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ADHD in Women
Gaining Control over my lifePosted by Klippy to ADHD in Women on Nov 02, 2013 at 9:40pm | 20 Comments
I have known I have ADD for years and I have just let things get out of control in my life. My house is a mess, I have no organization of hardly anything. I am desperate to get control of all of this chaos. It is very depressing and because I am depressed I tend to just lay around and get nothing done. It is just so overwhelming I do not even know where to begin. I think my first order of business is to get my house at least picked up and cleaned. How should I begin this? I have found that when I start to pick up my house I do not have enough room or places to put things up. So I get frustrated and then I just quit. What should I do? Do I just start by cleaning out areas of my house, you know closets and drawers and the such and not worry so much about cleaning the house but rather organizing areas first? Or should I clean up the house and just poke things anywhere I can find space and worry about organization later? I have tried Flylady but that just does not work for me. I work for the school system so I have time off here and there but I still consider myself as working full-time. Any help anyone can offer me would be appreciated. I just need a beginning point. I know I cannot get everything done in one day or even one weekend but I would like to get a starting point to begin.
Actually, I got into the same situation, so I looked at my home in terms of what would be seen when friends came iinto my home.
What you may need is a "Plan of Attack" so that you have a blueprint to work from and specific steps to follow. Flylady does work, but some of us need to have made a dent in the mess before we are able to follow her advice/methods. Here is what I did.
I started at the front door and looked around the room while holding a steno tablet and a pen in my hand and listed the things that I needed to do from my viewpoint at the door. Most of the problem was having so much stuff out of the places it belonged. Cleaning was done after moving all of the out of place things back to whee they belonged. From that point, I kept going forward through my dining room and into the family room at the back of the house. When I reached the back of my home, I started entering the areas to the left (Kitchen/laundry). When I had completed what had to be done in those areas, I cleaned each area before moving to the next area. When the center and kitchen side were done, I started on the other side, where the bathrooms and bedrooms are located.
As you are doing these areas of your home, have three bags or baskets/bins with you. One is labeled "keep/put away", the other is "throw away", and the third is "give away/donate". Using the three bins made it a lot easier to get rid of things that were no longer needed. With my home in such a mess, I ended up with a bin for each room of things to put away, but that was okay. I could do the putting away as I cleaned.
Cleaning is a matter of starting at the top and in the corner the furthest from the door. I dusted celings and overhead items, pulled curtains down to wash them (or send for dry cleaning), and spot cleaned any spots on the walls, washed the inside of my windows and sills before replacing the window treatments.
I followed that method until I got tot he kitchen. There is no point in trying to dust a kitchen. Cooking film makes things stick, so I scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom, then progressed to emptying and cleaning each cupboard over the counters, the range hood, the refrigerator and stopped when I had completed the lower cabinets and the range. I pulled everything off of the counters while I cleaned. As I emptied each cupboard, I used my three bins to advantage. I got rid of duplicate utensils; items that I no longer needed or used; and cut down on the number of things I kept in my kitchen. I treated myself to new potholders, towels and a new dish drainer and tray, too.
There is one problem with getting all of those space cleaned and looking good. That clean space has to be maintained. To help myself, I began following Flylady. I have been following her wisdom for over six years now and have no regrets.
Develop a basic daily plan for yourself. My Morning Plan is simple. Out of bed, bathroom things, dress to my shoes, make the bed, gather laundry, (coffee pot is on a timer from the night before), meds, breakfast, second round meds, start thawing what is planned for dinner, review my plan for the day, and get started on my daily plan. Evening Plan is just as basic. Gather things from the spaces where I have been and put them where they should be (coffee mug to the kitchen), set out clothes for tomorrow, take nighttime meds, turn off the lights and lock up the house, and go to bed.
My home has been broken down into "zones" so I know where I will be working each day to keep my home clean. Once the big cleanup was done, it was an easy matter to keep it that way so long as I stuck to the "routines".
I now have my complete "plan" typed and contained in a planner that is used daily so that I do not fall back into my old patterns.
It all sounds like a lot to do, and, initially, it is, but it is all do-able, and it is not difficult to maintain. It does, however, require some self-discipline… I have reminders and alarms on my cell phone—quick "nags" that remind me of what I had to do. I have asked my daughter and my husband to hold me accountable and they help when they are needed, but that does not happen very often.
You work in education, so you know what a "curiculum" is. Just build one for yourself and then you ahve the plan. After that, put it into a schedule that is reasonable. Plan your big cleaning projects or other big projects for the times when you are not working at the school. Don't make your "plan" so rigid that it becomes impossible. Rome was not built in a day. Your home did not get in this shape in one day. You need to kind of work "backward" to get your home where you want it to be, then move forward by maintaining what you have accomplished.
I am not a professional at organizing or housework. I do know what works for me.
Thanks so much - I am just sitting here thinking WOW!!! You have really done a great job. We recently had a death in the family and someone made the comment they dreaded cleaning out my aunt's house because of all of her junk and there was no order to anything. That hit a nerve with me. How long did it take you get to the point of doing routines or rather maintenance? It sounds like to me you are recommending to clean out/organize first and then do a cleaning but to do it room by room.
Hi, Klippy! It took me a month to figure out how bad things had gotten and how to start working my way out of the mess that I had created. In the two years before I started, I was the only cregiver for my two ailing parents and was living with them while my husband was still working and living in our home. My parents left their home to me.
We moved into a much smaller home without giving throught to how things would fit and what was to stay and what was to go. I pretty much had two of everything—very overcrowded and ovewhelming. Even worse, I had to get the old house ready to be rented (the market did not make selling it an attractive choice.)
I had done no purging at all before combining two households of furniture, dishes, etc. The linens alone were a huge problem. The kitchen was crazy! My previous kitchen was a "country" style kitchen and huge. My parents' kitchen is a small, galley kitchen with no storage.
But, I started out by doing my clearing out and organizing in two different ways. Clearing out was pertty much obvious as far as stuff that I did not want or need to keep, so I did a whole lot of that before doing much cleaning at all. I sold or gave away duplicate furniture items that I was not keeping by taking those things to a local swap meet. I cleaned them up in the garage and left them there until they went into the truck. That took up about the first three weeks. I worked on the furniture after work. My neighbors had teenagers who helped me move the heavy items and I paid them for their work. they also went to the swap meet with me. I came home with only one small table and a chair. I was also able to use those when I got things organized inside the house.
Once the major problem of the furniture was solved, I began doing the room by room cleaning. I chose one room to do over Monday and Tuesday. I took Wednesdays and thursdays to do the general swishing and swiping in the rest of the house and to do the shopping, banking, errands, and appointments. The next room was handled on Friday and Saturday. My husband was at home over the weekends, so I took Sundays off.
This house has living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, family room, "man cave" (or third bedroom) and two bathrooms. I lived out in the desert, so just getting to town for my cleaning supplies was time consuming. I shopped once a week, picked up my mail at the post office, ordered any items needed for fixing things at home (paint, lumber, sand paper, etc.).
From start to finish, the entire inside of the house took me just over a month. Refining things was done over the next couple of weeks. Cleaning my entire house now only takes a week, but that is because I refuse to become a "slave" to the house.
I am now retired and there is too much other stuff to do!
Because you are still working, I would suggest not tackling a whole room until you have a couple of days to start and finish it in before going on to another room. Perhaps on your weekends, you could take on a smaller task like the papers that need to be filed or tossed. Give the house a good airing out, do the dustring, and break out the vacuum cleaner.
Bring a stack of sticky notes and a pen with you and tag the things that you need to deal with, but do not stop what you are doing to deal with them. Does that make sense? In other words, do not break your stride to take care of the things you see, just make a note and keep going. Distraction side tracks me and possibly you, too. You want to get other things done.
I am going from memory on all of this because it took place over twn years ago. I did keep a journal of it, but I would have to pull that out of my archives. LOL
I am on medication, adderall which I take daily. The medicine does help. I just get so frustrated with myself because I just seem to not even start cleaning. Our house is not nasty dirty because I do clean up some but it is just over run with junk which makes cleaning so hard. And the thoughts of someone coming to see us, please do not even go there. I go to other people's homes and they look ready for guest at a moments notice. I really do appreciate all of the suggestions and stories you have shared. I just recently purchased the app Motivated Moms I am hoping that will help me to stay on track.
One other thing I wanted to ask—do you all have trouble purging stuff. I seem to want to hang on to everything thinking I might need these. How can I over come this problem??
