Lisa and I went to Costa Mesa to present our Writing Workshop model at the Student Success Conference. It was an amazing experience. We heard a keynote speaker who was really inspiring. His name is Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade and he teaches in an East Oakland High School....he teaches students of trauma, as he puts it, and we have many of the same students at Laney. We are hoping to have him come to professional development at Laney, especially since he's local. He's also an assistant professor of Raza Studies and Education at SFSU. And, wow...I bought his second book. What a Coach Can Teach a Teacher to read soon. I found his talk on Youtube and it's great.
We spent most of the time preparing our own presentation and eating out at night. We found a great restaurant (so great in fact that we ate there both nights) Ecco, they have a great wood oven and make fantastic pizza and many grilled vegetables. The biggest hit were these grilled marinated artichokes. We even convinced the chef to come out and tell us how to make them. Lisa and I are planning to try them at our respective houses and see who can reproduce them with the most success...then we share what worked...
Our presentation was a hit...I was so nervous but it was great. Our room monitor, the guy who listened and kept us on time and made sure everything worked, came up and told us how much he liked it and said it was very interesting. Several in the audience told us that it was the best presentation they'd heard at the conference. We stayed after and talked to people who wanted help setting up their own course for over 30 minutes....so happy.
That left us an afternoon to get out in the sun. Lisa wanted to go to Newport Beach,where she had spent a summer at age 16. We took a cab to Newport Beach and ate lunch at an incredible seafood restaurant.
We had grilled prawns and scallops (grilled, not fried-how rare to find that option although when we left we saw the chef brush melted butter over all the entrees coming out...the joke was on us: probably the same calorie count as the fried would have been!!)
We walked from Newport Pier up a few miles and back on highway 1 thru Newport Beach and back to pier, The we walked all the way down to Balboa. Many miles in the sun. After talking to Mom on the phone I do know we walked past the old house on the beach front. Between 7th and 8th.
Looking south from Balboa Pier
We loved the vast expanse of sandy beaches and the familiar smell of seaweed, salt, and sand. There are days when I miss Southern California.
From Balboa Pier
Newport Beach Pier from Balboa Pier: it was a long walk!!
We saw some great houses behind Lido Island and here is one that we loved. Amazing stained glass window!!
Bad angle: too much garage, but there were some nice balconies and some beautiful metal work
Close up of the stained glass window in front
The sun, sand, and ocean can't be beat. We wanted to spend a day on the beach, but no time. We had decided to come home and see our families rather than be gone on the weekend.
from Balboa Pier
From Balboa Pier in the other direction
The driver from the hotel told us about both restaurants: the one we ate at and a Mexican restaurant that we didn't get back to. We will save it for another trip.
Mural on the back of the Mexican restaurant
This is it on 28th and Newport Beach Blvd.
We had a fun 2 days...very stressful, but successful.
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