GUESS Homeschool Science Fair December 6, 2009

he sponsors of our 2009 GUESS Homeschool Science Fair generously provided our young scientists with exciting prizes for the winners. Their donations also allowed us to underwrite the cost of all the kids’ science fair day at the VASC, including an age-appropriate science class, an electricity demo, and an IMAX movie. Part of what we do to thank our sponsors is generating links for them on homeschool blogs and sites, pointing to their web presence from descriptive anchor text, to boost their Google ranking on those search terms. That’s where this post comes in!

We need your help to spread these links across the internet, to say thank you to these businesses for supporting our young homeschooled scientists. If you have a blog, or site, and you can help us, please steal this post! For maximum impact on search engines, it’s very important that the links go along with the post, attached to the appropriate text, so if you need the plain HTML to put into your blog, click here for a .txt file.

So, how can you help the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair?

1. Copy this post, or the .txt file with the HTML.
2. Post it to your blog.
3. Let us know when you’ve done it so we can link back to your blog!

Here’s the part of the post we want you to “steal”:

Thank you to the following homeschool-friendly businesses for supporting the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair and the young scientists of Hampton Roads!

Green Olive Tree is an internet company based in Portsmouth, Virginia and owned and operated by a homeschooling family. They offer a broad range of internet services, from reliable web hosting to corporate infrastructure solutions and server administration.

SKS Science supplies homeschoolers and other educators with all the science supplies you need to turn your dining room table into a proper laboratory. Browse their site for test tubes, bottles, face masks and other lab supplies and books.

Book Exchange is the largest used bookstore in Eastern Virginia. Unlike most musty and confusing used stores, this one is clean, bright, inviting, and has a huge selection of used homeschool books. There’s always an interesting curriculum find on these shelves!

Folkmanis Puppets makes the most delightful animal puppets available outside Santa’s workshop. Meet their most unusual creations like llamas, Chinese dragons, ostriches, flying squirrels. Unusual materials create realistic textures, and they all move in very realistic ways. Irresistible.

The Happy Scientist, Robert Krampf, hosts an online wonderland for budding scientists. With online science lessons, experiments to try at home, a science photo of the day, and new content added all the time, you’ll love setting your kids loose on this site.

Mad Science is Hampton Roads’ premier provider of science enrichment classes for children. Summer classes include “Crazy Chemistry” and a space camp developed with NASA! New homeschool science classes are being offered in Norfolk and VA Beach, with more planned for fall.

Moore Expressions is a homeschool bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They sell used and new homeschooling curriculum, host a support group, and publish a newsletter called the Bayith Educator. They are the premier source for homeschooling books in the Hampton Roads area.

Norfolk Karate Academy offers classes in Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian grappling and self-defense). With classes for children, teens, and adults, it’s a great way for anyone to get in shape and kick things in a socially acceptable way!

Brooks Systems offers standalone software and web applications that check legal compliance in all municipalities in all fifty states, and create truth-in-lending documents for residential lenders. Using Brooks for your automated mortgage compliance, you can be sure your loans are safe.

Virginia Air and Space Center was host to the homeschool science fair this year, and delivered awesome science classes for homeschoolers from their education department. The VASC is the educator resource center for the NASA Langley Research Center.

Newton Piano, Virginia Beach November 16, 2009

Update: Today Newton did come to our home and repair the piano. The Mr. Newton who came, Joe, was incredibly personable and professional. He found the problem with the piano, fixed that and we then hired him to tune it. He stayed for several hours and did a damned fine job.

When browsing through the directory for piano movers, there was only one company that dealt exclusively with pianos among the plethora of multi-purpose moving companies. It seemed to be very simple to choose Newton. After all, they appeared to be the professionals.

I called, booked the move tentatively based on having my call returned and pick up confirmed by X, the person who deals with booking moves. I very specifically left instructions that I be contacted at my home telephone number because cell phone service at our rural NC home is undependable. I never received a call at our home but when I left to go out a few days later and got service on my cell, I noticed that I had missed a couple of calls from Newton. I called back and spoke with X who said something about how I need to answer my phone. I then re-explained the situation with cell -vs- home telephones but in the end, X never contacted me at my home number. He was also patronizing and insistent, for a short time, that my piano is not a baby grand but probably a small grand piano which would cost more to move. Not that he had seen the piano.

X told me that he contracts the moves out to another company, which should have sent my alarms to ringing but it didn’t. He told me that the movers generally come and pick up the truck at 8:00 am on Saturdays and they would come to my house immediately after that. I asked if I could then plan on the piano movers arriving between 9:00 and 9:30 am and was told that no, he couldn’t say that. I asked what time I should expect them and X told me that sometime before 10:30 am on Saturday would be reasonable.

On the day of the scheduled move all was quiet. No telephone ringing. No movers arriving. Nothing. Finally, at approximately 11:45 am, I called Newton Piano and was told that the movers would not be in that day. They had made other plans. XX told me, “I should have called.” No kidding. He said they would be at my home the following morning and proceeded to tell me how dependable the men are. I told him that my experience told me different but that I would be there and to please call if they couldn’t be there.

