Pro Football Hall of Fame (Click Here)

My brother Jim is town visiting me and helping me pack for my move. Tony and Scott thought it would be fun to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. The four of us went for a visit and had a great time. Next week is the induction week, so the museum was packed. It was a good time. Here are some photos.

Last Day at Lakeland

Student Activities Staff at Lakeland/ "The Party Planners" it was great working with all of you!

On Wednesday, my co-wokers/friends at Lakeland held a going away party for me. Friday the 20th was my last day of work. I'm officially a "civilian." I enjoyed my 9+ years working at the college. Wednesday was a lot of fun. A ton of my co-workers showed up to say good bye, wish me luck in Arizona and swap a few stories. I want to thank everyone who showed up.

I think the cake was good. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I was too busy talking, shaking hands and hugging people. The co-workers in my office did a great job decortating for the party. They had a southwest theme going. Cactus, chili pepper decorations, salsa and chips.

Life and Relationships

Today I got a chance to act/work on another video. I got to play the part of a bus dispatcher dealing with an angry employee. The video will be used in Canada for training school bus drivers. Working/Acting is always fun. Lots of good stories.

I met a local producer/director this spring. He liked my attitude and the work that I did. A good work relationship was established and I've been invited back to work with him several times. Tom told me today that he was sad to see me go, because he could use me in more of his productions. He did tell me to keep in touch and anytime I'm in Cleveland to let him know and if he has any work he'll let me know or use me on a production.

I had a friend from Australia tell me that life is all about the relationships you make. I've learned that one. You never know how the people you meet can change or affect your life. I've made a lot of great relationships with people I've come accross. Many of them have had a positive effect on my life. Several of these people are my friends.

I'm moving to Arizona in about 10 days and many of my friends have been spending a lot of time with me before I go. Dinners, talks on the phone, e-mails, or just hanging out. All of that time is very important to me. It just proves the statement about "Life is about relationships." Thank you to all of my friends and the people I have positive relationships with. I hope I've helped you and thank you for helping me!

Happy Birthday Mom and Grandaddy

I'm typing to say Happy Birthday to two very special people. My grandfather and mom! My grandfather's birthday was on Monday and my mom's birthday is today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I'll see you next Friday Mom!

Ohio University (Click here)

Speaking season got off to a GREAT start yesterday. Rodger and I were invited to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. We were there to work at the Ohio University Classified Senate Summer Retreat. The Classified Senate is the organization that represents all of the college employees. The retreat was held for team building and leadership training. We were having such a great time doing our thing (we were LOUD), several groups stopped in to see what was going on. The conference center had several other meetings going on and the people in those meetings wanted to know what was going on. At one point I asked if the "guests" wanted to join us and they said "yes." By the end of the day, the Classified Senate reps were handing out our business cards to people stopping in to see what all the commotion was about. Rodger was definitely on his "A game." I have a little rust I need to knock off.

Below are some pictures of the town of Athens, the workshops and the campus.

Upcoming speaking dates are:
Ohio State University - August 2nd
The University of Miami, Florida - August 17th
Albright University - August 24th

There are more dates in the future, but I'm just posting up the next couple of weeks.

Happy Birthday Jim

My brother Jim, turned 20 today! Where has the time gone? Happy Birthday Bro! I hope you like the pictures below. My brother saw my posting earlier this week and decided to "tweek" the photograph and add my baby photo. I think it's pretty funny. To get him back, I've decided to post a picture of him earlier this year. We were playing with a computer camera that alters photographs to look like pictures from a fun house. Enjoy. Happy Birthday Jim, I'll see you in a week!

Last Indians Game?

On Friday night, I went to the watch the Cleveland Indians play the Kansas City Royals. I'm moving in three weeks and I realized this will probably be my last Indians home game for a long time. I can't remember how many games I've been too, but I've been to a lot. I was at the very first game at Jacobs Field; I went to the All-Star game Homerun contest with my Best Friend Scott; and Friday I went to the best fireworks show I've ever seen at the park. Tony, Kumari and Scott....Thank you for taking me to my last baseball game in Cleveland. Did I mention that the Indians came back and won the game on Friday! Game winning single in the 9th inning.

