text:
the ladder back out
categories: navel-gazing
Sometimes, something will go so disastrously wrong with my day that before I know what's happening, I'm pushed to the bottom of a cold, dark rabbit hole. So dark it's impossible to see the ladder guiding me back up to sunshine and warmth.
When that happens, I only ask one thing of myself - that I continue to put air in my lungs. Breathe, I think. That's the only thing you have to do right now. I do that for as long as it takes. Sometimes, that's five minutes. Sometimes, it's five hours.
In the past, when I would get really, really low, all of the other negatives in my life would come tumbling off the shelves, threatening to bury me alive. But I've finally started to retrain my brain. I remind myself that while yes, I just had a fight with my boyfriend, or got a piece of bad news in the mail, that doesn't change the rest of my reality one bit. It doesn't improve it, but nor does it worsen it.
My parents are already dead. They can't get any deader.
I'm already unemployed. I couldn't be any more unemployed.
And so on. Unsuccessful relationships I had in the past remain just as unsuccessful; they can't be resurrected and reenacted to some further point of failure. I'm just as divorced as I was before. Any standing health issues I have aren't exacerbated by this fresh, new source of pain. They're immune and apathetic to it.
Last night, I spent the evening with new girlfriend: happy hour at a restaurant I'd never been to, stops at another two bars I'd never set foot in (despite the fact that they're a few blocks from my apartment), cocktails, music, conversation, and a late-night burger to top it off. Eight or so hours of entertainment that, if not for virtue of where, when, and to whom I'd been born, I'd never have the privilege to enjoy.
Perspective and gratitude. Two rungs on the ladder back out.
posted Friday, June 29, 2012
george and cc - epilogue
categories: chaucer, dogs
Tragedy strikes; George is devoured, and CC is claimed as trophy.
Incidentally, that's what Chaucer's last bed looked like when it was clean. The light blue crib mattress cover was impossible to keep, uh, light blue. The dog tracks in a lot of dirt; his paw pads are enormous. I just got him a new mattress with dark grey sheets. So h's not on that nasty thing anymore. No need to call PETA.
posted Thursday, June 28, 2012
fluffies about town
categories: neighborhood
Coming home to George and CC was just the coolest. I was physically exhausted and emotionally obliterated, but all I could do was stare and grin at the ridiculous vignette my boyfriend had created for my amusement.
And I wanted to return the favor.
I took George and CC on a small tour of downtown, stopping at a few of the places that hold meaning for A. and I. They patiently posed for pictures, which were then sent with a message. I saw a couple today that reminded me of us. So much so, in fact, that I followed them for a while. I even took photos. Is that weird? And do you see the resemblance?
This is where I admit I've had way, way too much time on my hands lately. At least I got the desired outcome.
posted Wednesday, June 27, 2012
categories: scattershot
A. found a puppy in Pershing Square a few days ago. No tags, no microchip, and no sign of an owner. She was a ridiculous little thing, all silky curls, bounces, and kisses. Chaucer was over the moon. I'm guessing a mix of Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier. A Morkie? We kept her overnight, thought about keeping her, and tried tempting some friends with her before reluctantly heading to the pound. She'll be adopted in a heartbeat.
I went out with a friend in Hollywood on Friday night - sushi at Katana, drinks at SkyBar, and dancing at Greystone Manner. Paul Oakenfold was playing, though we got nowhere near enough to actually set eyes on him. Packed dance floor, and VIP sections heavily guarded by surly bouncers who all but laughed at my attempts to charm my way past. Still had a blast.
Saw Moonrise Kingdom. Really sweet story and the kind of visual aesthetic that makes you want to blast through the candy glass filter and permanently check into that world. All subdued colors, buttons and plastic, felt and wool. I could have done with a slightly less Emma Watson-looking Suzy, but I still loved it.
Chaucer's been amazingly well-behaved at the dog park lately. The past couple of years, he's grown aggressive towards medium-to-large sized dogs, so I sadly had to pull him from pup party socialization, lest he bite someone and I end up in the clink. But last week while walking him, I ran into some friends who were on their way to the dog park. They encouraged me to let Chauc loose, and said they'd have my back and help me out if he got into a tussle. So I went for it, holding my breath as I unclipped him and he went bounding across the grass to join the group - but he was like a new dog. Playing and sparring and running with labs and pits like they were old friends. No fighting whatsoever. It made my week.
Since then, I've been letting him have more and more park play, still vigilant when big dogs are around, but much more relaxed about the experience. It makes me so, so happy when my dog gets to be a dog. To run and wrestle and chase and do his dog thing. No pics yet of him around bigger dogs (want to stay alert enough to break up a fight), but here's some lil ones he met recently:
A. made me a secret box from a book I brought home from my dad's. Some of its chapters would make excellent band names, like "The Righteous Gentiles".
Unfortunately, none of my secrets is little enough to be stored in such a small space.
This coming weekend, a friend is throwing a Japanese-themed dinner party, and costumes are mandatory. WTF. No idea how to approach that one without a) looking like a fool or b) insulting anyone. I'm sure I'll manage to do both.
I've discovered a ton of new music on Spotify lately.
Man of Devotion, by Fool's Garden (would make an amazing soundtrack song)
Allo, Darlin' - great lyrics
Walk on The Moon - a cross between Two Door Cinema Club and Panic at The Disco
Yellow Ostrich - lead singer has the coolest voice. Sounds a bit like Brian Molko (Placebo) and a bit like Nate Ruess (Format/Fun). Overall sound is The Strokes meets The Kinks, maybe?
Animal Kingdom - reminds me of Muse and Radiohead
Lykke Li - reminds me of Lisa Germano
Tennis - reminds me of Feist
Tanlines - fun dance music, especially Three Trees
The Submarines - if you like Stars, A Fine Frenzy, and/or Little and Ashley, you'll love The Submarines
Contact High by Architecture in Helsinki - reminds me of Dandy Warhols
categories: graphics, humor, navel-gazing
It occurs to me that this might have come in handy at some earlier date.
There aren't enough hours in the day to tackle Troubleshooting.
posted Monday, June 25, 2012
one less bottle
categories: characters, family, grief
It was surprisingly easy to go through my dad's things, after he died. Occasionally, I'd stumble into a moment of paralyzing nostalgia. Some ostensibly harmless personal effect of his - a handkerchief, a slide rule, a Zippo lighter - would reach my hands and burn as if on fire. Just some thing, with the power to trip up my pragmatism, to laugh at it. This is so him, I'd think. Emblematic. Representative. I'd recall its place in my father's life, delicately fingering every facet of the memory. And the breath would be knocked out of me for a few minutes while I let grief wash just over me, unchallenged.
But for the most part, I maintained an attitude of stoic resolve. All this shit has to go.
You can't keep everything, after all.
The liquor posed a problem. Not the stuff that was still sealed - A. and I didn't have to think twice about what to do with that. We packaged it up and shipped it back home to LA (though sadly, it never made it here). But there were several bottles of entirely decent (even decent plus) alcohol that, as established and accomplished lushes, A. and I were loathe to drain down the sink.
So we started giving it away.
One afternoon, the cable technician came to collect some equipment. He was somewhere solidly in his sixties, a man whose stooped demeanor and perceptible limp belied an otherwise rugged vitality, and an earnest face. He'd probably seemed sixty-something for the past twenty years, and would probably continue to for another twenty.
As he was putting together some paperwork for me to sign, A. ambushed him in the friendly way he does. "Sir," he said, "I don't suppose you're a whisky drinker?" He assured A. that he was, in fact, precisely such a man. And before the technician could say "nonrefundable deposit", his erstwhile customer's daughter's boyfriend was presenting him with a two-third's full bottle of Dewars.
The man accepted the gift with grace. He must have been putting two and two together already, what with the boxes, the general disarray of the house, and the cancellation order he was there to fill. A. probably confirmed his suspicion when he told the man that the liquor's previous owner would appreciate passing on the bottle to a worthy and appreciative trustee. The man looked at me. He said some kind words. I wish I remember them exactly. Or maybe it's better I don't.
A look came across A.'s face, and he stepped out of the room with some unknown purpose. He returned a moment later, a roll of blue painter's tape in hand along with a black Sharpie. He tore off a small piece of tape and carefully stretched it across the bottle of Scotch. He spoke as he wrote on it. "The only requirement is that when you pour yourself a glass tonight at home after work, you have to raise a toast and say this." He smiled and looked up from his handiwork to me. I read what he'd written. To Norm. I swallowed and smiled back.
More warm words from the technician. "Wonderful young woman", "good souls" - something like that. Small dabs of salve on a freshly blistered heart. We walked him down the driveway to his truck. He asked my name and shook my hand. Then he had an idea. "I'll tell you what," he said. "I'll do you one better than just a toast. If you give me your phone number, tonight when I'm ready for my drink, I'll call you guys up, and all three of us can drink to your father at the same time."
I looked at the man. I looked at my boyfriend. I felt, straining its way through the clotted, hard dirt of loss, a tiny shoot of joy. How had they done that, these two men from different worlds, with nothing in common but big hearts and a gift for awing me with their thoughtfulness? They made it look so easy.
He called us promptly at the appointed time. A. took the call, and put him on speakerphone. He had the man hold while we scrambled to pour our own drinks. All we had on hand was vodka and apple juice. It was perfect. We lifted our glasses and told the stranger on the other end of the line that we were ready. And that's when my heart, already squeezed to near suffocation by this moment, was clenched just a bit more: the man said, "What sort of man was Norm? Tell me about your father."
I made a sound, something like "Ohhh," a mixed exclamation of surprise and laughter and I don't know what else. Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting that and Oh, wow, if you only knew just what a character he was. "He was an engineer," I began, carefully. "He loved to read. He...taught me to question everything." I was grasping, falling. A. saw it, and chimed in cheerfully. "He was a ladies man, too." We all laughed, and something came loose inside of me. Some knot of sadness, born of the fact that there was next to no one around to mourn my father's death. Next to no family, next to no friends. It had broken my heart on his behalf. But here, now, an utter stranger was honoring my dad in the purest way possible: truly caring about who he was. Making him matter, if only for a moment.
After our clinks and drinks, the man again offered his sincere condolences. He praised me as a daughter, from the little daughtering he'd witnessed that day. He invited us, should we ever find ourselves back in his small town again, to dine with he and his wife. I thought wistfully of that dinner, which I knew would be lovely and probably somewhat life-affirming, but which I knew would never happen.
We said our goodbyes, rinsed out our glasses, and continued sorting late into the night. We had one bottle less to pack.
posted Sunday, June 24, 2012
categories: boyfriend
This is George and CC. As you can see, they're quite fond of one another.
George's spelling is shite, but I think that can be excused, considering his obviously good intentions.
George and CC, my and A.'s British, highbrow, and heavily accented alter egos, were created in the interesting-only-to-them way that all inside jokes and pet names are born to couples. The story would bore or nauseate anyone other than ourselves - probably both. The important thing is that they were born, circa April 2012.
CC and George had their golden age while my dad was dying. It was a remarkable thing: the worse things got, the more clever their exchanges and frequent their appearances became.
Coping mechanisms: curious, random, useful.
Anyway, I came home to this (ob)scene upon my return from Florida: George and CC, heretofore just characters in our heads, brought to tangible, touchable, fluffy life. A lamb and a triceratops. What more natural pairing could there be?
But George and CC weren't alone on my bed. They were accompanied by a medium-sized stash of gifts. Wrapped in custom paper. That A. had designed and printed himself.
Among the gifts were two boxes of tools A. had packaged up and sent from my dad's house in Florida, before he'd left. My dad had several complete tool sets and hundreds of spare screwdrivers, wrenches, etc. A. had assigned himself the task of curating the collection to assemble some necessities for me to keep back at home. He'd sent them on ahead of us, and when they arrived, he repackaged and decorated them, then wrapped them and left them in my apartment for me to find, first thing, when I got home.
The inside covers were inscribed, too.
Inside my refrigerator were gift-wrapped milk, eggs, and cereal: a few staples so I wouldn't starve until I had the time and strength to make it to the grocery store.
That's what I came home to, after burying my father.
posted Saturday, June 23, 2012
black outlines
categories: family, grief
There are two sides to my father's death. There are the plain, cold facts of what happened, and there are all the little details that fill in those black outlines with color. I need to get them both out of my head.
My first few weeks in Florida were overwhelming to a point of comedy.
My dad had no one but me to take care of him. His brothers and he had long since ceased speaking. There was a cousin, herself elderly, unstable, and unavailable. That was it, as far as his family of origin. As far as his own family? His ex-wife was dead, and his son was MIA. He had no close friends, and certainly none close by enough to help.
So I was it. And I was in way, way over my head.
I can't claim to have hit the ground running when I got there. More the opposite: I faltered and flailed about for the first few days, terrified and in denial of the situation. Feeling sorrier for myself than him, really. But once it became clear that my father was becoming more helpless by the minute, some survival mechanism in me clicked into gear. I made calls, set appointments, did research, and shuttled him to doctors. I wrote lists, asked questions, picked up supplies and medicines. I created three different schedules for pill-taking, in an effort to make it easier for my father to keep track of the seven prescriptions he was taking (none worked). I cooked and cleaned and counseled my father as best I could. When he started to lose mobility, I rearranged furniture, and even sold some things just to get them out of the way. I acted as liaison between him and the panoply of specialists he'd collected in a few short days since his diagnosis.
And speaking of his diagnosis. Here's that, in a nutshell. On April 7, my 73 year-old father was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. They didn't like what they saw, so they kept him overnight, and ran tests. A day and a half later, he was informed that he had small cell lung cancer. I was on a plane two days after that. Four days after that, his radiation oncologist gave him a prognosis of 6-12 months. But the doctors were optimistic about treatment, affirming that my dad would be healthy enough to undergo several weeks of chemotherapy and radiation. They even said he should be able to drive himself to his appointments.
Hearing that, I was utterly nonplussed. It seemed obvious to me that he wouldn't be able to care for himself on a basic level (eating, bathing, etc), much less have the strength to take himself to treatments. But maybe they were right? Maybe the bad state he was in was temporary, and he'd rally? Maybe I could manage his care from across the country at first, coming out every few weeks and stepping up my presence as necessary, as things devolved? I conferred with one of his doctors. And by "confer" I mean, I practically clutched the man's coat lapels, voice shaking, and asked, "What the hell do I do?" He told me my "plan" was a good one, and that'd I'd know when my dad would need more help. I'd know when things were getting worse.
He was right about that. Things got worse, fast, and I knew it. I saw it with my own eyes. Those first few nights, when we were making early rounds to specialists to get a plan of care in place, were hell itself. He had completely lost his appetite, and dropped 20+ pounds in a matter of a couple weeks. He was consequently too weak to move much, but so mentally agitated that moving around was all he wanted to do. The cancer had spread from his lungs to his ribs and spine, and he was incredibly uncomfortable, even with the morphine. He was depressed and afraid. He'd sit in his office chair for five minutes before insisting on moving to the living room sofa, which after another five minutes, he'd want to get up from, and go lay on the bed. He didn't want to wear pants, and I couldn't get him to stand in the shower long enough to wash off. Incontinence kicked in. We (meaning me) were still tweaking his morphine dosage, trying to find a happy(?) medium between lucidity/pain and bombing him into a speechless semi-coma.
It broke my heart to watch my father, always the vainest man I'd known, forced to abandon his dignity in such a manner. As for me, I had no clue what I was going to do. I had no idea what I was facing, or how long my father was going to be like this. It was clear as day I couldn't leave him and go back to California. Did that mean I had to move out here for the next half year, year, to be his sole caregiver? Would I even be able to do that?? What the hell did I know about caring for a sick person, much less one who was dying? Visions of me trying to bathe him, taking care of his bathroom and hygiene, spoon feeding him and checking his IV, managing all those medications several times a day, etc. wracked me. What. The. Fuck.
I was bewildered and lost. When the occasional nurse or insurance person or hospice worker that I spoke to found out I was handling everything completely on my own, the compassion and solicitousness with which they responded broke me every time. I'd chin up and thank them politely for their concern, but inside, the little girl in me was throwing pity party confetti in the air: Yes! I know! It IS incredibly unfair, right? How am I supposed to do this?? After a while, I stopped pretending to be strong and just let them throw their arms around me for a virtual hug.
