Tropidurus hispidus

On my birthday bike ride this morning. Saw this little guy catching some sun. My friend Gunnar Berg did a web-search and identified it as a Tropidurus hispidus also known as a "lava lizard". This is the closest I've ever been allowed to get to one.  Very cool!

NO!

This morning I officially said NO to a ridiculous contract offer to teach at El Tigre next year.
Time to move forward! Yeehaw!

Posting Again

January 13 was my last post before this one. I stopped for a couple of reasons. 1.) Facebook sucking up my "creative" expressive energy. 2.) Benjamin Eldon was born on January 22. Though he's a good, happy and healthy baby, he's still a lot work in the care and feeding of him. In fact I just had him sleeping on my shoulder for nearly 30 minutes listening to Neil Young and when I tried to put him down, he'd wake up and get all wiggly and squirmy.

He's grown a lot in the 3 months he's been around. He's a good boy!

Other changes in my life is I got a "departure letter" back in November or so from QSI, my employer, so I will no longer be a teacher for them. I am not really sad about it, just wondering what's next. I was never interviewed for QSI, I was grandfathered into their system when they bought ELA in 2004. I never really got used to their way of doing things and I got burned out and complacent working for them, and I'm surprised I lasted as long as I have. Probably will try to take a year off of teaching before diving into it again. I have some other projects to work on. I currently have zero debt and money in the bank so we are doing fairly okay...better than a lot of people these days. I think...

The Water Tank

Venezuela does not have reliable fresh water supplies. The infrastructure is in a such a state of disrepair, that there is probably a 40% loss through leakage. Condominiums will have large underground water tanks and pumps to serve the building's residents, but even that is sketchy at times. Therefore, years ago, Tania and I bought a large 120 L plastic trash barrel to store water in. This is the way we always had an emergency stash on hand. 

 

We carried our plastic water container from our rental to our purchased home in 2007. Late 2009 and early 2010 has been a year of drought, and there has been daily water rationing for about 6 months. This means the water in our building is turned on only from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon to 2:00 PM, and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. As a result, we've had to plan all our water-based activities and chores during these times, i.e., take showers, get loads of laundry washed, wash the dishes, etc. Sometimes a shower means using a bucket of water and a sponge. I've never liked bucket showers. I started using a bicycle waterbottle to brush my teeth...same way I do when I go bicycle camping. 

About three months ago, Tania and I looked into the possibility of an auxiliary water tank for our condo. I had seen these systems in a friend's apartment in Caracas, so I knew they existed. We started researching and found a complete system; 520 L tank, base, float valve, and a 1/2 HP pump at our local mega-hardware store. Eureka! 

We debated for a week or two, wondering if we could afford it, and if we actually needed it. Finally, frustrated from taking a bucket shower after a bicycle ride one Saturday I decided I was going to spend the money and buy one. There were only three left, so we bought the system and it was delivered where it sat un-installed for another month. 

We finally got the system installed about two weeks ago and boy howdy is it great! We now have water and water pressure, including hot water, on demand during the hours when the building's water is turned off. We open and close the appropriate valves, flip the power switch, and listo! Water as normal!

Dealing with Death (updated...photo added)

The core of this was first written as a e-mail to a friend. I liked it.

Today Sally's body was cremated. Daniel and I did a last tribute/joke/FU "Betty" today. "Betty" is the bitch who took over the school and basically ran it into the ground through her indifference and incompetence. ("Betty" was put in place by the school's new owners). "Betty" was equally disliked by teachers, students, parents, and Sally. Betty is an incompetent buffoon.

Back to the story...

We followed the hearse/van to the cemetery where the the crematorium is located. While Daniel took care of paperwork, the van driver gave me all the flowers that were at the viewing of the body yesterday. I had a large wreath of roses and ferns, a cross of chrysanthemums, and a couple of other bundles of flowers; more roses, some daisies, etc. After one last viewing and crying session, the body was taken into the crematorium, I asked Daniel what he wanted to do with the flowers since I had a trunk full of them. "Lets take them to the school!" he said.

So in a final tribute to Sally, Escuela de las Americas, and a big "F**k You 'Betty'", we wired the crucifix which was a top the casket to the front gate along with the huge (1m in diameter) flower wreath ,and the flower cross (about 75 cm long 50 cm wide). I am sure Sally was smiling down.

I had to leave to go back to work, so Tania drove by afterward and said it looks great! She said people were slowing down and checking it out. I'd love to see "Betty's" reaction in the morning.


As Nelson on The Simpsons would say, "Ha HA!"

