School, Art Class & Snow

SCHOOL
This past week began with enrolling Tom & Sarah at Columbine High School which is the closest one to our home.  It's a bit daunting coming to Columbine given it's history!  We'd researched the whole shooting episode on YouTube while we were still in Australia, but we are assured by the locals that this is probably the safest school in America!!  There seems to be plenty of security too.  On arrival you of course check in at the front reception, where they like to swipe your drivers license.  Well, our doesn't do it! We become a generic visitor! From there we went to see the student counselor, Mr Andrew Lentini.  He organised Tom & Sarah into classes.  At first, he wasn't going to accept Tom since he has already graduated from year 12, but the Principal ok'd him attending.  Tom has 5 elective subjects since he wont be graduating and is here for the experience only: Guitar, Drama Production, PE/Weight lifting,Choir & Media/ Video - so it's all fun for Tom!!  He is loving it!
Sarah has managed to not do a Science or Maths, so we will have to work out if she needs to when we get back to Australia, she may have to repeat some Yr 11 if she decides she does want to go to uni, otherwise it looks like TaFE and hairdressing might be ok for her..  (She is doing English & American History though!)

After working out their schedules, we had a tour of the school so they would know where to go.  It was a bit eerie seeing the cafeteria which looks exactly like it does on Youtube, except the ceiling has been removed where the old library used to be, so the cafeteria has a really high ceiling space now and the library has been relocated nearby, but is completely new and different.  The school is very large, wide hallways, lots of photos and awards and banners - and of course miles of lockers!

Anyway school started officially on Wednesday 5/1/11 with the first lessons starting at 7.15am! (Before the sun is up by the way!)  I have never seen a school car park / entrance so busy at 7 in the morning!  People everywhere!  It took a good 10minutes to drop them off in the car park 'loop' with 2 lanes going! But Sarah & Tom were so pumped! I guess it's many a teenagers dream to go to an American High School!  The first few days have gone well, and of course their Aussie accent is a winner everywhere.  Tom seems to be the only one with a 'surfy' hair do, and european fashion, so stands out somewhat (which he quite likes!) Sarah also, still loves fashion and loves not having to wear a uniform to school.  So far, she says there are no 'hotties' in sight!  But, everything else is just like the movies!!  Both of them say it's actually hard to meet people at school, because they all sit in rows and then rush to the next class.  The corridors turn into a sea of people then empty.  At lunchtime, there are no passes needed, kids just leave the grounds, go somewhere to lunch then come back for class.  It seems that all the 'cool' kids in the junior & senior years (yr 11 & 12) don't stay for lunch in the cafeteria but 'go out'.  Tom seems to find a ride everywhere.  Sarah has found a couple of friends, and has managed to catch the school bus home ok, which is great!  Saves me doing the taxi run, although driving has become less scary, but not yet natural!! To catch the bus to school, they would need to be at the bus stop, which is only around the corner, by 6.25am.  Needless to say, either Rick or I run them to school which is about 10 minutes away.  Sarah is keen to try cheerleading or the 'Poms', but may have to wait since tryouts are already well and truely over given we have come in the second half of their school year.  But!  Wait! the Winter Ball is coming up soon on the 5 February!!  (Groan!) This means, finding a suitable dress which we have already spent some time doing.. This will be followed by the 'Prom' around April.  (I can see where Sarah's focus is on..)  It's all very exciting and fun at the moment.. I'm sure some serious school work will be expected very soon!

Dropping the kids off at Columbine High, its just after 7am and the sun is not up!!!

Meanwhile, Rick is adjusting to his new role as Special Ed Teacher at Westridge Elementary.  This is a complete seachange for him especially since he is not a leader at all. Instead, he has small groups of children throughout the day at specific times that correlate with the class lesson on the same subject.  Children come for part or all of the lesson. He says its very prescribed which is again different, but seems to work well within the system.  After the first day, he said it was going to be 'a very long year', but each day is better.  There is no Deputy on site as the school needs to be larger to qualify for one (over 600).  At the moment it  has about 500 students. During this week, the Principal needed to take personal leave as her father passed away, and there was a student that needed to be removed from school (suspended), and there was a big question as to who would do that.  The District Office had to be consulted..  So, quite a different system but interesting for Rick to observe.  From my perspective, his day starts about the same time or a little later (his school is only 5 mins away) and he is home so early!! 4.30pm I will pick him up (if I have the car)!  Crazy! Gone are the 6.30pm finishes or rather the 9.30 or so!! This is definitely a change in pace.

