I Don't Need No Stinkin' Blog!

My First Mountain Bike Race

For some reason, I decided at the age of 39, I needed to start racing mountain bikes. My wife asked if I was going through a mid-life crisis. ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 1/27/2009 5:08 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

6th Grade to 8th Grade

Well, the time has come. The semester is nearly over and the accelerated Social Studies course I have been teaching to 6th graders is coming to an end. Soon I will begin teaching an 8th grade accelerated program. While I am looking forward to the challenge of working with new students and new teachers, I will miss my 6th grade team and students. I think my biggest concern switching to 8th grade is that I will like it. I have truly enjoyed teaching 6th grade the last few years; not just because of the students, but also the curriculum ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 1/15/2009 4:55 PM | View Comments (35) | Add Comment

Happy Non-Denominational Winter Holiday!

Yeah, Christmas is over. I can stop saying "Bah Humbug" now. O.k., maybe I am not a Grinch, but I am happy to move on to New Years.
For Christmas I received a light system for mountain biking at night. Sure, I bought it for myself more than a month ago...so really it was more of a birthday present. I guess the real present is one I bought for Val, but really it will be shared,  a new laptop. Nothing special, but still better than twice as good as our current desktop computer which is now seven years ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 12/25/2008 6:40 PM | Add Comment

A Swimming Personal Best!

Yeah, I just swam one mile in 34.45. ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 12/24/2008 6:46 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Vacation at Last!

Yeah, Winter break is here in one more day!  I am off work from the 20th through the 4th. I envision plenty of time to ride my Motobecane mountain bike, finish some projects around the house, and even spend some quality time with the family (yes, in that order...is that wrong?). I know Val and I both hope to have plenty of time to exercise. Val starts to get a bit antsy if she goes too long (a few days) with out running; and I want to take advantage of the time off to keep the weight off—22lbs and ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 12/18/2008 7:46 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Night Riding

Just finished another night ride and I am definitely hooked. I have joined a mountain biking group called RTP Mountain Biking Meetup. They usually hold up to three night rides a week. The main venues are Lake Crabtree and Harris Lake trails, as well as some trails in the Morrisville/Cary area. Night riding definitely adds a whole new element to riding. I tend to ride a bit slower (though sometimes we do hammer through trails), and get more practice on the technical elements of turning, recovering from roots that just slid your rear tire over several ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 12/17/2008 8:34 PM | View Comments (21) | Add Comment

My Excercise Routine

O.k., here is my typical work week excercise regement:
Monday: swim one mile (sub 38 min) and run on the treadmill 2-3 miles, depending on time
Tuesday: night ride or Excercise bike & treadmill
Wednesday: excercise bike and treadmill or night ride
Thursday: excercise at home or do Friday's workout if busy Friday.
Friday: swim 72 lengths (one mile) or up to 100 lengths (2.25 kilometers) and jog on the treadmill as time permits
Sat and/or Sun: long mountain bike ride, one day or both.
Pilates is done with Val two to three times a week.

With the next ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 11/24/2008 8:21 PM | View Comments (40) | Add Comment

Bike Light? Flash Light?

Aaargh!  I have decided that I need to start riding my bike more as my twice torn calf is preventing me from running, and though I enjoy swimming I do not want to do it more than twice a week as I sometimes smell/taste chlorine for a day or more afterward no matter how much soap use.
So organized night rides are an option, but I need a good light.
On my first night ride I brought a $15 dollar light for my handle bar and a similar light strapped to my helmet. I ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 11/18/2008 2:35 PM | Add Comment

Field Trip Week

Yikes, I went on two field trips this week, and for a second straight year I was pleasantly surprised with how well the students behaved on the bus and on the trip. Keeping in perspective that these are middle school students, so naturally on the Thursday trip that involved the entire 6th grade, there was some hootin' and hollerin, reminding students to stay in their seat, stop yelling, pick up your mess etc. but for the most part, I (and some parents on the trip) were very impressed with the overall behavior of such a large group (over 220 students ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 11/18/2008 1:59 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Lifestyle Changes

So, when we returned from our California vacation I reluctantly stepped on my scale. I had spent most of my vacation either nursing my torn calf or elevating my leg from retearing the calf on the 4th of July. Oh, and I was eating pretty well too. What I saw when I stepped on the scale was a sight I thought I would never see and a sight I swear I will never see again. I weighed in at 192 pounds. The date was August 6th. When we left for the vacation I weighed approximately 185, up from my ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 10/16/2008 9:04 PM | View Comments (38) | Add Comment

Procrastinator!

