Explain 4

Today Erin got to choose the explain topic.

She chose: the worm band-aid

Everyone knows that one part of the worm that doesn't look like the rest of the worm. It's like, worms are very uniform in appearance, except for that one part that looks like someone put a band-aid around the worm.

What is that part? What is it's function?

I think it's like proto-shoulders. Or maybe that's where the worms vital organs are so it has some extra protection there and things attach to it. Like our ribcage maybe.

I don't think worms are as bendy at that part. So maybe it's like a fulcrum. It's where their worm muscles attach.

Maybe it's like a belly button. Some remnant from a previous worm stage. What are worm babies?

This only raises more questions!!

Explains 3

A Piston.

This one is really easy. Pistons are simple.  A piston is like a tube. And then, um,

Ok.  A piston is like a barrel with one closed end and then the other end is adjustable...kinda.

Imagine a barrel. And on end, the lid has an arm attached and that arm can push the end further into the barrel and compress the space inside.

So, wait, now that I'm thinking about it, I think that arm, the thing doing the compressing within the tube is the piston. Not the whole system. I don't know what that's called. A cylinder? Like in an engine, maybe.

Anyway, a piston is a mechanical... instrument that shoots forward to...poke stuff.

Yeah. Not gonna look it up. Just gonna put it out there. I'm open to suggestions.

Running Update

I've probably already said this but I've been thinking about it a lot so I'll say it again: my goal is to WIN the charlottesville 10 miler.

Training is going really well. A year ago I couldn't run and now I am one short run away from my highest mileage week ever.

Don't Let The Name Fool You

The new Spiderman movie is really good.

“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero."

PIxel Tactics

Over Thanksgiving Break I was 5-1 with Erin in Pixel Tactics.

This break my record is 1-3.

I'm slipping.

da pigans page

this is an offshoot of the word of the bird inspired by one of my favorite students. she writes fanmail to the word of the bird as the "pigans" so they were given their own page.

Andy Explains

The second installment of my series where I explain something to the best of my ability.

Today: touchscreens.

The first touchscreens probably came out in like the 80s maybe. I know phones started getting touchscreens in like 2008-2010. That was like a transition time from number pad typing to full keyboard. I think.

Anyway, the way a touchscreen might work as that there are a whole bunch of pressure sensitive um, thingies on a surface and they correspond to the pixels on the screen. Somehow conductivity is also involved because you can't just manipulate the screen with anything. It has to be like a tongue or hotdog or stylus or finger.

That's pretty much it. Maybe there's a current going through the screen. Or maybe like, you know how when you used to press down really hard on an old school calculator screen it would flash all those crazy colors. Yeah, maybe that is involved as well.

Just as a rule i'm never going to look up any of these topics even after writing on them.

The Nightwalker

This is the third night in about two weeks that I've heard footsteps outside my window. I think it's a bear probably walking by Messy Art. Bears have been known to go by there. But because of the size, the steps sound like they could be human.

It sounds like someone puttering about on the leaves. They step slowly but without any purpose. It creeps me out and comforts me at the same time.

Pink Ink

Trying to Explain Things I Don't Understand.

Topic: concrete

Concrete is some special mixture of rocks and minerals. Or maybe it's just pulverized rocks?

You can buy a bag of dry concrete dust and I think if you just add water it becomes a liquid then a solid.

Concrete Trucks have mixers which keep the concrete from solidifying.

I believe concrete is lightweight. Relatively. Like as opposed to a rock or a brick maybe. It's still quite heavy.

When you build with concrete you add rebar? to it.  Which as far as i can tell is some metal poles that give it more structural integrity. This is important.

One time I saw a video where these people made a dome for a big building in like 2 seconds because they slathered wet concrete on a balloon and inflated it and then the concrete hardened and they popped the balloon and it was a dome. And the guy was like pretty smug about it.

I also saw the same concept applied to cheap housing. Like a tiny house.

I don't know when concrete was invented. Probably in like the 20th century maybe? John Concrete.

I think sidewalks are made of concrete, generally. But roads aren't. And i'm told as a runner that roads are "softer" than sidewalk.

Yeah, concrete is all around. Visible and unvisible. And that's most of what I know about it.

Tune in next time when I try to explain something else to illustrate just how little I know.

winter parking lot

3 years ago- leaving the school, walking out into the parking lot. Nervous but trying to withhold judgment on how things were going.

2 years ago- in the same parking lot. Made up my mind to leave.

1 year ago- at the different job. thinking about getting back to camp.

This year- happy. Back in the school parking lot. Thinking the light looks really cool and that there's no way my cellphone camera can capture it.

these kids is great

Shoveled Yesterday

Shoveled the front porch and the parking lot/driveway. My back is really sore today because I knowingly shoveled with horrible form. Too excited, I guess.

My right calf also cramped up at the end of the run today. Probably a combination of dehydration, running/sliding in mud and snow, shoveling yesterday, rewearing long retired shoes. It's still tight so I should drink water right now.

This evening marks the end of day 5 of my weekend. Lots of snow and hundreds of square miles of back roads means the county is quick to close schools. Today, when I would've been at work, I felt really stagnant and antsy. This is a great time to get a lot of work done on ongoing projects but being off my schedule seems to make it hard to get momentum. I don't know. Good problems to have, ultimately.

For now I'm working on mailing things to people. I've been doing a lot of painting and drawing and I have about 4 or 5 bundles almost ready to go. I should get back to work on that now.

2 hour delay for schools tomorrow. Still a chance to close.

An exciting time

I was thinking as I was driving back to Charlottesville today that this is a really interesting time to be alive. Personally. And generally. But within my own little bubble there are so many questions with outcomes that are absolutely uncertain. And however they end up being answered will inform how I approach future situations and future questions.

Sometimes it feels overwhelming. Or frustrating. But for right now it's just very interesting to not know and have no way of knowing.

Word of the Bird #12

Snowy Sunday Word of the Bird #11

family looking good

N.R.G.

I'm not going to want to get up tomorrow. I can feel it. I'll be too tired. Oh well.

I worked on being more gentle and patient today at after school. I think it helped. I don't know. I feel better at the end of the day if I didn't come down hard and the group was still successful.

I like to think I have good relationships with all the kids. When I first worked at after school my goal was to be competent and feel like I was good at my job. That's still my natural inclination and motivation but since working at the boarding school I think relationships are equally if not slightly more important. I want to be an adult who sees the good in kids and encourages them to have fun and cares about how they're doing. Or something like that.

At some point before I go in tomorrow I need to write a story about how they all band together to find the Christmas Dragon.

Blue Ridge Tunnel

December 1st 2018 will forever be the day I went through the Blue Ridge Tunnel. About 1200 meters, with knee deep water in places and crawling through two small pipes. One of the creepiest and fun experiences in my life.

December 1st

This day is an important day for me. In 2015 it was the day I started my job at after school and basically the day I moved to Charlottesville. A year later it was the day I got chewed out by my supervisor and decided to leave my job. It was also the day I saw one of my favorite bands in concert and one of the last times I saw a very good friend before they moved.

2017 was not nearly as eventful but I did get a really positive performance review from a supervisor at my new job.

This year December 1st is a Saturday so it will probably be a totally regular day but that's fine too. Happy 3 years of living in Cville, me.