the worse thing in the world. I can always catch the news on television.

   Speaking of television, it appears the cable service in not working this morning, so.... no TV, internet or telephone service. Is this some foreign 'rogue' country at work again and is that a mullet haircut he has ?  There is always my cell phone, which, by the way. I forgot to plug into the charger last night. But then there are some days when it might not be a bad thing to be isolated from the rest of the world for an hour or two.

   No news, no phone, no connection to the outside world! A bowl of cereal would be great. Plenty of cereal, but why is the milk a funny color and have a strange odor? Guess I had better add milk to the list along with the coffee I need to buy tomorrow.

   Sticking with breakfast cereal for a moment. I usually put my cereal in the bowl and then add the milk and it blends together quite well. Pour the milk in the bowl first and then add the cereal and it just seems to float on top. Wonder what scientific principle that is? Probably worth a national study....”Why does the cereal float on a bowl of milk?”

   It's raining pretty hard at the moment and I can't get the dog to go outside and besides, my raincoat is in the trunk of the car, which is parked, not in the garage, but in the driveway. I thought I would be smart and, knowing it was going to rain, leave the car outside and let the rain wash off some of the dirt and sand. Did I mention the temperature was 29 degrees and the car was now encased in ice? Well, at least it's nice and shiny.

   My plan was to spend a bit of time on the road today, trying to track down some of the people I hoped would participate in one of the national research studies I am working on, but with slick and icy roads, I think I'll wait until the weather clears and the ice melts. Who wants to have someone knocking on their door on a cold and rainy day? Who wants to have someone knocking on the door 'from the government' on any day? So, this might be a good time to finish up on a couple of projects around the house.

   No clean paint brushes, not enough paint and the sandpaper is pretty well worn smooth. Time to shift to plan B. Clean out the pellet stove. Plug in the vacuum, flip the switch and the room instantly fills with a cloud of black pellet dust. Even the dog runs to another room. Well, at least now I really have something to do! Where are those little blue colored dust collector thingies?

   By mid morning, I had decided that it had not been one of my most productive days, except to clean the living room, and although there had been no major or catastrophic events to slow me down, like a flat tire or the car running out of gas on the interstate or a tree falling through the roof or those other  "you know you're having a bad day events", sometimes there are just some days when it makes sense to roll over, go back to sleep for a few minutes and start over. Maybe by the time I get up the  internet and cable service will be back up and running.

   P.S. For those who thought I might post my annual list of New Year's resolutions, which by the way I very rarely ever keep, that may or may not be for a future edition. However, making sure there is a enough coffee in the house, that the milk in the refrigerator is well under the 'sell by' date and that I park the car in the garage when there is an ice storm might be a pretty good start to some simple, common, everyday resolutions. One more. Clean the paint brushes each time  after using.

                                                     Happy New Year

Of course there's a reason to celebrate............

   Christmas is just around the corner and a new year less than two weeks away now. This alone should and could be cause for celebration. But today, December 21, is a special day too. For those not sure, it is the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

   Each day I watch the weather forecast, primarily to see if I will need a raincoat or thermal underwear or maybe both. But there is one statistic that always draws my attention however....the hours of daylight and the amount of the decrease of sunlight each day since June. As of today, it's eight hours and forty seven minutes of daylight with a decrease of six hours and fifty one minutes of sun light from June. That is when the sun is actually shining. The sun is something we have not seen for many days now, making the dark and gloomy days seem to blend seamlessly into the night.

   The shortest day of the year, or the winter solstice as it is astronomically known. marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, while those south of the Equator enjoy basking in the sunshine and playing beach volleyball with warm sunny days and  starlit nights. Now all of this shortness and 'longness' has a scientific explanation, the tipping of the earth's axis and orbits around the sun. But that explanation is for another day.

   Winter solstice should not be confused with the first day of winter. The solstice is actually just a moment in time, like many things in life , sometime around 11:00 AM I think. And the first day of winter this year? Let's try the snowstorm of November 3!

   The winter solstice has a long history of importance. In addition to being a time of seasonal change, it was often seen as a time of warning and a reminder to communities of the coming months of possible starvation. In many of the colder locations the months of January to April were known as the 'famine' months.