The kindness of strangers saved me in those days - the acknowledgment and validation that no one should have do what I was doing, alone.
And so the second week went, with him leaning on me more and more every day, literally and otherwise. He didn't want to eat, so every few hours, I'd spend several minutes trying to coax him into a few bites of ice cream, or chocolate milk - anything dense in calories, in an effort to keep some meat on his bones. He was completely at a loss re: tracking his medications, which needed to be taken every two hours. I couldn't trust him to remember, so I gave up on my fancy charts and checklists and just set my own alarm. He became disoriented and confused about place and time. I awoke on Saturday at three am to him calling me frantically from across the house. I found him fully dressed, sitting near the front door, convinced that he was about to be late for an appointment. When I explained that no, he had no commitments that day, he became inexplicably angry and threatened to hit me.
I'd take advantage of his moments of lucidity to talk to him. We even managed, in the first few days, to have a couple of restaurant meals. I sat across from my father and we looked at one another, the dead weight of his prognosis making each forkful feel like a thousand pounds of sand to swallow. We did our best, though, with small jokes and the occasional sincerely loving exchange. I told him in no uncertain terms what he meant to me, and how I credit all my favorite parts of my personality to him. He told me that despite what I'd convinced myself of, he was incredibly proud of me, of who I'd turned out to be.
Back at home, the restlessness was a killer. He just refused to stay still for more than a few minutes at a time. But with every hour, he lost more and more strength and balance. Each time he wanted to move, I had to be there, lest he go crashing to the ground. At first, the support of my shoulder was enough. Then, he'd need me to walk backwards in front of him, so he could hold my outstretched arms. By the time I went to buy him a walker, he was so frail from lack of food that falling was a near-constant concern.
And then he did fall.
At 2am.
And I couldn't get him back up. And he couldn't get himself back up.
Just that morning, he'd been enrolled in in-home hospice. We'd been at the oncologist's, and I had pulled him aside, wild-eyed with lack of sleep, and said, basically, "Look. If you think he's strong enough to undergo several hours a week of chemo, you're out of your mind. And aside from the issue of chemo, I need help. Badly." The doctor agreed that it was time for hospice, even though he still felt confident that my dad could do chemo. We went home and I spent the afternoon learning just how much support I was about to get - I knew nothing whatsoever about hospice. As it became clear that I would have a team of professionals acting as reinforcements, I slowly let more oxygen into my lungs. I can do this, if I have help. Help is coming.
Help came that very afternoon. He was enrolled, the paperwork was signed, and all the ugly but necessary documents placed on file (his living will, his DNR order, his funerary wishes, etc). A hospital bed was set up in the living room, because my father refused to give up the ghost on the waterbed in his bedroom. He was still adamantly insisting, even in his degenerative state, on climbing in and out of it all day and night.
That's what he was doing, when he fell. Trying to get out of the goddamned waterbed. And I was helping, but not well enough, obviously. Because suddenly he was on the ground, moaning in pain, and I couldn't do a fucking thing about it other than try to dial down my hysteria.
That was one of the hardest, most awful moments of the whole ordeal. But it was by no means the worst. No, cancer is an endless swag back of heartbreaking surprises!
Anyway, I called hospice, who sent help as quickly as possible. It took almost an hour. During that time, I ostensibly sat with my father, covered him in a blanket, held his hand, propped his head, and talked to him (he didn't talk back). But what I was really doing was facing the fact of my father's impending death, and taking the first wretched step towards accepting it.
The EMTs arrived, and lifted him into bed. I got more What, wait? It's only you here, taking care of him? type pity. I ate it up, greedily. His hospice team's head nurse, upon learning of this incident, upgraded him to continuous care - I was told as much over the phone. By 8am, a certified nurse would be there to help, and, I was told, there'd be someone staying with us, at the house, 24-7 from that point on.
selections from the last two months
categories: boyfriend, friends
A. had a show at Art Walk. He got the raw space late Wednesday, and completely transformed it overnight, bringing a few originals and several framed giclee prints, plus some of the new stuff he's been doing. He stenciled the walls and put up signage, and spent six hours fielding questions and compliments, networking, and selling.
Between runs for refreshments and DJ'ing, I mostly stood around, chiming in occasionally to help when he was occupied, and making sure no one took high resolution photos. I love being (now, finally) familiar enough with his work to be able to explain how intricate, complicated, and labor-intensive the process is. I suspect most people have no clue how much time and effort he puts into his pieces. But more than that, I loved when people took the time (and interest) to read the artist's statement he posted.
Father's Day happened, and I almost didn't even realize it. We decided on a whim to go to the beach, since it was so gorgeous downtown. The coast was a bit chillier and rather grey, but it was still nice.
The water was icy, but A. plowed in without flinching, so I followed. He laughed when the waves knocked me over, nearly choking me with spume and spray. With his arms around my waist, he held me above the crashing water so I could catch my breath.
Later, still sandy and disheveled from the beach - and I in a sweatshirt - we went to BOA and dined on jumbo prawns and steak tartar, prepared tableside. I overheard someone nearby say "something something Father's Day" and it hit me like a wall. I looked at A. "Today is Father's Day?" I asked, my head cocked in amazement. I'd completely forgotten. He nodded quietly and put his hand on my leg. A few self-indulgent tears got by me before I felt ridiculous, sucked it up, and enjoyed my raw meat.
Still hungry, we drove up the PCH to a roadside fish shack, where we ate fried clamstrips and clam chowder. It was freezing by this point, and we had a 25 minute wait for food, so A. wrapped himself up in our trusty Bonnaroo whale sheet, to block the wind. He looked like he'd ripped a shower curtain off the rod of a cheap Palm Beach motel.
Some friends from out of town visited, including a BFF I hadn't seen in two years. Colori Kitchen, the Standard, Chateau Marmont, ping pong, and some alarmingly unflattering photos.
A. and I got stupid at the Standard and decided it would be a good idea to go swimming. In our underwear. I was wearing a mesh bra. A nude colored mesh bra. Guess who had too many greyhounds?? But my friends, being the considerate people that they are, made sure to get pics. These are the most SFW:
I was mortified when I saw them, but then A. said, "Look how happy we look," and I kind of melted.
We all went back to A.'s, and a friend took some pics of us that I didn't even know about until a few days later:
I had a birthday, and an unnecessary fuss was made. At dinner with my out-of-town friends, I was surprised with fried green tea ice cream, and sung to. A few days later, A. had the waiter at Izaka-ya (best meal I've had in LA so far), candlefy our desert. Then, at a Memorial Day barbecue at a friend's, I was presented with two different cakes. My "friends" then thought it would be hysterical to then get me high and encourage me to eat half a fucking cake when the munchies inevitably hit.
A. and I feasted on the raspberry-chocolate cake he'd gotten me for days. When we attacked it again one night in the wee hours, he first put a lit candle in it, before bringing it to me in bed.
On my actual birthday, more fuss and more flame at Bottega Louie:
Don't people know it's reckless to give a girl like me so many wishes?
And an afternoon that just made me happy - Vietnamese for lunch, and A. carves his coconut. Cat calls from outside alert us to mayhem on the street: the annual World Naked Bike Ride is going by, just outside the front door of Blossom, downtown.
There's a mechanical problem, minutes before we're supposed to take off from LAX. Already on the tarmac, we're taxied back to the gate, where we wait for nearly two hours for a new plane. Chaos, angry passengers, frustration. We jockey for position along with the other Bonnaroo-bound: there are only so many seats available to Dallas/Forth Worth, where weather is precluding all flights to Nashville. We don't make our connection, or the next two attempts at stand-by, so we have to spend the night in Texas and miss the first evening of the festival. At the steakhouse in the hotel where we stay, A. plays up our plight to the server, who comps us a bottle of wine and desert. We take these back to our room and gorge ourselves in bed.
An early morning flight to Nashville, a hurried check-in to our hotel (where we score a jacuzzi suite), running to catch the bus to the festival. We're there by one, barely missing The Kooks. We quickly learn that our VIP upgrade affords us some huge advantages: no waiting in lines, exclusive seating for big shows, access to a large, air-conditioned tent filled with couches, cushions, free fruit, and cheap massages, incomparably cleaner/larger bathrooms, and remote concert viewing, should we choose. We stumble around, overwhelmed by the sheer size of the festival grounds, by the sensory overload of things to see, to hear, to smell, to touch, and to taste. It's a bit intimidating, like arriving a week late to summer camp. We try to get our bearings and find a sense of belonging in this pop-up community, but there's very little time to get acclimated before the first show we catch - Two Door Cinema Club. I'm excited to hear some tracks off of an unreleased album, and A. hoists me atop his shoulders during my favorite song. He pivots so I can videotape the screaming, cheering, waving crowd around us. Girls in dangerously little clothing crowd surf above us, and a guy nearby climbs the rafters for a better view.
By the end of the show, the heat has relented enough to let us really take in our surroundings for the first time.
Bonnaroo is like nothing I've experienced. Sun, skin, and sound everywhere. Carnival rides and games, food trucks, colorful tents crammed with crafts, art, and clothing, a water slide and oversized fountain, and a sprawling campsite with its own small village, all spread out over 700 grassy, tree-filled acres. Throngs of people, mostly young, many beautiful, nearly all thrilling to natural and man-made highs. Drugs everywhere: smoked, swallowed, shared and sold, all in plain view. We watch kids barely out of their teens pose for photos with acid tabs on their tongues. Over eighty thousand people are here with us, being flooded with music that pours from every corner of the grounds. It's positively surreal.
We wander in wonder at this small city, and plunge headlong into a three-day binge of our own illicit hedonism. We've come prepared, and we've been looking forward to this weekend for months. We feel no hesitancy and no shame about what we're going to do to our bodies and brains. We've earned the shit out of this weekend, emotionally, financially, and physically.
Our first roll kicks in while we watch Trampled By Turtles, and it's pure heaven. Dusk, and the sting of the sun is finally off of our bare shoulders and legs. We're sitting on a blanket-sized piece of vinyl fabric that I bought in the fashion district, just for the occasion. I picked the most colorful, silly, and happy print I could find - bright blue, green, and orange whales. This mat becomes an invaluable part of our Bonnaroo equipment: lightweight, waterproof, and fun, it's the perfect no-fly zone for when we need to carve out a little space from the crowd - not to mention put a layer between us and the dirt and bugs.
As the bluegrass notes wash over us, in the sandy area that divides the standers from the sitters, I'm physically unable to stay still. I jump up to dance while A. remains seated, chatting with our neighbor on the ground. They talk about psychology and other randomness, passing a joint back and forth, happily crossed-legged on the ground despite the fact that everyone else around them is on his or her feet. I touch the back of A.'s neck every few seconds as I dance, both to keep my bearings and to connect with him. He smiles up at me, telling me how much he loves the moment, the experience, me. It's an intense joy for both of us, that lasts song after song after song. When the opening strings of Wait So Long hit the air, everyone goes wild. A. leaps to his feet, then kneels and pulls me atop his shoulders, where I stay for the duration of the song. He bounces and sways, holding my legs tight as we both belt out the words we know and love by heart. I dip my head and kiss his face, upside down. From my vantage point I see the hundreds of frenetic, ecstatic people singing along with us. The lights are synched perfectly to the tune, and our senses are saturated in every way possible.
We leave the show electrified, and stay that way for the next three days.
There are over 150 acts at Bonnaroo, and it's impossible to see every one. We follow the schedule we've set for ourselves loosely, coming and going from the eleven different stages as we please. On our way to watch some electronic, for example, a strain of lo-fi indie pop will float to me, and I'll pull A. off in its direction. This is par for the course, all weekend: we're flexible, high, and just happy to be within a minute's walk, at any time, of some of our favorite music in recent years. We follow beats as we fancy, depending on the whims of desire, hunger/thirst, and state of mind. It'd take pages to detail the entire weekend, but I can at least list some highlights:
Top Ten Eighteen Bonnaroo Moments, In No Particular Order (except #1 really was #1)
18. Sunday night, stopping randomly at a small stage, headlined by some band we've never heard. Less than a hundred people are watching, but the twangy country sound fits our mood. We dance beside a small canopy with stringed lights woven in its branches, oblivious to how we look to anyone but each other. We cross arms, grab hands, and spin, and I take one of the most vivid mental snapshots of my life: my boyfriend's laughing face, the lights and trees blurring behind him, and beyond that, paper lanterns aglow and adrift in the sky.
17. Stomping and sloshing my way through the mud on Sunday, being so glad for my rain boots, and loving the feel of the light, warm rain on my skin.
16. Watching a paper lantern being lit and launched, a few feet away from us, at Red Hot Chili Peppers (the cheers from the crowd are deafening each time one is successfully set afloat in the night sky - we see dozens over the weekend). When it dips back down into the crowd, threatening to crash, a woman catches it and gives it the push it needs to get skyward again. The crowd roars with approval and excitement.
15. The heady feeling of freedom, to be there with A. Just us, doing as we please. No obligations or responsibilities to anyone other than ourselves and our dogs, waiting for us back home. Recognizing and appreciating the fact that we can do this again - anytime we like, in fact - finances allowing. We're that free. It's intoxicating. The sense of well-being and connectedness, with my boyfriend, with the world at large - with myself. Finding the first true moments of peace and contentedness since my father died.
14. Discovering Major Lazer, based on a tip from some young'uns we meet on the bus.
13. Skrillex. Mind = blown. Dancing my face clean off.
12. Walking by Radiohead, but not actually stopping to watch them. This is strangely awesome. I don't remember where we're going or what exactly we're doing, but we just aren't feeling Radiohead enough to stop and stay at the stage. It's enough for us to be nearby, see the stage, and know we are hearing Radiohead live, and go on with our night. Totally surreal moment, getting to make that choice.
11. The Shin's performance of Simple Song, which has become my favorite track of the past few years. I'm obsessed with it. We watch the show from the VIP section, just high enough above the crowd to have a great view but still feel in the mix. It's drizzling rain, and A. wordlessly takes out his hoodie and wraps me in it.
10. Walking in to the festival one afternoon while The Beach Boys are playing. We stumble straight into the venue, packed with three or four generations of smiling, singing concert goers, chanting giddily to songs they've grown up with. The group sounds exactly the same as their records.
9. Dancing with wild abandon to Phish, with glow sticks A. has collected for us, in the misting rain. We wander the outskirts of the crowd, jumping around and laughing like children, lost in the moment and music. A. completely lets loose and dances with pure, unconscious joy.
8. Trampled By Turtles (especially the moment described above).
7. Discovering the ridiculously talented LP, who A.'s been into for some time, and now I know why. After the show, an older couple approaches us to say, "We saw you guys yesterday, and we just want you to know we think you're romantic and sexy. We'll let you figure out who we think is which." Makes our day.
6. Ritzy Bryan of The Joy Formidable smashes her guitar into the drum set, and the crowd goes bonkers. They do an amazing set, and the girl is a freaking rock star.
5. Dancing at the Silent Disco (everyone is given wireless headphones playing the same live-DJed music). I'm rolling hard, and consequently feel like the best. dancer. in the world. So, so, so much sexy fun. We had plans to go back for another round on Sunday, but it was closed. So A. proposes we make our own Silent Disco, and that's exactly what we do: we find a semi-private, relatively quiet patch of grass, put on our headphones, and just dance for a while to our own beats.
4. Watching A. during Dispatch, but especially when they play The General. He's absolutely elated.
3. Mogwai's entire set. Rocking, eyes closed, high as hell. Indescribable beyond that.
2. Young The Giant's performance of My Body, which is pretty much an out-of-body experience for me. I am beside myself. I have never seen a crowd so charged up, and it is far and away my favorite performance of the entire festival.
1. Laying on the grass, on our ridiculous whale sheet, in the middle of the festival grounds at 1:00 am, on a perfect, lovely roll, holding one another, eyes closed in the dark and cold, hearing the strains of music around us, feeling cozily tucked in amongst the thousands of blissed-out people, but special and separate at the same time, kissing for several minutes straight without breaking contact. Now when I ask him for a "Bonnaroo kiss", he knows exactly what I mean.
I've been on some truly incredible, once-in-a-lifetime vacations and adventures. I've been to five of seven continents and done some crazy cool, bucket list stuff. But after going to Bonnaroo, I would easily pass up any trip - even international - to attend another music festival like that. No question. We're already eyeing Outside Lands, in San Francisco, in August...


