Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Saving The Dome

For teens and young adults of the 1950's, 60's and 70's, it was the place to go during the warm months of May through October. Even after fast food places moved in, the destination was "The Dome". It was the home of the best hamburgers and the thickest malts.
Carloads of boys and girls met there or it was where you went after the movies. The management provided a speaker phone and a lighted menu behind glass and your order was delivered by the newest crop of car hops from the local high schools. Leaving the parking lot of the Dome, you could "drag the ave" and check out the cars and the opposite sex. In the 1980's, the building was destined for destruction after the land sold to a chain retail store. The son of the owners taught at the high school and after some finding some money The Dome moved to its new location at the end of the foorball field where it has served as a concession stand for athletic events. Fast forward another 20 years and the building is in need of repairs. School board members, parents and residents who remember the building fondly have come together to raise money to repair it. At the football games they have offered hamburgers and malts. It is a great effort and I hope it succeeds, but there is something missing from those thick malts, or maybe it is just nostalgia for a time gone by.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Due to Technical Difficulties

I made this big deal about writing and getting back to being creative for myself and my students, however, it hasn't worked out so well. It is the fifth week in the school year and I haven't posted one blog. My uncle reminded recently that there is a book in my future. Right now, I am lucky if I even read one page much less write one.
I told my students I would share some of my writing with them and that hasn't worked out as well as I wish. We are blocked at school on personal blogs, I wish that each one of them could set up a blog and I could use it as a teaching tool. Then I would have to commit also to writing everyday.
Lately I find myself saying, "Well, we were going to do this or that, but something is wrong with the electricity (try teaching with no lights in the classroom!) or the internet is down or the laptops are not working. All this wonderful teaching tools and not enough infrastruture to support it.
Oh, bad words.