Turner Field

As you can see, tonight I finally attended a baseball game at the stadium home to the Atlanta Braves, a team that I have grown up learning to despise. From 1991 to 2005, the Braves have won the National League East Division (which means that my team, the Mets, have not). However, the tide is now turning and my Mets won the NL East last year and are going to do the same this year!
Anyway, it was fun going to the game, seeing a new stadium (which was pretty cool) and enjoying a huge part of Atlanta. As much as I hate the Braves, I've got to say that I love baseball and had a great time at the game. [It actually wasn't much of a game. The Braves won 13-0 over the Washington Nationals in less than dramatic fashion].

A Guest Blog

[The following is a guest blog from my friend and colleague Raul Olivas, who has been in Atlanta for the past few days as well].

Hello world, as previously mentioned, I am a friend AND colleague of Kyle's and I'm ok with it (That's what my therapist said to tell myself when I feel I'm ready to snap). I am honored to share my thoughts with you all, so here goes. I have learned many things out here in Georgia...like, humidity is BAD!!! I sure have a whole new appreciation for the weather in Los Angeles, since I have gone through more shirts on this trip than I would like to account for. This is my first time out to the East Coast, and I'm having such a difficult time adjusting to this time zone. Fortunately for me, I have had the opportunity to see things I never thought I would. Earlier in the day, Kyle and I took a tour of the Cable News Network (Also known as CNN). I was amazing to see how much work goes into putting a show together, which is broadcasted throughout the country and many parts of the world. Well, that's enough writing for me (I'm a Math teacher at heart). Thank you all for reading my post.

Fireworks!!!

After returning from dinner on the MARTA (Atlanta's transportation system), I retired to my hotel room only to be interrupted by a fireworks show occurring in the Centennial Olympic Park. The show was amazing and you can see the Google video here.

Dinner on them

This evening, one of LAUSD's largest contracts is with Arey Jones, who sells us all our computers. As a thank you gift, the company treated those of us from LAUSD that were here at NECC. We ate dinner at the Atlanta Fish Market, an amazing seafood restaurant in the Buckhead neighborhood. If anything, I was most impressed by the giant sculpture of a fish out front. Even the camera can barely frame the entire statue! It was great to finally sit down with our entire school team and here about everybody's conference experience. It was particularly helpful to talk with our technology guru at the school, Mr. Gonzalez, who is even more excited than I am to begin implementing some of the newest open source and web 2.0 technology!

The Bootleg Elevator

True story: Heading downstairs for dinner last night in our hotel, my buddy Raul has a brilliant idea of using another elevator that is much closer to his room than the main elevators located in the center of the building. You guessed it -- it turned out to be the Omni's maintenance elevator...which I guess goes to show that even buildings with shiny, glossy exteriors have that messy and dank part of them.....I guess you had to be there... :)

Arriving in Atlanta

The following is a true story: I grew up in a household where the news network of choice was CNN. I can recall watching the Persian Gulf War, the OJ Simpson verdict, and Hurricane Andrew coverage all on this network. Being a young individual who didn't care much for news (at all), I grew a general distaste for the network.
Now, over a decade later, I find myself staying in the Hotel of the CNN Center, where all of that wonderful news coverage of my youth was broadcast from!
Anyway, I've safely arrived in Atlanta. By the time we checked in, it was about 10:30 and my colleague Raul and I were starving. Luckily, we were directed to The Landmark Diner, a local 24-hour greasy spoon eatery where our appetites were satiated by some amazing buffalo wings, onion rings, and a fantastic mushroom burger.
Off to sleep now...tomorrow we begin NECC 2007!