Sometimes a picture says it all!

Rainy, rainy May

Normally, I really enjoy living in an area that gets so much rain. Most of the time, the rains come gently and the sound is incredible as I sit out on my covered porch and watch the rain fall. However, this month it has rained nearly every single day. We have had a couple of storms, but nothing dramatic. Just rain, rain, and more rain. It's lost its romantic appeal and become more of a nuisance. I guess I really shouldn't complain since so many places really need rain, and I wish we could send them some of what we are getting, but it is starting to depress me! I crave a warm, sunshine filled day. I am sure I will write again in August - complaining about the countless days of heat and son and lack of rain, but today, I will just complain about the rain....

We were supposed to go to an outdoor concert at Lake Eufaula today, but looks like it will be cancelled due to the rain. We went out on the lake in the boat yesterday to hook up with the K-Hits folks (Tulsa rock station) since they were advertising my lake rental, but the weather was chilly and it rained off and on all day. The lake was surprisingly busy considering the weather. We didn't stay out on the water for very long.

Rain, rain, go away....come again some other day!

Shout out to GEN 300 Students @ UOP!

One of the benefits of teaching at the University of Phoenix, as the nation's largest private, accredited university, is the variety of students that I get to meet. I have been with University of Phoenix for about four years now and have taught non-stop year round. I drive to Tulsa, Oklahoma, two nights a week and teach 4 hour sections for 5 weeks ( and I teach a great many directed studies courses) and it is highly accellerated, and students have to be highly motivated and disciplined to make it or they drop like flies. For almost two years I also taught flexnet (online) courses in addition to teaching on the Tulsa Campus. Well, since every 5 weeks at two classes per week, over the past 4 years I have had hundreds and hundreds - maybe thousands of students. You don't always get to know them like you do in a public traditional institution. However, I have a class that will end next Thursday night and the course is called Skills for Professional Development. (A course that many people I have known or worked with in the past really ought to try to take sometime!)

This class has been awesome. Everyone gets along great and has great attitudes; they are psyched up every class night; they turn all their assignments in on time; and treat each other with the greatest of respect and courtesy. We have had a lot of laughs for the past 4 weeks and I am going to miss them. Last week they did their powerpoint presentations about conflict resolution or team building issues. Every single one of them was unique and it was obvious that they had each put a great deal of time and effort into the presentations. I use Power Point for every class I teach rather than lecture notes, so I know how time consuming it can be to get them just the way you want them.

So...these kids got creative and had music, sound effects, humor, great transitions and custom transitions, and they knew their topics. It was great. Next week they will be presenting their team research papers and giving me a presentation that is a wrap of of the five intensive weeks of study. If last week was any indication of what to expect, then when that much creativity and ambition is combined on a team - watch out. I can't wait to see them. They also decided we are going to have a potluck dinner celebration. This is a class that I am really going to miss, but....as I told them all - they have probably not seen the last of me as I am certified to teach 34 courses and generally get the same students somewhere down the road in their program.


UOP shout out to Tim, Kelly, Julie, Wade, Jennifer, Chris, Toni, Giavanni, Paula, Bob Nelson, Burhan, Michael, Alex, Heather, Retina, Gianno, and Tammy.

Congrats to Greg & Susan Nedrow

Rodney and I were fortunate enough on Saturday to be able to attend the wedding reception/party of our good friends, Greg and Susan, over in Wellston, Oklahoma. I have known Greg since 1970 and Rodney has known him a few years longer than that. We met Susan last year when they came out and spent a weekend with us. Susan was perfect and fit right into the old gang. Greg owns and runs a very successful print shop and Susan, like Rodney, is a CPA. So we all have a great deal in common. We also had the opportunity to meet the wives of a couple other people we have known since High School, Ray and Paul, and to plan a get-together some time this summer. This was a great party that started at 3 in the afternoon and went into the night. Catered meal, beautiful wedding cake, lots of interesting people and live music. Fort Worth musician, Danny Robinson, was awesome, and he played a wide variety of music. I greatly enjoyed listening to him and will be adding some pics to my gaylasgarden website. He played sometimes by himself and sometimes accompanied by others. Rodney got to jam with the other musicians and I even went up and did a song with them. But the day was really about Greg and Susan and it was a perfect day all around. It is really a wonderful feeling to watch two people so much in love. I think they are absolutely perfect for each other! They make each other happy - and that's what really matters. I believe this is an ideal marriage that will last forever.

I was most amazed with Greg's son, Terrell Nedrow - remember that name. This guy is young and already an amazing musician. I think you will be hearing more about him in the future. He has natural talent - which is rare, and is very comfortable on stage and interacts really well with the audience. He has a quick wit and a huge repertoire of songs already. Excellent guitarist and perfect lead singer to front a really good band. I predict he will go far in the music industry. I am hoping to help him out with this endeavor. He has the talent....he just needs a break! As I told him - we have to MAKE things happen. "Luck is preparation when it meets opportunity."

The Landlord (Will Ferrell)