O.k., I have totally neglected my Blog. So, here is a quick, condensed recap of everything that has happened since the beginning of summer and now:
  • Vacationed in California for nearly a month.
  • While in Pinecrest we ran into Kathy Savage (former Media Center Specialist at Blue Oak School in Cameron Park, CA). Great to see her, wish I still worked in the district and hope to get back there!
  • Visited family and friends and loved it!  You really realize how much you miss people when you are finally around ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 9/16/2008 5:11 PM | Add Comment

SCHOOL IS OUT!!!

Yeah, summer break is here!!!  The last week or so of school was very hectic. The kids went on a field trip to Beaufort, NC and visited Shackleford Banks. A very cool field trip, but we leave around 8:30 am and return around 8:30 p.m. We had a couple kids get a bit seasick on the boat, not losing it, but feeling queasy and visiting the restroom. We also stopped at Golden Corral Buffet on the way back for dinner which saw a couple more kids try to eat what they should not and end up with upset ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 6/11/2008 1:08 PM | Add Comment

Ouch!

Just Great!  I was out playing touch football with my students, and while I went out for a pass I felt/heard a slushy popping/ripping sound and sharp pain coming from my right calf area. First I should point out that I caught the pass and scored a touchdown, but then I limped over to the bench, sat down by one of my fellow teachers and said, "This is not good."  It wasn't. I ended up tearing my (massive) right calf muscle and am now stuck on crutches for a week or so and wearing a boot on my leg ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 6/5/2008 1:20 PM | View Comments (36) | Add Comment

Party Time!

Last Friday (the 16th) was the annual Barbecue and Bonfire at the Haskins household. The party involves teachers, spouses, and even their kids along with neighbors enjoying my world famous bacon-wrapped shrimp and this year we had chicken and brats on the menu. Naturally there were plenty of beverages for everyone (we will leave it at that because this is a 'PG' blog) and we naturally had ping-pong (no one beats me on my table) along with darts (everyone beats my on my board), and naturally a party is never complete without 'Corn-Hole'. No major dramatics such as last ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 5/20/2008 12:08 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Mountain Biking at Home

So after some time wondering what I would do with the woods behind our fence, I decided on building a mountain bike course that would be technically challenging and could be ridden even during or after rain (most all trails in this area are closed when wet). It did not take much time (several days) to build an inner loop that has a skinny (a 2x6 that serves as a slim bridge over a small creek), a log climb over a fallen tree, some techical twists and turns and in the future a jump.
The outer loop ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 5/7/2008 9:54 AM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

A Student from the Past

The most amazing thing happened recently. A former student of mine from Oakland (where I taught 8 years or so ago) found my site and left me a message. This is a student I taught in both 2nd and 3rd grade before I moved to Folsom, and then NC. It really is a great feeling to hear from someone years later and have them tell you how much they appreciated you and that they remember and still think of you as a great teacher. Those two years in Oakland were my first two teaching elementary school, and those kids will always have a special ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 5/3/2008 8:32 PM | Add Comment

Finally biking again!!!

Maybe it is the weather, maybe it is my new mountain bike, but I have been out biking much more consistantly lately. Ever since I received my mountain bike I have been riding it on local trails at least once every weekend (sometime more). I am also working on a trail to ride in my back yard. ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 4/26/2008 9:48 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

The Worst Dinner Ever!

