Colombian Dancers at Folk Life Festival

Morning Coffee Nook

My Coffee Nook

It is a fantastically cool Saturday in DC. The weather is, dare I say, almost fall like. The rare cool morning coupled with the suburban calm of NW DC inspired a longer run. I ran through the campus of American University and past the NBC DC affiliate where Meet the Press is filmed; our group is watching the filming next week. 

Today is a very relaxing day. We have a late brunch and then we head to the Folk Life Festival on the National Mall. 

"It is an educational presentation (by the Smithsonian) that features community-based cultural exemplars. Each year the  Festival typically draws more than one million visitors." 

This year the festival is highlighting the country of Columbia, the Peace Corps, and the music genre of "Rhythm and Blues". 

Link below

http://www.festival.si.edu/

After that SPS is hosting the annual, "Alumni Garden Party". I'm looking foreword to catching up with everyone. 

Btw, two weeks until Finland, Russia, and Germany!

Enjoy your Saturday everyone. 

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Working on Friday night

Bad news, I'm working on Friday night. Good news, my working night entails going to the Nationals v. Rockies games. Life is tough in the district.

The Preamble

An arty way to see the Preamble!

Happy Birthday Amuricah!

This is not a scene from the new transformers movie; there is clearly not a hot vacuous girl running around. It's just a photo from the Washington Times of spectacular fireworks show in DC. We watched the show from the roof of the STA. One of the best parts of that was watching the numerous other fireworks shows from cities and towns around the DC area in backdrop. Quite fun.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th!

Small World

After a great run along the trails of DC this am I met Norm and Jed for a day that could be summed up as Three Idiots and a Baby.

Norm, friend from college, who after being introduced to Bill, a friend from high school, introduced Bill to his wife wife Mandy, who's mom went to the same high school where my Dad taught after my Mom graduated. And Jed went to high school with Norm and Owen and now..., aww screw it.

We hung out strolling DC with Norm's daughter, grabbed lunch, and had some fun. Hanging Norm and his wife is always one of the highlights of my summers in DC.

The photo, is a view of DC from the Potomac's edge in Georgetown.

Prepping for a Cast Study

Took a nice walk to Politics and Prose to grab a book to prep for a cast study I'm teaching week 3 caffeine, some caffeine, and a little snack.

The cast study is about a seal team on Operation Redwings in Afghanistan and some of the decisions they have to make and their consequences.

My favorite bookstore in the world, no hyperbole, is Politics and Prose in NW DC. Just awesome.

Another day in the District.

Rooftop Happy Hour

DC loves it's rooftop bars. Here is one of it's most recent. El Centro DF.

The Bishop's Garden

After a wonderful run down to, through Georgetown, and along Potomac via the C&O trail I sat here and prepped for a couple a case studies that I'm teaching in week three of the program.

It's sunny with crisp and clear Blue skies and a glorious 84 degrees. Nice.

Israeli - Palestinian Forum

After a brief ride on the 36 bus from NW DC will arrived at the Ronald Reagan Building for a great forum on Middle East Policy at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

My home for the next month

Getting down to business

The students have arrived and the program is in full swing.

Some highlights of the day;

First case study taught
"Ethical Problems in Public Careers: Lying". The students were sharp and I barely had to say anything the whole class. Yes, you read that right. They pretty much self moderated, a very good sign. I can not describe the pure bliss of watching smart, engaged, and open minded students discuss things of substance. It's why I love education.

"The pursuit of the Russian Visa"
I'm inching closer to acquiring my visa for my trip to St. Petersburg, Russia at the end of the July. Nerve racking, but quite fun. If it were easy I wouldn't be interested in going.

Trip Planning, Taking advantage of what DC has to offer
Tuesday morning I'm leading a group of students to attend a forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center in the Ronald Reagan Building for a panel discussion titled, "An Israeli-Palestian Agreement? What's Possible and What Isn't". The panelists are;

Shai Feldman
Director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies
and Professor of Politics, Brandeis University

Hussein Ibish
Senior Fellow, American Task Force on Palestine

Aaron David Miller
Public Ploicy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Center

Moderator, Jackson Diehl
Deputy Editorial Page Editor and Columnist, The Washington Post

Link

Some of the other faculty are taking students to two different events at the Brookings Institute, one on social networking and the other and technology and innovation. The last group is headed to the Senate for a hearing on Libya and War Powers. You know the typical Tuesday morning at SPS.

Watching USA v. Mexico in DC

The crowd at the Laughing Man Tavern in downtown DC is rabid for the the match.

The National Cathedral

The view from my summer residence. Not bad, not bad at all.

Maryland Blue Crabs

If it's late June then it's Crabfest for Sanko! It's Summer in DC.

The view of Lake Erie from ZeBros

A trip to Barcelona.., New York

After a nice workout at the Pennbriar, Big Mike and I took a trip to Westfield, NY to check out the Pinehurst Golf Club. It's owned by a great friend of mine's brothers. Really nice course and clubhouse. They bought it a few years ago and have really done a nice job fixing things up. It's just off Route 20, north of Westfield, NY. 

After a nice visit with Pete's brothers, Nolan and Dewey, we took a 5 minute trip down the road towards Barcelona, NY on lake Erie.  We had lunch at a nice little place called ZeBros. We had rumaki as an appetizer and then split a muffaletta. Great food and service, great view. 

Here is the view from the patio, very nice indeed.

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A day in Erie

Great day today. Long workout at the glenwood Y, first weight workout without my trainer since August, went hard. Then running errands with my Mom and my Granpa Kerr. We met my dad for lunch at Sara's Eatery near the beech. Then a nice visit with Grandma Steph.

I then cooked dinner for some of the Erie group and some of the their families. Good food and conversation; better people. I've known these people since grade school, and they still put up with me?!?

Here's a little photo of my high school. Have I ever mentioned that I went to a school in Erie called Cathedral Prep?

Father's Day

Great day with the family. Took a morning run on the bayfront in cool 65 degree weather. Then a visit with Grandma Steph at the hospital, she's doing fine for 94 yrs old just getting some new meds under control. Then a day at Uncle Ron and Aunt Kitty's pool for a picnic. Good food, great time, awesome family!

On the way to visit Grandma Steph my dad and I stopped by Grandpa Steph's grave. Miss him but he led a great life. I got to spend the day with my Dad and Grandpa Kerr.

Shout out to all my family, friends, and former students who are Dads. Happy Father's Day. Proud of all of you!