A Very Good Beginning

 I'll be in DC for several days for the NEA Representative Assembly and if today is any indication then its going to be a great week. The only problem right now is that its 100 degrees and muggy. But today is the only day that I'll need to wear a suit - so that should get better. Several MEA leaders started the day walking up to the Hill to meet with Chellie Pingree and her education staffer. (Longworth House Office Building pictured above) It was a very good meeting and the best way I can think of to readjust my disposition. Chellie is a great friend of public education and it is obvious that she values our work. We also had an NEA Board meeting today:

 Lots of interesting discussions of new business items that will be brought to the floor of the RA in a few days on behalf of the Board. We talked about four today...there will be around 100 to discuss next week. The bulk of the Maine delegation arrived today and we went out to eat at Dubliner's:

Good food and grog with dedicated education professionals. Tomorrow I have two meetings in the morning and then I have to finish the work for my law class in the afternoon. I have caucus meetings and open hearings the following day, and then the real fun starts with the opening of the RA. Its hard not to get fired up about all of these important issues during these hard-charging days.
~MET

Usually I'm Kinda Excited About Heading to the RA...

...but this year is a little different. Actually I'm hoping that the NEA Representative Assembly works its magic and again jump starts my adrenal gland so that I remember the importance of this work. This year I'm boarding the plane with a LOT of work to do outside of the NEA that I'll hope to accomplish in the few down hours in my hotel room - with a massive dose of doubt in the political intelligence displayed by the decisions of the leaders with whom I work - and trying very hard to overcome a pretty significant case of wondering if my time might better be spent in other endeavors.

     That being said - and I know that not much was really said - I will check in to the hotel pictured above tomorrow afternoon. This is a tough time to be a leader in public education. It seems that right now the very rich (a small group) and the very uninformed (a huge group) are both trying to destroy me and everything I believe. And truth be told...they are winning. The teaparty nut jobs and the billionaire puppet masters who pull their strings have been successful in the following and more:

• they have cut education spending nationwide
• they have made those of us in classrooms the villains
• they have begun to tear away at the edges of the power that my organizations hold
• they have planted seeds of fear and misinformation in the ranks

     I'm beginning to wonder if I need to find a different way to fight - that perhaps being a leader in the middle of the mess is becoming more and more insignificant. I will post several times from the RA, and I am hopeful that with each entry I will become more and more positive about the days and years ahead. I love this work, but I need to see some real leadership from those above me who hold positions of power and I need to see something from the rank and file that rises above the level of lemming.

     As I read over the words I have written thus far I realize just how negative they must sound. I will not apologize. These times call for something different, and it is unfortunate that there are too many who are clinging to past issues and tactics and judging those of us who are trying to see the times for what they are. I love teaching and public education way too much to continue to spin around in the same circle.

     Here's hoping that being around educational leaders from around the United States will bring back the focus that I crave. I am in search of a bit of inspiration.
~MET

A FANTASTIC Two Days!!

 These are the types of dates every man should be fortunate enough to have from time to time. M-S and I spent the last couple of days in Portland enjoying great weather, amazing food, and a blast of a concert. James Taylor gave a great 2.5 hour show in front of a packed house at the Civic Center. He had a 15 piece band, light show, and he has certainly not lost anything as far as his talent is concerned. One of the highlights for me was that his sax player is Blue Lou Marini - you might remember him from the Blues Brothers:

 He looks like this now:

 We got to Portland and checked into the Holiday Inn by the Bay and enjoyed a small snack from Whole Foods:

 We talked and enjoyed the view from our room:

 Then we did some shopping in the Old Port:

 This street band was really good, especially the lady on the washboard:

 We had dinner at a French restaurant called Petite Jacqueline. The food was outrageously good.  

 You can never go wrong with a cheese flight:

 M-S started with a cold pea soup:

 While I went with the classic French onion:

 My salmon was exceptional:

 But, not as good as M-S's red fish:

 We shared this chocolate dessert:

 This morning we decided to have breakfast here:

 Its a New Orleans themed place that Downeast Magazine says has the BEST bloody Mary's in Maine. It was a little early for a bloody, we'll give them a try next time. I had very spicy breakfast burrito with home fries and home made veggie sausage:

 M-S had the same sausage, poached eggs, toast, and grits:

 On the way home we stopped at Ma & Dad's to see Suz and Maeve:

That was lots of fun also. I LOVE traveling, eating out, and having adventures with my wife. I'm already looking forward to our trip to Quebec later in the summer.
~MET

What I Didn't Write About

What I didn't write about in my last post about my backpacking experience in the mountains of Western Maine was any detail of the tragic death of Paul Anthony Bernhardt. I didn't mention it because when I had returned to Whitefield I still didn't know his name. He died on the AT just a couple of days before Jesse and I were on the trail, and MANY of the hikers in the shelter on Tuesday night knew him well. Go here for a bit of the story:     
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/06/18/news/mid-maine/officials-identify-appalachian-trail-through-hiker-who-drowned-while-swimming/
It was great to talk to those ten excited 20 somethings that night, but when any one of them mentioned the drowning, they all became quiet and sad. One young man spent an entire month on the trail with Paul. Look at the map. Paul hiked 2000 miles from Georgia with his girlfriend, only to die in a remote pond in Maine. Those young men in the lean-to who were hiking south and still had at least 100 days of hiking to do seemed especially pensive. The outdoors is my favorite place - and the closer to "wild" that I can get, the better. But this accident is a reminder that I need to be careful. He was 20...I'm 49. I will be careful, I will take my time, I will wear my ankle braces, I will not aim too high, and I will enjoy every second. I need to get into the woods from time to time, and anything could happen. But that's really no different from experiencing life anywhere else.  Rest in peace, Paul, and all my best to your family. I never met you, but I feel like I know who you are.
~MET

Some Things Don't Go As Planned

 So...we went backpacking...and it was great...but we had to make some adjustments. We got a late start on Tuesday because after leaving one car at where we would end up we found that the dirt road to the trail head was washed out, so we picked a new starting point and adjusted to a one-night section. We hiked Sawyer, Moody, and Hall Mountains which all start from notches.

 Notch climbing is tough because you start climbing right away, and the trail is ALWAYS steep:

 Not much wildlife - we did see some rabbits, toads, and snakes:

 We stayed the night in an AT lean-to. I tried a hammock system:

 It didn't work very well for me. Other aspects of the trip were very successful. We ate well and the cook system worked great:

 We shared the spot with 10 through-hikers! Three had hiked over 2000 miles from Georgia to get to camp with us, and should be done the AT within 3 weeks. The other seven still have 3-4 months of hiking left to do. It was fun listening them, they were all in their 20's and great guys.

I had a great time even though we had to make some changes. I'm still learning the back-packing game, and I think one-nighters suit me about right.
~MET