Orlando Here I Come!

Just like Memphis a few months back, Orlando beckons me for another business trip. This weekend, I'll be flying out for 3 days of networking in sunny Florida.

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I'm attending the national conference for ASIS International - an organization for security professionals.  As I write our magazine's security column, it makes sense to send me to gather new ideas and meet with product vendors.

The Orange County Convention Center where the trade show is (source)

I'm pretty jazzed about this one. Unlike some of our other tradeshows, which are more geared toward meeting vendors, this one is chalk full of great sessions.  I'm definitely hitting up these presentions:

• The Quantum Leap In Security Lighting: LED & Induction Lighting
• Crisis Management and Social Media – the New Opportunity
• Preises Liability: A Trial Lawyer's Hints for the Security Professional
• Lessons Learned - Trends In Extreme Violence In the Workplace

I'm also looking forward to this trip as I've never been to Florida before, even though I only have two evenings to explore Orange County. Though excited about a new area to visit, this one comes with a big price tag. 

There are several major theme parks in the immediate vicinity that had looked promising, but they are too expensive - Orlando Universal is around $120, Disney is $85, and SeaWorld is $81.

I certainly can't justify the price, particularly since I could only pop in for a matter of hours. Plus, they're all things that I would want to go with the hubby or in a group, so it makes it easier to bypass.

In hunting around online, I've discovered two inexpensive possibilities that are more in my price range.

First is the I RIDE Trolley.  At $1.25 a ride, I will be shuttled around International Drive, which is home to Universal, SeaWorld, and a slew of restaurants, shopping outlets, and hotels.   

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I think it would be fun to just cruise around and see the sights.  Such a simple way to get a feel for an area.  Huzzah for super cheap ways of exploring!

On this boulevard of entertainment, I've found something inexpensive and fantastically geeky: Titanic - The Experience 

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Oh yes, I would go to this and relish every moment.  I've had a fascination with sunken ships since 3rd grade and I was a fan of the Titanic long before the movie came out.

I've been to a traveling Titanic exhibit before, but this experience includes full-scale reproductions of ship rooms. The tour guides are even dressed in period costume and play the part of a real passenger.  How cool is that?!  This interactive / living history museum is $20, a deal I find pretty reasonable.

Ok, enough salivating here ... Given that this is a business trip and my time is largely taken up with meetings and seminars during the day, I think one tourist stop is an expected indulgence.  Plus, it keeps my non-refundable costs in check.  

Speaking of expenses, while it would be inappropriate to reveal how much this trip will cost, I can tell you that my expenses are handled two ways.

• My hotel arrangements and meals are reimbursed after I get back from the trip.  Now that we have a credit card cleared off just for business trips, it makes it easy to pay for stuff out of pocket. 
• My airfare, quite thankfully, was arranged through a local travel agency and billed directly to the company.

I'm estimating that I'll spend about $40 of my own money of this trip - half going to the Titanic museum and the other half reserved for whatever baubles I decide must come home with me.

Full recap when I get back next week - I promise I won't get eaten by any gators!!!

9/11 Hoopla

The bombing of Pearl Harbor, Kennedy's assassination, landing on the Moon, the fall of the Berlin Wall, Columbine.

They say every generation is witness to a major historical event, one so overarching that you can ask any person 

"Where were you when ..." 

9/11 is supposedly that event for my generation - the day that forever altered the course of our history, changed our political landscape, and united a splintered country.

<rolls eyes>

Oh yes, I'm the blogger today that just rolled her eyes at such a sacred event.  Let me tell you why before you publicly brand me for having a flippant attitude.

Ten years ago, I was a senior in high school.  I was outside at band practice when the news broke.  It wasn't until I walked into 2nd period that I knew, in the words of a classmate, "someone is bombing America."

I had no idea what the World Trade Center was.  We had one Muslim family in town and they had a daughter who was close to my sister.  I thought the attack was to take down our banking system.  I simply didn't have a frame of reference for what happened that day. 