ME
Also on Wednesday, I started a Watercolour Class!  Rick saw the ad in the local paper, and it turned out to be at Ken Caryl Ranch House. (We live in Governor's Ranch, and also have a community hall or house) The class is run by Chuck, who is a retired Graphic Designer who lives locally. The class is made up of mostly retirees and a couple of us who have copious time on our hands!  We completed the same landscape scene of sky, mountains, hills, lake, rocks and pine trees.  A typical American landscape that I see around me.  It was an excellent class with Chuck taking us step by step showing us various techniques.  What to do and what doesn't work so well.  I loved it.  My finished product worked reasonably well, but not as lovely as Chuck's.  I can see I have a lot to learn from him... I really really enjoyed this class and look forward to next Wednesday.  Meanwhile, I have bought the materials I need and am dreaming of becoming a great illustrator.. Ha!Ha! Well, one can dream! But I am looking at things differently now, thinking, 'ooh! that would make a nice picture to paint!' and have my camera ready!  Ok, I will share my first effort, if only I can be told how much I have improved as time goes on!!

First effort! Without proper paints or weighted paper, but very theraputic..

SNOW
Well it sure was a lovely novelty to have snow a week or so ago.  The snow took about 8-9 days to melt mostly away and then on Sunday morning we had another snowfall, heavier this time.  Sunday was dark and dreary and very cold.  We went to church in the morning only to have to scrape the car down so we could drive home.  It snowed in flurries to start with, but then came quite heavy.  Definite snow balls floating down very quietly, but steady all day.  I think we had easily 15-20cm.  Apparently, the snow is too 'dry' to make a successful snowman yet.  I think this means it has to melt off a bit, or snow with moisture (sleet).

Rick scraping the snow and frost off the windscreen ready to drive home

Sarah eating snow again!  It taste like a slushie without the flavour..

Today, is beautiful and clear.  It really is very beautiful with the blue blue sky and the white clean snow.  This morning, while it was still dim when the gang left for school, I spotted at least 3 neighbours scraping and shovelling snow from the drives and 'walks' before work.  I went out about 8.30am and spent about nearly 2 hrs shovelling ours clear.  Phew! it's a good workout!  The snow is like powder, and felt a bit like shovelling fine sand.  But we have learned from the last fall, that it's better to get it off the paths asap, cause the bottom layer melts a bit during the day, then freezes overnight and is very very slippery to walk on.. I was very pleased with my efforts but conclude that although snow is pretty to look at, it's very high maintenance.. Not sure if I would like to live in it all the time, and am very glad for central heating.  It's so nice to come into the warmth and be cosy.  Overnight, the temperature drops to -11F (-19C).  You can't be out for long unless you are really rugged up.

The drive with a decent cover of snow, needs to be cleared before the base turns to ice..

The amount of snowfall was fairly reasonable, coming up to the top of my boots..

 Sorry, this above clip is sideways - I couldn't work out how to straighten it!  Any ideas?

A fair effort!  The thin ice layer remaining has melted off..

 On Saturday, we drove into the city to have a look.  The freeways are amazing how they cross and loop.  The 16th Street Mall is very long and has free buses running up and down it.  It was a typical Mall I suppose, but lacked the atmosphere of our Rundle Mall.  The shop doors were all closed too, due to the weather we assume, which made it look different.  We enjoyed the outing, and warmed up with a huge hot chocolate each from Starbucks.


16th Street Mall, Denver City



One American Hot Dog for $1.00, but no need to have another!

We then found our way to the Cherry Creek Mall which is not far from the city, and about 20-30mins from here.  It was lovely, with many classy shops.  We had a lovely time again -  the sales are all very good 40-70% off. 

This is a regular, but sad sight.  Beggars on the street corners asking for food, shelter or money.  There is a beggar on the far corner too..

We are unable to join the local Blockbuster because we don't have any photo ID with our current local address on it, and it seems we are unable to get one.. hmm.  However, there are these 'Red Boxes' where you can get a DVD for $1.00 Just swipe your credit card, select a movie from the touch screen and out it comes.  Return it the same way, touch the screen and insert the movie!!  The selection is a bit limited, but not bad, so problem solved! :)



The iron sparked, blew up and caught fire Sunday morning. A new one probably was long overdue..


As I am experiencing this, it is summer in Australia and family and friends are swimming, and keeping cool under air cons and fans.  Then there's the flash flooding in Queensland.  I had to find this out on the internet, as the news here is very local, and world news isn't given much if any air time.

It looks like the holidays are definitely over, and a routine is beginning to be established.  My challenge after being soo busy with family, work and church is to adjust to the quiet of my own company for several hours each day.  I have decided, I need to be self disciplined, and use this time constuctively for me. I know that once we return to Australia I wont have this luxury again, even so, it still is hard to adjust to.  The quiet.  I'm trying hard to avoid the word 'lonely' and so I am going to keep myself busy, painting and drawing if possible, besides the homey mummy things I might do!!  So, please, let me know if you read any of this stuff, I would love your company!!