Thursday, August 13, 2009

The BOSS!

Kleinfelder hired a photographer to take pics of the staff for whatever. Turned out pretty good, huh?

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Graduation day and last day of school!







Jeremy graduated from Middle School yesterday and Jade's last dayof 2nd grade! Great day! Jeremy was awarded the Computer Tech award, making him, as he says, "King of the Nerds"!










Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Weekend Ride!


Been having beautiful weather lately! And since the chop is all done and rock solid, I took a little back country ride! This makes me grin!


Friday, April 3, 2009

Exciting NEWS!

Jeremy received his acceptance letter from High Tech High!

HTH is an inquiry-based liberal arts school where the lines between “technical” and “academic” are deliberately blurred.

If you’re not familiar with High Tech High, here’s a little information taken from the web site: http://www.hightechhigh.org/dc/index.php

High Tech High opened in 2000 as a highly successful single charter school in San Diego. Created by a coalition of education practitioners and business leaders, High Tech High (HTH) provides students with an educational experience that sharply contrasts the large impersonal high school model – which is common across the United States.High Tech High serves an enrollment of approximately 1,040 total students across three schools. The organization’s instructional design features a strong emphasis on project-based learning and on maintaining a common intellectual mission. That way, all students are enabled to complete a rigorous college preparatory high school education.

Organizational Structure
High Tech High is organized for independence, flexibility, and links to the community. HTH operates as a non-profit corporation and series of public charter schools, all under the direction of a five-member board of directors. The organization’s community advisory board includes corporate partners, public agencies, neighborhood organizations, higher education institutions, parents, and other constituencies. A second non-profit corporation, the High Tech High Foundation, is responsible for all fund-raising for the school.Internally, HTH is structured as a high performance organization focused on personalization, engagement, and achievement.High Tech High: A Snapshot for 2006-7
Six schools three high schools, two middle schools, and one elementary school in San Diego.
Approximately 2500 students and 200 employees
100 percent of graduates have gone to college, 80% to four-year institutions
$45 million in real estate holdings; annual operating budget: $18 million
First charter school to be authorized to credential its own teachers
Granted first statewide charter in January 2006

Mission

High Tech High’s mission is to provide a diverse student body with relevant academic, workplace, and citizenship skills, preparing its graduates for rewarding lives in the technological society of the 21st century.

Primary Goals of High Tech High
At a school level, the primary goals of HTH include:
Integrating technical and academic education that prepares students for post-secondary education in high tech fields, as well as other liberal arts areas of study.
Increasing the number of educationally disadvantaged students in math and engineering who succeed in high school and post-secondary education and who become productive members and leaders in their community.
Providing all HTH students with an extraordinary liberal arts education.
Graduating students who will be thoughtful, engaged citizens and who will complete college within six years of graduating from HTH.
Implementing fully the Design Principles of HTH.
Serving among the most racially diverse student bodies in communities where HTH operates its schools.
Residing within facilities that meet the design requirements of HTH.
As a central organization, the primary goals of HTH include:
Supporting quality replication of HTH schools that meet all goals on a school level.
Becoming a self-sustaining central organization that offers a comprehensive suite of back office and other supports to HTH schools.
Enabling students and site-based staff to remain focused on the full implementation of HTH design principles.
Modeling efficient “behind the whiteboard” management practices that are as exemplary as the “in front of students” programs offered at High Tech High schools.
Opening two-to-four high quality HTH schools annually.
Supporting the maintenance and/or furtherance of quality at existing HTH schools.
Reducing annually the dependence on philanthropic assistance to support the operations of our central organization.
Maintaining a trajectory toward providing ongoing administrative services at 50 percent of the per pupil rate, which is experienced at school districts across California.