I opened our mailbox on Monday and the first thing I saw was the bright red cover of this week's Macleans magazine with the title: "The Evil Genius of Airlines." The article went into detail about how airlines are doing everything they can to make more of a profit and not passing any of the savings from lower fuel costs onto passengers.
I bet you are just completely shocked about that. I don't have a problem with companies making profits, but I do have a problem with airlines making travel less affordable and more miserable for a lot of us.
When S and I booked our honeymoon plane tickets, we ran into some of these issues. We had to pay to reserve seats. After weeks of watching fares and trying to find a flight with a Goldilocks layover (not too long and not too short), there was nothing we could do but pony up. I'm still not happy about it.
I'm usually pretty optimistic about air travel. I love airports. I love the excitement of flying. But paying for the "privilege" of choosing a seat next to S when we're, you know, already buying a ticket for the flight really angered me. Add that to the baggage fees, the terrible food, and the tiny seats; it's getting harder and harder to enjoy or look forward to flights, even if you can't wait to go on a trip.
As travelers we have to do what we can to make it the best of it for ourselves and each other. One way to do that is to pack well. Not just to save space, but also to make your trips a little bit easier (and sometimes more fun). Today's Friday 5 is a short list of stuff I leave home and why.
The last thing I want to do is to worry about an expensive or beloved piece of jewelry getting lost or stolen. I generally wear anything remotely expensive on me everyday and travel with cheap, trendy pieces that I wouldn't be upset about losing.
I'm not big on travel gadgets but I used to bring hair tools with me. Not anymore. Most apartments and hotels have hairdryers. Usually I just wash and go and pretend I have "cool French girl" hair. Evaluate your gadgets and tools carefully. Is it worth the hassle? Do you need extra converters and adapters to use it? What would you do if you accidentally fried it? If you don't absolutely need it, then leave it at home.
Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are all things I love to purchase abroad. I don't have to worry about giant bottles of liquid things oozing onto stuff in my luggage and I get to test out stuff we don't get in Canada. There's a little bit of adventure in trying new things.
This tip isn't so much about saving space as it is stocking up on great items, especially when going to Europe. I love French sunscreen (like La Roche Posay, Avène, and Vichy), but it is quite expensive here. I'll splurge for my face, but I can't afford the full body versions. I generally travel with one of our drugstore brands just in case I can't get to a store right away. But as soon as I can find a store that sells the sunscreen brands I love, I'm all over it. Time to stock up!
Aside from my beloved Soak for delicates, I never travel with laundry detergent if we are staying in a rental. It might be different if you have extremely sensitive skin, but it's a lot easier to go out and buy a detergent that is proven to work well in the machines you will be using.
What I think it all boils down to is being smart about how you pack and what you bring with you. There are a lot of things you can get on the road and fewer things that are truly necessities. Striking the right balance to make your trip enjoyable will be individual, but hopefully this list will give you a starting point to reevaluate your needs and wants.


