Gadget Gypsy

I work at a pre-school ... Well ... In a round-about way, that is... We do try to teach the children to "share" ... Sometimes, maybe they get a little "carried away"?!?!? It's still the best job I can remember working in my experience!

Continuing recovery from an unknown-not-before-dealt-with virus that my immune system was not prepared for, I remained at home while Andy packed up his gear and headed for Puako End of Road dive site

While Andy and others were diving; and I, not having any new underwater photos to post my "WAAAAH" around, watched my favorite prime time shows online and found this video! ... Then linked to this video.

Since none of our usual group had "Slingshots", I sure am GLAD that Andy and our diving group buddies only encountered a few Reef Sharks on their Sunday dive without me... ...

You guessed it! This year ON Valentine's Day, February 14, 2010, we volunteered at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station (VIS) on Mauna Kea. Again!

I guess I liked it so much last year that I actually suggested volunteering at the VIS again this year as our Valentine's Day togetherness. As Andy says, "Once; a fluke. Twice; a coincidence. Three times is a problem." But in this case, three times may just become a tradition?!... Have to wait for next year's story for that determination...

Andy 'promised' me "a nice, secluded Valentine's Day lunch and dinner at the 'exclusive' Hale Pohaku Café on Mauna Kea" last year then again this year Well...actually, it was I who suggested repeating our volunteering at the VIS on Valentine's Day this year like we did last year.

Once we got to cleaning eye pieces after lunch, we were happy to find that many of the eye pieces were being cleaned more often since our last maintenance run. They were still showing signs of cold-finger drops; but not as apparent as our previous maintenance run nor as depressing.

Last year on Valentine's Day was our first year volunteering at the VIS to do telescope maintenance for our Valentine's Day togetherness. You can follow my link to Valentine's Day 2009 to read about our fun during that first adventure. This year the cleanings went much faster, and there were fewer that had to be retired due to excessive wear. We also did the maintenance and cleaning in the Bookstore building this time. It was warmer and more fun because visitors were curious and asking great questions.

We only had time to clean the eyepieces and repair a couple of the wiring cables to telescope 'go-to' control paddles before it was time to close up for the night. I guess we will need to schedule another maintenance run to work on the many Dobsonian telescopes, and other astronomy equipment - before the end of 2010!?!?!

Andy did bring home some needed repair work in the form of "A Box 'O Broken Telrads".

IT WAS ANOTHER VALENTINE'S DAY WELL SPENT AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED!!!!!

Wishing YOU... Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Chinese New Year (Year of the Tiger) on February 14; and Happy Presidents' Day on February 15!

While reminiscing about my past two years and some events that have brought me to this point in my life, I rediscovered this post of my creating GadgetGypsy.com (my Blog); and my inspiration to do so...

Mostly migrated from GadgetGypsy.Xanga.com, with some. No. MUCH revision (I am liking this CSS Web Design and the flexibility that I get on my own site)!...

In September 2008, I an encounter with a 'wild hair'; and decided to learn some Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) Web Design. Now, if you know me, you KNOW that I HATE programming! I can usually puzzle it out, and manage a decent program; although, it takes me a looooooong time all the while hating the process. However, since I started my first Blog on Xanga.com, and watched what was possible from viewing AND reading the posts at DarkerView.com, I have taken new interest in Web Design through CSS!

However, I WILL NOT ever bend to referring to CSS as 'programming' any more than I will give in to the construct that Pluto is no longer classified as a planet (<-- In my 'book', this should read: "Pluto IS, was, and always shall be no longer classified as a planet!!!!") Otherwise, many of my exams in school become null and void; and should not have been used in calculating my grades!

I believe CSS to be scripting because it is not as abstract and looping confusing as the programming in 'C' language that I had to learn and use while taking classes for my Management Information Systems/Operations Management (MIS/OM) Bachelors of Science (BS) degree at the University of Arizona with all those 'for' and 'if then' statements... I was often ending up in a nasty loopy mess that made my head spin!?!?!?

What an awesome way to go whale watching!!!! Okay. So...it was quite early to get up on a Saturday; but it was sooooo worth it! Just after New Year's, Andy registered us to participate in the 2010 Santuary Ocean Count on January 30, coordinated by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Check out the many links and bushel loads of information that they provide on their site.

'Bright' and EARLY on Saturday morning, January 30, we met the group at Kawaihae harbor (about 7:00am) and consolidated some vehicles then proceeded to the site that we were assigned to for the Ocean Count. The site had a GREAT 180 degree view from north to south of the Kohala coastline near Kawaihae on the Big Island of Hawai`i! We all signed in and gathered the papers that we would need for recording the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) data. This was to include a tally for the # of adults and the # of calves in each pod, and a tally for each time one of several behaviors were exhibited during each half-hour increment from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Followed by one final count-only period from 12:00pm to 12:15pm.

We all got settled in our chairs. We got our paperwork with writing implements, and our binoculars close at hand...and...at 8:00am began the count. Working in pairs, one would call out location, how many in the pod, and behavior observed; and the other would rapidly mark the tallies in the correct box on the paper. There was a lot of activity during the full four hours, and the time flew by! The Humpback were numerous and active on our west coast shoreline! We seldom had opportunity to just sit back and talk story; but we did get some casual conversation inserted into the very occasional lull. Captivating conversation at that! This made the time pass by even faster. The lowest number of whale spotted from our site in any half-hour block during the count was about 11 adults. The calves were rare early in the count and then reached a count of four in two or three of the mid-count time slots.

The Read Aloud America Read Aloud Program (RAP) is once again seeking volunteers to be volunteer readers as well as volunteers who can substitute as readers on short notice. This news is from Hawaii247.org! There will also probably be a need for volunteer escorts to assist in getting groups to the assigned reading rooms and back to the cafeteria.

More information on the schools offering the RAP and the dates each will be presented may be found here --> Read Aloud America Read Aloud Program (RAP) as well as contacting the representative for Read Aloud America RAP at 756-2348 for more information (this information is listed in the Hawaii247.org article linked above).

I first had the incredible Privilege to be a part of this GREAT Program in Fall 2008 at Waikoloa Elementary School as a Reader Escort! As you can see from the post that I made after the first night of the RAP sessions in August 2008, it was an awesome experience! It only got better from there right down to the very last night that was a mix of laughter and joy as presentations were made; and a tone of melancholy for the end of this wonderful, semi-weekly event.

It was very similar and just as FUN at the Waimea RAP during the same time frame. They staggered alternate nights and dates to make both possible as well as making it possible for me to volunteer at both!

I gained an immense amount of information and ideas in addition to an understanding for what keeps the attention of the children.

If it is possible for you to go and sign up, please do! They can usually put any and all volunteers to helpful tasks; and the rewards are numerous.

My Prayers of Comfort go out to each and everyone effected!

What more reason is needed than these to Google Guava Recipes?

Today was the day! Do not get pulled over while operating a cell phone or other electronic items without a hands-free device in your vehicle. It will cost you $$$$$.

Hope you have a Safe & Happy New Year filled with GREAT things!



May the events of the coming year be better than years gone-by!

Wishes of HEALTH & HAPPINESS to all who stop by this way!!!!

Posted here for the first time!...