Awesome Mitzi, as always you nailed it… Its time for me to get in touch with balance, energy and nature. Thank you
Thank you for your post Klippy and for everyone's helpful and thoughtful suggestions. I'm struggling with the same problems. I went from a mom of two teaching full time with a chaotic, unorganized house and now I am a stay at home mom to three with a chaotic, unorganized house. I am feeling very frustrated that even being home full time for the past year, I just can't get ahead of the mess. I get so overwhelmed by it and just flit from surface to surface and never really manage to make a dent in anything. Then I beat myself up for "failing" at making my house a home. I've begun purging lately as I've come to realize five people can only have so much "stuff" in a small home. You can clean and organize all day everyday but if you have too much junk and too little storage I think it is always going to be cluttered and overwhelming. I'm trying to live by the mantra, "if we don't need it, use it or love it…it has to go." Hopefully after I lighten the "load" I can follow some of the above suggestions to make our home more organized, restful and inviting.
Hi, Kaylee74! One of the biggest ways that we defeat ourselves when "stuff" is the problem is in trying to tackle too much of the "stuff" at a time. It is sort of like setting ourselves up for failure. When I catch myself doing that, I stop, grab a cup of coffee or a bottle of water and really think about what I am trying to accomplish. Most of the time my examination will show that I am trying to tackle too much at once.
Start with one space, say five feet by five feet. Get that area as nice as you can, using the three bins for "keep/put away", "throw away", and "give away/donate". After you get the clutter out of the way, the area is much easier to clean and get into the order that you want it to be in.
Kids need to learn early on that their toys and things are their responsibility. Why? Although it does not seem so when they are very young, the day that they finally leave your nest and go out on their own should mean that they know what they need to know to keep a home of their own. We do them no favors when we are doing things for them until they are ready to leave home.
Set up a short list of what the kids should learn how to do now. Depending on their ages, this could be "Put your toys away before bedtime", "Get your homework done", or other simple tasks. You did not mention the ages of your children, but there ae lists all over the internet that break chores down by the age of the child. Yes, you will have to show them, perhaps numerous times, how to do things, but how else will they learn? I found a great explanation for this on a blog, "A Slob Comes Clean".
Hold your children accountable for the things that they are supposed to be doing and responsible for getting those things done. Even a three year old knows what "Put that away" means after they have been shown what "away:" means.
start small. Break each room into "zones" and do one area at a time. Older kids can do this, too. That would go a long way toward getting their things whee they belong. Give each child a large bin for their closet floor where they can keep their "stuff".
I found it helpful to completely empty my closets and only put back in there what was actually being used. It might seem wasteful to get rid of so much, but it is just as wasteful to keep what is not being used.
For things that are only of sentimental value, take a nice picture of it, then either give it away to another family member or donate it. You still have the picture of it.
Hiya, just to say, that if you need a little help with structure, I find the FLY lady really helped me as a starting point. It really did help me get my mind clear, and the daily reminder emails did help, once I made a commitment to myself to actually act on them….
Decluttering has been a massive help for me. Ironically we now have a big house, that we "could" fit everything into, but actually we have a lot less possessions, and that has really helped me to keep on top of things!
All these lovely comments have really inspired me again to make the last push having moved house over the summer….
I just joined this group so this is my first post. I just diagnosed with adult ADD myself. I have known that I've had it for a long time however and have had read lots of things on it and have recently developed strategies to help me keep moving forward and get through my day instead of getting stuck.
One of the first things I learned recently that helps is to stay positive and give yourself praise for doing even anything even if it's just one thing.
Starting to do this will help you continue to do more things. Don't beat yourself up if all you can do is even one thing a day as it will prove as you start getting more things done and feel proud of even little accomplishments.
One thing I would bring up for a recommendation that i recently found if you have a smart phone is a new app c called "Daily Routine".
You can enter the things that you want to do at certain times and/or a certain order at certain times of the day and you can set reminders for them. I don't worry so much about the times that they take because that's hard for me to plan but just the list of things to get done at certain times the day is very helpful.
It's a very colorful app and is totally customizable and has icons for tons of categories. I used to have a hard time figuring out what to do or what to start on in the morning and then would get lost in doing nothing other than watching TV or not knowing what to do next so would get stuck. Now, what I do is know that when I get up I just have to open the app and look at it then I just go line by line of things to do. It has been very helpful for me! I'm excited to be involved in this group nice to meet you all.
I just realized that this is me, 40 yrs old…I thought I was at a breaking point, like what the heck is wrong with me…if anyone knew how I really feel, how I really am…they wouldn't believe it. I am so put together on the outside, but it's so not the case. I stumbled on some Youtube videos by psychiatrists specializing in ADHD in women, and I'm overwhelmed at how accurately they described me. I can't take my house anymore, everything has become overwhelming. What do you all suggest is a first step. Do I need to see a Dr. or therapist first?
At 46, I'm newly diagnosed with ADHD (past year)...don't feel bad…my house is coming along slowly, but the majority of it still falls in the CHAOS/too much stuff/tornado came through category. I asked my best friend (who's seen my house) to come help me one afternoon, and we tackled the entryway & kitchen. My kitchen is at ~90% of where it needs to be (but its 600% better than it was, trust me!!!); the entry was cleared, but now I'm "junking it up" again by bringing in bags from stores and depositing them on my new organizer bench. GOTTA figure out how to break the drop it inside the door habit!!! Working with an professional organizer helps, but it will accomplish more if you can "thin the herd" of stuff beforehand. The timer is a wonderful thing—I have one that clips or hangs around my neck to keep you on task. You can do ANYTHING for 15 minutes (or whatever time you decide) and you can always set another 15 minutes if you're feeling motivated
Forgot to mention, I'm seeing Dr every 3 months for medicine evaluation/personal evaluation—-medicine helps. And like someone said, it didnt get messy in a day, it wont get clean in a day—-keep chipping away at it & soon you'll have a shiny area for inspiration!
Two of the downfalls of my ADHD are my lack of the concept of time and the inability to prioritize. I also have circular thinking (this can't be done until this is done, but that can't be done until THIS is done, and on and on, etc.). Oh, and another one: procrastination mixed in with perfectionism. Like you, I didn't know where to begin, or which area/task/project should be done first. I got the suggestion of making certain routine tasks to be done on certain days; for example, Monday is laundry, Tuesday is dishes, Wednesday is taking out the trash and straightening up the house, etc. I started out doing this and it was really hard at first, but eventually I noticed I was doing even more than just my one scheduled daily to-do! I didn't even realize I was motivated and getting things done until I sat down and looked around and was like, "Wow! Look at all I've done, and I didn't even realize I was doing anything productive!" I was just DOING.
Another helpful suggestion I got regarding my inability to prioritize is to JUST START. If you don't know where to begin, and start the circular thinking, get overwhelmed, and freeze, you get nowhere. But if you just start something, anything, and do it, then something is done!
I'm still working hard and I finally just recently unpacked (still have some organizing to do, though) and I moved 7 1/2 years ago!
Good luck! You can do it; don't give up!
Hi Ladies,
I am being diagnoised by ADHD at the age of 30, which is scarey but relieving in another way. I always knew something was not right with me and it took me a great deal of energy and pride to hide this. Until now, no one could tell but since two weeks, I feel like I'm falling apart and I am no longer able to keep control. I am exhausted and dizzy, I have the feeling as if I am on a boat that keeps rocking. Has anyone had this? I am just wondering if it could be an emotional reaction to discovering this news?
I have done years of therapy to work on myself (specially in relationships) and although it helps me a great deal, I know now that there are many things I cannot deal with on my own and this is what scares me.
Your posts make me feel less alone, thank you! However, I wonder why I am not messy in my home, it's quite the opposite…wish I could say the same with my inner self.
Hope to get some feedback..
Gogetter11 and Vessie,
It's amazing how closely your posts reflect the way I've felt about my own life for so long! Once of the most awesome things about joining a group like this is the realization that you really aren't alone in these struggles - after years of feeling like there is something so wrong with me, I've finally found a community where the way I am is completely understood. And more importantly… accepted.
I am 37 and I was diagnosed with ADD 7 years ago. The diagnosis helped me TREMENDOUSLY because it finally gave me an explanation for my struggles, and also gave me some direction for what I needed to do to manage them. (By the way, if you haven't already discovered" Women with Attention Deficit Disorder" by Sari Solden, I highly recommend it. I found it so useful when I was diagnosed!)
What I've learned in the last 7 years is that the ongoing struggle never really changes (we are who we are), but you can honestly make it easier by doing the things already recommended in this thread - adjusting your diet, exercising regularly, and finding the right medication. I also think that having a supportive partner and the right job also really helps, but those two things aren't always within our control.
For me, frequenting web pages like these and participating in discussions like this also really helps a lot! It feels good to be reminded that I'm not alone in these struggles, that I'm not a bad person, and that I'm not CRAZY. Because of all the things we face everyday - disorganization, poor memory, being late, etc. - the feeling that there is something wrong with you is the worst part. At least for me.
