Goodnight, JohnBoy...Goodnight, MaryEllen

Just returned Friday from my first "business trip" (hehehehe - I'm so grown) to Virginia. The meetings were held at the Virginia Crossing Resort in Glen Allen, right outside of Richmond. I arrived last Sunday. The AC went out the Friday before in the Jefferson building (where meetings were held). The part was on order, and relief was scheduled for Tuesday. Right. Still balmy when I checked-out on Friday. (Fortunately, the Monroe sleeping-quarters building was fully chilled.)

Monday we started the meeting in the scheduled room, and while the window unit was blowing air into the room, it was not circulating to the people (though I think the door was quite chilly) as we were seated to the right of the airflow. We were moved into the Madison building - much better accommodations. [Co-worker Jodi's group of elementary teachers was moved into the same building...into the bar. We had the high school group, so there was no way they would unleash us in there. In hindsight, she needed to be there as one of her participants told the group that she taught the Mexicans and the blacks so they couldn't learn this stuff. Jodi couldn't respond - see next paragraph - as it is the VDOE's responsibility to 'handle' difficult teachers (they didn't), and everyone else was either a) in agreement or b) so taken aback they couldn't speak.]
My job was to sit silently and take notes of the proceedings. Basically, I jotted down the results of votes if needed and if the teachers wanted to accept or kill the test items. As this was a group of English teachers (who make especially bad audience members), arguing over nit-picky things ensued. (EX: I could see why they got this wrong. If they did not read the passage or the items carefully, they would go for this answer. Hell-freakin'-o! That's why it's called a reading test! If you don't read carefully, you will choose wrongs answers!) It was VERY hard for me to be quiet as data disaggregation is an activity that we regularly worked on in NISD ; but, I remained silent while reminding myself that I am no longer a teacher and this is the client and you can't throw down with the client. Even a stupid client. My fellow WASL teammate, Chris, ran the meetings as he's been on the project for three years. Though not having been a teacher himself, he is clearly well-read; he did an excellent job of taming the teachers and the Virginia Department of Education folk and moving proceedings along.

In the evenings, I went out with Jodi, Chris, and Melissa to downtown Richmond to various local eateries - No Chili's. Driving around the downtown Richmond area reminded me of my trip to Norfolk 11 years ago and the complete lack of zoning in Virginia cities. One evening we dined at The White Dog (not to be confused with NOLA's Blue Dog), a mom and pop restaurant devoted to the worship of their, you guessed it, white mutt (who passed away this March). Wow. Like no one has opened a restaurant in honor of a pet or human family member? Um, sort of opened it in the basement of their row house. Just there in the 'hood. Next to people's homes. Of course, there would be a doctor's office here, law firm there. Just do as you please.

Here are some things about the trip I'm especially thankful for...

1. MY VERY OWN ROOM!! No more sharing with 5 people because the principal won't pay.
2. Bath & Body Works products! (CPD, I stole a set for you for being my chauffeur from the airport. Thanks!)
3. Two words: Corporate. Card.
4. Thursday meeting was cancelled - free day for me!
5. Missed the hurricane (but thankful for the rain)