Little Charlotte loves eating olives, Kate revealed.
She added that Princess Charlotte and Prince George enjoy cooking and they recently made cheesy pasta.
Kate spoke about food and health during the visit to mark Children's Mental Health Week.
She also shared the family picture she used for the 2018 Christmas card after she was asked to bring an object that makes her happy.
When Kate arrived at the school, the children gathered outside and sang songs to welcome the Duchess. She later made an appearance at Alperton Community School in Brent. She wore a bright green dress by Eponine and stylish black boots.
It comes after the Duchess revealed another one of Princess Charlotte's favourite things when she visited a homeless charity The Passage with William last December.
The couple took part in an arts and crafts workshop there.
Charlotte clearly takes after her mother, with William saying that Kate is the "artsy one" at the activity.


The characteristics of electromagnetic waves propagating in a semiconductor filled rectangular waveguide in the presence of a transverse magnetic field are studied. It is shown that only TE mode waves having y-independent field components (y being the direction of the steady magnetic field) and anomalous modes having all six field components can propagate. The propagation constant of waves characterized by a sinusoidal y dependence of fields is derived. Asymptotic expressions for the fields and the propagation constant are then obtained for the limiting case of a small external magnetic field and some recent experimental results are analyzed in this context.


text:
Area stores bracing for flood of water bottles
Wegmans predicts 30 percent jump in volume
Tom Tobin
Local supermarkets and convenience stores say they're preparing for a major increase in the volume of plastic bottles redeemed when a new state law adds water drinks to the recycling stream.
The law sweetens the handling costs that retailers may recover when the containers are redeemed. But questions remain whether that will be enough to compensate for the higher volume and other related costs.
"Our systems are in place, I think," said Dave Breen, owner of Herrema's Food Market in Irondequoit. "What bothers me most about this is we're taking in people's garbage at the grocery store. Curbside recycling is the answer."
A federal judge next month is expected to lift an injunction against adding bottled water to the 5-cent deposit law that now covers carbonated beverages, wine coolers and beer. A hearing is scheduled Oct. 22 to hear arguments from the bottled-water industry that some small companies are not ready for the change. But retailers in this region are getting ready for the most significant increase in the flow of redeemable products in years.
More than 3.2 billion water bottles are sold in New York each year, according to the Container Recycling Institute. Bottled water now constitutes about a third of the retail beverage market, though industry studies project huge growth over the next several years. One study expects a 50 percent leap in sales between 2006 and 2011.
The largest local grocery chains, Wegmans Food Markets and Tops Friendly Markets, said this week that they have plans either to retrofit existing mechanized redemption machines or add workers at stores where bottle returns are handled manually.
Wegmans has estimated a 30 percent increase in the volume of redeemable plastic bottles and said it is working now to determine if the capacity of its redemption machines is adequate to handle that.
Tops also is examining whether its machines are sufficient to cope with the new volume. "We're going to do what it takes to serve our customers," said Tops spokeswoman Katie McKenna. "That might mean adding people to help with redemption."
The Tops store on Winton Road already has moved its redemption machines outside in anticipation of the higher volume.
The state Legislature this year expanded the bottle bill to include water and at the same time decided that 80 percent of unredeemed deposits — cans and bottles not returned for the extra nickel paid at the time of purchase — would go to the state, with 20 percent going to the manufacturers. Currently, the bottlers get that money.
The expanded law covers bottled water, but not sugared drinks such as sports beverages, iced tea, lemonade and the like. Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale said some confusion remains on which, if any, flavored water drinks contain sugar.
The law requires labels indicating a five-cent deposit and point-of-purchase information about the change. Natale said the stores are planning ways to meet this obligation, though specifics won't be resolved until the injunction is lifted.
James Calvin, president of the New York State Association of Convenience Stores, said his group anticipates a 30 percent to 40 percent increase in bottle-redemption volume. The association represents 7,700 convenience stores and mini-marts throughout New York.
"A big question will be storage," Calvin said. "A lot of these stores are not big. Where do they put these bottles when they take them in? In a storage closet? In the trunk of a car? These are issues we brought up when the bill was first proposed."
Calvin said he expects some of the higher costs associated with the new law to be passed on to the consumer.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090911/BUSINESS/909110313/1001/Area+stores+bracing+for+flood+of+water+bottles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


*TIP: If you don't have a fillet, Heritage Salmon Portions will work just as well. Simply use four 3 oz portions, and follow the recipe as usual.
Cut salmon into 1/4-inch dice, then stir together with spinach, scallions, ginger, salt and pepper in a large bowl until well combined.
Form into 4 (1/2-inch thick) patties.
Heat a 12-inch, non-stick skillet over moderate heat until hot and lightly brush with oil.
Cook patties, carefully turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, 6-7 minutes total.
Top each burger with 1 1/2 teaspoons pickled ginger. Add a side salad and serve.


text:
Q: Kuberenetes Scheduling: How would one achieve depth first scheduling behavior? // I'm almost certain this must be a dup or at least a solved problem, but I could not find what I was after through searching the many k8 communities.
We have jobs that run for between a minute and many hours. Given that we assign them resource values that afford them QOS Guaranteed status, how could we minimize resource waste across the nodes?
The problem is that downscaling rarely happens, because each node eventually gets assigned one of the long running jobs. They are not common, but the keep all of the nodes running, even when we do not have need for them.
The dumb strategy that seems to avoid this would be a depth first scheduling algorithm, wherein among nodes that have capacity, the one most filled already will be assigned. In other words, if we have two total nodes running at 90% cpu/memory usage and 10% cpu/memory assigned, the 90% would always be assigned first provided it has sufficient capacity.
Open to any input here and/or ideas. Thanks kindly.