Thankfully, there are very smart and understanding women like the ones on this thread that can remind us… it's OK.
Great post! Thanks for those suggestions!
Oh boy….. got down to the last post in this thread and I'm balling like a baby.
I was diagnosed w/ "off the charts" ADD in my 40's. (I'm 38yo until a mirror reminds me that I'm 60.5, grrrr).
I've never struggled as much as I am now and came online to find an ADD therapist. Found Klippy's post, all your feedback and I think maybe, just maybe I can crawl out of this. Bless you all.
Great Post!
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Teaching for Learning – Why Helping Learners Earn their Learning Matters
A while ago I wrote a text about teaching, and even though teaching is one of the key elements in lessons, learning is, obviously, part and parcel of the process that takes place in lessons – it's the actual aim of lessons. If teaching is a lot more than transmitting information, learning is more than simply receiving information. What does learning imply, then?
Learning implies being able to transform information into knowledge, first and foremost. For one reason, information is widely available to anyone who's got access to the World Wide Web, but the only thing this has done is leveling the play field for those who have access to the wealth of information the Internet provides. Those who live in areas where Internet access is nothing but an idea inspired by a sci-fi book should, therefore, fear that the gap is only going to increase between those who have access to the Internet and those who are still oblivious to this world. But who said information is the same thing as knowledge?
Being knowledgeable means you're able to purposefully and intentionally use information to tackle the myriad challenges you face in life. If all you are able to do is retrieve an event from memory and repeat the same steps, you haven't necessarily learnt anything. If, on the other hand, you're able to use information from a past experience, assess what could work for the situation at hand, you can probably say you've been able to transform that piece of information into knowledge. This may help in the creation of possible solutions to future endeavours.
What I mean to say here is that knowledge – on most occasions – precedes creativity. It's a lot easier for us to come up with creative solutions for problems once we've been able to transform the information into something a lot more relevant than a simple memory of something to be reproduced. When we're able to come up with our own solutions for a problem, learning has taken place. It goes far beyond simply being able to apply the information we've received to another situation, though that is part of the process.
Learning implies a willingness to go further, which demands a good deal of effort. Learning does not take place if there's no effort involved. It is the degree of effort involved in the learning process that will make the difference between being informed and being knowledgeable. It's the fine line that divides learning from just remembering for a short period of time. If you want to learn something, you've got to earn it. If you've earned it, you've learned it.
We've all been told that education is the one thing no one can take away from us. This is so because education is not something that is bestowed upon us; it is something we need to work hard to achieve. Fortunately, until we reach the point of autonomy, the tipping point at which it's a lot easier for us to develop on our own, teaching makes the difference.
Teaching, however, is only effective when it instigates learners to think. At the end of the day, teaching doesn't have to be fun to be effective, though it's easy to see that we tend to dedicate ourselves a lot harder to learn something that is fun. Teaching can, obviously, benefit from engagement on the part of the learner, but to get down to what really matters: teaching, in order to be effective, must ultimately be thought-provoking. Effective teaching is the kind of teaching that leads learners to make an effort to use their reason and make sense of things. It is paramount that learners be required to think and pay attention in order to learn.
Needless to say, learning, just like teaching, is a complicated concept to define and to contextualise. Yet, it's clear to me that for learning to take place learners need to be challenged to the point of making an effort to want to go further. Learning as a process doesn't benefit from always having someone making things easier and easier, or a lot more fun. Learning precedes fun because it is, in itself, motivating and engaging as long as real learning is happening.
This is why learning should be seen as a dialogic process, co-constructed between the teacher and the learner. It is why the Socratic method of questioning still awes and works when applied effectively. At the risk of sounding trite, learning is not about providing the right answers, but it is all about asking the right questions. Questions are the fuel for continuous learning. And in order to ask the right questions, teachers must learn to listen and react to what their learners are saying. Learning won't occur simply because someone has told you that you have to learn A or B, but it may work if you yourself are somehow forced into finding the answers for A or B.
Ultimately, learning doesn't depend on formal teaching, but any kind of teaching may foster or hinder learning. What kind of teaching fosters learning? What can teachers do in the classroom to make effective learning take place? The answer lies in the kind of relationship the learner and the teacher establish. It doesn't take anything else than a teacher and a learner for learning to take place, and it also takes nothing but the relationship between the teacher and the learner to ruin learning. Is it somehow clear how important it is for you to earn the right to teach if you say your teaching is focussed on learning? Do you help your learners to earn their learning? And if all you want is a catchy ending, does your teaching put the EARN in LEARN?
Translating machines and (Language) Teaching
On January 5, 2013, the magazine The Economist published an article on simultaneous translation by computers and one of the first questions it asks readers is
How long, then, before automatic simultaneous translation becomes the norm, and all those tedious language lessons at school are declared redundant?
The very first thing that sprung to mind was how old the writer was. The second question was where exactly he went to school. The reason for the very first question is to find out whether he (I don't know why I decided to call the writer a he, though) learned foreign languages through Grammar Translation or the Audio-lingual method and if all his language classes were a mixture of drills and meaningless translations. It's been quite a while since I had my language lessons, and although I did find them boring in school where we did have to "learn" through GT, I can't say the same about my language classes in language institutes.
It was still pretty much a structural perspective, granted. Yet, there was something else beyond the language. It was actually fun to go to a class where we were allowed to talk and to communicate. Looking back, I'm pretty sure I can say the reason for that was only clear to me after I became a teacher, and it may very well be the very reason I fell in love with teaching languages when it was supposed to be simply a way for me to try my hand at teaching before becoming a History teacher.
But the question remains dangling there. If we are ever able to devise a machine that will allow us to communicate with other people from all over the world, will the job of the language teacher be made redundant? As many professions before ours have already seen their end with the advent of technology, could this ever be the end of language teaching, or at least most of it? If we think about it, many who study English do so because they want to communicate. Well, if that truly is the case, then why would these people keep studying a foreign language when they would already be able to communicate?
Fortunately, learning a language gives you a lot more benefits than simply allowing you to communicate with others. It's a sure fire way to keep your brain sharp, and according to some researchers, it might even lead to a different way of seeing the world. Some have already said that learning a new language is like acquiring a new soul, but that might be considered simply as too mysterious for some people out there who are just trying to communicate.
Don't we also know that learning to play chess is also a fantastic way to exercise the brain and that it also allows you to see the world from a different perspective? Don't we know that reading is also a much better way to exercise your imagination and creativity? I also remember reading somewhere that Sudoku may prevent Alzheimer's. Nonetheless, I don't see that many people playing chess or learning how to play it, or people choosing books instead of TV, and apart from very few people I know, not that many people doing their Sudoku puzzles unless they're waiting in a queue and don't have a smartphone on them. I'm sure you understand that I'm talking about the average joe out there, and not some high-brow scholar.
Are people really that lazy and they will eventually end up choosing the easy way out? I most certainly know quite a few people who are quite happy with working very little and simply doing nothing, and I mean, nothing for the rest of the time. I'm talking about working as little as 6 hours a day or even less, and then simply doing nothing. And it's not just for a month or so…
A series of announcements over the past few months from sources as varied as mighty Microsoft and string-and-sealing-wax private inventors suggest that workable, if not yet perfect, simultaneous-translation devices are now close at hand.
The question we may ask then, is just how close at hand they actually mean. But before spending too much grey matter on the topic, I guess we could go back to something all teachers who are a tiny bit into edtech already know – technology will not replace teachers, but teachers who can't use technology will be replaced by those who can. This will only be proven right or wrong in a couple more years. What if more teachers were able to do as some Harvard and Stanford teachers have done when they taught more that thousands of students at once? Would there be enough students for so many teachers?
But this is all too gloomy, isn't it? The challenges of computerised simultaneous translation are still far too great for it too happen as fast as the article might get us thinking in its very first lines. A bit further down, it states:
In the real world, people talk over one another, use slang or chat on noisy streets, all of which can foil even the best translation system.
This doesn't mean we won't be able to get there one day or another, but it might be as far-fetched in reality as flying cars were for those living in the 60s. Sometimes science-fiction eludes us and makes us wonder if things are as close as we'd like them to be.
Teaching a language is a lot more than simply teaching the words and grammar of the language. Learning a language, especially on this day and age in certain parts of the world, is, indeed, opening up to a world of possibilities. The language classroom might as well be the one place people are encouraged to speak their mind and have the chance to learn how to participate in a debate. Being in a language classroom where language is conversation-driven helps even the shyer students to work on their social skills and realise that they're also entitled to an opinion. There's just a lot more that a language classroom can provide to learns than the mere capacity to communicate. This is, as a matter of fact, why I do believe we need to make sure that learners are always pushed in our classes – it's about a lot more than simply being able to get a message across.