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As a young adult in the wake of the event, however, I gained a better understanding of the impact of that day - it wasn't just about destroying two buildings and killing thousands of innocents.

There are people today honoring the dead, as they should.  I cannot imagine the horror of that kind of death.

There are those praising the rescue crews and volunteers, as they should.  Americans don't forget valor and honor in the face of a crisis.

There are those who will talk about the unifying effects of 9/11.  And THAT is what I have a point of contention with.

9/11 may have temporarily prompted the US to pull together, but that sense of unity quickly dissolved.

In my lifetime, I have watched with disdain a growing fissure in this country.  A sharp divide exists, prompted by a toxic climate that Americans themselves, not terrorists, continue to fuel.

Without getting into the whys and hows, just look at any aspect of politics, religion, or education.  Those conversations are tainted by disrespect, unyielding attitudes, and intolerance.

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In a recent class of mine, the conversation turned political (quite accidentally by an off-hand comment by a student) and you could immediately see students taking up arms.  The air of the classroom became agitated and the mood took a turn for the worst.

To diffuse the tension, I said this to my students:

"I don't care where you land with politics or religion - it's really sad that we can't talk to each other anymore.  We've really lost something when we feel silenced, when we can't share our ideas for fear of being drowned out by a fellow human being."

I would like to see an attitude of respect and patience returned to this country.  A UU minister recently wrote, "True strength lies not in our ability to destroy our enemies, but in the sometimes difficult choice to turn away from violence and hatred."

He was probably referring to physical violence, but I see hateful words, violent rhetoric, and silencing looks as one of the more brutal repercussions of how our country has changed in recent years.

But change can be the result of collective individual actions. I believe that a mindset of mutual understanding is what we really need in times like these. 

It takes strong individuals to stand up against the tidal wave of ill-will that has permeated our nation. But I'm not going to let the difficultness of this task stop me. 

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Bomb Threat At Work

Ok, so technically that should read "Bomb Threat Near Where I Work" but that's not as flashy of a title :)

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Check out an exciting morning in Cedar Rapids.  This building is kitty-corner to mine: http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Cedar-Rapids-Building-Evacuated-Bomb-Squad-En-Route-to-Check-on-Suitcases-129526013.html 

Turns out they were just the personal belongings of a homeless man (very sad, when you think about it), but I'm glad that the city took the situation serious.

I am not so pleased with the people who complain to no end during these incidences - saying it's disruptive, a waste of time and money, or, I love this one, "the terrorists have won."

<rolls eyes>

Yes, it costs money to send out the police, stop trains and traffic, and let the bomb squad play with their robot.

But it costs a bajillion times more if a bomb goes off:

• Loss of life has no price tag
• Disruption of a business is costly
• Heavy damage to a building (or surrounding structures) can tank a company
• No one thinks about secondary damage - sidewalks, roads, landscaping, street signs, utility poles ... someone has to pay for those to be fixed
• Events like these negatively impact an area's image - people may still want to visit the Statue of Liberty after 9/11, but not every city can sustain such a blow.

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The biggest cost overlooked is liability.  Imagine if the police had pooh-poohed the suitcases and they had gone off as a bomb.  Now the city is on the hook for not responding to a call.  That company could then sue, and now you really are talking about taxpayer dollars.

At any rate, I'd much have a brouhaha made over nothing than to be complacent about a genuine threat.

5 Favorite Fall Activities

Prior to this year, if you asked me what my favorite season was, I would immediately answer summer.  I detest winter with its frigid temperatures and lack of outdoor actvities for those who get cold easily.

But this summer's oven-like temperatures were too extreme.  I can't believe I actually got a case of cabin fever in July! 

This week's beautiful weather has brought me a sense of calm and renewal.  To celebrate the beginning of fall, here are some of my favorites activities that have been on hold this summer.  

Cooking

Holy crap, I want this oven! (source)

Given the dearth of food-related posts, you've probably guessed I've barely turned on the oven the past 3 months.  Too much heat + cooking for one will do that.

