Thursday, December 17, 2009

Booking Through Thursday -- Speed

Thanks for another great question.  I haven't done this in awhile.  It's nice to be back.


What do you think of speed-reading? Is it a good way to get through a lot of books, or does the speed-reader miss depth and nuance? Do you speed-read? Is some material better suited to speed-reading than others?


Speed usually means work when I'm reading.  I can move quickly and learned some techniques years ago to help.  It's work.  Complex technical text usually requires me to slow down anyway but I associate speed reading with getting through massive lit assignments in college or mounds of administrative work in libraries.


Something fun:  New library books are usually put on a cart of shelf in the processing area.  Librarians are given an opportunity to review the new stuff.  Taking a large stack of new books home or to the office to browse is just plain fun.......

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Big Day

Billy is 15 today!  It hardly seems possible that he could be that old.  He's about 8 inches taller than me now and growing steadily.  He wants to learn to drive ASAP and take the wheel on his next birthday.  I'm still trying to remember he's a teenager.

Here's a recent fun video of our Houston "snow" earlier this month.  He and his sister were very excited.  I stayed inside where it was warm.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=101201&id=632719104#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1133067095

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Bill, the kids, and other photo updates

I haven't updated in months, but wanted to post some pictures. My laptop is having problems and this is a good place to back-up things.

Bill got the Director's Award a few weeks ago. They invited the kids on stage for a picture with their dad. This recognition is given to less than 3 percent of the total work-force, and we are very proud of him.

From left to right.

Mike Coats (JSC Director and three time shuttle astronaut), Bill, Morgan, Billy, and Ellen Ochoa (JSC Deputy Director and four time shuttle astronaut.) This is a nice picture of the three of them, but Bill was getting sick that day. He had a horrible reaction to a new medication that caused the lymph nodes in his neck and head to swell till he looked like he had the mumps. This was taken the first day the swelling started. He definitely looks different. This was especially nice as Coats had been Bill's boss back in his shuttle days. It has been great for him to get to work for him again

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Now playing: Elton John - Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long Long Time)
via FoxyTunes



For something completely different, the following are "baby pictures" of Phobos. He was born on Thanksgiving Day of 2008. He's almost as big as Triton now, but we are terrible with pictures.


We will have to get some big-boy stuff up soon. This first is Phobos at about 4 weeks while he was still with the breeder. He was one of 5 in a litter of all boys. In the next, Phobos is with Triton on the back porch. He is about 9 weeks old. Triton turned 5 last January. She is only about 45 pounds but pretty tall. She looks huge next to the puppy. In the last picture, Phobos is following Triton as usual. He is about 14 weeks old here.