The one thing that technology is able to do as of now is meet language learners with exercise drills and grammar explanations with automated correction and explanation. If all your teaching can be summed up into new grammar items and vocabulary, it's very likely you'll be replaced by a computer quite soon. Language teaching is education, and any challenge language teachers will face in the near future are no different from the challenges teachers of other subjects are likely to face.
If you've already bought the idea of life-long learning and you are able to adapt to changes and you embrace them instead of fearing them, then there's no need to worry about what's yet to come. Besides, it seems that the news trying to be more and more worried about coming up with stories that seem to come out of a crystal ball than to do what it's supposed to do: inform readers and get them to reach their own conclusions.
But that might just be the proof we need to truly see that the way we've been teaching no longer suits this day and age. If those who get through school are more inclined to follow what's linked to our emotions rather than to reason and make sense of things, question, analyse and critically think about whatever is presented to them, then we seriously need to rethink our practices. If all you've been doing in language teaching is teaching the language superficially, if the coursebook is your master and you do all it asks of you, if you're compelled to distribute tons of handouts to your students and if you think that time well spent in class is the time when students do exercises individually and quietly, you've been doing your share to automatising teaching and then I do hope you'll soon be replaced by a computer.
If, on the other hand, you've already understood that times they are a-changing and there's the need to be constantly learning in order to teach, how about sharing this concept with the teacher next door? Oh, and the automated translation star-trek gadget… Just leave it be and worry about what truly matters in your profession. Teaching, my dear friends, has finally been evolving. It's up to us to make it a swift and smooth transition into what it's to become, or simply wait for all the bumps and moan in the corners about what it should be. Which road do you want to take?
Where's the change?
We've moved yet one more year into the 21st century. Yet one more year towards the future. 'Tis not a future with flying cars or the Jetson's robot maid Rose cleaning your house; no, we haven't gone that far. However, there's seems to be no denial we're in the middle of a very important revolution. Or are we? The fact that there's a lot of change taking place due to the role that technology has been playing in our lives is undeniable. It's been ages – especially when years account for a lot more than they did in the past – that educators have been advertising the benefits of technology in education, the end of an era, and that technology has the power to transform everything we do.
Needless to say, a tad after that, other educators decided to shed some light into the matter. It's not tech that will revolutionise education nor will it change the world as we see it. The "digital natives" should be seen as individuals, not as a label, and this has certainly helped us move yet one step forward. A while after the buzz that new tech caused and all that it's stirred in the lives of tech aficionados, it was clear that anything new that we could bring to the equation had to be seen for what it truly was – a tool. Just like any tool, it requires a skillful educator to use it effectively to actually help, and not hinder, learning.
Apps and sites bombarded us with myriad choices – we could pick and choose from thousands of different tools that always offered to be THE one solution to make teaching effective. Some teachers were able to take things as they were supposed to be taken instantly (cautiously and carefully), others needed more time to realise that it's not about using lots of different things – 'tis all about making the right choice for each one of your learners, and helping them realise you've been very careful with your choice and aren't simply tossing things at them bringing a new gadget every day.
Nonetheless, I wonder whether we're even close to tackle the problem of changing the face of education as we see it. I wonder whether we're prepared for that, or even if we actually have any kind of control of how things will evolve. We talk about teacher-centred and learner-centred education, but all that we do is simply repeating what we've been doing time and again. In 2006, Sir Ken Robinson went on stage to talk about schools killing creativity and the urge for change. Sugata Mitra showed the results of his "a hole in the wall" experiment on a later talk, the Khan academy initiated some sort of revolution that seems to be a possible way forward for some subjects.
Despite all that, the vast majority of teachers I know is still oblivious to all that's been written above, which is a lot worse than being against it. Many teachers and administrators simply don't care about new things and are absolutely OK with doing the same thing that their teachers had done to them 50 years ago, and each one of them – teachers and admins – has his or her reasons for doing so. Some might even read about success stories from different schools and educational systems around the world, but it all sounds too far-fetched for them and it is understood as something that "would never work in [add your city/country here]". It's a lot easier to keep doing things the same old way and going with the flow, isn't it?!
How much of a change has there really been? Our kids still are educated in a classroom where there's one person who tells them what they need to learn. One person standing in front of them and leading the way and, even when there's a certain amount of flexibility given to students, such flexibility can only go as far – we do have a syllabus to follow, after all. It's imposed on us, teachers, and we're expected to teach it as students will be tested on such syllabus in the years to come. Where's all the empowerment we hear so much of, yet do so little about? Have we really been able to teach children how to think critically about matters when they haven't even been taught to criticise whatever it is that the one person standing in front of them says? Are most teachers even prepared to be questioned like that?
If we simply talk about a learning model for teaching instead of a teach-learn model, but we don't walk the walk, it'll be years before we can attest its efficacy or lack of efficacy. Few have really taken the plunge, and out of these few, we hear even fewer stories, and most of these are from the ones who happened to have succeeded. It is hard for us to publicly acknowledge defeat, though we praise those who are sufficiently self-assured to do so. We all make mistakes, we should all learn from our mistakes, but apparently we're afraid of what others will think of us if we show our weaknesses, particularly when we're so vulnerable for judgement in this new world of social media where many truly believe to be the upholder of the truth. How silly is that, huh?!
Where's the real change? To be honest with you all, whenever I wonder if we can drive such change, I'm 100% positive that we can. I also know this won't happen overnight. There's no such thing as the right answer for the problems we're facing in the world of education and the challenges that lie ahead. This I'm pretty sure of. And, finally, when I ponder what big change I'd like to see in most of our schools, I guess my answer doesn't seem to be any different from the answer of many who have been involved in education for quite a while. What shocks me is that we've been struggling hard to implement simple things and we are rushing to the-next-big-thing without pausing and reflecting, analysing and criticising whether or not this or that should be the way forward. Isn't this kind of reflection we'd like our kids to do?
Real change will take place when students no longer see their teachers as the one on stage and the one whose words they should copy and abide by. This may sound simple, but if you bear with me and look at things more carefully, you'll see it's not exactly happening. The more resources learners have available to check their facts, the lazier they're getting. I'd like to see students able to analyse their own opinions and thoughts critically. I'd like to see teachers feeling confident enough about what they're doing so that they won't be afraid of being questioned, hence the importance of being knowledgeable.
I think we're amidst a revolution. I think things are indeed changing. I don't think we've been able to make sure most of us realise the importance of keeping abreast with this change and the necessity of taking risks to actively control what's to come instead of passively waiting for it. Things will change whether we want it or not. We should have been prepared to lead such change consciously, but apparently we're still a couple of people short. But I do see that, little by little, things are a-changing. I just wish that, for the year to come, we were able to move the spin of change faster, that we could get more people onboard – not virtually, but mainly those who work right next door, within the same school borders. This seems to be the way forward to me. We can't expect change to happen if we're scattered all over the globe. Getting teachers to think critically about their actions and learning how to work collaboratively so that we may, in the near future, feel comfortable with leading our students towards the same path. How can we teach, inspire or simply engage people when we ourselves seem to lack what it takes to get things going?
Then again, this might all change in my head tomorrow. It's been a hell of a busy year, but I think it's important to remind myself that it's OK to have your thoughts, to write about them, to have others agree, disagree or simply not mind them. It's all OK as long as we're trying to move forward.
Consumers, reproducers and producers
If there's one thing that has changed in education with the advent of new technologies and, chiefly, the web 2.0, this has got to be how easy it is now for us to shift from consumers of information to producers of data. There's absolutely nothing new in this statement, and any report or information sheet from the early days of the web 2.0 will tell you this. One of the main benefits of the web 2.0 was the fact that it made it easier for people to actually produce content rather than simply receiving it. Simply put, it's only logical to assume that schools and teachers everywhere would quickly leap at the opportunity for their learners to stop being so passive in their learning roles. Right?!
Unfortunately, I don't think the answer to this question is affirmative. As a matter of fact, if there's one thing that has been going on is that the easy access to information has only allowed for teachers themselves to embrace a kind of teaching that prevents them from, well, teaching. I don't mean to say that all teachers have been doing that – a quick look at the blogosphere will certainly give you an idea of the numerous movers and shakers who are trying hard to change the rules of the game. I just wonder if this will be enough. Why?
Well, it seems to me that whenever people who are online share the benefits for being online and sharing with their PLN, they tend to say that this was way out from the kind of sluggish attitude towards change that they see in their co-workers. I've constantly wondered what it'd be like to have all like-minded educators who actively share and disseminate knowledge online working together in the same school. Would it work? I honestly believe such a school would either be a fantastic place for learning to take place, or it'd be absolutely chaotic. However, there would certainly be enough of the mere reproducing of data we demand of most learners everywhere.