A: As of now there seems to be this kube-sheduler profile plugin:

NodeResourcesMostAllocated: Favors nodes that have a high allocation of resources.

But it is in alpha stage since k8s v1.18+, so probably not safe to use it for produciton.

There is also this parameter you can set for kube-scheduler that I have found here:

MostRequestedPriority: Favors nodes with most requested resources. This policy will fit the scheduled Pods onto the smallest number of Nodes needed to run your overall set of workloads.

and here is an example on how to configure it.

One last thing that comes to my mind is using node affinity.
Using nodeAffinity on long running pods, (more specificaly with preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution), will prefer to schedule these pods on the nodes that run all the time, and prefer to not schedule them on nodes that are being autoscaled. This approach requires excluding some nodes from autoscaling and labeling approprietly so that scheduler can make use of node-affinity.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
KIRX 1450 and 99.7
KRXL 94.5 THE X
KTUF 93.7
Vonda Carrol Geosling
Vonda Carrol Geosling, age 86 of Green City, Missouri passed away on Saturday, December 31, 2022. The daughter of Raymond and Irene (Guffy) Johnson,...Read More
Theo Iris Fox-Ely
Theo Iris Fox-Ely, age 83, of Kirksville, Missouri, passed away Tuesday (December 27, 2022) at LaPlata Nursing Home where she had resided since 2018....Read More
Evelyn Dale Johnston
Evelyn Dale Johnston, 83, of Newark, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at the Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Evelyn was born on...Read More
Lois Muriele (Ratliff) Hill
Lois Muriele (Ratliff) Hill, 100, of Queen City, Missouri passed away Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at Schuyler County Nursing Home in Queen City, Missouri....Read More
Eldon Dawine Rouse
Eldon Dawine Rouse, 67, of Kirksville, Missouri passed away following a brief illness on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia,...Read More
Johnny Smith
John Michael "Johnny" Smith, 76, of Kirksville, Missouri, passed away Sunday, December 25, 2022 at The Pines in Kirksville. Born October 24, 1946 in...Read More
Nova Laverne "Bud" Wyant
Nova Laverne "Bud" Wyant, 77, of Milan, Missouri, passed away on Saturday, December, 24, 2022 at Sullivan County Memorial Hospital surrounded by family. Bud...Read More
Ruby Vincent
Ruby Vincent, 88 of Kirksville, MO passed away Wednesday (December 21st, 2022) at her home in Kirksville. The daughter of Lescoe and Alberta (Decker)...Read More
Dale Eugene Miller, 87, of Brashear, Missouri, passed away Monday, December 19, 2022 at his home under Hospice care and family by his side....Read More
Walter Eugene Hannah
Walter Eugene Hannah, 89, of Kirksville, Missouri, formerly of Green Castle, passed away on Sunday, December 18, 2022 at Northeast Regional Medical Center in...Read More
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KIRKSVILLE WEATHER
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Set in a dark forest among crusty critters and flickering fireflies, the busy bees of Wild Swarm are having a really sweet time. The enticing flute soundtrack accompanies the shiny golden slot and jacks up the BPM when you land the Bonus Spin mode, triggered by three blooming bee hives. Beautiful flowers, wooden letters, bees (duh) and gooey wilds along side pots of delicious honey fills up Wild Swarm's 4×5 reels.
Fly on over to Casino Heroes and try our bee-witching game Wild Swarm!
When the fun stops – STOP. Make sure you stay in control of your gambling by setting daily, weekly and monthly deposit, loss and wagering limits.


Our 2019 Charity Nomination...The members from each Good Afternoon Choir choose the local charity or organisation that they will support during each year. This may be through fundraising events, singing at concerts or collections taken at the end of the Christmas carol celebration. The Frome Good Afternoon Choir have chosen to continue their fundraising from 2018 for the WHY Charity.
Last year, the choir opened their doors at their on Monday December 10th 2018 to welcome family, friends and guests, children from Trinity School, Frome to their open carol concert. There was a retiring collection for the WHY Charity and a total of £186.70 was collected. This amount has been added to other fundraising events the choir has put on in 2018 bringing the Grand Total to £833.45. An amazing amount, I am sure you will agree!
Come along and find out more about the Frome Good Afternoon Choir - Monday's at Holy Trinity Church, Frome from 2-4pm. Everyone welcome!
The choir meets every Monday afternoon from 2pm - 4pm (during term time) at Holy Trinity Church, Frome and there is NO charge for attending your first rehearsal when membership forms will be available.
Grenville Jones, the founder of the Good Afternoon Choirs is delighted that Matthew Finch will lead this new choir.
Matt loves singing, rehearsing choirs and playing the piano. He has been Musical Director of Bath Light Operatic Group for over 20 years, so you may have seen the back of his head in the orchestra pit of the Theatre Royal Bath! Matt is looking forward to having fun, and singing some lovely music with the Frome Good Afternoon Choir. See Music Team.
The rehearsals run from 2pm to 4pm, there are no auditions and everyone is welcome. Many of the people in the Bath, Devizes, Bristol, Keynsham, Thornbury & Yate and Chipping Sodbury Good Afternoon Choirs have never sung in a choir before, however each of the choirs has over 100 members!
The choir rehearsals will be in 4 terms of 10 weeks and members pay per term, this covers room hire, music, admin and musician fees. You DO NOT need to join at the start of a term, you can simply come along to any rehearsal and pick up a members form should you wish to join the choir - your fee will then be worked out for the remainder of that term.
The Frome Good Afternoon Choir enjoys all sorts of music – from folk songs to choral favourites. If you have any questions about the Choir please contact Nikki at Grenville's office in Westfield/Midsomer Norton for any information, by calling 01761 472468 or emailing gac@grenvillemusic.co.uk – or just come along to your first free session with a friend of course!
Mon 8 - OPEN Workshop - part of Frome Festival - everyone welcome!
Frome Good Afternoon Choir enjoyed a concert with Bath Male Choir on Saturday October 27th - a great night was had by all.


