Orchid Show

Today I had another science workshop at the Botanical Gardens. Far less interesting than the others, this one was on sticks n' stuff. Observing them. Um. It's brown... and long.... Lucky for us though, the Orchid Show was going on in the Conservatory and our instructor let us into the exhibit for free. Holy Moly! These people know what they are doing. The flowers were bountiful, beautiful, vivid and totally thriving! I am still bewildered at how the botanists (I think that is what the plant people are called) keep such a wide variety of plants alive, and not just alive but perfect. 

I can see your reproductive organs!

Many old people and huge cameras.

These aren't Orchids, but are very cool.

Looks like an architect traced the vein skeleton of these w/
a fuchsia marker. 

See spot blossom.

This Gardenia smelled SO good. It was right at nose level too,
so I just stood there for a few minutes sniffing it. 

Took this one for mom :)

Super cool. I almost bought one, but then realized that they only
live in bogs. I'm not really interested in making a bog in my
living room. 

This is the Jade Vine Orchid. I think it looks
like elves shoes. I also think it is kind of ugly.

Grande Finale of the exhibit. Talk about a chandelier!

Click on the picture and look at it close up. Gorgeous.

Updates

How did it get to be the end of March already? I guess time flies when you are having fun fun FUN FUN. Here are some project updates...

Gardening
Harriet knocked the peat pods w/ lettuce seeds off of "her" window sill, so we are no longer growing lettuce. We are growing tomatoes, habanero peppers, and yellow peppers and they are progressing along swimmingly. The tomatoes are excited to be alive and doing the best. They are inside right now, but will move outside in a few weeks. We just got hanging window boxes for them. Exciting!

Beer
We bottled our Summer Farmhouse Ale last week and now all 50 bottles are in the fridge. We have quite the interesting beverage:food ratio (about 2:1 bottles to food units). The bottles have to be in the fridge for 3-4 wks. I hope it tastes good. Our IPA (the one from the BK Brewshop prepackaged mix) is mediocre and varies from bottle to bottle. The Farmhouse Ale had way more TLC put into it though. I'm sure you'll be able to taste it. You better be able to taste it. Tasting party will be in mid April.

Speaking of mid April, I'm looking forward to skipping town for a bit to go see my sister, Clare, in Denver during spring break. Hiking in Breckenridge, yoga (she is getting certified!) and climbing are all on the agenda.

Jewelry
Website done! The line is called Sunlit Projects. Business cards are in the works. My friend Jen is designing and printing them via her side project/printing company, Pete and Berg. It is exciting to work with her on the design. It feels like we are up to something. In cahoots after the work day is done :)

I hope to have a tupperware party style gathering this spring to show some new pieces. Much work to be done on that front, but at the same time, I feel good about the progress I have made since the fall.

Tri Training
Ha. Umm yeah. I have been playing this game with myself called, "Staying Active is Basically like Training." Except that if that were the case, I would be able to run, bike and swim with ease. Time for a reality check!

I have been having a great time rock climbing and practicing yoga and will continue to do so, but have just begun a training plan. 2 runs, 2 bikes and in a month or so, 2 swims per week. I have been biking to work about 2x a week and started doing short runs a few weeks ago. Easing in and hoping to avoid any knee injuries/flare ups. The swim thing requires a little more effort, but I'm going to do a combination of public pools and triathlon training swimming sessions. Translation, combination of super cheap/laid back and pricey/intense.

159 days to go. (Friend's Sharon and Ryan are getting married the day of the Chicago Triathlon. Their wedding countdown is also my triathlon countdown, conveniently located on their wedding website)

Work
I've been going. They've been learning. Kids are getting rowdy. Meetings have met, spring has sprung, hormones are hopping, and test prep is testicular. no. test prep is tormenting. Alliteration is always awesome although agonizing amongst average Americans. We just began our poetry unit and are visiting the Botanical Gardens in 2 weeks to go write Haikus :) In the meantime, I've written a couplet for my students (I free styled the first four lines today in math. Pretty proud of myself. It was an accident.)

Last Period/Everyone Wants to Go Home

You leave me no choice

but to raise my voice.

If you're in a side conversation,

you'll never learn decimal notation.

Oh you don't care?

That you can't subtract bus fare

From your monthly metro card?

If you shut up, its much less hard.  

Science rules!

The Botanical Gardens in the winter. Who knew?

I signed up for 7 science professional development workshops this winter/spring. My motivation for signing up was because they pay. I wasn't exactly psyched to get up at 6:30 on a Saturday am, but did and schlepped up to the middle of the Bronx, dragging my feet through the gray slush that was last week's snow. However, I was pleasantly surprised yesterday, when at 8:30 am I arrived at the Botanical Gardens museum, which is a beautiful, super quiet building. I can't believe I have never been. I think its a kind of, I work in the Bronx, I'm not going there in my free time. I'd rather go explore Brooklyn.

The morning session was a discussion of sunlight, temperature, precipitation and biomes. Everything we did was geared toward 10 year old kids. Except that it was a bunch of teachers doing the simulations and experiments, so we laughed a lot. After a lunch, we headed to the Conservatory. We were just about the only people there (because who goes to the  Botanical Gardens in January? Other than the handful of old people) and it was like being transported to another world. In order to keep the cacti alive, the room has to simulate the appropriate biome. It was sunny, about 60 degrees and like a wonderland of huge, bizarre plants.

The American Desert room. So much sun!

New appreciation for cacti. So many kinds!

Our teacher was enthusiastically spewing information for the next two hours. I wandered in and out of the conversation, exploring corners of the green houses and talking to old people. I almost felt as if I were on a really good museum tour, which is something that I only ever do on vacation in other cities. Even then though, I'm more of a self guided kinda gal. I didn't even notice that it was time to go, which is something that I've never said before about a Professional Development workshop.

This one made me vacation-sick for Hawaii. Something like
this grew all around the volcano. 

I can't wait for the next one :)