Coolest Field Trip Ever

This morning Abby's preschool went on a field trip, as they frequently do. It was also the official celebration of Abby's birthday, since school won't be in session during her birthday in July. Anyway, I joined them and drove a few kids to the airport to visit the hangar where the Alticor (formerly Amway) Corporation keeps their planes. The kids might enjoy the pumpkin patch or the Critter Barn more, but for me it was the greatest ever. We got to see the gigantic hangar complex, which can hold around 10 jets (and a helicopter) and then toured the interior of some super-fancy jets, a gazillion times nicer than anything I've ever flown in. The kids got to sit in the pilot's seat and test out the leather seats in back. These are the jets that the Alticor bigwigs and their families (Devos's and Van Andel's, I presume) use to fly all over the world. Very, very, very cool.

Schooooooools...OUT...FOR...SUMMER!

Ack! A month went by. Well, another year ended at Ferris, and I was too far down on the rotation list to get any summer teaching assignments. That's a good chunk of change that we won't get, but with the depressing gas prices I don't really mind NOT driving up to Big Rapids. So, I'll just be in GR for the most part, trying not to spend too much money, mowing the lawn, teaching Annika to ride a bike, and doing a few mathematical things that I've been hoping to do.

At the end of April I attended the math meeting that the Michigan section of the Mathematical Association of America holds each year. This year I contributed a 20-minute talk on dividing squares and rectangles with into smaller squares, and the highlight was showing off the quilt Mom made using one particular pattern that divides a square into 21 smaller squares, no two of which are the same size. The quilt was a big hit. We had talked about showing it at the Tulip Time quilt show in Holland, but I needed it for my talk during the show. Maybe next year. Amazingly, I don't have a picture of the quilt.

Until next month...(hopefully not)...