jump to navigation

Farewell to Summer 2009 August 23, 2009

Posted by reddlissa in Family Affairs, Rants/ Raves.
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
add a comment

As tonight is the last night of summer break, I thought perhaps a recap of the summer of 2009 is in order.  Overall I rate this summer a strong 8 😀

  • Houston A+ Challenge externship with Volunteer Houston.  I spent 5 days working with the phenomal staff of Volunteer Houston and visiting several non-profit organizations in the Houston area. I left with great plans and ideas to introduce volunteerism to my students. 
  • Family vacation to London and Paris. Mom, Margie, Sarah, Katie and I had a fabulous time on our 11-day trip.  We made hilarious memories that will  last a lifetime.  Highlights of our trip include Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge, Notre Dame, and Versailles.
  • A couple of trips to Galveston to enjoy the sun and surf.   Thanks Lisa and Brad for making the trip and riding the waves with Sarah and me!
  • An Astros game to celebrate Brad’s birthday. Our seats were in right field and we had a great time.  The ‘Stros actually managed to win the game 🙂
  • Lots of time spent hanging out with good friends like Susan, BJ, Lisa and Mikey. Much beer was consumed, much laughter was shared, and perhaps even an ass was grabbed…whoo hoo!
  • A few concerts (CrueFest and Poison/Def Leppard) and a Texans/Saints game.  Despite the horrible Houston heat and the outrageous concession prices, all of these events were fun especially since they were shared with friends and loved ones.

Farewell Summer….I hope the remainder of 2009 brings as much happiness. laughter, love and fun!

Not Your Average Summer Job June 14, 2009

Posted by reddlissa in Rants/ Raves, Teacher Stuff.
Tags: , , , , ,
1 comment so far

Although I’ve heard rumors that teachers have the summer off, I have yet to experience such pleasure this year.  I spent my first week of summer vacation at Volunteer Houston as part of the Houston A+ Challenge externship program.  My fellow externs and I visited many different non-profit organization throughout the week.  Overall the experience was amazing and I am very excited to bring all that I learned about volunteering back to my students in August. 

The best day was when we spent Tuesday at the Houston Zoo; we were tag-alongs with the Shell Summer Intern Program.  We were allowed behind-the-scenes access to a few of the most popular exhibits (giraffes and elephants) and then set to work painting a huge construction fence.  I was able to talk to many different college students from across the country and I was amazed by their drive to be successful and their commitment to non-profit work.  My fellow externs and I left with a renewed sense of hope for the future of America.