Log entry, Star date 10-27-08

Not being of the generation of Lord of the Rings or The latest trilogy that relates to Star Wars I've hung on to the sci-fi that I know, Star Trek with a little history thrown in.
I teach U.S. History in high school, hence the play on the Best Generation and I was just out of high school when Star Trek first aired in 1966. That is a weak attempt to tie into the The Next Generation although I'm really the original generation of Star Trek with James T. Kirk, aka William Shatner, as the fearless leader.
My hobby and vocation now are the same, the study of U.S. History. I was a banker for nearly 20 years before I saw the light and made a quality of life change. One of my favorite bank clients told me after I moved away from his area that his newly assigned banker didn't take interest the way that I had but eventually even I lost interest and finally moved away from banking entirely. In fact I don't even go into banks unless it is a must. :-)
Teaching history is what I love to do and currently teach 3 sections of AP U.S. History. That is the difficult one that allows you to earn college credit while still in high school if you pass the test in May. That should tell you that I'm the teacher that you either really wanted in high school or the one you avoided like the plague depending on if you really wanted to learn some history or were just trying to skate by with as little effort as possible. Those students that stay with me work hard but we try and enjoy our efforts to expand our knowledge. My summers are filled with private study and travel hopefully combined. I've spent the past 10-12 summers traveling to some great locations studying history and for the most part on someone else’s dime. This is the time of year that I get online and look for grant opportunities providing money for study/tours on American history. My students think I'm crazy to spend my off time preparing for next years work. I enjoy travel and working with other teachers crazy in the same way. I've met some wonderful teachers over the years and still try to stay in contact with some of them.
Done for now, hope you enjoy passing through.
Bill