But now is the time for comfort food to make a return.  Crockpot dinners, casseroles, slow roasting, potatoes, chili, and bread making will now populate our weekly menu.

Pumpkins

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Speaking of comfort foods, though we eat pumpkins all year round, fresh ones in the fall are awesome.  I roasted my first pumpkin just last year and it definitely beats out the canned stuff.  We have a local pumpkin patch that I'm hoping to check out soon.

Twilight Walks

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Lower temperatures + harvest dust = beautiful evening walks. It's not too chilly so it's perfect for a brisk pace and the sunsets get crazy vivid.  There's also a crispness in the air that can't be beat.

Tea

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Don't get me wrong - tea is great in the summer, particularly iced.  But there's nothing like setting down on the couch after a long day of work and curling up with a nice hot tea.  I particularly love the warm feeling chai gives you in the belly.

Salt Baths

This is actually the brand we use - $5 at Walmart (source)

Our bathtub isn't the most comfortable for soaking (it doesn't even fit the two of us), but I'm undetered.  I've read that Gen Y doesn't have much need for bathtubs, but we clearly bunk the trend.  I would so love to have a soaking tub one day!

There's so many other things about the fall to love - sweaters and cardigans, football season, end-of-season campfires, leaves turning ...

What's your favorite part about autumn?

Soothing September

After a nice time visiting all of our family and friends this weekend, I'm thinking about what this next month will hold for us.  Though I am no longer teaching, Mike is back in class two nights a week.  My job will continue at a slightly hectic pace until a new editor is hired.  I also have a trade show in Orlando I'll be flying out for.

One thing I realized this weekend is how much balance I've lost in my life as of recent.  Admittedly, I know that teaching + a day job will make for a busy time.  I didn't know, however, how much 2 classes each week would affect me (nor that my mate would be gone for most of it ...).  Let's just say that it would be prudent to limit myself to one in the future.

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Whenever I get stressed, not only am I an unhappy camper, but my body joins in on the fun.  Like most people, I begin to sleep poorly, make unwise food choices, gain weight, have acne show up, and feel sluggish on all accounts.  The past few weeks, I've even been fighting off allergies/a cold.

All of this is completely unnecessary.  To try to get more done at work, I've rarely taken lunch breaks and routinely stayed late.  Funny thing is, all this extra time isn't amounting to more productivity.  Just more stress and tiredness.

So I'm declaring this month "Soothing September" and am setting out to regain balance.  My goals are simple:

• Get proper rest.  Despite what the studies say, I'm a 10 hours a night kind of girl.  That means going to bed somewhere between 9-10pm.
• Mindful eating.  Meatless Mondays and a influx of fruits/veggies are being reinstated.
• Read.  Despite the hectic schedule as of late, I've continued picking through the Lord of the Rings trilogy and now only have the appendices to polish off.  This has been very relaxing and I need to continue making time for this.
• Exercise. Though in an ideal world I would bike to work every day, I am going to shoot for 2 days.  I also want to take evening walks and add some simple weight lifting.  Whatever combination I fit in, I want to get 30 minutes in 3 times a week.

While I'm tempted to add more, I'm going to stick to these.  If you make your goals too complicated, I've found they just end up complicating your life. 

What are your goals for this month?  

Labor Day Plans

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The last official weekend of summer is here.  It’s been a crazy couple months and while I do not welcome cooler weather, I am happy to leave Summer 2011 goodbye. 

To celebrate this extended weekend, Mike and I are headed up to our respective hometowns – Clear Lake / Mason City / Nora Springs.  We haven’t been up that way since last Christmas and I’m pretty sure our families will incite a riot if we stay away any longer!

As for costs, it’s a low-budget affair.  Gas to drive the 250-mile round trip and a mandatory afternoon treat at Taco Tico and Cookies Ect (it’s a Mason City thing …).  Each set of parents is providing meals and/or lodging, which is much appreciated.