We may call it learner-centered, or learning-centered education, but simply saying that learners are free to choose what and how to learn doesn't make you an educator. More often than not we are at a loss for what exactly it is that we'd like to do, and we only find out what we're truly passionate about after having had the chance to experiment with different things – this means, in my opinion, that even living vicariously counts. The point is understanding that a learner-centered approach doesn't mean total and complete freedom, at least not until a certain point when we've already learned how to learn, unlearn, and critically think about our beliefs and ideas.
Despite the large number of schools and teachers doing an amazing job, and the fact that those who do it do it so passionately that they simply couldn't care less about what others think, there's strength in numbers. If one teacher alone is trying to make a change, there's something in our own nature that will prevent students from giving it a go. They usually change their mind once they've been able to start it, but getting there may be the problem. Living in a test-centric educational world, learners have absorbed the concept that what matters is how much information you can amass in your brain for that upcoming physics test. It is also deeply ingrained in them the idea that certain subjects count more than others. And this is widespread even by teachers, when they say that students shouldn't worry so much about studying English, and that mathematics is far more important than biology, for instance. This is a lesson our students quickly learn, and they learn it from the ones they've also learned not to question.
We do have a chance to change the game by giving them more responsibility when it comes to their learning, but this implies that we ourselves, teachers, ought to come to terms with our new role. We should do this at the risk of jeopardising yet another generation of learners. In order to do this, we ourselves need to become producers of data instead of reproducers, and we should encourage our learners to become producers themselves instead of mere consumers of whatever is thrown at them. Most importantly, we should be teaching them to be critical of anything they hear, even if that is told by, well, their teachers. We're all fallible, and this is the very first lesson that we should learn in order to pass it on to our learners.
How about teaching learners how to assess the validity and reliability of a source before regurgitating what this single source has made public? How about asking them to go being memorising, and starting that by teaching them how to summarise information found by three different sources, and then commenting and reflecting on each other's work? Ah, but nothing of this is news to anyone who's been concerned about change and who may actually be reading this post. We, and I dare include myself in this crowd, are not the ones who are doing wrong. The problem is how do we get to the ones who simply refuse to recycle their knowledge of and about teaching? What can we do to instill this need of change in those who work with us, who are right next doors teaching the same kids we're teaching?
I say that after I had the chance to talk to a group of students who are between 12 and 14 years old. When I asked them whether they feel that they learn more by doing rather than listening, their answer was an obvious yes. However, what surprised me was that when they were offered the chance to actually do something different in class, when they were told they would have to work harder to learn, their quickly said they felt it'd be too much work. After a very quick chat it easy to spot something that has been discussed for a while, but very little is actually done to prevent it from happening – we were the ones who educated them out of their creative selves. Having grown up in a school system where the sage is always on the stage, and where the teacher is always right, they've simply been playing by the rules for as long as they can remember. They got used to being spoon-fed, and it certainly is a lot easier to simply sit still and wait for someone to tell you everything you will need to learn. At this age, it is hard for learners to realise that it is exactly because they've only been through lectures in their whole school life that many of them can't succeed. It'll take them a while to understand that things would have been much easier for them if their teachers had made them actively take learning to their hands. It'd be a lot easier if teachers actually taught.
But here's the catch: if we try to change, we're opening ourselves to questions, and we haven't been trained for that. We were educated as reproducers ourselves, and this has somehow always made sense in the eyes of the vast majority. We've learned that we aren't capable of producing high-quality material and being subjected to criticism on what we're saying or on what we think. We fail to see growth in differences and this is simply reproduced in our classes. Thus, the cycle continues and we're raising yet another generation of consumers and reproducers, and these will be constantly wondering why it is that there are a couple of few who actually become very successful by producing what they could have produced. By and large, we're not raising people who are comfortable with exposing their ideas, these people are raising themselves in spite of what we've been doing to them.
Question: how do we change this? How do we stop preaching to the choir and start getting those who are unwilling to change to actually do something that will matter?
Recycling and autonomy
Autonomy has become a trending topic in the world of education. To be honest, the way I hear some people talking about it makes me wonder whether this hasn't always been the case, really. "Oh, I know it! How about trying to make ourselves, teachers, less needed as students progress in their education?" I mean, seriously? Hasn't this been the objective of the game from the very beginning? Why do many still look at this as if it were the next big thing in education when it has actually never ceased to be the big thing about it. It's just like teaching learners how to learn instead of teaching them what we feel they should learn. Yet, one thing that I've been thinking about lately is exactly what the role of the teacher is – and how we should play it – in this game of autonomy so we can do more good than harm. If you bear with me for a moment, I'd like to share a couple of things that are still percolating.
Building blocks
If we could think of what we've been learning as building blocks, and that as we amass information we add one block on top of another, we could have many different layers of information that need to be retrieved and available for use. As teachers, we have two different choices (OK, we have many choices, but I'll narrow it down to two for practicality issues): we can put the blocks ourselves where we see fit, or we can help learners find out where to better position their blocks on top of previous knowledge. This is where we start facing the very first problem in the differences between teaching by lecturing and learning. Some may believe that information goes beautifully on top of previously stored information. This represents the linearity view of teaching.
Instead, we could look at the learning structure as dependent on each one of the blocks, which have to be placed by the individual when he or she is able to spot the right place for it. However, teachers may and should help. The very first thing that we should bear in mind is that teachers do make the difference, but only as long as they are aware of what they are doing. Let's imagine teachers understand that one block goes on top of the other, but not in a linear way. What may the problem with this view be? Well, if the teacher believes he or she can simply show his learners what the steps are, he'll end up with a flight of stairs, but with no kind of of support under it. This could be represented as the picture below:
This is usually what happens when teachers simply demonstrate how to do something by showing rather than guiding. By doing things yourself you'll eventually take your students all the way up to the 4th stage, but, as they haven't learned how to do it themselves, they're likely to end up going back to square one. This time, however, with all sorts of debris on the floor to make putting the blocks back together a more daunting and confusing task.
Equally as harmful is not being patient enough and not being able to allow for learning to sink in and lay the foundations properly for the following step. If we don't understand that people learn at different paces, we might end up giving up on waiting for them to 'get it' and move on too soon. This may also be the case of teachers who fail to carefully listen to their learners and understand what they have already grasped. These teachers end up with learners whose blocks are built somewhat like this:
Here, it is clear that the teacher has showed some concern in helping the learner with the basics before moving on to more complex issues. What this extremely simple picture fails to represent is the fact that all blocks are interconnected, and it's not only a matter of having learnt 1, and then 2, and only then 3. In order to get to 3, we need to make sure that all connections made between 1 and 3 are solid, and that the third row depends as much on the first one as it depends on the second. One thing is still apparent in the picture above, though – learning is taking place from outside to inside. It's not up to the learner to progress from one point to another, but it's up to what is imposed onto him by what is dictated by external forces.
Instead, we should try and look at it from a perspective in which the learner is capable of being aware of what his or her next step forward should be. The problem is that we cannot see what someone else is capable of accomplishing. We can't assess competence; we can only assess performance. And this is the part that's got me thinking. If we can only see performance, how about focussing on helping learners work on the width of their pyramid of learning so they know when and where to place the other blocks? If we work on constantly recycling, and if we truly try to scaffold learning, we're likely to work on features we can observe, not on features we would like to observe. By having a wider base at the bottom, it's easier to add blocks at the top.
How do we get there?
If you ask me, one of the central tenets of teaching and learning is that one doesn't take place without the other. Yes, we should focus on learning, and all teaching should only be measured by how much learning it entails. But the key is finding out how to get there. Again, if all we can see is performance, what better way to help learners progress than by focussing on language they produce in order to help them improve what they already know? This is what we are doing when we carefully and actively listen to our learners and make sure we are having a class instead of just a conversation. This is what we do by focussing on emergent language – we make our students aware of what they're saying and work on meaningful and personal samples of language.
If we are constantly recycling and expanding on previous knowledge, we're likely to help learners build upon their own knowledge independently. How do we become good at something? How do we develop a skill? Only rarely will you see someone being able to excel at something they've never practiced and rehearsed before. Before you can run, you have to learn how to walk. Before you can play a Bach's piece, you need to learn the musical scale and know how to play each one of the notes. Before you learn complex issues, you need to learn – and practice – the basics. If you practise and recycle enough, you're likely to progress much faster as having the knowledge of the most basic things will help you understand how to get to the complex parts.
Perhaps we'd be doing more by focussing more on the individual and the process than focussing on the product. I'm sure most teachers are aware of that. Unfortunately, I myself know many who can only talk the talk, but not walk the walk. How about you?
Quick reminder about teaching
Are you sure you're focusing on what really matters most, or are you going to focus on the smallest part and assume that's enough?