Tonight my wife made the worst dinner ever!  She made a whole chicken the other night (delicious) and was determined to use the leftover meat for another meal. She decided on a chicken & broccoli stir fry with water chestnuts, cashews and rice. Sounds good, right? 
Well, I do not know exactly what she did, and I do not want to ask her as that would be the same as asking, "Could you go into detail on how this meal became so horrible?" but the stir fry came out soggy. Hmm, soggy stir fry. Still sounding ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 4/20/2008 5:32 PM | Add Comment

New Mountain Bike: Motobecane Fantom Team

Over the last several years, I have been road biking with my Fuji Cross, a good bike that I still enjoying riding; however, in North Carolina, I have to have a mountain bike. After my very understanding wife gave me the green light, I looked at REI, Performance Bikes and some local shops but decided on taking a big risk on an internet bike from bikesdirect.com due to the surprisingly low prices. The bike gets shipped (shipping and tax included) and you must put it togther yourself, but this is not to difficult.  I must say, I LOVE my bike. I ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 4/12/2008 2:17 PM | View Comments (10) | Add Comment

Happy Birthday Zoe!!!

Happy Birthday my little angel. Zoe is 4 years old today and she gets to celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa Ogden (Val's parents) who are visiting from Auburn. Though her party is not until Saturday, she was able to open presents from grandma and grandpa in the morning and then have a special trip to "Marbles" (formerly "Play Space") for some four year old fun.   I did not go as we do not all fit in the car and it will give the grandparents time to visit and play with their oldest granddaughter (and I now have time to build a ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 4/3/2008 2:18 PM | View Comments (3) | Add Comment

Adventure Race II

The Palmetto Swamp Fox adventure race called out to us (Paul, Melissa and me) again. Last year we had about one month to train for the 60 mile race. This year we started training more than two months before the race. Unfortunately, Mel injured her foot during training, and then I injured my leg. Melissa had to pull out of the race and Paul and I went forward in spite of my lack of overall training.
Well our team went from 3 person coed (3rd place last year) to a two man team (most competitive division). We found out a ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 3/11/2008 8:04 PM | Add Comment

OMG My Girls Are Growing!

I am so amazed at how fast my little girls are growing up. Zoe has gone from toddler to little girl in what seems like the bat of an eye. Val has recently reminded my that Maxine is now at the same age Zoe was when we moved from California to NC. I am just blow away. Maxine still seems so tiny to me, but then it was not so long ago when Zoe was so tiny. Just to mention something cute about each:  I love how Zoe will get real sweet when she knows I have candy or something ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 11/28/2007 7:52 PM | Add Comment

New Kids for 2007-2008

This year I am teaching Social Studies and Science to 6th graders. I am fortunate in that I teach an accelerated Social Studies class for the first half of the year and then an accelerated Science class the second half of the year.
So far the students are very good (as a whole). Field trips are often something to dread; however, on our first field trip (from F.V. to Myrtle Beach) to Midieval Times, the students (as a whole) were very good. I find, with very few exceptions, these students to be respectful, good natured, and accepting of punishment ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 10/12/2007 7:38 PM | Add Comment

Oh yeah, I have a blog

O.k., I have been neglecting my blog and web page. In my defense the summer is over and teaching has begun. On top of that I am teaching both Social Studies and Science this year (1/2 year each) so I have been busy planning my lessons to keep the lessons relevant, interesting and fun. Also, home improvements have taken much of my time. Yes, I finished painting the kitchen and trim and have moved onto the laundry hallway area and some windows here and there. On top of that, I have decided to kill all the crab grass ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 9/22/2007 1:23 PM | Add Comment

California Dreamin'

Well, here we are over a week removed from our California Vacation. The girls did great on the flight to California and o.k. on the flight back, considering we were delayed, had to stay an extra night in a strange hotel without luggage and be up at 3:50 a.m. to catch a shuttle back to the airport the next morning (Not a great experience with Delta, which I believe stands for Don't Even Leave The Airport).
Yosemite was beautiful as always but because we stayed in a small, poorly built shed with no bathroom, and due to Maxine's nap schedule and ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 7/27/2007 6:38 PM | Add Comment

