Motivated to Succeed

1:45 PM - Woke up early and drove to Emma's house today. We'd orginally planned for a bike trip on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, but it was low to mid 40s and windy. Actually encountered snow on the hour and a half drive to her house too coming over the mountains into Massachusetts. We ended up chilling at her house for a while. I got to see Rose and little baby Beaner Jane and Rose's dad whom I'd only met once before. Was nice to just sit with a coffee and forget about the hectic stuff that is all coming due this week or next week. Actually spent the better part of an hour talking about the New York and American Education Systems as well as North Korea's recent firing of a missile that morning, part of which fell into the ocean to the west of Japan. They claimed they were launching a satellite, but the U.S. had been monitoring it and no satellite appears to have actually been launched into orbit.

Around lunch time the sun was just starting to peak out of the clouds so we jumped in Emma's car and drove to Monument Mountain. This was the first time since "the Big Day" that we'd been back, and by the time we got there a bunch of other people must have had the same idea, because there were a half dozen cars at the bottom of the trail. We got out and started hiking, and it was simply gorgeous. Could hear the birds chirping, the chipmunks and squirrels chatting, and the wind rustling through the treetops. When we got up to the top we just sat there on the rocks looking out over everything. We watched a group of hawks for what seemed like forever - watching them float effortlessly in the wind, swooping around the precipices and overlooks, coming almost within reach. Emma sunned herself on the rock like a lizard. There was another couple up at the top with a dog and he kept running off.

Afterwards, we hiked back down the other side of the mountain. I was actually kind of sad that we had to leave the mountain, though on our way down we raced each other to "our spot" where I proposed in October. I think Emmy won! When we got there, we just sat on the rocks looking down the cliff, and just took it all in. We noticed the hawks were back, and I actually got the hawks on camcorder. Maybe it's just me but I consider this a meaningful vision: was videotaping two hawks swooping in circles in the cavern, and the two of them flew by each other and then came together, landing next to each other on a tall promitory in the middle of the cliff. It was truly an awesome site :)!

We hiked back to the car and then drove to Great Barrington and stopped at Uncommon Grounds coffee shop, only it wasn't the run of the mill Uncommon Grounds like the corporate one with the same name across from Borders in Saratoga. This one was awesome. It was totally organic, totally hippie, and totally cool! My dream coffee shop! Whenever I'm in Great Barrington again I'm stopping in there! They even have a cool yard for kids to play out back next to the river! After getting a coffee Emmy and I went to our favorite Indian restaurant in Pittsfield, House of India!

Total Time: ~2 hours  Total Distance: 3.0 miles

Looking off of Monument almost at the Summit. The pond looks like a map of the USA!

Rocks at the summit in the sunshine.

I found a mountain goat! Though this one was surprisingly much cuter than most you encounter at this elevation!

1:00 PM -  I was selected to participate in a NCATE interview today from 1:00-2:00 before my Sponsor - A - Scholar Program. Our college is in the process of getting reaccredited, and I was one of about a dozen people selected to go and represent the college. So that made me feel pretty good :). Afterwards I went right to Sponsor-A-Scholar and I had one of those moments.. where you feel like everything is worth it, that all your struggles and all the time you've put in to come up with workshops/lessons and everything was worth it.

Today's topic was GENOCIDE THROUGHOUT HISTORY and when we explained it to our teachers they were a bit removed and wary as to how we would interest the inner city kids at Albany High. There are three of us that work together for Social Studies. Well I was in charge of talking about the Armenian Genocide which occurred between 1915-1923 in which 75% of the Armenian population living in Turkey were exterminated and first world countries did little to step in, and have since still been reluctant to punish the Turkish Government. Well it worked out perfectly because Obama actually stopped in Turkey earlier this week and he has pledged to get the Armenian Genocide recognized globally, even as today Turkish youth are still taught in their schools that it did not happen and that it was more the product of a civil war and was the Armenians fault for uprising against them. From there we went to the Holocaust, showing pictures and maps of concentration camps (there were actually over 10,000 camps!). One of the eeriest handouts we passed around were three postcards that you could purchase from Auschwitz death camp that showed the crematoriums. What would write on them? "Uh, wish you were here? Not really?". From here we progressed and talked about Rwandan Genocide in the 1990s and then the recent ongoing genocide in Darfur. Well about halfway through I look up after finding a picture to show the workshop and I realize that not only did we have the biggest turnout of all four groups presenting.. with nearly 10 kids at our workshop instead of the normal 3 or 4, but each kid was mesmorized! They were asking questions and just sitting there stunned. They were so involved and active. It was truly an empowering moment. I just felt bad because two other groups had no one that attended their workshops!

