Grandma's Move and First Week of School

Well, I've started school, but I did want to comment on helping Grandma move.



A bit of work, but I think that it's good, as now Grandma doesn't have to worry about upkeep and yard work. It was really nice getting to see my brother and sister (and brother-in-law). It's not often enough that we all get together.

I've got a few pictures, but those will come later.

School started on Monday, so that was exciting. I really look forward to the kids each fall. I think I've got a good bunch of kids, but it's still early. Look for more comments later.

Back to School

Summer has wound down, and school's back in session in about 18 hours or so. The kids won't be back for another week, but what the hell, it's not too much different. Now, don't get this wrong; I truly enjoy my work. Being an English teacher and golf coach really has its rewards. In fact, all week long, I looked for reasons to go in to the office and "work" on my room. I even took the boy with me.
To check out the district, check out Floresville Independent School District. I work at the middle school campus, so you can click on Middle, then departments, then language arts. Click on Mr. Merten and check out the cool stuff.

People have asked me, "Well Dave, are you ready to go back to work and handle the kids?" My response, surprising even to me, is that yeah, I am ready. I miss having that sense of purpose that one gets during the school year. I am absolutely excited about the fact that this year, all the teachers in the district will be "given" tablet laptop computers for use in the class, in conjunction with some Bluetooth capable projectors. Sweet gear! To check out the tablets, check out Gateway.

Not too much else going on. I found out my grandmother has some plans on moving. Not sure where, but I can only hope for the best. I'm going up to Temple on the 12 with the wife and boy, so it should be a fun day trip. I'll write a bit when I come back and talk about my week then.

Cheers!

Golf at The Bandit

Well, I had the fortune of playing a really nice course for a really nice price. One of my co-workers invited me to go out with him to The Bandit, a really nice course located in New Braunfels, Texas. Owned by Fore Sight Golf, its one of the trio including The Republic and The Buckhorn. Having heard many favorable reviews, I was anxious to go out and play well.

Took just a bit to find, as there weren't any signs indicating the location, but we almost drove past it! As the usual rate is $40 for weeday, we ended up paying about $16 a piece. We loaded up and headed out to the course. After teeing off, a couple, Todd and Sam, joined us for play.

The course was beautiful. A few really picturesque holes. Some elevation on a few holes, but not too crazy with the water. Well protected greens with swales and bunkers. Fairways were smooth, but more sandy than my preference. Greens were soft, but considerably dry. A few blind shots made it tough but playing in the future will allow for less risk reward and more intuitive shotmaking.

Didn't quite get the score I was looking at. Took more risks than usual, but I figured that I may not be back in a while, so may as well go for it. Enjoyed playing with my partners

Have a great weekend!

Trip to Austin

Well, I just got back from a workshop up in Austin.

My campus sent me, along with two other teachers, to the Double Tree Hotel in Austin to attend the Future Problem Solvers Program. It's quite an interesting program, which I beleive will really help our kids out. For more info, check them out at www.fpsp.org (Please note: At the time of this posting, they were in the midst of moving their headquarters from Tennessee to Florida, so the site may be down temporarily).

What I enjoyed most about the trip was my chance to visit my family that lives up their. When I had arrived in Austin on Monday and had settled in, my father picked me up and we had dinner at Outback. Never eaten there before, so I really enjoyed that. They kind of messed up on my fish, but it was quickly straightened that out. I had a frozen type drink that was delicious. A great meal, made even better by my father's company.

Tuesday held some other adventures, as my brother picked me up after I was done in the conference, workshop or whatever you want to call it. We ended up going to 6th Street for a romp around the famous street (pretty tame for a Tuesday night; just not my thing that night!), then dinner at Bennigan's. Weird thing: They were out of liquor. Just weird.

Wednesday, I had the great luck of dining with both my brother and my father, at a frequented Asian buffet. Typical fare, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

I'm sure that many would look at the activities and mention that I was on a working trip; I took care of business during the work hours. I simply enjoy the company of my family during off hours.

Thank you to my brother and dad, for joining me when you did. We don't visit nearly enough, and you both really made my trip that much more valuable.

Cheers

Weekend and Tiger

Well, I just got back from a few days down on the coast. It's nice to be able to just get away for a bit, but it's even nicer to come back home.

Stayed at Holiday Inn Emerald Beach, which has a private little beach and an indoor pool. The boy loved it! Did more cannon balls than I care to count. What's of greatest interest is how many people complained about one thing or another. It's too damn hard to just go out and forget about some things and just enjoy the company and gulf coast breeze.

Tiger won the British Open. Awesome. I've been a Tiger fan since his second Amateur Championship, so it was nice to see him really take off and have the work he's done really come through for him.