If you think that:
Then you also think:
Which means:
Which will soon lead to:
If you think others don't value what you do, show them how much you matter. If others don't care, you should care. Make your teaching count a lot more than test scores do. Real teachers know that:
Dear teacher
" Dear teacher,
You once meant the world to me. Among all the people who were there to teach me something, I believe you were the one who had it all figured out. You enticed me with your love for the new, you lured me into a world of learning, but yet, I now feel I've failed to learn what you were trying to teach me. And I believe that I should apologize for not being able to learn things so well… or should I? I've been thinking it over, and my reasons for doubting my need to apologize go far beyond your need to constantly say that if I didn't learn it, it's because you haven't done a good job.
Dear teacher, do you truly mean what you say when you publicly claim that your students failure are your own? Are you such an almighty being that no one can fail on their own accord and that your ability to teach or not is what makes it or breaks it in my education? Perhaps, if you really meant what you say, this would be true. I must confess I'm slightly disappointed in you, though. And I'll now explain why.
You once believed you could teach me by being friends with me. You've probably read somewhere that affection makes a difference in learning. You've also probably read, somewhere else, that laughter lubricates learning, and you tried to make your lessons funny. And then you may have heard from a friend that learning should be student-centred. How perfect was that, huh, dear teacher? All you had to do was come to class and chat with your students, let them discover new things on their own. This is probably something else you claim to have read – students ought to become autonomous learners.
To make things even better, you found arguments to support the use of things you so much enjoy using in your daily life in our lessons. You've read somewhere that I'm a digital native, and that technology would make learning a lot easier to me. You've enticed me to follow you through a path of discovery of things you were supposed to be teaching me, but that I'd eventually find out on my own by using the gadgets that are so common to those of my generation. To be fair with you, you could even mention the names of the people you've supposedly read, and even name theories.
How much longer do you think you could have gone? You've read somewhere that there are teachers using technology and whose students are succeeding, and you've also read somewhere else that there are teachers who simply talk to their students and they miraculously learn. Oh, dear teacher, you have as one of your favorite quotes the one that says that you're not preparing students – you're helping them become life-long learners. Isn't it a tad contradictory that you haven't been doing what you've been preaching?
You expect me to accept that mistakes are part of the learning process. However, you cannot conceive of having done me wrong in your attempts to educate me. Wouldn't it be much easier to help me if you took your own advice and said, just for a change, that you may not know exactly what you're doing? How much longer will you cling to book titles, halves of first chapters, headlines and superficial talks to base your principles? How much longer, dear teacher, till you start taking responsibility for the choices you've made for my education to your hands instead of blaming it on what others have been doing?
Isn't it time you started reading beyond the headline? Isn't it time you started accepting that there are people who know more than you and that you can learn from them? Is it that heard to keep an open mind to different thoughts and ideas? Why is it, then, that you keep asking me to keep mine open?
Dear teacher, how often have you said that grades don't represent learning, and yet it was the final yardstick against which you measured my success or failure? When will you stop paying lip service to what others say regarding education and start walking with your own feet? When will you be able to accept responsibility for what you have done in your classes because you believed that was best for me, not because a PhD somewhere said this is what had to be done? What if you yourself bought into the idea of being a life-long learner and were willing to truly lead me to discovering what I should discover? Instead, your option has been to say to me things you don't actually mean. You say one thing, but you do something else.
Dear teacher, it's time you stopped mentioning the names of John Dewey or Paulo Freire if all you know about what they've done is what someone else has told you. It's time you stopped using flashy gadgets and technology in class simply because you've been told I love that and this is how I learn best. I want to remember you for what I've learnt from you, not for the jokes you told me when you were supposed to have taught me something.
Dear teacher, you have no idea how much I'll idolize you for having taught me something. Please, understand that my education is not a popularity contest among all those who walk into my classroom to talk to me. This is serious stuff, and I may be just a bit too young to realize how serious a business it is. I depend on you to show me what I can do. You've often said you'd like to be responsible for my learning – I put myself in your hands. As much of a cliché this may be, I'm placing all my dreams and hopes for the future in your hands. Will you truly help me live up to my potential? Have you been constantly trying to improve for that to happen?
Dear teacher, all I ask of you is that you mean what you say. Don't take the soft way out by placing all the responsibility of my learning in my hands. Learn what learner centered education truly is before you say your lessons are learner centered. Learn how to effectively integrate technology into your teaching before you say that all those videos and Internet use are actually teaching. Criticise me! We only set high standards for those we believe to be able to get there. Don't settle for anything less than what I can do. You see, I believe all you say about my learning, so if you say I'm ready to move on to the next step, I will be happy to do so – I'll only be mature enough to realize I wasn't ready when it's too late. It's your call, my dearest teacher.
It's your call… are you going to face the challenge of educating me, or are you going to really leave me to my own fortune? Are you prepared to challenge me, to tell me I'm wrong, to tell me my work is not good enough, and to put up with my tantrum, or will you take the easy way out? If you choose the easy way out, if you're not prepared to mean your words and to act accordingly, please, step out of the way. The world is tough enough as it is. I most certainly don't need you holding me back.
You say my failure is your failure, dear teacher. As long as you believe that success is the same thing as moving on to the next grade or level, you've failed me for sure. If you're going to treat me as a human being, you'd better understand sooner than later that education is a complex issue, and there's no way you're going to be able to help me without hard work from me and you. I'm in your hands, dear teacher, make sure you know what you're doing.
Yours faithfully,
A student"


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BRADENTON WEDDING IN JUNEJune, 2008 in Bradenton
"Leaving by boat, it was a beautiful night and the boat ride to meet the limo was sooo peaceful. We weren't ready for it be over!! Wish we would have thought to plan on taking the boat to the hotel on Sarasota Bay!"
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- Ceremony and Reception Site: Ceremony Location
- Beaches: Public Beach
- Shorewalk Vacation Villas: Shorewalk Vacation Villas
- Beaches: Public Beach - Roadside
- Rehearsal Dinner Restaurant: Rehearsal Dinner Location
- Shopping: DeSoto Square Mall
- Beaches: Coquina Beach - Public
- Shopping: St. Armand's Circle
Ceremony and Reception Site:
Ceremony Location4628 119th Street West
Cortez, Florida
"The location was awesome. However, the ladies were only nice to work with up until the the wedding. Before the wedding we told them that we would be using sparklers (confetti of any type is not allowed) and leaving by boat. They said it was not a problem. When the sparklers were being handed out, they told my wedding coordinator that we would not be able to use them. We even went so far as to buy sand buckets with sand for the guests to place them in when they were done using them (just in case). We paid $9.00 per linen we used for tablecloths. Once the wedding was over with we were informed that we would have to pay to have them cleaned because they were stained. One had WHITE frosting (on a white tablecloth) on it from the cake table and the other had a soda spilled on it (both of which would come out with a run through the washer). My assumption would be that the $9.00 would cover the cleaning cost of the linens seeing as how they were used in the first place. We were told that it was the "craziest" wedding that has ever been held there however, I thought it was simple. We had about 110 people, we did the ceremony, had the reception, danced, and left by boat."
Shorewalk Vacation Villas:
Shorewalk Vacation Villas
"Guests seemed to enjoy the 2 pools and spas. Only complaint I heard was that the pool and spa closed too early."
Rehearsal Dinner Restaurant:
Rehearsal Dinner Location
"Our rehearsal dinner was held at Woody's River Roo in Ellenton, Florida and was not a place I would recommend for any large get together. We had RSVPd for 70 people but because of the weather before and during the rehearsal we only had 35 attendees. I knew we would have a ton of food left over but I figured since most of our guests were staying in the condos that they could take left overs for lunch, etc. Once everyone had been through line, some of them started to go back for seconds (which you would think would have been fine). We ran out of food before 3 people could have gone back for seconds. When speaking to the OWNER, I had no luck. She said that they provided enough food for 70 people and that it was not her problem there was not enough. I told her we only had half of the people that I RSVPd for. We provided peel n eat shrimp, grouper fingers, chicken fingers, and two kinds of homemade potato chips. When I asked her how many of the grouper fingers and chicken fingers they planned on for each person she said 2 pieces each and that it was just a light hor's derve. I told her that she was crazy because when I called to inquire about using them I said rehearsal DINNER. We paid over 10 per person which I knew was cheap but we ordered enough food for 70 people and had it in a casual atmosphere so that it would be within our budget. I was extremely unsatisfied with the quality of the owners service. I will add that our waitresses were AWESOME. They were caring and understanding of our situation and couldn't believe the owner was treating us the way she was. I hope that they moved on to another restaurant where the owner has customer service skills. I will never return to that restaurant. If I could give this place negative stars, I would."
