that was short

A couple of changes to the science fair this year:

1. They judge both sessions (junior and senior high) in the morning; each judge is only responsible for one session in his or her area of expertise. (I lucked out and got High School Botany/Zoology, which turned out to be a grand total of eight projects. The junior high session had seventeen. I would have thought that as an experienced judge I'd be given the larger session - but I'm not complaining)

2. Because of budgetary issues, they asked us to "donate" the cost of our travel (in the past, they pushed us to file mileage claims, and we'd get a $70 or so check mid-May). I decided to go ahead and do it; it's not going to break me but if it allows the fair to go on for a few more years that is good. I did accept the free cafeteria lunch however. (I got pasta with chicken and mushrooms, and a couple of chocolate chip cookies. I could have gotten baked cod, or a grilled cheese sandwich, or a hambuger, or fried chicken, or (apparently) all of those, but I decided a big bowl of pasta was enough).

3. We were done by noon. This is a big change; usually judging went until 3 and the people doing the "grand prize" decision were sometimes stuck there until 5 or 6. (Someone from my crew of judges didn't have as far to go or as many demands on her time, so she volunteered to stay the extra hour).

I like changes 1 and 3; it makes things move faster and more efficiently and I think it's less wear and tear on the judges. Number 2 I am okay with except from the standpoint that the science fair program is apparently hurting for money, and that's never good.

So now I can change over my soils (extracting bugs) and contemplate making my errand run today, rather then tomorrow, when it's likely to be storming.