Hertiage Park. Tribute to the top 100 Indians baseball players




Photograph from the center field bullpen at Jacobs Field.


Two of the best friends anyone can have. Tony and Scott
Self Pic of me and the fireworks

Bucks vs. Wolverines

After the golf tournament, Scott and I stopped for lunch and next to the restaurant we found this store. For all my friends who love the Ohio State Buckeyes, I'm sure you are in SHOCK right now! The store is located on the Michigan/Ohio boarder and plays to fans for both schools. I did buy a great hat (Buckeyes).

2007 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic (Click Here)

My best friend Scott invited me to go and watch my first LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Tournament today. The Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic is held in Toledo, Ohio. The tournament host is Jamie Farr from M.A.S.H (Klinger) fame.
Going to golf tournaments is a great time because you are able to get so close to the players. I've been to men's tournaments and I'll admit the women's tournament was a lot of fun. Less people, lower costs and the players are very approachable. We got a lot free gifts too just for showing up. We got a chance to talk with and take photographs (Scott) with the players. Scott is a big fan of several female golfers so he was in heaven. Most of the women playing will embarass a lot of men on the golf course. It was funny to see the "male groupies" following several players and begging for authographs. Here are some photos and comments.


Kraft Nabisco Champion Morgan Pressel

Scott and LPGA Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak. She scored a 63 (8 under par on the first day)

Calendar Girl Natalie Gulbis. There were a TON of men asking her to sign her calendar and photographs

Scott with Jin Young Pak. She was the early leader after scoring a 67 (4 under par)

Brittany Lincicome signing an autograph for a little boy. She and Natalie Gulbis were laughing and telling jokes all day.

Video Shoot

Today I went to shoot another video for Waste desposal company. I acted for them a couple of months ago and got invited back. Today we set up a fake accident where a trash truck rear ended someone. I got to play the part of the supervisor writing the accident report. The scene got a lot of attention from people driving by or stopping to see what happened. Fake car accident, trash truck, police car, women with fake blood on her head and people wearing safety vests = priceless looks on peoples faces!

Funny Picture

Many of you know my last name is Kitchen, so when I find signs or pictures using my name I have to snap a photo. Here is a picture from this morning at a local gas station!

Thank you Kelly!

Kelly came to visit me for the last eleven days. We had a GREAT time. We did a lot and she mentioned that she'll need a vacation from coming to visit me. The weather was finally nice when she came to visit me, so I wanted to show her as much as possible. Our busy schedule kept me from blogging as much as I normally do, but it was worth it. Below is a picture of us at the Lake County Captains game for fireworks night! I'll see you in 4 weeks! =0 )

Fourth of July 2007

Wednesday Night was the first Fourth of July Kelly and I. We joined our friends Tony and Kumari to watch the fireworks in downtown Cleveland. Actually we spent it with thousands of people. Here is a photo taken my the expert photographer himself...Tony. It looks like I have a question mark above my head!

Thank you!

Last Saturday I held my last "Card Night"/"Get together." My friends who were able to make it were great. I would like to thank Brian, Teresa, Trudy, Dwayne, Rodger, Mel, Austin, Michael,Tony, Kumari, Amber, Greg, Lo, Dave, Sue, Scott and Kelly for making it a great night! Thank you for being such great friends!

Congratulations Masters Graduate!

I would personally like to congratulate my girlfriend Kelly on completeing her Masters program. She has her final class tonight and in a few weeks she will have her diploma. I'm so jealous! Congratulations on completing your degree!

Love,
Frank

The Streak is Over!

This morning an era came to an end. For over 33 years, I managed to go through life avoiding something a lot of people fear. This morning, I had a date with dentist's drill! Some how I managed to avoid having a cavity for almost 34 years. Two weeks ago during regular cleaning and x-rays, there "they" were. Two cavities! And one was on the side of my tooth.

