Digital Arts Service Corps - travel

Spring

Wilson Bull — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:41:39 +0000

Hello VISTAs,
How goes? Things are good here. Our office is moving from Bothell, WA to Lynnwood, WA. As you can see, it’s not terribly far away: https://www.psctlt.org/About_PSCTLT/maps_directions.html. It most certainly will affect my commute, although from what I’ve gathered it’ll still be fairly easy to get to the bike path from Lynnwood. Work is going well. There are TWO computer distributions scheduled for next week and I’m in the process of updating some slides in a powerpoint and gathering some information about ISPs and CTCs in the areas where we’re distributing. After these two distributions it looks like there will only be 4 more to go! Pretty exciting.
I also had another chance to go to Olympia to talk about broadband and put my support behind a couple of bills in the legislature now: HB 1698 regarding broadband adoption and deployment, and SB 5916 authorizing the department of information services to engage in high-speed internet adoption, deployment, and digital inclusion activities. It was just as cool the second time and it has definitely made me follow the news around the broadband stimulus much more closely.
Expect more details about distributions and moving in the next field report. Until then...

PSCTLT??

Wilson Bull — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:46:52 +0000

Hello VISTAs,
It’s been a while. Apologies to the automated emailer that emails me every so often. I’ve been meaning to write this for a while. Very busy week last week and I’d like to tell you all about it. On Wednesday we had our largest computer distribution to date. We distributed 18 (!!!) computers to 18 families in Lynnwood. Just like the other distribution it was a definitely a learning experience. I was impressed with how the club leader had coordinated with the Department of Social and Health Services to find the families that needed computers. It seems to me like that is the best way to get computers to those who need them. I lead the mini-trainings for the families and helped them get acquainted with their new machines. Compared to the first distribution, it seemed like many of them were excited to use their new computers and hopefully get them connected to the internet.
The next day I attended a dinner at Ruth’s Chris in downtown Seattle with Bernard Harris Jr., the first African-American in space. He’s currently on his Dream Tour and I was there to participate in an “exchange of ideas about the future of math and science education”. While at dinner I met some other people involved in science education: a few teachers from the area, the director of outreach at the Pacific Science Center, and the founder of Moontown Foundation. It was neat to hear how important science education is to everyone there and what sort of things other organizations and people are doing to keep this issue on people’s minds. I felt pretty honored to contribute my two cents about the importance of technology education. All-in-all a good discussion and cool to hear from all sorts of people involved in science education.
Last Saturday we held a computer training in Manson, WA. It was our first training with the Bridges Project of Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Although we didn’t have the turnout of trainees we were hoping for, there’s still a great potential for future trainings. I also learned that even though my Spanish is decent, there is no substitute for a native speaker. Hopefully we’ll get a better turnout next time.
March is looking to be pretty busy as well. The Puget Sound Center has scheduled a staff retreat next week, which should be fun. We’re in the process of changing our name and I think the focus of the retreat may be just that: the name change. Any brilliant ideas? Send them my way. We really need a better acronym...PSCTLT is pretty terrible. I’ll also be scheduling computer distributions, looking for training opportunities, and GSD. Thanks for reading.

in and out of state travels

Wilson Bull — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:11:35 +0000

It’s that time again. Field REPORT! As there have been a few developments lately I’ll share some updates with you all. I went to my first computer distribution on November 10th in Everett, WA. It went well but it definitely was not what I expected. As it turned out I was the one who ended up running the distribution and “training” the recipients how to use their new computers It seemed like some of the recipients didn’t really want to be there, or at least I was under that impression, and they just really wanted to sign for their computer and leave. I’m not really sure how to handle that but maybe in the future we’ll have the training as a requirement before we give out the computers. I was really glad that another person from my organization, Chris Florez, was there to help out and to make sure things went smoothly. All in all it was a successful distribution and we gave 6 families new computers.

