Second Time at Career Day at Aptakisic Junior High School - Nov 30, 2018

Like last year, I was invited once again to speak to kids at Aptakisic Junior High on their Career Day event.  Click here to see last year's photos.

There seemed to be a lot more kids in my sessions than last year.  Last year, I was advertised as Russell Lowe - Photographer / Evidence Technician.  This year, I was known as Russell Lowe - Evidence Technician.  Seems more kids are interested in learning about what it is like to be an Evidence Technician than just a Photographer!

I told the kids about what is needed to be an evidence tech and also gave them a chance to try their hands at using some magnetic fingerprint powder with a magnetic fingerprint brush.  They all seemed really interested.  "Oh wow!  That is SO COOL!" could be heard at every session when they saw the latent prints being developed.  It really makes you feel good when your audience is having so much fun learning!

All presenters were given a hot plate made by the kids.  I chose the "Fireman" since I was talking about the Police.  Hey, makes sense to me!  :)

I did 6 half hour sessions.  I had perhaps 15-20 kids per session in attendance.

Sgt. Ken Joseph Memorial Award - La Mesa Police Officer's Association and Grossmont College

I received this award from the Administration of Justice Department at Grossmont College when I went there to learn to be an Evidence Technician.  I graduated with a 3.94 out of 4.0 (just one grade shy of a 4.0).  I was surprised when the school presented me with this award just before graduation.  My name is also engraved on a trophy that is in the trophy case at the school along with others who were awarded the award.  One student gets the award each year.  It was and is still a great honor for which I am very grateful even to this day.  I ended up graduating with a degree in Evidence Technology and also a degree in Pre Law / Court Management.

My bachelor's degree however is actually in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry Institute of Technology.  I used that knowledge when I worked at my dad's stereo store right after college and then later it came in handy while working at the DA's Office in San Diego.

Costco - San Francisco

 

I noticed some key differences while at the San Francisco Costco compared to the Costco's I'm so familiar with in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago.

For a Thursday at 12 Noon, the Costco was already very crowded.  Lots of cars and people!  The cars have a parking garage rather than an outdoor lot so that they can fit more cars in the same footprint due to the numerous levels.  Land is a premium in San Francisco!

The shopping carts are gathered by a person running a tractor instead of pushed by hand and foot!  He gathers the carts and pushes them towards the entrance area with the tractor.  It's a sight to see.

The inside of the Costco is pretty much the same as any other Costco in Chicago but perhaps a bit bigger.  I noticed that they had four ovens of rotisserie cookers for the $4.99 chickens.  They must sell a lot of chickens!  Most Costcos I've seen in Chicago only have two ovens.

While the prices of the food court food is the same, the food court is run differently.  Orders are done on kiosks.  You tap the touchscreen to place your order, pay with a credit card and take the receipt to the order pick up window.  This is a much faster system than we have back in the Chicago area!  I wish they incorporate this where I live in the future!  With so many people ordering food, the seating area however is not as good as it is in Chicago.  There are row benches and long tables where everyone sits together rather than small tables where only 4 people sit together in Chicago.  I suppose this is the most efficient way to get more people seating, but it's a bit strange eating food with strangers next to you.

One aspect I really like though in San Francisco is hearing all the Chinese people speaking mainly in the Toisan or Cantonese Chinese dialect.  I understand Toisan fully, but not as much Cantonese.  They are similar however.  Mandarin is totally different sounding and I've yet to hear this in San Francisco.   Hearing everyone speaking Toisan just proves that many of the Chinese who came over to the US so many years ago were from the small villages that my own ancestors came from.  Always fun to hear the older women talking in Toisan!

Halloween in San Francisco

I went Trick or Treating with my nephew and his two classmates and my sister this year in San Francisco.  We went up and down two major streets and they collected treats from a bunch of retail stores.

During dinner, my nephew poured out his candy to see what he got.  Lots of mini candy bars and other goodies!  After dinner, we went out again.  We didn't return home until 8 PM!

I rode my mobility scooter up and down the street as the kids went into the stores to get candy.  On the way home, I had to push the scooter a couple of blocks because it could not go up the steep hills of the streets to get back home.  That was tough.  The battery kicked in its circuit breaker to keep the battery from overheating!

Earlier in the day, I shot the photo of my nephew with my cane... Spiderman with a disability!  I rarely use my cane, but I bring it to San Francisco in case I need it while walking the difficult streets there.