text:
Vijayapura to Bengaluru - on the Gol Gumbaz Express
I hadn't considered train as a option for return from Vijayapura - in fact, all my accomplices advised against taking the train since it takes a very long time to get to Bengaluru, compared to buses. Out of curiosity, I did check the train option, and I realised that the fastest train takes a good 15 hours for the distance, while buses take only around 10 hours! The curious traveller in me wanted to take the train this time - I knew I'd be quite tired after the long trip that I'd have performed before I reached Vijayapura (Bijapur). Booking a berth in an Airconditioned 3-tier coach seemed the best bet - I found there were lots of seats available too. I booked one, and got a Side upper berth in coach #B3.
I had returned to my hotel room a little past 1300hrs, after my examination work. I took some rest before setting off to the railway station, some time around 1545hrs. My train was to depart from Vijayapura at 1655hrs - it took me a while to get an autorickshaw - who crawled through the crowded roads of Vijayapura. I got to the station by around 1610hrs - with lots of time to spare for my train. The station as such was small - the building was crowded to its limits. The platform was also very crowded - I was quite intrigued by the crowd. There were no coach position indicators or even written displays at the station. I enquired at a shop at the platform, and the guy there said the AC coaches are usually at the rear end of the train.
As I started walking towards the "rear" end, the coach position indicators came alive, and began displaying the coach positions. I waited at the place where my coach would arrive - interestingly, another train to Bangalore (which takes a longer route) was scheduled to arrive at another platform at the same time. Arrival announcements about my train began a little past 1635hrs - and the crowd on the platform began to swell now. People even jumped to the other side of the railway track and waited for the train. The train finally arrived at 1645hrs, with WDP4 #20031 from Hubli Diesel locomotive shed. The coach came perfectly at the place it was supposed to - I was quite impressed seeing the way the coach, a 2014 ICF built one, was maintained. The interiors were absolutely clean, and really well maintained. It took a while before the train was allowed to leave - I was quite hungry, and managed to purchase some snacks from some vendors who came on board.
WDP4 #20031 rolling into Vijayapura with my train. Notice the people on the other side of the track as well!
The train got moving at 1705hrs - 10 minutes behind schedule. The train ambled along at a very slow pace - the slow pace persisted for most part of the journey that evening. The journey was getting a little boring due to the pace at which the train ran - it didn't exceed 60kmph every time I tried tracking its speed. We crossed a couple of trains on the way (one was the express train to Mumbai, and the other a freight). We did overtake a couple of freighters on the way as well. Our first halt was at Basavana Bagewadi - a quick halt, and we got moving by 1815hrs. The journey was quite sleepy - with the train just crawling, and people were mostly sleeping already! With nothing to do, and it getting darker outside - meaning, nothing to see either, I tuned on to a movie on my phone, and spent the rest of my time.
A little later, the train stopped in the middle of no-where, making me a little curious - we were close to Almatti now. A passenger in the same coupe as I was, ran towards the window and proudly announced that we were at Almatti dam site now - he reminisced his days of working at the dam site, and he really appeared proud of that. The train rolled into Almatti station at 1836hrs - a quick halt, quite a few passengers got in - and we rolled out at 1838hrs. It got even more dark now - we ran through a fairly long bridge after the station - my co-passenger was still at the window, his eyes gleaming and him displaying an ear-to-ear smile! Soon after he returned to his seat, I returned to the movie that I was watching. We had about an hour's run after this - before we rolled into Bagalkot station (1927hrs) - this was among the longer halts we had. We got moving at 1931hrs - the coach almost filled here. We had a brief halt at Guledagudda Road station (1949/1950hrs) next. Soon after we left from here, a guy came around to take orders for Dinner - I placed my order, and returned to my movie again.
Some where on the way...
The train stopped at Badami (2006hrs) and Hole Alur (2030hrs) before my dinner was served. Two silver foil casseroles were handed over, and the cost of the dinner (I think that was Rs. 80) was collected by the vendor. I was quite hungry already - and didn't wait long before I digged into the casseroles - one of them had Chapatis and a Potato based curry. The second one had a rice preparation (locally known as a Palav - note, not a Pulao), a gravy to go with it and some vegetable raitha. There was a small packet of Pickle and a plastic spoon as well. I wrapped up my dinner in no time - the food was not great, but certainly good. I remained seated for a while more after my dinner. I decided to head up to my side-upper berth by around 2115hrs. The train pulled into Gadag station by 2131hrs - I slept long before the train started from there. The train reverses its direction here, and repeats the procedure again a couple of hours later at Hubli - but I was deep asleep to realise any of these!
My Dinner..
I woke up only as my alarm went off - at 0645hrs. The train was still crawling - I was worried if I'd get late of office now - but soon realised that we were quite close to Bengaluru already. I rushed to get fresh and then returned to my berth. I was hoping (against hopes) that the train makes an unscheduled halt at Chikkabanavara (Code: BAW), the station that is closest to my home - we crawled till a few kilometres before this station. All of a sudden, the train picked speed, and literally rushed through BAW kicking up dust! The speed reduced soon after we passed the area, trickled down to a crawl, and came to a grinding halt a few kilometres later! I was confused if I should jump off the road, walk up the nearest road and take an auto back home - but didn't want to risk doing that with baggage. I waited, albeit impatiently, for the train to move.We finally crawled into Platform 1 of Yeshwantpur at 0718hrs - perfectly on time! I got off the train, rushed through the foot over bridge, ran out of the station, headed straight to the nearest metro station and took the first train back home!
Fresh bedroll!
Journey in a Nutshell:Train Number: 16536 Solapur - Mysuru 'Gol Gumbaz' Express
Loco link: Hubli WDP4 #20031 (Not sure if the same locomotive worked all the way till Bengaluru)
Coach: B3, WGACCN #13129 built by ICF, Chennai. Based at Hubli.
Ratings:Punctuality: 10/10 (NIL delay at either ends - was delayed en route though)
Cleanliness: 10/10 (Very clean!)
Catering: 8.5/10 (Good food, but not too many choices)
A good journey - it crawled for most part of the travel, making for a very boring journey. Great choice if you have people to spend time with, or atleast a phone with lots of movies to watch! I must say, the coach was very clean, I got very fresh bed roll and the entire experience was pleasant. Wouldn't hesitate to try again!
Rameswaram to Madurai - my longest in a TNSTC bus
First ride on Airavat Diamond Class: Bangalore to Thrissur
Scania was launched in India about two years back. The initial product as only the 14.5M variant, followed by the 12M and the 13.7M variants. The first institutional buyer to purchase the 13.7m variant was the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. KSRTC went in for a new brand name for the Scanias, and called them the Airavat Diamond Class. The basic question, like everyone asked, was - what is the difference between the Diamond Class and the Club Class. One primary difference was that Club Class used Volvo B9Rs and Mercedes Benz Multi-Axle buses, while Diamond Class used newer Scania Metrolink HD 13.7m multi-axle buses. Club Class buses have a seating capacity of 49 (44 semi-sleeper seats and 5 regular 'executive' seats), while Diamond Class buses have only 46 seats - all semi-sleeper. The fares are the same in both the classes.
Airavat Diamond Class was first inducted into the KSRTC fleet sometime during the end of June 2015. They initially replaced the first set of M…
What is "Kallada G4"?
I have often received questions on my photos asking what is the difference between "Kallada" and "Kallada G4". Both are travel operators operating from Bangalore to Kerala, and belong to the same family. Out of curiosity, I managed to dig out some information from some connected people, which gave me a lot of information. So thought of sharing it with all..
The Kallada Group was founded in 1975 by Kallada Ramakrishnan. Mr. Ramakrishnan has 5 sons. Kallada Group was split into two after the death of Kallada Ramakrishnan in 2003. One of the five brothers, one brother, Mr. Suresh Kallada, started his own travels business, while the other four brothers established themselves in other fields. "Kallada Tours and Travels" operated by Suresh Kallada established themselves in the business - they have very good presence in all routes running out of Bangalore to Kerala (mainly south Kerala). The Kallada Group (run by the 4 brothers) established themselves in various…
Vijayapura to Bengaluru - on the Gol Gumbaz Expres...
Pune to Bijapur: by 11139 Gadag Express train
Shirdi, Shrirampur to Pune: The first Shivshahi ex...
Pune to Shirdi by MSRTC
Kalaburagi to Pune: 12026 Shatabdi Express
Bengaluru to Kalaburagi: Vijayanand Volvo B9R
The return to Bengaluru from Raichur: KSRTC Airava...


Everyone knows that conversations in the Uber ride home belong in a vacuum. Reality is warped during that 15-20 minute drive through the dark city streets when you and your bestie are loudly replaying what went down at the bar while the driver sits in silence, soaking it all in. But what if your backseat gossip sessions were released without your knowledge, shown for the entire world to see? That's what happened to Ottawa Senators players Thomas Chabot, Dylan DeMelo, Matt Duchene, Alex Formenton, Chris Tierney, Chris Wideman and Colin White when a leaked dash cam video of the NHLers featured some less-than heartwarming commentary about their team and coaches.
Sitting in the Uber, the players trash-talk the coaching skills of Assistant Coach Martin Raymond, and criticize the team's ineffective penalty kill. They boast about not paying attention during team meetings and question the need for a meeting at all due to the lack of change in the team. The five-minute clip was taken in Phoenix, Arizona during an October west-coast road trip.
The organization's head coach Guy Boucher also released a statement, reading "Nothing is more important to us during this rebuild than making sure our players and coaches are fully committed to our plan, our values and our system of play. We have every confidence in Marty Raymond's coaching; in the effort and determination of our team; and in the sincerity of our players' apology. We are now treating this as a team matter, and will be making no further comment to the media.
The Senators have been knee-deep in scandals lately, from the wife of former captain Erik Karlsson filing a restraining order against player Mike Hoffman's wife to a threat from the owner Eugene Melnyk to move the team due to poor ticket sales. Do you think this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back? Or are these players right to mock their boss in private? Let us know!


So its official its the iPhone known as the iPhone 5 will be released 9/21/2012. I personally will be pre-ordering mine on Friday at my local Best Buy. Will you be pre-ordering or will you be one of the many who show up and stay all night? I am worried what case options I am going to have with this new iPhone. I prefer Otterbox at this point because I am so clumsy (but I have not broke an iPhone yet!) but when the iPhone 4 came out there was only 2 cases available at the store. I don't want to have to wait forever for an otter box defender case (nor am I happy about the price tag).


text:
Marathi | HIndi
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Home > National > NEP shifts focus from 'What to Think' to 'How to Think': Modi
NEP shifts focus from 'What to Think' to 'How to Think': Modi English.Lokmat.com
NEP shifts focus from 'What to Think' to 'How to Think': Modi
Author : IANS | August 7, 2020 04:12 PM
New Delhi, Aug 7 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the new National Education Policy (NEP) will ...
New Delhi, Aug 7 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the new National Education Policy (NEP) will change the focus from 'What to Think' to 'How to Think'.
Outlining the major shift in the education policy, Modi said, "In our education system the focus has been on 'What to Think' while the new Education Policy will emphasise on 'How to Think'."
He said that the National Education Policy is set to lay the foundation of new India of 21st century
Transformative reforms in higher education under the NEP were discussed in the virtual conference on Friday. Union Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, National Education Policy Preparation Committee chairman Dr K Kasturirangan, vice-chancellors of universities, directors of institutions and principals of colleges participated in the conference.
Addressing all stakeholders in the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said that an effort is being made to ensure the talent in India is retained to keep developing the country for the generations ahead.
"There is a lot of emphasis on teacher training under the National Education Policy. An effort has been made on constantly updating teachers' skills. We all must work together to implement the National Education Policy," Modi added.
The Prime Minister said, "A new era of dialogue and coordination with universities, colleges, school education boards of different states involving various stakeholders is going to begin. Dignity of teachers has been taken special care under the National Education Policy."
On the issue of language in the education system, Prime Minister Modi said, "There is no doubt that if the language spoken by the children and the language of learning in school are same, it will improve the speed of learning in children. Hence, it has been agreed to teach children in their mother tongue till the fifth grade."
Modi said in the present world there is no shortage of information and content. The effort now is to emphasise on 'Inquiry, Discovery and Analytics' based methods for children to learn.
This will increase the urge for learning in children and increase their participation in the classes.
The Prime Minister said every student must get this opportunity to follow their passion. A student could follow any degree or course according to his convenience and need and, if they like, they can leave it as well. This is the thinking behind freeing education from choosing streams, multiple entry and exit as well as following a credit-based system. We are moving towards the times where a person is not restrained to one profession throughout their life. For this it is a must for children to constantly upgrade their skills and learn new skills, too.
Addressing academic, the Prime Minister said that the world has high expectations from 21st century India. India's ability to deliver talent and technology solutions to the whole world is also included in our new education policy.
Describing the features of the new education policy, Modi said the virtual lab concept is going to realise the dreams of better education for millions of children who could not read such subjects in which lab experiments are necessary. When these reforms are seen in institutions and infrastructure, only then can the National Education Policy be implemented at a more effective and rapid pace.
( With inputs from IANS )
TagsUnion education , Union education , india , New Delhi , Ramesh Pokhriyal , NEP , Narendra Modi , The new delhi municipal council , Delhi south-west , Indi , Uk-india
Economists stress importance of investing in public health, education in interaction with PM Modi
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CBI files supplementary chargesheet against four former Haryana Police officials
Transition of power India's salient feature: LS Speaker on US Capitol siege
6 civilians injured in Pak firing along LoC in J-K's Kupwara
UK-trained woman is the brain behind flourishing Srinagar cupcake business
MP CM assures proper implementation of Garib Kalyan Package
Italian marines case: SC tells Centre to let Italy pay victims
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Right now, Global Poker is giving their players the perfect excuse to play every day with Daily Hundo Tournaments. These events allow players to win up to 100X their buy-in each and every night with two tournaments.
These hyper-turbo events kick off at 9:35 p.m. and 9:55 p.m. ET, and cost just SC$1 and SC$5 in $weeps cash. To qualify, players simply need to play at least 25 Gold Coin ring game hands prior to the tournament's start. The challenge will reset every day at 10 p.m. ET.
As an added bonus, players who accumulate the required number of hands in each calendar month are eligible for exclusive, limited-edition avatars to use on the site.