Coquina Beach - Public
"This beach has ample parking with a play area for the kids. Dig your toes in the sand at the waterline to find coquinas."
Public Beach
"This beach has a beach side cafe, play area and pier for walking/fishing."
Public Beach - Roadside
"This beach has roadside parking."
DeSoto Square Mall
St. Armand's Circle
"Has upscale shops and restaurants"


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|Patriots Look Poised For Another Super Bowl Run
|Bruins Trade For Drew Stafford
|Black and Gold Bruins Turn Yellow On Parade Day
|Inconsistency Will Continue For Bruins Unless A Change Is Made
Tim Thomas spent his off-day hanging out with a conservative/Libertarian group called Freedom Works, and showed off his support for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.
How much did he enjoy himself there? Enough to take a photo with one of the supporters while holding up a Ron Paul bumper sticker…
Do you care anymore about Thomas's clearly outspoken political views? Does anyone care? Well, anyone besides WEEI's Dennis and Callahan?
Tags: Bruins, Ron Paul, Tim Thomas, Washington Capitals
I know KC, totally. Who cares?
If there is one thing sacred in this country, its sports. Hockey specifically. For me, it lets me numb out the more complicated things in life like politics and war. It allows me to turn a blind eye on injustice and corruption. It gives me an in-group to rally around and a clearly defined enemy to project my anger upon.
Politics? No thanks. That stuffs for nerds. I'll hang a flag above my door, but educate myself as to the virtues of that symbol? Nah bro. Caring is for losers and nerds. I'm with you…who cares?
Thanks for the comment!
But yes, I happen to be interested in politics AND love sports (but clearly separate as you can see I run a SPORTS blog haha)…and I don't think they need to be intertwined…ever. No thanks.


text: LAS VEGAS, Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT), a global leader in casino gaming entertainment and systems technology, will debut its latest innovative mobile product, IGT rgs™ Mobile, at stand 530 at the 11 th European iGaming Congress and Expo 2012 (EiG) on October 16, 2012, in Barcelona, Spain. IGT rgs™ Mobile allows operators to integrate IGT's award-winning, mobile casino games onto their existing online gaming platform through the new mobile remote game server. Once implemented, operators will be able to access all future IGT titles as the games are released. Reflecting levels of growth in the industry's fastest expanding sector, the new IGT game releases are the result of significant and continued investments by IGT's Interactive division. IGT plans to release 20 new games per year on IGT rgs ™ Mobile. Betfred.com, Rank, Sky Vegas and Virgin Games are among the existing operators to offer IGT's entertaining mobile games. IGT will premiere the mobile versions of a selection of classic and blockbuster branded titles, including ELVIS ® A Little More Action, Kitty Glitter ® and Wolf Run ®. These games join the hugely popular land and online hits Cleopatra TM and Da Vinci Diamonds TM. IGT representatives also will discuss the Company's plans for the launch of tablet games that will be brought to market in early 2013. Bespoke tablet versions of Roulette and Blackjack will be the first games to go live on this new device platform. "We know players are demanding to play the best slot games on every platform and when it comes to mobile devices they expect to play dedicated versions," said Leigh Nissim, IGT commercial director of Interactive. "IGT has been providing the best casino-style games for more than 30 years, and our investment in mobile will take us to the front of the mobile gaming industry."


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Products & Applications
Without our products and components, many items – both everyday and highly specialized – just wouldn't work. Industry leaders across the world depend on Porex Filtration Group to make their own products and services possible, and for very good reason.
Our bonded fiber, porous plastic, and foam technologies are widely used in life sciences, medical and surgical devices, personal care and cosmetics, pens and printers, automobiles, and in many other important applications and critical settings.
But what we make goes beyond products that can be displayed. We make your ideas happen. We're the company that you turn to for custom-engineered solutions to your liquid and vapor handling challenges.


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The set includes a necklace and a pair of earrings. Jewelry InformationNecklace Length: 15", plus a 4" chain for adjustmentChain: Rope-chainClasp Type: Lobster-claspRhinestone Color: Light blueEarring Style: Stud earringsEarring Size: Approximately 1-3/8" x 3/8"
If you want to:
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When it comes to selling in stock products, we are no difference from many other Internet retailers, but we take pride in going extra miles to do something special for you: Have some products custom made for you.
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CHAPEL HILL - UNC women's lacrosse players Abbey Friend and Margaret Corzel won Atlantic Coast Conference Players of the Week honors on Tuesday.
Friend and Maryland senior midfielder Brooke Griffin have been named ACC Women's Lacrosse Co-Offensive Players of the Week, as announced Tuesday by the conference office. Corzel, a sophomore midfielder, has been recognized as the ACC Defensive Player of the Week.
Friend scored three times on five shots in Friday's 11-8 Tar Heel win over top-ranked Northwestern. After the Wildcats went on a 3-0 scoring run in less than two minutes to pull within two goals at 9-7, the native of Canandaigua, N.Y., responded with North Carolina's last two goals to ice the victory.
Griffin tallied three goals in the first half to help spark No. 2 Maryland to an early 9-1 lead in its home opener Sunday against No. 4 Duke, as the Terrapins went on to beat the Blue Devils, 15-6. The midfielder from Annapolis, Md., added two assists for a game-high five points as Maryland upended a top-five team for the second straight week and picked up its first conference win of 2013.
Corzel had primary responsibility for marking Northwestern All-America attacker Erin Fitzgerald, limiting her to one goal on three shots with three turnovers in North Carolina's 11-8 win over No. 1 Northwestern. The native of Berwyn, Pa., caused two turnovers and collected a ground ball, while hounding Fitzgerald throughout the Tar Heel victory.


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We loved the dancing lessons prepared by Fandango Dance for our wedding dance. Our instructors were experts and were able to customize a dance to suit our abilities. I am not a good dancer but I became confident by the end of the second lesson. We learned a lovely bridal waltz ..
Peter is very professional and easy to work with. I would highly recommend Peter if you need a people person and someone that won't let you down. He also does fantastic photos. ten out of ten.
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text: ICG orders shelters for mines By Ken Ward Jr. March 15, 2007 Story Share The owner of the Sago Mine said Wednesday it was ordering emergency shelters to protect miners at all of its underground coal operations.International Coal Group announced the move about a month before plans for installing the shelters are due to be filed with the state Office of Miners� Health, Safety and Training.�International Coal Group is committed to protecting our miners,� said company president Ben Hatfield. �Our prompt order for emergency mine shelters shows we will move quickly to comply with all mandates involving miner safety.�Scott Depot-based ICG also announced the shelter purchases a day before the expected release this morning of a United Mine Workers report on the January 2006 Sago Mine disaster.The UMW report is expected to be more critical of the company than previous reports by state regulators and independent investigator Davitt McAteer.The Sago Mine is a non-union operation, but the UMW took part in the disaster investigation after several workers appointed the union as their representative for the probe.In the Jan. 2, 2006, disaster, a methane explosion inside a sealed area ripped through the Upshur County mine. One worker was killed by the initial blast, and 11 others died of carbon monoxide poisoning before rescuers reached them 40 hours later.One miner, Randal McCloy Jr., survived and continues what his doctors call a miraculous recovery.Since 1969, federal mine safety regulators have had the authority to require mine operators to provide rescue chambers to protect miners from deadly smoke and fumes after explosions or during underground fires.But, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration never used that authority. After Sago, the Manchin administration and West Virginia lawmakers did not initially require emergency shelters in the state�s new mine safety law. But in June 2006, a requirement for shelters was added to a rule to implement that law. Also, Illinois passed a similar requirement.In February, MSHA took what some in the industry believe is a backdoor approach. Agency officials did not directly require shelters, but ordered mine operators to provide miners with 96 hours of emergency air. A shelter is one option toward meeting that order.Last week, state mine safety director Ronald Wooten approved the use of five different emergency shelter designs in West Virginia.ICG opted to order inflatable units, called the ChemBio LifeShelter, from A.L. Lee Corp., based in Beckley.Hatfield said the units �offered the best combination of safety, design and construction, ease-of-use and portability.� In a news release, ICG said that the units would meet both the West Virginia and Illinois shelter rules, and the MSHA requirement for 96 hours of air.Ira Gamm, an ICG spokesman, said that the units � for all of ICG�s mines � would cost �in excess of $3 million.� The company hopes to have them delivered and installed by the end of the year, Gamm said.Other shelters approved for use in West Virginia are made by Draeger Safety Inc., Kennedy Metal Products, Strata Products and Modern Mine Safety Supply.To contact staff writer Ken Ward Jr., use e-mail or call 348-1702. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Six arrested in Capito's office after day of protesting health care bill 2 SBA member says officials overstepped authority on Nicholas schools 3 'There is no justice in bargaining against the people's interest': Federal judge rejects drug plea 4 Legislators adjourn without taking up state employee furlough bill 5 Mitch Vingle: WVU's McKivitz, O-line facing challenges Mine cleanup fund could be empty by 2012, report says Previous Story Blast blamed on roof friction Next Story


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Introduction to my newish 530i...
