Spring, It Sprung!


Happy Spring!

Did it surprise you?
It surprised me.
I saw it coming, but then I kind of missed the spring-eve anticipation, and then this morning WhAm! It's Spring.

You'd think, with no less than three calendars hanging in just one corner of the Bird House, I would be up on these things. Our calendars mostly say : Robotics. Go to... robotics. Meet for... robotics. Take dinner to... robotics. Make reservations for... robotics.

So, signs of spring must be elsewhere... let's see...


Hmmm... we cannot get enough.
I took almost every post I ever wrote about robotics and put them all in one post, so that it is like a massive Robotics index for Chickenblog. It was pretty much a nightmare trying to make the code work, because I am pretty much an amateur when it comes to code. But I keep trying.

And Maria... she's learning code. Look at all the words she is writing. Her writing skills are springing! I love our message board.

But, spring is outdoors. Right? Nature. So, outside I went, in search of the new season.


Ah, the morning light, the glistening dew. Here is spring. In the flowers. In the air.


And I saw the calla lilies, and Chango reposing in the garden bed. I thought how idyllic and good nature is, how lovely the forms and lines, the rhythm of the new day. And I was totally getting poetic and reveling in the nature high, and this seemed like a good time to photograph Chango. He was there, still and content... what a perfect opportunity to capture the essence of spring.

But.
Nature.
Nature is brutal.
I mean, come on... poetry, and dew drops on lilies... it's real nice, but nature has all kinds of plans and devices.
I'm just saying...


Chango?
Chango, what are you... ?
Nooooo!
Don't eat nature Chango, not spring. Not the very emblem of cute, fluffy-tailed baby spring.

Okay.
Go back inside everyone.
Come on.
Spring is inside.
Let's go.


Blinded by grief, I point my camera in all directions, looking for something lovely to erase the graphic nature of events I have witnessed. Pictures of my ranchero boys. Happy memories of springs past, elotes, beseros, y sombreros. My thrift shop find, a sleek red handbag... perfect for no occasion I am likely to enjoy, but I like the possibility.

Then, salvation. Bill is sending me real life nature pictures. Action shots from Soquel-Cal, where the dear and the antelope play. The dear are my nephew and niece, Dominic and Marissa.


Ah, Nature. Here is Nature. At the lumberyard and garden center.

Thank goodness.


Bill says these reindeer are pretty wild, like buckin' reindeer. Seriously. You have to hang on for eight seconds. Don't get bucked off.

I'm telling you, Nature is brutal.
And spring, spring will spring on you.
You gotta be ready.
Just sayin'.

You're probably thinking I am trying to "look busy," just because Geoff says "Before we go to robotics, we should clean."

Spring Cleaning.
Brutal.

Paradox Colors

Come on! I want to share how it's done.

Let's go to a FRC :: FIRST Regional Competition!

But, first we have to get ready...

2102 Team Paradox is a robotics club.
The club mentors teams in FIRST.
The club mentors teams in FIRST LEGO League.


The club gets girls involved in FIRST.
The club builds a robot for competition in FRC.
The club teaches new members how to use SoildWorks, so that design ideas can be real plans for the metal shop members of the club. The club makes parts for their robot and assembles the robot.


The club wires and programs the robot.


The club tests and prototypes, and fixes what does not work.
The club finds sponsors... awesome sponsors!


The club creates original art for buttons, T-shirts and banners.
The club makes their own buttons, silk screens their own T-shirts.
The club designs and hand sews plushies... stuffed Parrot-Oxen that we share as alliance building gifts at competition.


Now, mentors and teachers... after work, can you please come to the metal shop, to the photo-class? The club needs you to supervise, guide, trouble-shoot, get dirty, get out of the way, jump-in, program, design, teach, learn, laugh, wear red pants, keep us on track for build and marketing, and stay until 10 PM 11pm 12 Am through April?!

Parents. Ready? The club needs you to pretend you have about fifty hungry teenage children. Keep them fed, healthy, and on track. The club needs rides, and support, and encouragement. The club needs your faith that what is happening is the real deal... prestigious, educational, life altering... the chance of a lifetime to be recognized by the best schools, corporations and thinkers in the world. Help us be 2102 Team Paradox, good students, fulfilled and happy. And get ready to stand up and cheer... every. single. time. all. day. for. everybody. Seriously.

Crate that robot.
Pack those pom-poms.
Grades up!
Permission slips in.
Rides for all.
Lots of food packed.
Tools in the trunk.
Forms turned in.
Uniforms on.
Breakaway!


So, we are in the arena.
There are 49 teams here. Half of the arena is for the 10'x10' pits for each team, and the other half for the fans and the game field. Take the robot through its tune-up and inspection.


Make fixes. Talk to judges. Assist other teams. Wear those goggles. Be gracious. Be professional. Be safe. Inspire Engineering!


Meet the teams. Build alliances. This is a competition and an event... an opportunity to learn and grow, to make friends, to celebrate business, art, math, science, and the sport of making the world take notice of the best and brightest students.


Time to show our spirit, and this means sportsmanship that blows away anything in diplomacy and fun that you have ever witnessed in your life, so get up and dance. Shout!


FIRST NOW, sleep later.