As some of you know I was at the CTCNet conference in LA. Although it wasn’t quite what I expected in terms of a conference, it was cool to see some fellow vistas and hang out. Also stopping in San Fran on my way back to Seattle was really sweet. I had never been to SF and biking across the Golden Gate Bridge was probably the highlight, that or biking up Twin Peaks (I think). After my out of state travels, I had the opportunity to travel to eastern Washington, which is really like a whole different world compared to western WA. The landscape and the people are completely and totally different than the western side of the state. It’s a really mountainous region and towns seem to pop up out of nowhere and are incredibly tiny. The reason for my trip was to visit some of our TechREACH Alliance Project (TAP) clubs. It was fun to be out on the road as I don’t have a car and drive rarely. Belting my favorite tunes out was particularly enjoyable. The club visits were interesting because again, like the distribution, I had envisioned the clubs using the materials we had supplied them and basically going by the book. This was not the case with either club. They both really focused heavily on the hands-on, which definitely isn’t a bad thing and looking back on it it’s probably true that if I were in an after school club the last thing I would want to do would be read from some student manual (even if it is awesome/informative).I was impressed with the clubs, At least now I have an idea of how the clubs function and I’ll definitely learn more from each club I visit. That’s all for now. Happy T-gives.

Travel Tip

Corey Funderburk — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:00:15 +0000

Our fellow VISTA, Carl, sent me a website for a great airfare finder: http://www.farecast.com/

It's pretty cool because it not only tells you where to find the cheapest fare, but gives advice on whether to buy now or later based on trends in airfare prices. If you haven't bought your airfare for the conference yet, I definitely suggest you check it out.

Thanks for the help Carl! (Especially since he lives in DC and doesn't even have to travel. What a swell guy!)

My weekend in Sedona.

Tony ORourke — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 21:05:56 +0000

This is an excellent example of how to network on the web. I have been a member of a motorcycle forum for over 2 year...maybe three. Anyways I went to visit a fellow member this last weekend and this is the story that I posted on my forum. It has pictures. :)

Well this was a great weekend. I have got to admit that its some of the best riding I have done. So I will do my best to explain it. Patti can jump in and fill in any details that I failed with.

Friday night my roommates drug me out to the bar so I was up to about 3 am. I was so worried that I wasn't going to make it up to Sedona the next day. I was the designated driver so I had to be responsible (as much as that stinks). Anyways I didn't want to feel iffy in the morning. I was up early. Had a gut full of coffee and I was off and away from the apartment at 7:50 out of the rat race zone.

Out onto the 202 and swinging around onto the 101 loop around the east side of Phoenix. I thought I had left early enough for the crazies to still be in bed. Ya right. 100 mph on the interstate seems excessive...but not for these people. Thank goodness no one was trying to share my lane today.

I swing off the 101 loop onto I-17 north. The road is quiet and only 4 lane. Its amazing to watch the terrain change as you head farther north. The desert plants give way to scrub trees as you head into the higher elevations. This is where I started to get a bit of bite from the wind.(stick a sock in it Brad!!!!) This is also the area where I start thinking that my 120 mile range isn't enough. (stupid small tank) Stop for a quick fill up(3 bucks a gallon...) and I am back on the road with 30 miles left. This is where the elevation starts changing greatly. Up and down and some amazing views. Then my exit is upon me. Off the road and only about a quarter mile to Dave's shop. Over the cattle guard and just off to the right. I got to admit I find the cattle guards unnerving. I have never been comfortable driving over something that is steel.

I pull into Dave's shop and I can see Pmint out front waving me in. Am I that obvious. LOL. Anyways. I am all jacking into my tunes and my stocking cap on under my helmet. So whatever she said when I shut the bike off never got to me. She gave me a huge hug...and let me get situated. Small chit chat and meeting the big guy (Dave). She wasn't lying. Thats for darn sure. I have a short chat and then Patti tells me we have to go on a parts run. This is starting to feel more and more like home. I got a first class ride in the Dodge and a chance to thaw. I hope I get the details right but I believe we went to Cottonwood or was it Cornville. Great ride...even if it was in a cage. I was trying to soak up this absolutely gorgeous area. Right now they are having their fall leaves...if you can have that in Arizona. I got a great tour.