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Der Ursprüngliche....Albo
Location: Southern California
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,008
Mein Auto: OO=[][]=OO
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Well ...a short update. I managed to tear down the front end and had two sleeves come off of the wheel carrier with the control arm balljoint bolts. Just bought a pitman arm puller at autozone and should be able to square things away over the course of the next few days.
Will get the new tierods as close to spec as possible and have it aligned at the local BMW dealer near my work. On the plus side, this has given me a chance to inspect everything under the engine very closely.... ;-)
Looking forward to buttoning things up! Glad I have other cars to drive.
Albo's Official Upgrade Thread:
2003 530i (Alpine White/Sand Beige) - 18x8.5 & 18x9.5 ACS Type II Wheels - BC Racing Coilovers - Eibach Sway Bars - Beastpower Sway Bar Brackets - M-Technic Replica Bumpers - Slimmbones CSL-Style Spltters - Magnaflow Muffler - Dinan CAI - TopSpeed Performance Strut Brace - Carbon Fiber Valve Cover Fascias - Zionsville Autosport Radiator/Fan Kit - Revmax Stage II Torque Converter - AMG Paddle Shifters
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text: All Over Lace Tank Style: 570092024 Out of Stock Love it? Everyone else did too. This item sold out! Use our search tool, chat online or call 1.877.948.2525 to find something equally desirable. Pretty stretch lace tank is fully lined, for under a jacket—or not. Close stretch fit. Bra-friendly straps. Shell: 96% Nylon, 4% Spandex. Lining: 95% Polyester, 5% Spandex. Machine wash; do not dry clean. Imported. Hits at mid-hip (24" from shoulder). Read More… Share on Facebook Tweet Pin


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[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY] The LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake AZ will face off in Saturday's U-15/16 final of the 2013-14 Development Academy, while it's an East Coast matchup -- New Jersey's PDA against Maryland's Bethesda-Olney -- in the U-17/18 final.
U-15/16 SEMIFINALS. Rey
Ortiz's penalty kick in stoppage time completed a hat trick as the LA Galaxy edged Chicago Magic PSG, 3-2, in Thursday's semifinals. Luke Prpa and Kendall Stock scored for Magic to erase a 1-0 deficit, but it could not hold on as Ortiz scored twice. Ortiz, who joined the Galaxy academy this season from Carlsbad
Elite, also had the tying and goal-ahead goals in the 5-3 win over Vardar in the quarterfinals for the Galaxy (23-3-6 overall).
Defending champion Real Salt Lake AZ earned a decisive 5-1
victory over Irvine (Calif.) Strikers FC. RSL AZ star Sebastian Saucedo scored two late goals to clinch the win after the Arizona-based team got goals from
Josh Doughty, Tate Schmitt and Chilean Adolfo Ovalle. Saucedo now has 31 goals,
the most of any player in the U-15/16 age group.
RSL AZ and the Galaxy were 1-2 in the Southwest Division. They split their two meetings during the regular season.
U-17/18 SEMIFINALS. Matthew Ledder broke a scoreless stalemate with a game-winning goal
in the 84th minute to give Bethesda-Olney a 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact. Ghanaian midfielder Anderson Asiedu's 26th-minute goal stood up for PDA's 1-0 win
over FC Dallas.
Bethesda-Olney, a first-year USSDA program, is led by Jeremy Ebobisse Ebolo, the top scorer in the U-17/18 age group with 38 goals,
and Sam Schmidt, who has 22. Brian White leads PDA with 27 goals. Bethesda-Olney, the club that produced Arsenal protege
Gideon Zelalem, and PDA finished 1-2 in the Atlantic Division this season. They split their two meetings, both winning, 2-1, at home.
The U-15/16
title game takes place at 7 p.m. ET followed by the U-17/18 championship at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday at StubHub Center (both live on usssoccer.com).


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Rockford City Manager Michael Young said he was pleased to provide the City Council with fair agreements on time for City staff and the police department (see related story on page 1).
"Rarely will you hear a city manager say that
negotiations were a pleasure to go through. We have an excellent police department and staff who understand what tough times we are going though," he said to council on Monday, July 20. Young was pleased the agreements were reached in a timely fashion. "You don't have to look far to see a lot of contracts that weren't settled on time."
The city employees and police department work on a three-year employment agreement. According to Young, negotiations were not characterized by fighting back and forth as is reported in many such contract settlements. "It wasn't as if we said yes to everything they asked for," Young, who negotiated on behalf of the city, commented. "There were things they said no to and there were things I said no to."
Young said one of the biggest decisions was how to compensate city crews who have to come in after a heavy snow and plow the streets. In past years the employee was sent home after their normal number of hours, which they didn't feel was fair since they had to get up in the middle of the night and operate a 10,000 pound snow truck with no increase in pay from their normal work schedule. Negotiations provided for some overtime when crews have to come in at unusual hours to deal with heavy snowfall. If the employee comes in two nights in a row they will receive two hours of overtime but still be sent home for safety reasons.
Steve Jazwiec said he was proud that the City is in a position to offer employees a raise despite trying economic times. Young said the contract was fair.
Rockford Mayor Chi Chi Rogers joked Council would give itself a ten percent raise (of nothing).


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MIAMI – The first weekend of the so-called "dry season" in South Florida began Friday with torrential rains. The storm is forecast to continue through Saturday's friendly between the United States and Honduras at Sun Life Stadium (6 pm ET, Fox Soccer/Univisión).
The wet weather may dampen the conditions and the crowd turnout, but it won't affect new coach Jurgen Klinsmann's ambitious project to instill his own soccer ethos into an American side previously rooted in Bob Bradley's buttoned-down approach.
Thus far, that ethos of a more adventuresome and expressive style has resulted in one goal and a 0-2-1 record. Klinsmann said that despite recent losses to Costa Rica and Belgium, he's "satisfied" with the team's approach, if not the results.
"We're always results-oriented," Klinsmann said before a Friday workout that was doused twice by heavy rains. "We're competitors. We want to win. It's important for us for our confidence, and for the fans as well. In the long term, it's a different picture where we want to get this team. We're developing a style physically and mentally. That will be very important starting in June with [World Cup] qualifying games."
Following Saturday's game here, the US play Ecuador on Oct. 11 at Red Bull Arena and Klinsmann is hoping to get two more games in before the year's end, likely in Europe in mid-November. With the primacy of results still nearly a year off, the new US manager is currently sorting through the prospects for Cup qualifying.
Nineteen of the 22 players he called for this week's games have trained or played under him previously. Sporting CP center back Oguchi Onyewu, Hoffenheim midfielder Danny Williams and Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando are first-time call-ups by the German.
Onyewu, 29, is of particularly interest given the Americans' lack of an enforcer in front of starting keeper Tim Howard. Now at his seventh European team, the two-time World Cup veteran appears to have regained the form that made him a stalwart in the US back line until he injured his knee two years ago during a World Cup qualifier.
"Gooch" has started six consecutive games at Sporting, all wins, and has one goal to his credit. He's played just 135 minutes for the US this year, against Argentina and Spain, but didn't get off the bench during six Gold Cup matches.
"That he's broken into the team [at Sporting] is a very good sign," Klinsmann said. "It shows he's determined to come back and be at the highest level."
Williams, 22, was born in Germany and his father was an American serviceman. He received his US passport on Sept. 30 and could see time in an attack that is missing the injured Landon Donovan.
"I watched him closely the past couple of months," Klinsmann said. "He is one of the best-kept secrets in Germany."
The US are 0-4-1 at Sun Life, which opened as Joe Robbie Stadium and has gone through several name changes since. The Yanks are 4-1-0 against Honduras since 2009, with the lone loss coming in January 2010 in Carson, Calif.
Honduras coach Luis Suárez called three MLS-based players for the match: Roger Espinoza (Sporting Kansas City), Marvin Chávez (FC Dallas) and Carlo Costly (Houston).


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I have explored a number of different writers in recent years, but none ever comes close to Jack Vance's visual language talents; I would say, from my limited experience, that Clark Ashton Smith is Jack's only literary peer in this regard.
Was Jack also talented in the visual arts?? He was a good carpenter. I understand that he also tinkered around with pottery! Now, what was that all about?! Was it mainly his wife's interest? Was there ceramic wares in their home, made and decorated by Jack? Perhaps it was small a business ambition, to sell the wares?
Could Jack also draw and paint pictures?