2102 Team Paradox Cheers

We are proud of you
Say, we are proud of you!

What time is it?! Midnight!

When I say "Parrot," you say "Ox!"
Parrot! Ox!

Cue the "Chicken Dance" and we get funky with it...
I don't wanna be a parrot (flap wings)
I don't wanna be an ox (show your horns)
So I shake my butt 2-1-0-2 (shake it Paradox!) repeat

Wake up the arena:
We've got spirit, yes we do.
We've got spirit, how 'bout you?!

Go robotics! GO ROBOTICS!

Now you see what I'm talkin' about.

Your support and encouragement are fuel for our souls. The good things transpiring have energized me, brought me to tears of joy, and redoubled my determination to never give up, never surrender!

I have learned from our Foundation that earmarking donations for "Academic Council-Robotics" is very important and this is done in the PayPal section. Checks work too! These can be sent to me (email me for details) or directly to the Foundation.

Please make checks payable to SDAF-Robotics and mail directly:
SDAF
P.O. Box 235109
Encinitas, CA 92024

It don't matter if you're young or old...
Now walk it by yourself...











































If Maria can dance, and cheer for sixteen hours over two days, and pass out four hundred Paradox chocolate eggs, you can show spirit too!

GO Robotics!

Mini Parrot-Ox



Seven in the morning, until eight o'clock at night... she kept going, and going and going. She is the energized, spirited, little sister-big fan of FIRST, and Robotics, and FUN!

And yes, a three day robotics competition is fun. Hey, like Mark says "Do the math, save the world." The way I see it, Maria was making every moment count!


Meeting teams from around the world, learning to shaka with aloha.


Groovin' with her teammates. Cheerin' in the stands, dancing in the arena.


Team San Diego has big stars and Maria was thrilled to meet all of them.


And when you've got Spirit, like this team does, you are bound to have a good time.

Something in the Air...



Mom: sniff*sniff*sniff*sniff*sniff*sniff*
Maria: Mmmhuh?
Mom: Something is a bit stinky.
Maria: I don't smell inthing.
Mom: I think it's your feet. (leaning in) sniff*sniff*sniff*sniff*sniff*sniff*
They smell like Easter.
Maria: Then that means they smell wonderful!

Look at me still talking when there's science to do.



Look at me still talking when there's science to do. I am not going to annotate this, because maybe one of you will know where it comes from. No fair Googling.

Alex and Max do wear many hats.


Today is Maria's one hundredth day of school, which in kindergarten culture means a bit of a party, lots of counting and even stickers. In my own mind it means that the days are passing much too quickly. I am glad I was (finally) free to help in her classroom. We guided the children counting ten different snacks, so that they each wound up with a baggie of one hundred treats.

10 craisins
10 seaweed puffs
10 cheddar crisps
10 banana chips
10 edamame crisps
10 Joe's O's.... you get the idea.


Saturday Karen and I shared Robotics lunch duty. We grilled hot dogs and burgers. I should say Tom helped too, because he was actually the one at the grill. Even though we were feeding about 30 people outside the metal shop, in a parking lot, Maria thought it was awesome. I thought it was awesome too. The team is working hard to finish the robot, with only about six days to complete it and program it. I bought this year's team shirt, so we can look super cool when we are in the heat of battle at regionals. Anyway, it's been robo-crazy, much like last year, and it feels good to bring sustenance to students and mentors who have been working eight, ten, fourteen hour shifts... they need the fuel.


After Robotic's lunch Max spent the rest of the afternoon and night with his best friend. They were celebrating Max O's birthday with a movie and pizza. It was a treat seeing Max glowing with post-party satisfaction, and getting the low-down on the good time he had.


(It is a Parrot-Ox... get it?)
I should scan Maria's Parrot-Ox drawing... she is officially the youngest contributing team member.

Hey, Geoff came home yesterday and the sun was still shining. Sure, he had to go mentor, but we are recognizing and appreciating an easing up of the crunch-mode at his day job. (Shouldn't that be his day-night job?)

William has been posting images on FB, which I think is bold of him. He has amazing graphics skills and comprehension, but he doesn't readily share what he can do. I should get him to write a post for Chickenblog and have him explain the fun he is having working with Mudbox.

Betty is happy. Joe too. I finished the job started by the storms and tore down the shantytown, we called a barn. I moved the rabbit and chicken to the side of our house and I think if I plant a shade tree there, they can survive another season or two without actual structural improvements. Small steps. I get a bit discouraged, because starting over is frustrating, but things are coming along.

But there's no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.

The Ratty-Rats are super. Best pets, those rats. We had Cheddar, Maria's class rat, over and we had a blast hanging out with the three of them. They are so sweet and easy going.

Is that it? I was trying to remember if I left anyone out. Geoff talks about us having a dog. A dog. I love other people's dogs. I really do. I even keep a box of dog biscuits for other people's dogs. I am in the middle of a long and subtle campaign, subliminally convincing Geoff that a vegetarian dog might be they way to go. They can do almost all the same tricks, they are affectionate and loyal, but there's no need to scoop up after them, which is huge in my book. It's not an immediate plan. No urgency. I just think it should be seriously considered as a viable option.

Ah, but look at me still talking when there's science to do... and cake. Did I promise someone a cake?