   On a more positive note, many early cultures recognized the winter solstice as a time for celebration, of rebirth, of festivals and for holiday gatherings. It was also a time when much of the wine, prepared and bottled in late summer was now ready for drinking. Let's party.

   The time from mid to late November to early April is a time of early sunsets and late sunrises. Recently is seems there have been very few sunrises due to the stormy weather plaguing the Northeast. Being the hearty stock we are, we know this, too, will pass and that the sun will eventually shine again. And if not, perhaps we can contact our local legislators to submit legislation about increasing the amount of sunshine each day. Maybe the Governor could help too.

   For those really curious, the shortest day of the year does not always fall on December 21, the result of the earth's trip around the sun and other factors, but that gets too complicated for me to explain here. I'll stick with December 21.

   But now the countdown begins. With each new day it starts with only a few seconds, but soon minutes will be added to the amount of daylight. And, as if on cue, the seed catalogs will begin to arrive in the mail and Kohl's and Target will begin their swimsuit and beachwear advertisements.

   As the sun moves higher into the sky and the once lengthy shadows cast from the low winter sun begin to shrink, it will be time to start up the lawn mower, sweep the leftover sand and salt from the driveway, clean up the yard after the dog and take the car to the car wash.

   For sure, Christmas and New Years are great times to celebrate with family and friends. But let's not forget to celebrate, not the shortest day of the year, but what will soon follow, even if it's only one or two minutes each day. 

Sixty eight..........

   Sixty eight could be the year I graduated from college or the number of foul shots I missed before I made the first one in a very limited high school basketball career. It could be the number of fish I have caught (and threw back) or the year of my favorite car (Mustang). But with Christmas just a few days away, this will be my sixty eighth Christmas celebration. I don't remember too many Christmas holidays as a very young child, but as I grow older the holiday seems to take on  new meaning each year.

   Sixty eight years sounds and feels like a long time. (My knees and joints often remind me of that.) A great deal has happened in the world since 1946. There have been numerous wars, a host of famous and infamous world leaders, new and wonderful scientific discoveries, catastrophic weather and political events, all whose impacts and outcomes still not fully known or understood.

   Millions of children have been born and taken their places in the world, but millions also have died because of disease or lack of food, deaths, the result of a world that often turns a blind eye on those who are different or who others in the world may fear.

   In the last sixty eight years paper and pencils have been replaced with computers and Ipads and spell check. Telephones, once tightly fastened to walls and desktops, now slip neatly inside a pocket or purse and travel with us no matter where we go, keeping us in constant communication with the rest of the world. Who  in 1946, would have ever believed that a television show, perhaps the “I Love Lucy” reruns would be viewed on a telephone that fits in your pocket?

   Over the years family Christmas celebrations have evolved also. I grew older, went off to college, got married and with my wife,  started our own family raising three wonderful daughters. Once only parents, our parents were now grandparents and Christmas took on different meanings for them too.

   Within that sixty eight years our children grew up, went off to school, married and started families of their own. Once parents, we were now the grandparents too.

   In sixty eight years there have been a lot of Christmas trees cut down and decorated, thousands of cookies baked, eaten and given to neighbors and friends and more than a few turkeys and hams cooked for Christmas dinners. I personally like the 'left overs'.

   There have been hundreds of presents bought, wrapped and returned because they were either too big, too small or the wrong color.

   In sixty eight years I wonder how many times “Silent Night” has been sung or the birth of Jesus reenacted at the local churches. But while the world has changed dramatically over the years, the story of Jesus, which dates back long, long before 1946, remains consistent.

   This year will be my sixty eighth Christmas and I look forward to it and many more. I know that as each day passes the world becomes a different place, some parts good, other parts, I'm not so sure. But within a few days it will be Christmas Eve and despite all that's happening around the world, both the good and the bad, it is still a special time for many, including one sixty eight year old living in Maine.

   And to those around the globe who attempt to disrupt and destroy, perhaps out of fear or ignorance, on the eve of December 24^th, I encourage you to put down your guns and, for just a few minutes, be silent. Listen to the silence. Perhaps when the sun comes up the next morning, you will have a new understanding of  what “peace” can bring.