Following morning the movers came. They moved the piano. It now has a dead key and rings (I am not certain of the proper term here) as if one of the pedals were pushed down all of the time. We called and Newton said someone would come out to repair the piano. Nothing so far. The piano has been here for a week. They want us to pay them $85.00 to tune it but we paid them $395.00 to move it and they damaged it during the move and are, as seems to be their wont, neglecting to do their professional duty by staying in touch or showing up to fix the antique baby grand in my living room.

Based on my experience with Newton I cannot recommend them for their quality of service, pricing or customer relations. All-in-all my experience with Newton was a huge disappointment.

Amicis Italian Restaurant, Suffolk, VA September 27, 2009

We are officially recognizable to the staff at Amici’s in Suffolk, a fact which speaks for itself. There are two Italian restaurants within a short walk from the public lot on E Washington Street, just behind the Courthouse. We head to Amici’s every time. The food, the service, the professionalism and the welcome are amazing, especially when contrasted against the antagonistic atmosphere at that ‘other’ place. In South Suffolk, good food at a good price is difficult to find.

We have been delighted by the service from the male staff members and not so delighted the one time we were served by a female (who turned out to be the manager.) While the food and beverage service was adequate, there were some comments that made me uncomfortable and which diminished my typical 20% tip by quite a lot. I’m chalking the comments up to a bad day and hoping we won’t have that experience again.

The wine list is excellent, in my opinion, though I admit to being deprived of decent wine after 6 years in the wilds of  South Suffolk. Amici’s sports a wine list that ranges from budget through not-too-expensive but is loaded with reputable wines such as Chianti Docg and Layer Cake Cabernet (yum!). Monday’s they offer half price bottles of wine with the purchase of an entree.  You want beer, you say? Oh my. Amici’s is the place for you. They have a wonderful selection of domestic and imported beers and a few delicious varieties on tap–Blue Moon is one of them and my favorite.

Yes, they do serve food! Saving the best for last is all about the pizza. Specifically, the Magic Mushroom pizza. We haven’t tried the New Yawka yet but I’m all for it. Everything we’ve tasted thus far has been good, not always great, but always satisfying and tasty. Amici’s serves the Parthenon of Shrimp Scampis, a 4-square stack of the best focaccia ever dowsed with lemony, garlic sauce and sprinkled with shrimps. We are a long way from having tasted everything on the menu but we have yet to send anything back or to leave anything on the plate because it wasn’t good.

Amici’s get’s a solid three thumbs up from me for their location, variety, bar and service.

The Lobscouser, Portsmouth, VA July 29, 2009

I wanted to eat there. I really did. The menu looked good. The interior was cozy and little Savannah shabby chick and my Dad loves the place. The waiter and the hostess were both friendly and so we sat down, but the smell… Dear God, the smell.
My husband, daughter and I were seated quickly, brought water and our drinks and when my husband noticed that I had pulled my somewhat low-cut shirt over my nose he figured something must be wrong. I mean, I can be odd but I have decent table manners. Sitting with my nose between my breasts just doesn’t play in under normal circumstance. I tried to last it out figuring I would stop noticing the strong smell of old building must and rot overpowered by the odor of urine so strong that I think someone must routinely use the carpet instead of the bathroom. I couldn’t even choke down my Pinot Noir.
Hubby paid while daughter and I waited outside. She couldn’t take the smell either.
(A small aside: Hubby smokes. He can’t detect many odors but is good for sniffing out bacon and grilling steaks.)

‘The Shelf’, 2000 block of White Marsh Rd, Suffolk, VA July 16, 2009

We have never met the owners of The Shelf. We have never seen them. My husband and I assume that these folks grow their food using Sevin Dust and Roundup but we stop off and buy it because it’s local and we feel good about that. We also buy food from The Shelf because it is fresh. There is no way of hiding freshness or it’s lack, when what you have is produce sitting in a basket on a board.

I apologize for not handing out a phone number and the mail box does not have a number on it but I can tell you this: If you’re headed home and 12 plum tomatoes for $1 sounds like it make be a good addition to supper, you’re probably right and you probably need to swing by and pick them up. You may also want to try out the squash or onions.

Please enjoy the following trailer, brought to you by some other people who enjoy fresh food:

The Oasis Hotel, Cairo, Egypt July 9, 2009

The Oasis Hotel was lovely, especially after driving through much of Cairo and seeing the poverty, the mountains of garbage, the insane and complete otherness of life in that huge, Muslim city. Here is my list of the good, the middling and the poor aspects of our stay at the Oasis. Appearances can be deceiving. I give the Oasis 2.5 thumbs up.
The good things:
-Ice Cream
-The hookah bar
-Pool, very nice but closed at 7pm.
-Landscaping
-The availability of alcoholic beverages
-Security
The less-than things:
-The food. It was plentiful but not very tasty.
-The wait staff-both service and willingness to wait on Americans. The word ‘American’ was mentioned every time we needed a waiter and someone had to volunteer to wait on us. Otherwise we just sat there waiting. Eventually, though, someone always showed up. The service was very slow by our                         standards and plates were left to sit, sometimes for an hour, before being cleared. There were one or two waiters who were better, by American                         standards, than others. Snappier, to be exact.

