Articles written by Trent Lorcher - Page 4

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About me - Trent Lorcher

I've spent about an hour trying to write something clever in this space and the end result has been absolutely nothing.

There's no way I'm just going to write the same old stuff. You know: that I'm 38 years old, a high school English teacher for 10 years,

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Relationships & Family > Family Life Our family's most unique and unusual autumn tradition: 9 of 42
Make Halloween more fun with a portable haunted house. All it takes is 68 feet of PVC pipe, a bucketful of fittings, 12 giant garbage bags, a strobe light, some dry ice, and a giant blow up pumpkin (Trick-or-Treat candy sold separately). A PORTABLE HAUNTED HOUSE Construct the frame of the house with PVC pipe. Tape on the gar... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) A brief history of Bastille Day: 6 of 27
More famous for its inability to untrench the Germans in World War I, its quick surrendering in WWII, its non-participation in the Vietnam conflict, and its failure to out-flop the Italians in the 2006 World Cup, France does hold the honor of staging the world's all time bloodiest revolution, one which popularized the guillo... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Great poetry books for children: 3 of 13
I've never been much of a poet; at least my college English professor didn't think so. He was a nice enough guy, bought me a Christmas present, POETRY FOR DUMMIES. I still correspond with him from time to time. We don't correspond much about poetry, not sure we would even if he hadn't bought me that book. I did ask him about... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Getting comfortable with timed essays: 3 of 13
My mind raced as I stared at the blank page in front of me. I raised my hand, "Mr. Pontoon, I'm feeling sick. Can I go to the nurse? "No," he replied abruptly. "Darn!" I thought, "I just wasted 15 seconds with that ploy, and still my paper is blank. I know- maybe I'll pee my pants. That'll get me out of this timed essay writ... More..
Health & Fitness > Exercise Tips 20-minute workouts: 3 of 13
Working out doesn't mean spending all day at the gym. Try these 20-minute workouts: FLASH WEIGHT TRAINING This 20 minute workout requires either barbells or dumbbells of varying weight. Adjustable dumbbells work best. Your first set constitutes a warm up. Focus on one body part at a time. On your first set do 12 reps at a mo... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Ancient cities: 24 of 96
The Ballad of Troy Outside the walls of Ilium Odysseus the Wise concocts a scheme to conquer Troy; the Greeks go in disguise. Achaeans in the belly wait. Their fate unknown until the Trojans come without the gate and charge on down the hill. "Beware the Greeks and Greekish gifts! Let's burn this wooden steed." But Neptune se... More..
Health & Fitness > Exercise Tips Ten biggest fitness mistakes: 4 of 16
Fitness just doesn't happen. It takes doing the right thing consistently. Many fitness seekers, however, find themselves doing the wrong thing consistently. If you're struggling to achieve your fitness goals, you may be guilty of one or more of the ten biggest fitness mistakes: 1. Not Enough Rest: Sages since the beginning o... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) Interesting Canada Day facts: 3 of 12
With flags, parades, barbecues, and fireworks, Canadians celebrate their national holiday much like others celebrate theirs. The outward resemblance in the manner of celebration, however, belies the uniqueness of the Canadian holiday, a uniqueness conveyed by the following Canada Day facts: A PEACEFUL INDEPENDENCE July 1 doe... More..
Travel > Travel Planning & Advice Things to do in winter in Telluride, Colorado: 2 of 8
Snow combined with mountains means great skiing and snowboarding. It also means other fun winter activities: dog-sledding, sleigh rides, ice skating, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, checking out ski babes, and hanging out with friends making rhymes. So whether you ski or not, Telluride, Colorado is a great winte... More..
Travel > United States Guide to seasonal weather in Big Bear Lake, California: 1 of 4
When a big bear brags, nod your head in agreement, so when Big Bear Lake, brags that it's the only four season alpine resort in Southern California, simply nod your head, make reservations, and grab the appropriate gear. General Weather: When my friend told me the New Jersey Institute of Technology had a solar observatory at... More..