Catering Coordinators manage food operations for special events at hotels, resorts and other establishments. They meet and greet guests, oversee food presentation, coordinate event and decor tasks, manage staff, and perform administrative duties.
Post a Catering Coordinator job to 100 job boards with one submission.
We are seeking a highly organized Catering Coordinator to manage our catering and event services. The Catering Coordinator responsibilities will include welcoming guests, coordinating decor and event planning tasks, overseeing food preparation and presentation, maintaining the inventory, liaising with vendors, supervising staff, and ensuring that the kitchen meets sanitation standards.
To be successful in this role, you should have a personable demeanor, a passion for customer service, as well as good networking and financial management skills. Experience in the food service industry is advantageous.
Effectively communicate with all guests and staff in a friendly, courteous and timely manner.
Organize and coordinate event timeline, ensuring that the service runs smoothly and efficiently.
Coordinate and oversee decor set-up and breakdown.
Processing and receiving food orders on time.
Maintaining inventory of food and office supplies.
Liaising with vendors and external suppliers.
Oversee catering and kitchen staff.
Assisting management with food and decor budget, and managing finances.
Maintain high personal grooming standards and professional demeanor.
A Bachelor's or Associate's degree in hospitality, culinary arts or related field preferred.
Prior experience in food service or hospitality industry required.
Financial and/or business management skills.


Fun platform game of action and adventure, with cartoon style drawings for all ages.
Dymcat is an intrepid police rocket that is behind the "Air Pirates" that have caused damage to the town of Diamond Ville and took away all their treasures. Your mission is to recover everything stolen and arrest all possible pirates.
- 50 levels of pure fun.
- 5 unlockable characters, each with their own abilities.
- 20 Levels of Fun.


FICE: FICE-International was founded in 1948 under the patronage of UNESCO in Trogen (Switzerland). It maintains contacts with UNESCO, UNICEF, Council of Europe and ECOSOC. It is also a member of the UN-NGO-Group on the Rights of the Child and member of ENSACT. FICE-International contains more than 30 countries – FICE sections – from Europe, Africa, Amerika.
FICE-International's vision is to create networks across continents worldwide to support actions and all those working with at-risk children, children with special needs and children and young people in out-of-home care. All activities aim to respect the personality, interests and needs of the child or the young person.
FICE AUSTRIA, founded 1968 as national section of FICE International, bases its work on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and promotes development and quality assurance in alternative care for children and young people.
CYC NET: The International Child and Youth Care Network (CYC-Net) is a registered non-profit and public benefit organisation based in South Africa, running in terms of its own Constitution. Its main objectives are (primarily through the internet and electronic media) to promote and facilitate reading, learning, information sharing, discussion, networking, support and accountable practice amongst all who work with children, youth and families in difficulty.
FH Campus Vienna is one of the biggest Universities of Applied Science in Austria and offers more than 50 courses of study for bachelor and master degrees. The department of social studies establishes a well-grounded academic education for social workers and social pedagogues among others.
The close cooperation with FICE Austria forms a mutually fructifying basis for enhancements of social pedagogy in Austria.
CELCIS strives to improve the experiences and life chances of children and young people who have experience of alternative care. We work alongside the professionals who touch their lives, and the wider systems responsible for their care.
We promote learning and reflection with strategic leaders, managers and practitioners. We deliver professional development services, consultancy and service improvement, and policy and evidence implementation using a range of methodologies.
The Institute for Children and Youth Services (Institut für Kinder- und Jugendhilfe, IKJ) was founded in 1995 as an extra-university practice research institute. Based between the poles of practice, science and policy the institute performs a double function: knowledge transfer into practice and policy on the one hand, feedback from practical experience into the research process on the other hand. The fields of activity comprise research, quality development, IT solutions, advisory services and training.
Since 2001, the Institute for Children and Youth Services in Mainz and the Center for Applied Effectiveness Research are headed by Prof Dr Michael Macsenaere, psychologist, born in 1959, currently teaching at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Department of Social Sciences, Media and Sport), at the University of Cologne (Faculty of Human Sciences) and at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences (social management).
In approximately 100 projects and evaluations, most of them multi-annual, the institute has been cooperating with more than 1000 institutions of child and youth welfare services. Within the last 10 years the number of international projects has been increasing.


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Q: Dynamically Adding Markers on google-map-react What I wan't to do is to show the location picked from some mobile devices on the Map.
Data about the locations are there..
What I need here is to add Markers on the map depending on the data received from the server.
Assume I have set the location data ({Lat,Lang}) to the state markers
Then How can I add this to show in Map.
My Map Code is as follows!

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import GoogleMapReact from 'google-map-react';

const AnyReactComponent = ({ text }) =>
{text}
;

class MyClass extends Component {
  constructor(props){
    super(props);

  }

  render() {
    return (
      <GoogleMapReact
        defaultCenter={this.props.center}
        defaultZoom={this.props.zoom}
        style={{height: '300px'}}
      >
        <AnyReactComponent
          lat={59.955413}
          lng={30.337844}
          text={'Google Map'}
        />
      </GoogleMapReact>
    );
  }
}
MyClass.defaultProps = {
  center: {lat: 59.95, lng: 30.33},
  zoom: 11
};

export default MyClass;

This Code is from the answer Implementing google maps with react
Used npm package :- google-map-react

A: You may try:
import React, { Component } from 'react';
import GoogleMapReact from 'google-map-react';

const AnyReactComponent = ({  img_src }) =>

;

class MyClass extends Component {
  constructor(props){
    super(props);
    this.state = {
        markers: [],
    }
  }

  componentDidMount(){
    // or you can set markers list somewhere else
    // please also set your correct lat & lng
    // you may only use 1 image for all markers, if then, remove the img_src attribute ^^
    this.setState({
      markers: [{lat: xxxx, lng: xxxx, img_src: 'YOUR-IMG-SRC'},{lat: xxxx, lng: xxxx, img_src: 'YOUR-IMG-SRC' },{lat: xxxx, lng: xxxx,  img_src: 'YOUR-IMG-SRC'}],
    });
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <GoogleMapReact
        defaultCenter={this.props.center}
        defaultZoom={this.props.zoom}
        style={{height: '300px'}}
      >
            {this.state.markers.map((marker, i) =>{
              return(
                <AnyReactComponent
                  lat={marker.lat}
                  lng={marker.lng}
                  img_src={marker.img_src}
                />

              )
            })}
      </GoogleMapReact>
    );
  }
}
MyClass.defaultProps = {
  center: {lat: 59.95, lng: 30.33},
  zoom: 11
};

If this has error, please show here too, then we can fix it later
===========
ADDED EXAMPLE FOR CLICK-EVENT ON MARKERS
 markerClicked(marker) {
   console.log("The marker that was clicked is", marker);
   // you may do many things with the "marker" object, please see more on tutorial of the library's author:
  // https://github.com/istarkov/google-map-react/blob/master/API.md#onchildclick-func
  // Look at their examples and you may have some ideas, you can also have the hover effect on markers, but it's a bit more complicated I think
 }

 render() {
    return (
      <GoogleMapReact
        defaultCenter={this.props.center}
        defaultZoom={this.props.zoom}
        style={{height: '300px'}}
      >
            {this.state.markers.map((marker, i) =>{
              return(
                <AnyReactComponent
                  lat={marker.lat}
                  lng={marker.lng}
                  img_src={marker.img_src}
                  onChildClick={this.markerClicked.bind(this, marker)}
                />

              )
            })}

      </GoogleMapReact>
    );
  }

Once again, post here some errors if any ^^ !