The bad things:
-Bed bugs. In *every* room.
-The smell of pesticide in the rooms.
-The unpredictable shower water temp. The temp fluctuated between scalding and icy. I like very hot water but this was beyond anything human skin can   withstand. It could possibly cause burns. One of our guides recommended that we not shower at all while visiting Egypt. We are Americans! We                     shower daily. Luckily we managed to leave with our skin still on. Our 7 year old did not bathe in Egypt. She swam in the pool a lot though.
-Not being able to use tap water to brush our teeth. (It comes from the Nile. Many of us suffered disintery anyway.)
-The staff member who offered hashish to 3 of our teenagers.
-The necessity of spraying huge amounts of pesticide every afternoon with what appeared to be a leaf blower attached to a tank of poison. This nifty gadget was operated by a young man wearing Dickies. No mask. No glasses. No respirator.

Visiting Egypt was a huge foray into foreign culture for us. We have visited Western Europe often but never Africa, never a Muslim country. I do understand that Westerners are kept safe by being into these huge compounds, such as the Oasis offers. But then, there’s the man who offered the kids the hashish. That’s not so safe sounding, is it? There were 16 members of my family traveling together. We had 7 rooms at the Oasis.

Based mainly on the fact that we were eaten up with bed bug bites and that one of the members of the staff offered our children illegal narcotics, I cannot recommend staying at the Oasis Hotel. I have no idea what the competition is like but would suggest it’s worth a try if you’re staying in Cairo.

United Breaks Guitars! July 7, 2009

Because I’m a fan of a great airline and because this guy really went a long way to make his point, please enjoy the following you tube video:

5 Points Community Farm Market June 25, 2009

Norfolk, Virginia is fortunate. The city is home to the 5 Points Community Farm Market, a place where local farmers, local foodies and local do-gooders converge. For those of us who agree that eating chemical free, as locally as possible, and as fresh as possible, 5 Points is the place to go. The Market offers local produce, meats, fish, and dairy products. They also open their doors to other local ‘Green’ businesses. I love that they are so willing to spread the goodness/share it with other like-minded folks. 

Today I ate my first lunch at the little counter top restaurant inside the Market and was delighted with the food. I love to eat well. One thing that my husband and I agree on is that spending our money properly involves using it to purchase excellent food for our family. Lunch was outstanding. The Red Lentil Soup was just as good as Pasha’s (a local eatery renowned for their red lentil soup)and far less expensive. The tomato sandwich was delicious and served with a hearty helping of potato salad. The sandwich had several types of tomatoes, was served on hearty bread with spinach and a tasty herbed mayo. The potato salad wasn’t my favorite but only because the potatoes weren’t cooked through. The flavor was good. I will definitely go back there again for lunch.

5 Points Community Market gets a 5 Thumbs Up from me.

U.S. Airways: You Have to be Kidding May 25, 2009

We fly. We make every effort to avoid using US Air because they leave us in a bind every time we use them. Our experience tells us that their flights are often delayed, their service shoddy, their customer service reps full of bunk. As I type this I am sitting in an airport waiting for a flight that is one hour late. The counter person is unwilling to do anything but fulfill my request to have someone meet us at the gate with a cart to drive us to a shuttle so we can change terminals. Will this happen? We shall see.
Here are the things the agent tried to tell me:
>That 45 minutes is the average amount of time required to change planes in Philly.
>That switching from domestic to international flights does not require much time.
>That finding the Lufthansa counter in Philly will not be a problem. (There is not, so far as what is listed on the airport’s website, any Lufthansa ticket counter in the Philadelphia airport.)
>That there is no way to get us from one terminal to another more quickly than we can do it by walking and riding the shuttle.
>That if I would shut up and listen she could tell me what she would do to help us. It was what I asked for begin with when she told me that she would not be able to help us at all.
We *had* 2.5 hours to change from a domestic to international, from one airline to another. Now we have 1.5 hours to do so. Can we? Will we get to where we’re going? Keep an eye on WhereIGoReviews and I’ll let you know.
Based on years of experience with U.S. Airways I do not recommend using them. Try Southwest instead.

The Virginia International Tattoo April 30, 2009

Today we joined a group of homeschoolers for a performance of the Virginia International Tattoo. Going in I knew this: I love bagpipes, drums and men in kilts. It was no shock that I enjoyed the performance immensely. So did my children, a 7 year old girl and a 17 year old boy. The musicians, drill teams, and other performers were wonderful. My daughter and I kept tearing up with emotion for some reason. I do this but she’s 7! I didn’t know that small children could feel that welling up of intense emotion brought on by patriotism and pride. 

The show has a strong military influence. My favorite uniforms, aside from the kilts, were the Marines. Semper Fi! The group from Norway, The Band of His Majesty the King’s Guard, were fantastic. They looked like a group from fairy land. The singer was haunting and lovely. The drill team breath taking. The band crisp and beautiful.

A performance definitely worth the price of admission.