I'm Casey Kasem

Talk of the Town

Quickly becoming as popular as sliced bread.







(and in case you missed my other moments of stardom...)

 

They Did Keep Rockin'

It turns out that Narwhals and Lady GaGa can indeed engage people in proper recycling practices!  Picnic on the Pike was a really fun event that allowed me to have to some dialogue with folks about recycling, AmeriCorps, and other subjects...like zombies and Mario.  I have a feeling Ms. GaGa and Mr. Unicorn will make an appearance again sometime.

Even my childhood nerdom was recycled.

The crowd favorite.  I wouldn't have guessed.

These guys were full up!

GaGa Said So.

It is a new week and a chance to learn new things.  If there is anything that AmeriCorps teaches you it is flexibility.  One day you might be re-roofing a house and the very next you are teaching a bunch of eighth graders about nutrition.  While this week is not going to be a pendulum such as that, I still get to venture into new territory which I am excited about. 

Instead of the walking-centric mapping that I've been working on this past week I will be diving into my Adopt-a-Stream responsibilities as well as taking full advantage of flexing my creativity muscle in preparing for this weekend's Picnic on the Pike event.  You see, I get to decorate the recycle bins for the event.  In doing so I have got to use Microsoft Publisher for the first time...and I think I did pretty well.  Here are a few of the designs for the bins that I've come up with so far.  I even made the Lolcat one myself!

These are just some rough ideas and again, this is my first time doing something quite like this...but I think these will serve their purpose.  If Lady GaGa can't make people recycle their cola cans then no one can.

Until next time.

The First 500

After mapping my 500th storm water inlet yesterday, I decided it was time to share the whimsical experience of truly getting to know these various storm drains and waterconveyances.  So here is Charles, a Campbell Station Road native who sports a structural marker noting that he drains directly to the creek.

This guy was a hoot.  The Uncle Miltie of drainage systems.

With 500 inlets mapped and plenty more to go I am feeling pretty great about the progress I have been able to make so far.  I must say that I worried a bit when I first started this project as the GIS mapping requires a sense of direction, visual awareness, and enduring memory.  So in general...none of the skills I would consider myself proficient at.  I must say that I have done pretty well and have yet to end up in Kentucky by accident which seemed like a possibility when I first started.  In fact I am becoming quite familiar with all of Farragut.  I don't know why one might need to know every corner in the parking lot of the local Wendy's, but hey, at least it is something I can be proud of considering that I've been known to get lost in the neighborhood I lived in for twenty-two years back in North Carolina.

This map shows the quadrants in which the town has been divided for the purpose of inlet mapping.  Quadrant 1 is the area that is charged with being mapped first.

The areas of quadrant 1 that are highlighted in green have had their storm water inlets mapped...by me!

Work isn't all about being in the Wendy's parking lot though.  Soon I will get to dive into the Adopt-a-Stream program which I am really excited about.  Interacting with volunteers in the National Civilian Community Corps through sponsors like Habitat for Humanity was always one of my favorite things about service work.  So here's to another great week of storm drains and trainings!

Vlog 2 - Electric Boogaloo

Vlog 1 - Commence the Upload

*Can't spell.  Did you notice?