As we were cleaning up and rearranging the room one of the other guys, DJ made a comment about Boy Scouts being "prepared". And I told him how I am a merit badge counselor right now and was an Eagle Scout since 2002. He told me that he was too! How cool is that I thought, then John our third partner came over because he heard us and he told us that he was an Eagle scout as well! Does that say something or what?! Eagle Scouts (only 1% of Boy Scouts ever reach that rank) as future Social Studies Teachers of America! I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I went to my class tonight with huge grin on my face. Everything went well today.

My day started with having breakfast with an angel in Pittsfield, and ended with a smile on my face. Kind of funny because my note that I read from Emmy before bed tonight said "I love it that when I think of you I get a big goofy grin on my face." She's so perfect. :D

9:15 AM - Got up early because my dad woke me up at about 6am since he was singing to Aggie, the St. Bernard puppy. Haha he's so crazy! It was snowing outside this morning! No thank you, Madam Weather! Hopped on the bike and started reading James Rollins's Excavation. It's a quick read. I'm already on page 80! Moves really fast. Historical fiction mystery set in the Peruvian Mountains regarding the discovery of a Dominican Friar and ancient Incan ruins. So much like Scott Smith's The Ruins, though it predated it. I'll be done with this one before the week's end probably! Much faster read than Oliver Twist was!

Total Time: 1:00:30  Total Distance: 20 miles

9:00 AM - Hopped on the bike this morning and read from James Rollins's Excavation. Really quick, engaging thriller with historical twist about the Incan Empire and a hidden pyramid. Read another 95 pages so I'm up to page 175 or so. Almost halfway through it already! Emma called about 5 mins into the ride but man is it hard to talk on the phone and bike at the same time, even when you're biking to nowhere! I am going to call her back shortly after a shower to destinkify. Then long day at work tonight 2pm to 1030pm. Gag! Oh and I saw more snowflakes today. Grrr it's April dangit!

Total Time: 1:14:00 Total Distance: 24 miles

10:40 AM - After nearly an hour and a half trying to get Aggie inside I ended up locking her in the garage through an ingenious trail of American Cheese. Just like Hansel and Gretel. Today's forecast was highs in the upper 40s, but windy. Winds were between 15 and 20mph, but today was my only chance to get in a ride, so I layered up with two bottoms, then put on a long sleeve sport shirt, the bike jersey Julian gave me and a purple fleece and headed out on a ride. I was taken aback by just how powerful the wind really is. As I went through Galway, Ballston, Charlton, Burnt Hills, Scotia, and Providence, I got to see a lot of the countryside that I love about this part of NY. Only downer was rude / unaware drivers. I would need about five hands to count the number of times people gunned their trucks past me without leaving adequate room and at least a set of toes for the numer of semis that I almost careened into. I think drivers are just unaware that if you drive too close to a biker, especially when there is a severe cross wind, you risk sucking him and his bike into your car! At least I made it back in one piece. My aunt Jane is up here for Easter. She just flew in from Tennessee. Time to go help my mom go Easter shopping and then back to do loads of homework! This was by far the hardest ride I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. I think that century better watch out! The Howling Commando's ready to slice and dice baby!

Total Time: 3:56:40  Total Distance: 60.5 miles  Average Speed: 15.4 mph