PS......To those who may be reading this, I am well aware that some of your beliefs and ideas may be different than mine. But I do believe that this diversity adds richness to life and that our hopes for the future, regardless of what you believe, are similar. Working together we can all make the world a better place.
                                                Holiday wishes to all!

Sometimes it's nice to get away, but........

   Sometimes it's nice to get away, do a bit of traveling and see other parts of the country and how others live. When that opportunity arises for me, however, it often serves more as a reality check.

   Last week I spent a few days on the West Coast. That's what the natives call it. They don't call it California. It wasn't a pleasure trip, though, so I didn't have a lot of time to see the local sights, although there were a few "local sights" moving around in LAX.

   I have been to Los Angeles before, so I was somewhat familiar with the area and where I was headed. The City of Angels? Let me think about that for a moment. I am not sure I saw too many angels.

   The trip West can often be a bear and this trip was to be one of those times. I am not sure how long the flight time normally is, especially with all the time changes and stuff, but when the airplane pilot says its going to be a bit of a bumpy ride in spots and a bit longer in time than usual, that should be a hint.

   For me, when heading west, sometimes it seems you  get there before you leave and even when you are warned the trip may take a bit longer, often that still happens and this trip was no exception. It was a long time on the plane. But the good news......even with the added flight time,  I still arrived at a reasonable hour in the late afternoon. The bad news..... they ran out of food on the plane at row 21. I was in row 29 and there were still at least 5 more  rows  behind me. Several passengers behind me were not happy, especially since they had paid for lunch in advance. Oh well! Good time to start dieting before the holiday food rush.

   The trip from the airport to the hotel can be an adventure in itself  and I have a lot a respect for those who drive the shuttles hour after hour, day after day. The traffic in Los Angeles, the City of Angels, is frightening. When we stopped it took several minutes for the lady next to me to unwrap her fingers from the seat back in front of her where she had gripped so tightly. Those were not 'angels' driving cars. Six lane highways and high rates of speed  is a far cry from the 'one traffic light' town where I live, where our local police officer  sits in the parking lot of the local grocery store, attempting to catch speeders doing 5 mph over the speed limit down Somerset Ave.

   This was a working trip, so there was not time to get out and sight see, especially as someone my age attempts to adjust to the time changes. The clock on the night stand said its only 3:30 AM, but my internal clock kept telling me its 6:30. Should I get up and go exercise in the fitness center? Are you crazy? Why would I do that? I don't even work out at the local fitness center at home! OK. Maybe I can roll over and go back to sleep for a few minutes. And that's what it was, a few minutes! The new time on the clock was now 4:10 AM.

   The hotel was only a few brief steps from the Staple Center, the home of the Lakers, the Kings, and who knows who else. The enthusiasm for sports teams and entertainment in the area is displayed everywhere.

   And food? I will bet within a stones throw of the hotel, and not including the hotel restaurants, there were 20-25 restaurants, all shape, all sizes, and cuisines.

   After three days of hard work and jammed packed training, it was time to return home.

   The nice thing about coming home from anywhere west of Maine are the tail winds. The travel time not only seems much shorter but it usually is. See what a stiff breeze from behind will do?    
   But as with life in general and a strong breeze at your back, there are always trade offs. Sixty to seventy degree temperatures would give way to twenty to thirty degrees and chances are, upon arrival, it would be dark and much later, and I was just beginning to get used to the time change. And about the snow on my car in the parking lot due to the mid-week storm? I thought the airport staff might at least have cleaned off the windshield! Silly me.

   It's been a couple of days now and I am still trying to catch up on lost sleep, jet lag, and doing the laundry. It is nice to get away every once and awhile and see how the rest of the world lives, beyond the pine trees.  
   But traveling and seeing other places also serves to remind me of the choices I  made to live where I live, far away from the large cities and metropolitan areas, away from speeding traffic and crowded highways, and the long lines of people waiting to get into the movie theaters,  to live in town with only one traffic light and a police officer who sits mostly unnoticed behind the trees in the parking lot of the local shopping area, drinking a cup of coffee, eyes peeled to catch the next speeding vehicle on Somerset Avenue.  It is nice to get away every once and a while, but it's really nice to get back home too.  

  ( Christmas at the Staples Center (Is it the tree or Christmas that is sponsored by Coke?)