Our days will be spent visiting family, who are all essentially based out of Cerro Gordo county.  Our time will also overlap with a visit from Mike’s sister and our 2 nieces and nephew, who we haven’t seen since Thanksgiving.

I am oddly looking forward to this trip.  Despite the concentration of family, going to our hometowns is never our first choice for a vacation.  There’s many reasons for that, none having to do with relatives.  Maybe more on that in a future post.

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At any rate, work has been crazy busy as of late.  Not only are we flooded with special projects and larger issues, but we’re down a team member and have absorbed their workload.  I am in desperate need of getting away to regain some balance.

I intend to not labor at anything but eating tasty food and getting good sleep over the weekend.

What are your plans?

$1600 Gone in a Flash

This is an odd week for me.

I just finished 8 weeks of teaching two film classes. It was a busy two months, teaching back-to-back nights in different cities.  But it was a good run – I had engaged students, taught 4 new movies that were well received, and the responses on the essay test really blew me away. 

So final grades are in, the textbook resumes its spot on the bookshelf, and my prep materials are safely stowed away for future reference.

What makes this an unusual end to a class is that I was scheduled to start teaching a literature class this week as well. 

Note the past tense.

I learned a few days ago that not enough students registered for my class and so it was canceled.  This is standard university policy – it’s just not cost effective to pay an instructor to teach less than 10 students. 

Now I’ve taught close to 50 classes, but this is the first time I’ve ever had one canceled.  This leaves me with a lot of mixed feelings. 

The bonus to this situation is the amount of time I gain back – 40 hours in the classroom, 16 hours of driving, and however many hours spent grading and emailing.  We’ve got a lot going on in our life right now, so having another free evening is not a small thing.

However, there are some definite downsides.

The first is a teaching-related concern.  I’ve taught literature a handful of times, twice before at this particular university.  I made few changes between the original courses as I was still feeling the ropes, but I was ready on the 3^rd run to make adjustments. Add to this a recent university directive to add more “rigor” to gen ed courses and I was eager to get creative.

So I changed the course.  The reading list stayed virtually the same, but I redistributed the points across different assignments.  I went from 1 presentation, 1 midterm, and 1 final paper to 1 small presentation, 1 midterm, 2 responses, a final PowerPoint presentation, and no paper.

You may not be interested in my teaching methods, but here’s the thing – students have access to your syllabus prior to registering for the course.  On my old format, I clearly had enough students to hold class.  But under the new format, I did not.

There may be a number of factors why this course didn’t fly – it’s fall and students want to concentrate more on major classes, not many this term needed to fulfill a gen ed requirement, literature isn’t very popular in the first place, ect …

But I do wonder if my changes had anything to do with it.  I was excited to teach with the new assignments/activities, knowing they would enhance students’ understanding of literature and let us cover a great range of authors and topics.   

I wouldn't suggest I'm as awesome as Mr. Keating, but I'm a big fan of making literature accessible

I don’t regret the changes – if I get to teach this course again, I will stick to my new design.  I just wish I knew why there wasn’t enough interest.

But this is life as a college instructor – classes get canceled, it happens.  However, because I’m hired from term to term, I do not know when I will be teaching again next.  It might be again in October (another movies class), but nothing has been decided yet.        

The other thing that this cancelation has caused is lost income.  Though I’d signed my contract, redesigned the class, prepared all of the materials, and had my syllabus turned in, no students = no pay.

I would never say that it wasn’t worth it.  I have a fantastic literature course ready to deploy when the time is right.  But I can’t deny that we had plans for my pay.  It was to fuel debt reduction, nothing earth shattering, but that’s a good chunk of change that disappeared with only a few days’ notice.

I love teaching.  I make my bread and butter in publishing, but teaching is a natural state of being for me.  If the structure of higher education and the economy allowed it, I would work as an instructor full time, but such is not the case for our times (and the explanation would take up another post).  Hopefully another opportunity will come, but for the next few months, I will lay my teaching hat aside.