Its been a wild weekend. Here, they don't give you much time to prepare and plan when it comes to death. When it happens, it's like, "drop everything and deal with death" time.

Sally

Sally Hefley passed away on the morning of June 6, 2009. She died as she lived; at peace, surrounded by people whose lives she touched, both Venezuelan and ex-patriot Americans. She is survived by her sons Daniel Hefley, granddaughter Dania, both of Lecheria, Venezuela, David Hefley of Omaha, Nebraska, and her stepdaughters…, and her whole extended ELA family (more on that later).

She was born August 3, 1938, in Houston, TX. She was a graduate of Lamar H.S., and later Wellesley College.

The adventurous part of her life began when she married the-love-of-her-life, Riley Hefley in 1963. Riley had three daughters from a previous marriage, and they raised two sons of their own.

In 1966 Riley and Sally immigrated to Venezuela where they farmed and raised cattle on the western llanos. When they first arrived, they lived in an adobe mud hut, where they heated their bathwater on the exhaust manifold of their gasoline-powered electric generator. Living the romantic life on the Venezuelan plains, husband Riley would return from supply runs to Barinas with fresh lettuce, cheese, and ice. These where moments of celebration…fresh salad and cold drinks!

After a few years, Riley got a job in the Venezuelan oil industry in Anaco and Maracaibo where Sally followed. They enjoyed life in the oil camps but farming was still Riley’s first love according to Sally, so they returned to the farm on the llanos of Barinas.

They eventually returned to Texas where they had a goat farm in Wharton. It was there, Sally worked as a high school math teacher and she found her calling as an educator. It was a profession where she could use her altruistic nature to help nurture the potential in others.

Eventually it was decided to return to Venezuela with their two sons where Riley once again worked in the petroleum business in eastern Venezuela. Of course they also had a farm, so when they weren’t in the oil fields, they were in their own fields growing a variety vegetables and mangos for market.

It was at this time, while in Anaco, Sally once again became involved in education. She was on the advisory board at Escuela Anaco, an international school.

After relocating to Barcelona in the early/mid-1990s, she saw the potential and the need for an international school in the Caribbean city of Puerto la Cruz. Partnering up with Dr. William McWhorter, who already had founded schools in the cities El Tigre and Maturin, she co-founded and co-owned Escuela de las Americas-PLC, in Puerto la Cruz. It opened its doors in 1997 with 10 students in an unused section of an old hotel.

By 2000, ELA-PLC had grown to nearly 100 students, ranging from prekindergarten to 12^th grade, both from the local Venezuelan community as well as the global ex-patriot community. They moved into a new building in the satellite community of Lecheria.

It was also about this time when Sally tragically lost the-love-of-her-life, Riley, who was unjustly killed in a dispute at their farm. Instead of giving up, Sally put forth 100 percent of her energy into the school. She gathered the “dream-team” in teachers, and enrollment continued to grow.

At ELA, she gave students who would not normally be able to afford a high-caliber education, the opportunity to attend. She emphasized the family of ELA. All students, teachers, and staff, where part of the ELA family.

The first half of her adult life was dedicated to her husband Riley, whom she helped 110 percent. She and Riley were partners for life and in life. After Riley’s death, she channeled that same dedication into her family at Escuela de las Americas.

Because of her guidance and generosity, and forthright personality, she allowed many people to rise beyond their own expectations. Through tough love, and understanding, she brought the best out of people. Sally Hefley was a great woman and mom to everyone. She was the momma bear.

Today, the global education community has lost a great leader.

Goodnight Grandmother

Christmas 2007

I got an e-mail from my mom saying that my grandmother is in her last stages of life. She might die tonight. She said her good-byes to my mom (her primary care-giver). She's been around for 101 years! And she's had a pretty good life! Better than most.
I love my grandmother...she'll be missed, but this is a blessing; both for her and my mom. My mom is tired too. She needs a rest.

Update:
I don't want to sound morbid or anything, but as of 21 January I haven't heard if she's passed or not (kind of like the old Saturday Night Live..."Gen. Francisco Franco is still dead!"...guess you have to have been of my generation to get that joke). I am okay with this...she had her good bye with me in August and like I said above, she's had a good life...better than most people.
She's been a great influence on my life..she's the biggest reason I never did drugs, and eventually went back and finished college. She has been a terrific grandmother! A woman of class and distinction. Though once she called me a heathen for not going to church! She pulled no punches.
She enjoyed her daily afternoon toddy of Wild Turkey until about 2 years ago.
She will be missed!