I really wish I would have had my camera with me today. They're would have been some funny pictures on the internet. Novocaine is an amazing drug. They number my gums then gave me the needle and I didn't feel a thing. To be honest, it's taken me over 3 hours to feel a thing. Trying to drink something or eat when you can't feel your face is a funny site!

I really had no idea what to expect today. I've heard plenty of horror stories. I really worried when my dentist said, "Frank you're going to feel some bumps". At one point, I felt like a car engine being worked on. There were things being screwed into my mouth, lights, tubes, drills, etc. My mouth looked like a Home Depot or Lowe's Hardware store display. Maybe I can call my mouth the "toolcase" after everything that seemed to be stored in there at one point.

So, two fillings later, I'm typing my story of my first and hopefully my last fillings! So, brush your teeth, floss regularly. If you're ever going to get hit in the face and don't want to feel the pain, get some novocaine, because you definitely won't feel a thing!

Happy Birthday Robert

A good friend of mine celebrated his 40th Birthday on Saturday. Robert won't turn 40 until June 27th, but he wanted to celebrate on Saturday.

Happy Birthday!


Robert Vs. the Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Robert and his girlfriend Debbie

Nelson Ledges Quarry (Click Here)

Vacation - an extended period of recreation, esp. one spent away from home

I'm always telling people to take mini vacations. They always tell me they don't have time for a vacation. I tell them a vacation could be time with frIends or just going somewhere you can relax and recharge their batteries. Life is stressful, so we need time to de-stress ourselves. So I tell people, even if it's just for an hour, go somewhere or do something that will get your mind off of your stresses. My places are time with friends, being somewhere near the water, or close to nature. Here's the story of my latest mini-vacation.

My friends Rachel and Becca had a birthday barbecue on Monday. They are twins so, they had to celebrate together. It was held at the Nelson Ledges Quarry. It was a great time, everyone at the barbecue had a good time just hanging out and swimming. I had a great time just floating on a raft in the middle of the lake. Sitting out on the calm lake in the sun just relaxing was great! Here is the story behind the quarry. Pictures are below.

"The site where the Quarry is located was, in the late 1940's and 50's, an operating quarry. It employed many people in the surrounding area, and mined quartz and sand. As the story goes, one day in the late 1950's, the machinery hit one of the many springs, and the approximate thirty acre area filled within days, leaving peninsulas, rock shelves,
and an island in the middle."

Leaving Lakeland Community College

I've been working at Lakeland Community College for the last nine years. I gave my letter of resignation in May. A lot of people have told me that they will miss me. The President of the college, sends out a weekly letter to the employees. Over the last month, he's asked college empployees to contribute to, or to write the letter. This week, he asked me to write the letter. Here's the letter I wrote. It will be going out to over 600 college employees on Monday. Wow!

.......................

I received a phone call last week from the President's Office "asking" me if I would write the next edition of "Morris' Musings." My options were "yes" or "yes." I decided on option number two. Once I committed myself to be this week's "Special Guest Writer," I needed something to write about. Should I write something serious? Should I be funny? Should I keep it short? Hmmmm? Then it hit me; I'm going to do what I do best, I'm going to be me! First step, name my musing. "Fresh from the Kitchen." Next step, start typing.

"Fresh from the Kitchen" Edition #1

Friday, July 20, 2007 will be my last day of employment at Lakeland Community College. My experiences at Lakeland have been amazing. I often tell people that I might have to write a book or a sitcom about some of the experiences! We often refer to the people who work here as "The Lakeland Family." I would like to thank that family for taking me in. I would especially like to thank Rich Novotny for taking the chance to hire and mentor an inexperienced kid nine years ago.

That leads me to my musing. I would like to thank Morris for inviting me to write to all of you. I would also like to thank Morris in advance for the Clocktower statue prsented to me for all my hard work on this musing (hint hint). I've been reading Morris' Musings since he started writing them. At the end of every musing he thanks everyone for Impacting Lives through Learning. I often think to myself, what does that mean? "Impacting Lives through Learning" is Lakeland's slogan. It's Lakeland core purpose. Do we think about this core purpose every time we come to Lakeland?