I learned of HTH while teaching at Madison High School. We mentored their robotics team and Jeremy decided early on that he wanted to attend HTH.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Annual President's Day Mammoth Trip



This past President's Day weekend was spent up in Mammoth as usual! This year we invited our friend Priscilla and her daughter Prudence. Our nephew Nick joined us as well. Neither Nick or Pru has snowboarded before. They picked a great weekend to try it out! The conditions were crazy good and everyone had a great time. Everyone, except Jeremy and Denise. They had the flu and were stuck in the condo most of the weekend. This is probably the last trip up to Mammoth this season.... Next trip up will be for summer mountain biking!!!!!!


Thursday, January 8, 2009

Jade and "Molly"....

Last year we had to put Julian down. That was a sad day for us all. So to keep Jade riding, we picked up Molly a few months ago. She's a young horse, gentle, and very good with kids. Jade continues to take her lessons and gets more confident every time out. Here's a few pics and a video of Jade "posting" !











Monday, December 22, 2008

Happy Holidays!


Thursday, December 4, 2008

It is Alive! Part TWO

I had Jeremy ride his bike out on Harbison Canyon to take some video of chopper actually on the road!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Disney Cruise 2008



Well the kids are back in school and our last trip before summer's end was the Disney Cruise! Grandma and Grandma, Uncle Dwayne, Aunt Jen, and Rachel and Aaron met us in Florida for 10 days of Disney mania! Unfortunately Tropical Storm Fay met us there as well, but a little rain didn't dampen any spirits and this was one of the best vacations EVER! Enjoy the pictures!




Thursday, June 12, 2008

Summer '08 plans

Well, today is the kid's last day of school. And, as ususal, we have a rediculous Summer planned! Jeremy leaves for Alaska next week with the delegation from People To People . Denise, Jade, and I will be going to Chicago while Jeremy is away. Denise has a board meeting and Jade and I get to tag along and hang out at Millenium Park , The Art Institue, and Garretts Popcorn! I have the Chop Meet in July, a weird, custom bike - swap meet - outdoor festival kinda thing. THEN in August we regroup for the Disney Cruise in the Bahamas , AND after that, Jeremy and I head up to Ventura for the PrimerNationals, a pre-1965 custom car and bike event. We'll be showing the Triumph there! WHEW! I SHOULD have some GREAT updates at the end of Summer!!

El Diablo Run

In April I successfully survived my second running of the El Diablo Run, a crazy, 5 day, chopper ride down in Mexico! Great food, fun, and friends! I can't wait until next year!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Bubbles!

What happens when you put "Mr. Bubble" in a Jacuzzi tub???

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Mammoth Presidents Day




Presidents Day 2008 proved to be a very special one! For most of our "get outta town for the weekend" adventures, we drive 8 hours north to snowboard and ski on the most beautiful maountain in the world, IOHO...... And stay in Tom's rediculously beautiful condo, walking distance to the slopes at Canyon Lodge.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008


We spent the Holidays with Nannie and Poppa! The new house is beautiful! We took the kids to the Smithsonian and the Marine Corps Museum, it was a great time.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Jeremy gets his braces,OH BOY!




He doesn't seem too excited but it is a milestone, I guess.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Triumph Status....


I don't want make the family blog into my personal motorcycle blog, BUT...... I dropped the fresh motor in the frame this weekend. A little more welding, some wiring, plumb the fuel and oil lines, and this thing will be ready to ride!!!!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Chopperfest in Ventura

Jeremy and I spent last weekend up in Ventura attending the Dave Mann Memorial Chopperfest. We're doing a lot of these custom bike shows lately. It's a lot of fun having a "guy's" weekend...



Thursday, November 29, 2007

Thanksgiving tradition

For the 3rd year we spent the Howe Thanksgiving up in Mammoth Lakes! No snow this year but we enjoyed the beautiful Eastern Sierra scenery and ate a wonderful turky day dinner at The Restaurant at Convict lake! And since the weather was so warm Tioga Pass was open and we spent one day in Yosemite!


Monday, October 29, 2007

Fire update!


Four years ago the Cedar Fire took out our back yard.....But this time we made it untouched! Everything is ok...a little smokey, but ok!