Our Anniversary

O.k., I was reminded that I never mentioned Val and I celebrated our 5th anniversary June 8th  (oops). By far the best six years of my life (we married about a year after we met).   Friends of ours watched our little darlings while Val and I went out to a nice dinner on our own (Thanks Paul and Melissa).   We went to a nice little restaurant in Raleigh called The Melting Pot where we enjoyed Fondue galore.   The dinner was great, and hey, Val loved ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 6/16/2007 8:50 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

White Lake

Ahh, the geographical phenomenon that is White Lake, NC.   The sunshine, the beautiful clear water, the soft sand, oh yeah, and the broken glass, cigarette butts and trailers as far as the eye can see.   We were told before we went, that it was a bit “redneck” and indeed it was.   Still, despite all the old facilities, mix of old trailer parks and cheesy motels along with a bit of new construction, White Lake ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 6/15/2007 6:13 PM | Add Comment

2 1/2 Mountain Madness

I did it, well I almost did it. 3 Mountain Madness is over! I had not ridden 75 miles since 2004 and it showed (o.k., 71.5 miles). I struggled through this entire ride and then could not make it all the way up Pilot Mountain. I have not had much climbing training; however, I did a couple of metric centuries leading up to this ride and did well. The weather was not a factor (high in the low 80's) and I would like to say all the small climbs took it out of me, but that was not ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 6/5/2007 9:19 PM | Add Comment

Field Trip

Ahh, the end of the year field trip. Nearly 14 hours with 6th graders who are in "End of the Year mode", what could be more enjoyable???  I can honestly say I was not looking forward to this field trip, not because I do not like my students, in fact I like them very much and they always keep me amused; It is just that we are at that end of the year time when kids tend to push the limits of behavior and do things they know they should not do, things they have already been disciplined for but now think, "Hey, it's ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 5/31/2007 7:17 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Feeling Good.

Rode a metric century today (62.2 miles to be exact) with my friend Paul.   Unfortunately, while doing a once-over on my bike (Fuji Cross) the night before, I noticed that my tires were about to fall apart.   Rather than swap tires off my winter rims to put on my Bontragers, I just threw on the old rims (one which had been repaired after a broken spoke—also had to put on ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 5/26/2007 8:14 PM | Add Comment

Contender or Pretender?

Well, right now I feel like a pretender. I have been riding to work lately because it is light enough and (most importantly) I need to get into some sort of shape, not only for the upcoming 75 miler but for my health as well. Yesterday I left work and rode down to Angier. About 2 miles into the ride I realized I left my water in the clasroom. So, go back or press on?  Press on naturally. I figure, "Hey, It's only 87 degrees F, if I cannot handle several miles without water then I do not belong on a bike ...<< MORE >>
Posted by James at 5/23/2007 12:19 PM | Add Comment

End of the Year Testing

Yes, it is that time of the year when all the kids spend a couple hours a day taking a multiple choice test that ultimately determine how well they, teachers, schools and districts are performing.   Many teachers look forward to this time. No homework, little planning, time to get the rest of the year in order etc. I personally do not look forward to testing week.   As the teacher and test administrator for my classroom, I  get the kids started; and then no talking, no interacting, just walking ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 5/22/2007 8:56 PM | Add Comment

First Metric Century This Year

Well, I just finished my first metric century (62 miles) in almost a year and I am happy to report that I feel great!  I had a couple of second winds yet struggled for the last 9 miles and finished just shy of a 17 mph average. The ride started and ended at Cycling Spoken Here bike shop in Cary and worked it’s way around My training for this has almost been non-existent.   I have ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 5/19/2007 4:51 PM | Add Comment

What am I thinking?

What am I thinking?  When I told my wife I was going to start a blog she responded. "Sure, because you have so much free time."  Naturally the sarcasm directed at that fact that I have two young, attention starved daughters (who adore me), a wife (I hope she adores me, but she does not squeal for joy and shake both hands when she sees me, nor does she scamper over to me to give me a hug and then want me to play with her), oh, and endless home improvement projects. ...<< MORE >>

Posted by James at 5/16/2007 2:42 PM | View Comments (2) | Add Comment
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