Gastric Getaway

 M-S and I spent a great night in Portland enjoying some delicious food. We had dinner at Emilitsa - a fantastic Greek restaurant on Congress St. In the first picture we are giving the traditional OPA! toast with some ouzo. Below are our small starters:

 The scallops were amazing. M-S stayed traditional with her main course with some moussaka:

 While I went with some delicious medium-rare duck breast:

 It was cooked in red wine reduction with roasted veggies, feta, and olives. And though we rarely have dessert, we couldn't resist sharing some baklava:

 The whole meal was exceptional. After dinner we went to the Nickelodeon to see:

 It was interesting and very well done. We both liked it. We decided to cap the evening off with a pint at the nearest Irish pub:

 We also got to hear some live music. This morning we went for a chilly walk by the bay and then had brunch in Topsham.

The Sea Dog's buffet never disappoints. We are determined to have more date nights in 2017, and this was a great beginning. Life is good.
~MET

An Epic Trifecta Coming in August

 I've used today's snow day in part to plan a solo getaway for August. I'll be driving on a Friday to Cooperstown and that afternoon enjoying one of my favorite forms of entertainment:

 The Glimmerglass Opera Festival will be in full swing, and on Friday I'll be seeing a Derrick Wang production of Scalia/Ginsburg:

It's an opera based on the friendship and actual opinions written by the two Supreme Court justices. On Saturday I'll spend the day at the Hall, and then It's back to Glimmerglass that evening to see Porgy and Bess. I'll get up early Sunday and make my way home. It's a trip I couldn't resist as it combines three loves of mine: baseball, the opera, and the Supreme Court. Life is good.
~MET

Are You Kidding?!?

     Congressman John Lewis has been a hero of mine for most of my adult life. Any student who was forced to sit in my classroom for American History should know who he is - he was a star of the film Eyes on the Prize that I show every year while teaching the Civil Rights Movement. Google him. He's the real deal. I've had the opportunity to speak with him in person on two occasions...and I know that I most likely was bothering him each time. Chris and I saw him at RFK Stadium at a Nats game in 2005 when the team from DC was playing Lewis' Atlanta Braves. He was sitting in the seat right in front of me. I also got a chance to say hello to him in the cafeteria in the Longworth House Office Building during a lunch while lobbying.
     He was welcoming and patient with my hero worship on each occasion. When I read the sick, tired, disgusting, and infantile remarks of the next president of the United States - and on MLK weekend no less - I feel embarrassed at a level that is new to me. Donald Trump is a piece of shit compared to American hero John Lewis. America will survive Trump. But it's going to be a long and difficult period until he quits, is forced out, or loses in 2020. Thank you for all you have done, Congressman Lewis. Trump will never come close to being the man who you are.
~MET

Cold Snowshoe at Viles Arboretum

 This morning M-S and I got out early to go for a snowshoe at the arboretum. It was about 8 degrees with a slight breeze, but it was gorgeous.

 I really enjoyed the woods and the sculptures with a trace of new snow on top.

 I think this owl was my favorite:

 This is the spot in the Hosta Garden where my mom's ashes are spread:

 It was a very pretty morning.

And you can tell by the ice in my eyebrows just how nippy it was. We're home now preparing a wonderful Sunday brunch. Life is good.
~MET

The Value of Final Exams

     In a couple of weeks we'll be having midterm week at Winslow High School. For the last several years I've been moving away from giving midterms and finals in my classes. In fact, my AP Government & Politics students are the only folks who will be taking an exam at the end of the semester. And that makes sense - they are preparing for a May 4 high-stakes test.
     I've moved away from finals for a couple of reasons. First, I think those tests reward good test-takers...and that's about it. Secondly, I'd rather have students working hard on a culminating activity and getting something out of it instead of not preparing for a test and bombing it. So this is what my students will be doing this year. In geography for the midterm they will be creating a try-fold exhibit on a Latin American country. They are already working hard researching and deciding what artifacts, food, music, and other things they'll be using. For the final I have a world soccer league activity that actually takes five days to complete.
     My US History class is making an online interactive timeline that includes pictures and info on what they believe are the 20 most important events between 1820 and 1920. They will have to justify their picks to the rest of the class. The site I found is fantastic and pretty easy to use. I don't know what their final project in June will be.
     My government & law classes will be doing a group speech for midterms. The speech is an answer to a specific question that has six parts. Each group has a different complex question. After they deliver the four-minute speech I will have six minutes to ask them questions. For their final they will participate in mock trials. I KNOW my seniors will be working much harder on these activities than they would getting ready for a test.
     I'm interested in anyones thoughts on this topic. I do love thinking of ideas like this and consider it the very best part of being a teacher. Life is good.
~MET

You Say You Want a Resolution...

It's that time of year - making resolutions for the coming year. I have avoided such things for many years, but decided to make a list of goals for 2017 and to see how long I can maintain them. So, here we go in no particular order:

• I'm going to write on this blog much more often. I like looking back on my adventures, events, and thoughts.
• I'm going to use my home office more. It's a nice space and I should make better use of it.
• I'm going into the woods at least once a weekend. I'm a better man when I get into the woods.
• I'm going to plan a date with M-S at least once a month. We spend a lot of time together, travel a lot, but I want to be sure to schedule something. Later this month we'll be spending the night in Portland to celebrate the Korean and Chinese New Year.
• And finally, I'm going to work hard on my health. I'll write more on this at a later time as it entails several things.

I know it's a pretty big list, but I think it's a good list. I hope everyone has a great 2017. Life is good.
~MET

Ushering in Another Year from Jackman

 As has become tradition some friends and I spent the first day of the year on the ice of Big Wood Lake. And on New Year's Eve we entertained some folks in the other cabins with a fireworks display.

 The cabin was great. We watched a lot of football, played a LOT of cribbage, and enjoyed a beverage or two. On the morning of the 1st we hit the ice after fueling up on some "Northwoods Coffee-Cup Camp Bloody Marys."

 It was rough going this year, as Jackman had three feet of fresh snow, and the wind was howling across the lake.

And we had the worst year of fishing since I've been going there. We only caught a couple of garbage fish. Still - we had a great time. Life is good.
~MET