A: Be careful. You said react-google-map but you are using google-map-react. Those are 2 different packages. Do not mix up their documentation.


text:
Princeton University Selects Thermo Scientific MALDI LTQ Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer to Enable Proteomics and Genomics Research on Viruses
Thermo Fisher Scientific Sep 12, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif. (August 15, 2008) - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that Princeton University is utilizing the newly launched MALDI LTQ Orbitrap XL(TM) mass spectrometer for research on virus-host protein interactions in the laboratory of Ileana Cristea, Ph.D. Dr. Cristea's cutting-edge work on chromatin and its modulation by viruses promises to further scientists' understanding about how viruses manipulate their host to their advantage. The laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating methodologies from modern proteomics, biochemistry, molecular biology and virology. The research, while preliminary, holds implications for improved therapies for the treatment of viral infections, from the common cold to HIV.
Because the samples required for the studies are difficult to obtain and the elements of interest are frequently present at very low levels, Dr. Cristea began exploring the benefits of combining MALDI with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation. Interested in novel MS developments, she believed there would be significant benefit with the integration of the Thermo Scientific LTQ Orbitrap with a MALDI interface.
"I am quite impressed that I have in my laboratory the first configuration of its kind in the MALDI LTQ Orbitrap XL," said Dr. Cristea, Assistant Professor with Princeton University's Department of Molecular Biology. "Its performance has already proven to be terrific. This instrument combines the robustness and high throughput capabilities of MALDI with the sensitivity of the linear trap and the high mass accuracy and resolution of the Orbitrap. The MALDI LTQ Orbitrap XL is perfectly suited for characterizing protein complexes. After the initial MS and MS/MS analyses and identifications, the samples can be preserved on the MALDI target to pursue new interesting directions revealed by the first analyses."
The MALDI option is available for both the LTQ Orbitrap Discovery and LTQ Orbitrap XL platforms. The addition of the new MALDI source on the LTQ Orbitrap is suited for proteomics and metabolism applications, making it easier to analyze biological and polymer samples without extensive sample preparation. Other applications include high-throughput in-gel digest, de novo sequencing, quantitation based on isobaric labeling strategies (TMT® Tags, iTRAQ(TM)), tissue imaging and small molecule analysis.
For more information on the new Thermo Scientific MALDI LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer, please call +1 800-532-4752, email analyze@thermofisher.com or visit http://www.thermo.com/orbitrap.
Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With annual revenues of $10 billion, we have more than 30,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com.
For further press information please contact:
Laura Browne,
The Scott Partnership,
1 Whiteside, Station Road,
Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.
CW4 8AA United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 1477 539539
E-mail: thermo@scottpr.com
Secondary Contact Information:
Stephanie Kubina
stephanie.kubina@thermofisher.com
New Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 480 Mass Spectrometer Provides Expanded Protein Coverage
FT-IR Spectrometer is powered by OMNIC Specta software.
Benchtop NMR Spectrometer offers multi-nuclear capability.
Triple Stage Quadrupole Mass Spectrometers come with active ion management technology.
Picometer Resolution Spectrometer supports systems integration.


Endurance Swimmer Australia | "A Journey in Progress…"
A Cave Diver and Endurance Swimmer!
First and foremost, as you may have guessed from the picture I'm a cave diving addict who also dabbles in a bit of freediving and other adventure sports as they present. My interest in videography and writing has led to me being able to share my experiences with others and I'm hoping to continue with this extensively in the future, with many more ambitious projects in the pipeline. You can find links to all of my YouTube videos and articles on this website.
A traveller, photographer and 'reluctant diver'!
I'm what might be described as the reluctant diver but it's growing on me slowly. When you spend your time with Darrell you had better get used to wearing a wetsuit! Most recently I've been accompanying him on his endurance swimming challenges by paddling the support kayak so stay tuned for more news on that soon. I've also travelled a lot above the water and my camera is never far away. As such it didn't take a huge stretch to realise that as I'm spending a lot of time in and around the water these days then I had better start getting the right gear for this medium too so I can get some nice shots. Armed with an underwater camera and applying my interest in photography to the aquatic environment, we'll see where it takes me… Hopefully somewhere with good coffee!
After over 40 years working as a competitive swimming coach and teacher. I've recently officially retired from my full time commitments. Having said that, it's doubtful that coaches ever fully retire. It's been more than a career, it's been a life long passion and as such I still enjoy presenting during coaching and teaching training programs. No doubt I'll still occasionally assist with coaching on the pool side from time to time too.
Over the years I've worked in 4 countries, namely England, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Australia and have placed swimmers on the National teams in all of those places. I've also written swimming teaching curriculums in all of those countries. Now that I have time to reflect on my career and journey I may finally have time to write some articles on swimming coaching and teaching.


text:
Find Your perfect trip
When will you come?
Not Sure January February March April May June July August September October November December
Undiscovered Arctic
Yukon River
Northern Alaska Tour Company can be reached at 907-474-8600 or 800-474-1986 Winter hours: Monday - Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM. Summer Hours 7 days a week 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM. Reservations and questions can always be e-mailed, click HERE.
Due to Alaska's popularity and the nature of our high quality, small group excursions, it is very important to contact us early in the itinerary planning process. We are available to provide further, more detailed information regarding our excursions and travel to/within Alaska's Arctic.
Tour Availability
The exact schedule of tour departure dates varies for each of the tours we offer. Thus, it is extremely important to call to confirm availability of a specific tour date.
When calling to make a reservation, having the following information ready in advance will serve to expedite the process:
tour of interest,
requested date of travel, (or dates available to travel),
each guest's full name to be used for Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate and/or airline reservation,
individual body weight of each guest traveling (weight is not necessary for Arctic Circle Drive Adventure or Utqiagvik Adventure),
Birthdate for Arctic Ocean and Utqiagvik Adventures
contact address, phone number, and e-mail address,
payment information, and
security information for those on an Arctic Ocean Adventure (driver's license number and state of issue OR passport number and country of issue).
Deposits, Final Payments, And Confirmation
Once a reservation is confirmed an e-mail confirmation will be sent. No other confirmation will be sent.
2023 Midnight Sun Season - April 22 - August 20, 2023 - AT THIS TIME, All Arctic Circle, Arctic Ocean and Denali Adventure reservations will be held with a Visa or Mastercard. Charges will automatically be made to the credit card 7 days prior to the tour date. Utqiagvik Adventures will be charged in full at the time of the reservation.
2022 - 2023Aurora Season reservations will be held with a Visa or Mastercard. Charges will automatically be made to the credit card 7 days prior to the tour date.
Payment can be made with personal check OR with credit card. For credit card payments, at the time of booking, please provide credit card information (MASTERCARD or VISA) including name as it appears on the card, card number, expiration date, and the 3 digit code on the back of the card. Reservations made by check will not be confirmed until check is processed and cashed.
2023 Midnight Sun Season - April 22 - August 20, 2023: All Arctic Circle Adventures, Arctic Ocean Adventures, and Denali Adventures are fully refundable 8 days before the reserved tour date. Cancellations at 7 days prior to the tour date are non-refundable.
All Arctic Circle WINTER Adventures and all Arctic Circle AURORA Adventure deposits and final payments are fully refundable until 6:00 pm seven days before the reserved tour date.
Utqiagvik / Barrow Adventures - Due to restrictions of commercial air travel it is very important for guests to understand the Cancellation Policy associated Utqiagvik Adventures sold by Northern Alaska Tour Company. See full policy on the Utqiagvik Adventure web page.
All Arctic Circle Adventures, Arctic Ocean Adventures, And Denali Adventures changed within the non-refundable period to a date outside of 7 days prior to the tour date remain non-refundable if cancelled.
Utqiagvik / Barrow Adventures - Changes to the names of tour participants or to travel arrangements for the Barrow Adventure may be subject to a $150 per change fee. Changes to the flight date may be subject to an increase in fare based on air seats at the time of the change.
The cancellation policies for the excursions operated by Northern Alaska Tour Company are generous by industry standards. Payments for most adventures are either refundable up until 7 days prior to the tour departure or 2 days prior to the tour departure. (please see Cancellations above).
However, due to the strict nature of airline travel, the cancellation policy for the Utqiagvik / Barrow Adventures is more strict. For this reason, we have found many of our guests are more comfortable in making a Utqiagvik / Barrow Adventure reservation if they purchase some type of travel insurance/protection.
Northern Alaska Tour Company encourages you to get coverage for your Alaskan itinerary. If you don't have your own insurance, one to consider is Travel Guard International. Travel Guard International and its affiliate companies provide integrated travel insurance, assistance and emergency travel services for millions of travelers and thousands of companies throughout the world. For more information on Travel Guard International and their various travel policies use this link to Travel Guard International to learn more.
© 2023 Northern Alaska Tour Co
PO Box 82991, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99708


Regular brushing in the mornings to remove the moisture from the leaf is an important maintenance regime to deter an attack of disease.
Monitor thatch levels and aerate to achieve desired levels of oxygen within the sward.
The following activities are usually carried out in the following order, when conditions allow.
Mowing the sward, preparing surfaces for renovation: lower cutting height to about 3-4mm to clean and prepare green for renovation operations.
Scarification, removal of unwanted debris: collect and disposal of arisings. Depending on the severity of the thatch, you may need to scarify several times in different directions and to a depth of 4-15mm.
Aeration will usually be done with solid tines however, occasionally hollow tines will be used if a change of soil texture is required.
Topdressing. Spreading can be achieved by several methods, utilising pedestrian or ride-on, disc or drop action top spreaders, or by hand using a shovel and a barrow. Best carried out in dry weather.
Overseeding. It is important to ensure a good groove or hole is made to receive the seed; good seed to soil contact is essential for seed germination. Good moisture and soil temperatures will see the seed germinate between 7-14 days.
Fertilising. More phosphate and potash is applied during the autumn and winter period to encourage root growth.
Watering/Irrigation is essential after renovations to ensure your seed germinates.
Brushing/switching of the playing surface keeps the green clean and removes any dew or surface water. Keeping the surface dry will aid resistance to disease.
Soil sampling is an important part of groundmanship. The results will enable the manager to have a better understanding of the current status of his soil and turf.
Particle Size Distribution (PSD) this will give you accurate information on the soil type and its particle make up, enabling you to match up with appropriate top dressing materials and ensuring you are able to maintain a consistent hydraulic conductivity (drainage rate) of your soil profile.
Soil pH. It is important to keep the soil at a pH of 5.5-6.5, a suitable level for most grass plants, and a balanced level of organic matter content in the soil profile.
N:P:K: Keeping a balance of N P K nutrients within the soil profile is essential for healthy plant.
The increase in soil moisture will mean worms become more of a problem. Long term forms of discouragement include lowering of soil pH if it is on the high side or sand top dressings which serve to discourage the worms in the soil as well as help the castings to dry out faster and disperse more easily.
As grass growth slows down, use the time to take some machines out of operation for an overhaul.
Inspect and clean machinery after use.


You are Invited! Join us for a morning of information on October 4, 2018 – Preventing Problems: Things You Should Know. Topics will cover Electronic Stored Information Handling/Litigation Holds, Cybersecurity Update, Whistleblower Lawsuits, and Workplace Issues Involving Social Media. Please RSVP to espehar@foxgalvin.com. No cost.