Thank You to Everyone!

I'm so happy, I want to dance!

WOW!!!  This year's SCWCA Conference was pretty amazing, and, dare I say, a huge success! Thank you to everyone who attended, and a special thank you to all of our presenters :)

Dr. Lisa Ede's speech touched on just about every critical aspect of running a Writing Center. Many of the presentations also addressed ongoing issues tutors, directors and writing center staff should collaboratively connect and reflect upon. If you would like to continue conversations from the conference with the staff at our own UHCL Writing Center, please friend me on Facebook!

Welcome Back to Spring!

Hello all you wonderful writers! How was your winter break? Mine was very relaxing! I was able to play with my puppy Wilde and see tons of friends and family. Also, I'm super excited to be back in the UHCL Writing Center!

In addition, I'm proud to say the countdown has begun :) Only 25 days left until the South Central Writing Center Association 2011 Conference!

Plans are coming to fruition, mail merges are coming together, and the schedule is pretty much set. Everyone has put in so much effort to make this conference the best possible conference for you. Next on my list of things to do is to put together a list of restaurants and attractions in the area. If you have any suggestions or specific interests, like a wine bar or putt-putt golf, feel free to let me know!

Houston in Februrary

Thanks to one of your comments, I realized I haven't explained what February in Houston is like!

Since UHCL and the South Shore Harbour (SSH) Hotel & Resort are located near or on the coast, humidity is always present, if not high, so start practicing updos and naturally wavy or curly hair. For a majority of February, the temperature will be a cool 50 degrees Fahrenheit. When you factor in the humidity and coastal breeze, it could feel maybe as cold as 40 degrees. However, the UHCL and SSH buildings are always appropriately heated to something more like 65 or 70 degrees.

My suggestion would be to use your layers! I am always very comfortable when I wear my pantsuit with a cute scarf and pea coat. Some of my friends like wearing slacks with a nice t-shirt, button-up long sleeve shirt, and a small overcoat for the outdoors. Also, accessories are invaluable in Houston weather and travel in general! I really like scarfs, ear muffs (no hat head!), gloves and shawls. These are great for travel because you can take them off when you are warm and they don't take up too much space.

I have also heard rumor that we are going to have an unusually warm winter this year. I would believe it, considering it was 80 degrees a couple days ago! Basically, the weather in Houston is very difficult to predict, so outsmart the weather by wearing layers and accessories to keep you warm.

To learn more about Houston weather and style, I highly recommend reading "What to Wear in Houston." Here are some highlights of the article:

"Houston has what is known as a humid subtropical climate.  Desert heat from the southwest in Mexico combined with the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico are what give Houston its characteristic weather. . .

"Most of the winter in Houston does not require heavy layering.  You won’t be doing much walking unless you’re at the park or at the new City Centre window shopping, and the heat can be turned up so much once your inside a building that you’ll quickly shed your outerwear (of which you will pretty much only need one – a good, medium-weight wool peacoat, for example)."

Happy packing!

Speak Your Mind

So part of the joy of creating and running a blog is the feedback from readers like you!

If you have any comments, questions or concerns, I would love to see some comments for this entry. Here is how to leave a comment and speak your mind on a blog:

1) Scroll Down & Click
Look for a link in all capital letters that has a number (lately zero) next to the word "COMMENTS." Once you find it, click on it.

2) Write Your Comment
A new page will appear with a box to write comments in found on the right side. Previous comments will be seen along the left side. Write what you have to say in the blank box!

3) Publish Your Comment
Lastly, you get to choose whether you want to post your comment anonymously, through a preexisting email/blogging/IM account, or just with your name or nickname! Don't forget to click the orange button that reads, "Publish Your Comment," and you are done!

Now that you are able to leave comments, why don't you tell me what you think of my blog so far!? Is there anything I should add?  Feel free to speak your mind.  :)


see more So Much Pun

...And the Results Are!

Congratulations to everyone who will be presenting at the SCWCA 2011 Conference! 

The response to our call for proposals was absolutely amazing! We received just under a whopping seventy proposals, and everyone awarded the opportunity to present their ideas has been notified via email.

Now, we are working out the schedule, and it seems we have 50 individual presentations and 19 panel discussions, comprising a total of about 120 individuals presenting at the upcoming conference. Make sure you understand the nature of your presentation and the materials you will want/need to bring with you to the conference. Here is a list of definitions of the different types of presentations, just to refresh your memory:

• Individual presentations: Individual presenters will have 20 minutes each and will be grouped with two other presenters with similar topics.
• Panel Presentations: Three to five presenters will speak on a common theme. Please leave 15 minutes for questions and answers.
• Round-tables: Three to five presenters will briefly address a central issue or question followed by audience participation. These sessions should be highly interactive.
• Workshops: Leaders will provide participants with a chance to share knowledge and experience around specific topics and new developments in the field.

Lastly, we received thirty scholarship applications, which the Scholarship Committee is diligently reading through.Winners will be notified as soon as the committee has made its final decisions, so check back here for more SCWCA 2011 Conference updates!

Calling All Writers!

We would love to get some feedback on our blog!

If there is anything you think we've missed or could elaborate more on, please let us know! Anyone can leave comments on this blog, or you can email us at scwca2011@gmail.com with your suggestions.

This is why I didn't let the kitteh type my proposal!

First Kemah Boardwalk Review

Hello readers!

While time may have blown by since I went to the Kemah Boardwalk, the wonderful memories of fun and food have stayed nestled brightly in my mind. 

First of all, $20 is just enough for some great seafood and a couple of rides at Kemah! My friend Katie and I went to the Flying Dutchman, probably the most ritzy of the restaurants at Kemah. If you do choose to go to Kemah with $20, the Flying Dutchman may not be the best choice. Their menu prices average somewhere between $8-15 per plate. Appetizers are actually more expensive! On the upside, they do have a full bar and nice waterfront views. I ordered the popcorn shrimp, which came with an awesome coleslaw and cute little shoestring french fries, and some water. While the food was great and the portions were quite large, the total of the dinner came to just under a whopping $12 with tip!

After dinner, Katie and I checked out the rides of the boardwalk. With only about $8 left, we decided to ride the most extreme, hair raising rides we could find. We picked the Boardwalk Bullet and the Drop Zone, $4.75 and $3.75 respectively. These super cheap rides did more than make our hair stand on end, our hearts almost popped right out of our throats, as well! 

The Boardwalk Bullet is a compact, wooden roller coaster best known for its intense drops and sharp curves. The seats for the ride are made for the smaller than average person, but the more secure you are, the less you will bump around in your seat during the ride. Of course, towards the end of the ride there are cameras that take great pictures of peoples' reactions to the last, dark drop of the ride. The image captured of Katie and me was so priceless that I had to break the budget and buy a 5x7 photo for about $15. While the photo itself is definitely overpriced, the image captured will bring a smile to my face for years to come! 

The Drop Zone is a super tall ride that carries a doughnut of heavy-duty safety seats high into the sky, even above the Boardwalk Bullet! Then, without any warning, it drops you back down so that you experience zero gravity for a few sweet seconds. The drop is about eight seconds long; Katie and I agreed it could be longer. However, it did leave us shaking for about ten full minutes afterward, so the scare factor was even higher than the Boardwalk Bullet!

Overall, Kemah Boardwalk is not too pricey and offers tons of fun options for any person of any age. Next month, I'm going to visit Kemah Boardwalk's cheaper restaurants and see how many games I can play before spending my whole $20.

You can look forward to more exciting posts about the adventures that the Houston Bay Area has to offer!

~Britney~