Got our parts and headed back to Dave's. Hmm I can't remember the route we took. Ha we took so many different roads I can't remember. We dropped the part off and I got to run over and check out Patti's home. I know some of you mentioned that Patti was great but I do not think you can really tell how much of a sweetheart she is until you meet her. Food and a nap and I was ready for a ride.

This is were the rocket ride gets pulled out. Patti's bike is a beast. Hearing that thing fire up and rumble was great. I then fire up the lowly 800 with it's quiet demeanor and off we go to pick up Dave. Patti had some race fuel in the bike and it was a sweet smell. There is nothing like the smell of burnt race fuel.

Pick up the big guy with his gold wing and we were off on the interstate. This is the point where I realize that I have no chance keeping up with Patti and it was going to be a long day if this was the pace we were going to go at! She was just opening up on the interstate she said or "blowing out the carbon". She let Dave and I catch up and by that time we were at our exit. We get off the interstate and somehow lost Dave. We got off the ramp and pulled over to the side of the road. This is where Patti mumbled something about a Wing being like Harley...but thats just what I heard...could have been something totally different.

We are off the interstate and heading towards Sedona. The traffic was horrible so we spin around and take a detour through Cottonville. Which was a great ride in itself. I do not remember the name of the road but 35 to 45 mph curves. I think I enjoy the low speed curves more then something like going 75 mph in a long sweeper. This road took us to a rest stop just outside of Sedona. I took a couple of pictures of all the bikes and got some good photos of Sedona off in the distance. We hope back on the road and in no time we are in Sedona. Sedona is beautiful but is it ever crowded! Overrun with tourists. I will have to return again but on a weekday. It took awhile to get through the stop and go traffic but onward to ride up Oak Creek Canyon.

This ride was great. It started out with some 45 to 55 mph curves. By the time we were getting to the top we were into the 15 mph hairpins. The whole time we were following Oak Creek and this was great area. Lots of aspens and tall pines along the ride. I wish there was less traffic to take some of the corners at some higher speeds but thats fine we still had a blast. I have to admit. I have done some super rides in Wisconsin. The Mindoro cut being the closest to this but the Mindoro cut is tiny compared to riding up this mountain. I would have to say this is one of the greatest rides I have taken for scenery and the technical riding. We stopped at a scenic overlook and took some pictures and froze in the high winds. I can't remember the exact elevation but I think it was just under 8000 feet. Lots of bite in the air now. Best part of all is that we get to head back down!

Thank goodness they didn't let me take the lead. I might have done something rash. Anyways back down the mountain and back through Slowdona. I think the traffic had Patti fired up a bit because she popped the clutch and revved the engine (using alot of fuel) at some guy that tried to pull out in front of us. I am not sure how he could miss us coming?? Wait silly question.

We made it out onto the interstate and heading back towards Patti's house. I am tailing the group just hanging out when I see Patti ride up beside Dave in the passing lane and she started to make a bunch of motions. I remember she mentioned her clutch was getting hot in Sedona so I thought she was saying that her clutch was slipping. We continue on and about another 5-10 minutes down the road Patti suddenly wants to get over. I was thinking that we were going to have to trailer the bike home cause her clutch burned up or something. Turns out someone's bike ran out of fuel...but I am not sure who's bike and who's fault it was. I guess the race fuel burns faster. A short shot down the road and a 1.25 gallon gas can (whatever happened to simple 1 or 2 gallon gas cans) and back to the point of interest to fuel the unsaid bike. We were back on our way to Patti's house.

I will skip ahead and say that we went out for chinese. I swear....I think I gained 10 pounds this weekend. Patti knows how to feed a guy!

Here are the pics that I have...Patti has the others but because of technical difficulties we will have to get those later.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...f&id=185101191