The National Park Service seems to be little appreciated by this country.  Perhaps it's a result of me living in NY where there are not National Parks, but it seems that few capitalize on the value of these places.  Later this month, Rod and I will visit yet another National Park -- Acadia in Maine.  It'll be interesting to see the contrasts between the parks I visited out west to this on the east.

Last year when I visited Zion National Park in Utah, I not only fell in love with the park but the state as well.  Located near the Virgin River, Zion has lush greenery and tall rocks.  It was a nice mix.  I suppose I assumed (and you know what happens when you do that) that the National Parks in Utah would all offer the same lushness.  That was not so.

Arches National Park, located in Moab, Utah is much drier and rockier.  Although I was there at roughly the same time of year that I was in Zion (with a year's separation), the absence of vegetation makes a big difference.  Since I spent more time exploring Zion, I feel more connected to it.

Surprisingly, Death Valley National Park has much to offer.  It is the lowest sea level in the United States.  As a result, there is a salt flat there.  Rod was impressed by the presence of mesquite there too.  I liked the sand dunes.  It gets hot here, so it's best to go during the early spring, late fall or winter.

The Petrified Forest seems little visited.  I was not terribly impressed, but it's interesting to note that the land was deemed important enough to preserve what time had done with the wood.  I wish I could have taken a piece for my rock collection, but it's not allowed (nor should it be).

The biggest National Park that I've seen, and perhaps one of the most popular is Grand Canyon National Park.  Truly, once you see the canyon, it takes your breath away.  Nature is truly amazing.  While the Grand Canyon should be on your bucket list, I think once you spend time in Zion actually hiking the trails, you'd find it more impressive.  But that's just my humble opinion.

I have color issues with my knitting.  Some people can put color together and the project looks fantastic; others can do the same project with different colors and not have as much success.  So, I feel the same may be true of my project above.  Although it looks beige in the picture, when I chose the yarn for another project, I thought it was yellow.  It's not.  Obviously that may contribute to the challenges I have putting color together.  The bottom line:  it's a gift to know color.

I went to the toe-up knitting class today only to learn that it was canceled.  Ugh.  But, as I love the yarn shop, I found a new pattern that calls for the use of scrap yarn.  It's a cool design, and, judging by the many comments on Ravelry, a good design too.

I will keep you posted.  And take pictures.

Today is the day I am supposed to hear if I got my -- sort of -- old job.  I am not feeling positive (I figure if I got it I'd have heard before today).

I am feeling the old depression coming on.  How many times can a person hear that they didn't make the cut before it starts to become a part of the person?  Why is it so difficult for me to land a position?  At what point do I cut and run?  How bad a teacher am I?  What are schools looking for??

I suppose if we were in a better place financially I'd be better able to handle this.  But we're not and I'm not.

Granted, I did NOT get told that I did NOT get the job either.  Still, if I can't get my old job back what does that say about me?

Job hunting is exhausting and, for me, demeaning.

I just want to enjoy my summer.

Public schools are not serving the public.

Private schools are wonderful if you can afford them.

Is there any way to connect the two?

The philosopher John Stewart Mill stated the greatest good for the greatest number.  For the most part, this was a philosophy I agreed with.  I am changing my tune.

Testing is getting out of control.   I read Diane Ravitch's blog today (I'd been terribly behind) and she wrote of parents in state like NY getting angry that their children are losing a lot of instructional time because they are being tested.  Stretch that idea further and you'll see what I'm looking at.

The measure for a good school is based on several factors.  One is graduation rate.  Apply that to my school -- the principal looks good if his students graduate.  It's easier for students to graduate when they are passing their classes and do not fall behind.  However, if you have a teacher who doesn't recognize that the unspoken rule is to "pass" students, then we have a problem.  The principal looks bad because he has students who have credit deficiencies.  They may become drop outs which would make the school look bad.  See, it's a vicious cycle.

Private schools look at student learning.  The narrative report card shows where the student does well and where the student needs improvement.  If we looked at students as people instead of numbers, perhaps public education could be salvaged.

I don't know what the vague sickness in my stomach is, but I suspect it may be fear.

In 18 days I leave this desert.  I'll drive across the country alone despite the comments made by some.  While I have had a friend volunteer to drive with me, I know that once I get home I'll want nothing to do with him.  At least I suspect that'll be the case.  I know it sounds harsh but I only want to go home.  I do not view this drive as a fun adventure and if he were to go with me, I'd still not feel it was an adventure.  Last year when I went with Rod it was fun; if I were going with Gretchen or Tyler there would be things to do.  As it stands now, I just want to go home.

I'm not convinced the drive is what I'm afraid of.  I have an interview on Friday which is giving me anxiety -- that and the fact that if I do well I'll have to schedule a time to do a demo lesson at a later date (with 12 hours of flight time involved, I can't help but to be anxious).  I have a lot to get through at work.  There are so many items on a checklist that need doing.  Reconcile my attendance which means highlighting the names of students who withdrew from class during the year and noting where they went. Return "technology" to the appropriate place.  Return keys.  Print my grade book (something they have access to -- why don't they just print it themselves??).  I have to review my personnel file.  Ugh.  In the meantime, I still need to teach and I simply cannot drum up the energy to do any school work.

Maybe I am just depressed.  This year has been so arduous for me.  This is a classic "be careful what you wish for" scene.  Public schools suck, especially those in urban areas.  I don't feel as though I've had enough impact on my students.  Sure, they like me and sort of understand what I was trying to do, but they still never learned personal responsibility.  Is this what the future leaders look like or should I rest assured that there's no way a president from Nevada with lead this country?

Maybe I'm afraid of returning home and not having a job.  Being here, if nothing else, has kept my monetary worries at bay.  I should try to be positive, but I know something is wrong and can't put my finger on it.

I hope when I pull in the driveway sometime in mid-June I'll feel the pit in my stomach relax.

So I knitted this hat for a friend.  She loved it.  Sadly this photo doesn't actually capture the beauty of the color.  I bought the yarn at my local yarn shop (cashmere, silk and merino) and got the pattern for free from an online source.  She loved the hat.  I will be doing a lot of knitting for Christmas this year.

I have truly begun to love homemade gifts.  Last Christmas I received chocolate brittle that was out of this world.  (Thanks Deittra and Ted).  A couple years ago Rod made me some bird houses that were quite beautiful.  This crappy economy paired with the realization that we don't need more stuff makes for a perfect situation for making handmade gifts.

Okay, I know, if I knit something for someone it'll be more stuff.  That's perhaps not exactly what I meant.  I just think the stuff you can buy at places like Brookstone are just silly.  As a society we spend too much money on dumb things.  Really, do you need more shorts or is that just a need that we have because we are empty??

I just learned how to make bracelets from hemp.  It's cathartic to be engaged in such an activity.  So, I better get back to it.