The Attica Trifecta

Tonight I had a rare but special visit from my folks. Yes Ma & Pa Sahakian don't make it up to Attica that much so we rolled out the red carpet. We grilled steaks for dinner at the Lake Pleasant Estate. (OK my Dad ended up manning the grill while watching the dogs outside, but we supplied the meat.) We also took a walk into downtown Attica to see the latest and greatest. Yes the booming Township of Attica has just had two new business (technically three but only two for me which means only three with food) making it a Trifecta. You have the Attica Mall a.k.a Rowley's Grocery Store and the newest additions are the Pleasant Soul Cafe', a coffee shop and eatery, and the Chilly Cow which serves ice cream which is udderly fantastic. (ha ha, yes I have fallen in line with their marketing.) Daisy got to hang out with Nina and they had fun chasing each other around the yard. (Daisy is my dog, Nina belongs to my folks.) We had ice cream for dessert and the dogs even got their own free cones. So I am going to constantly promote these shops so that they stay in business and I may in fact get free ice cream and coffee... Really when it comes to me what could be better, I love coffee and I love ice cream.

So what inspired this rare Thursday night visit. They were generously dropping off their mini-van from Bruce to drive it to SkillsUSA in Lansing this weekend. Yes Bruce and I are both going to the SkillsUSA competition. His students actually compete against mine. It's a friendly rivalry. However I do joke that I tell my kids, "Just do your best and BEAT Lapeer!" However, it is a joke. I swear, I am not competitive, really. This year Bruce and I were both on the technical committee for Television Production. I have put a lot of time into the contest and did my best to try to find prizes for our competition, I thought I had failed, but Specs Howard is coming through with some swag. Why prizes? Well in all the other competitions the kids that win first prize walk away with full tool sets, scholarships, and more. Our kids get well a medal, which is great but I wanted more for them. I was really trying to get Video Ipods however apparently I don't know who to ask and how to ask them. So if anyone has suggestions for next year they would be very welcome.

Being on the technical committee along with trying to get prizes I was also in charge of judges. I convinced two great friends from Local 4 to sacrifice their Saturday to be judges. The talented and fabulous Olive and John. (Can you tell I am sucking up to them, because I am.) Thank you, thank you, thank you: SO MUCH. I owe you, yes I will pay in cocktails if necessary. And the high school rep from Specs Howard is coming to judge on very short notice I had her out to talk with my class last week and mentioned something and she committed on the spot to serving as a judge. How fantastic is that?

On top of being on the technical committee and being advisor to my students, I am also the co-coordinator for the entire schools, which meant, I was booking the hotel, making sure that permission slips went out, making sure kids paid, getting transportation, getting the shirts for everyone, which I wanted to get in pink and sea-foam green, but due to the fact that there are 8 women and 50-some-odd men, I got black with red and white lettering. However, I did tell them it was pink for the last three weeks just to scare them, the advisors were relieved when they saw the shirts today. But really what would have been better than welders, metal machinist, auto technicians and construction students all in pink. I should have done it that would have actually secured me not being allowed to be a coordinator again. I would have gotten my PINK slip. Can you tell this has been a stressful ordeal? I am just actually excited to go and I think I will be more excited when I am back home on Sunday with everything a success (cross your fingers!)