In December of 1991, I moved to Mentor, Ohio from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I had the grades, several college acceptance letters, but not enough money to go to the "REAL" colleges. My mom suggested I take classes at Lakeland Community College. I was a little hesitant at first. I didn't want to go to a "COMMUNITY COLLEGE"! I will admit, I was very young and very misinformed about community colleges. In 1992, I started taking classes at Lakeland. I would soon discover how much of an impact Lakeland would have on my life.

Impact is defined as a significant or strong influence. It is also defined as the effect something has on something else. This influence or effect can be positive or negetaive. In my case, the impact was very positive. As a student, Lakeland offered affordable classes taught by top notch instructors. Lakeland also offered a variety of co-curricular opportunities to help me grow personally outside the classroom. That combination turned a shy kid into an outgoing young adult with a two-year Associates Degree in 1995.

I eventually transferred to the University of Akron, then went on to Myers University. Then I got my first job in the REAL WORLD. At school or at work, I was often asked, "Where did you learn that?". I would reply with, "Lakeland Community College". I started to recognize how much of an impact Lakeland had on my life. Lakeland was more personal than the REAL schools. I could talk to someone face to face when I needed help or assistance. I learned skills for the classroom and skills for life from the people at Lakeland.

I eventually came back to Lakeland in 1998 to work in the Student Activities Office. What a great opportunity and experience! I wanted to share the positive experiences I had as a Lakeland student with the current students. Many of the students and their parents tell me about the positive impact I/Lakeland had on their lives. Many of those students don't realize the impact they have on my life/our lives. They help us learn and grow too!

Fifteen years after I first stepped foot on the Lakeland campus, I am preparing to leave again. I'm preparing to take on the new challenge of living in a new state, developing new relationships and pursuing new career opportunities. I start to think what got me to this point and once again, I know it's Lakeland. There is a statement, "You never know what you have, until it's gone." Soon Lakeland will be gone, and I started to reflect on my time here at Lakeland

Being in a learning environment is motivating. Everyone has a dream. Everyone wants to take on the world in some way. Lakeland is a stepping stone for students to achieve their dreams. The people at Lakeland are the ones who have a strong influence on the students achieving their dreams. We are the "something" affecting "something" else.

We are all here because of the students. Without the students we wouldn't have our jobs. Every time a student or prospective student comes in contact with a member of the Lakeland Family, we are impacting their lives. Learning doesn't only happen in the classroom, it happens everywhere on campus. We need to think about how we can impact the lives of the students and our Lakeland Family members in a positive way!

Do you know who's who on campus? Do you know the responsibilities of the different departments? If you see trash around campus do you pick it up? Do you answer your phone or let it go into voicemail? Do you complain about everything or make suggestions for improvement? Do you respond quickly to your e-mails? Do you help mentor new college employees? Do you attend campus events or programs? Do you take advantage of the classes offered? Do you share your Lakeland stories with students and co-workers? The list goes on and on. All are examples of experiences that impact people (students and employees) on campus. We have the choice to make it a positive or negative experience. That choice can impact the lives of many people: prospective students, current students and employees.

Lakeland has used the slogans "Students First," "Opportunity Starts Here," and currently "Impacting Lives through Learning." All of these slogans focus on the number one thing at the Lakeland, the students. Lakeland and its employees have had a positive impact on thousands of students/people. I am one of them. I feel that I've gone on to positively impact the lives of more people. It's easy to focus on the negative, but we should take the time to focus on the positive impact we can make. The next time you read Morris's Musing and you see the term "Impacting Lives through Learning," think about that new student stepping on campus for the first time or that student crossing stage at graduation. Think about what you do here at Lakeland. Ask yourself, does my attitude or work make a negative impact on that life or a positive impact? I hope all of you go for option number two!

Thank you Lakeland,

Frank Kitchen

P.S. – I would also like to thank Martha Uhler and Mary Topolski for their friendship and for proofreading "Fresh from the Kitchen".

International Work Programs (Click Here)

Have you ever wanted to work, volunteer or teach outside of the United States? If you're between 18 and 30 years old, check out the link above. Its for the BUNAC organization. They offer various programs all around the planet. Check it out!