and it is a little eery. It came on Monday during school hours and has stayed. It is thick, so thick that I cannot see very far out of the library's windows. It almost puts me in a trance, like it is creating a whole other world where something spooky or magical could happen. I want to look out the window all day. I have never seen fog this thick.
Here is a photo looking out on of the library's window. The bottom two photos were taken looking out of my apartment window Monday evening after school.
This week has been good. I have instructed three different sections of seventh grade geography researching countries to decide it they are developed or developing. These students know nothing about using databases, researching, or taking notes. As I instructed each class, I could see my own improvement. Explaining things better, more thoroughly, asking them more questions to make them think. Overall, I think it went well. It's as if Ball State never gave me instructional time in front of real students... guess I can hope to get experience this semester.
Yesterday I was able to go to the mail room and the commissary. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from my grandparents and a box from Aaron. My grandparents' letters are the best. They write a little page everyday (give or take a paragraph) and alternate who writes each day. They tell me just about the goings on of there day. They make my heart smile. I also felt like a little girl again--in with the letter were two Valentine goodies. One was a package of cardstock hearts of different colors that say things like, "Love Bug." The other little goody was a package of red, 3-D foil heart-shaped stickers. When Baxter, Cameron, and I were little, our grandparents went to their house in Florida every winter. They usually left right after the New Year and didn't come back until March or April probably. Throughout those months, we missed them terribly; those months seemed so long without them in Farmland. However, they sent the most fabulous packages to us in those orange-y yellow envelopes with the bubble padding inside. They just sent little things like pads of paper, pens, Valentine treats, maybe an Easter surprise. They also mailed us postcards telling us what they'd been doing and how much they missed us. I still have every single on of those postcards in an accordion folder located somewhere in storage. Needless to say, my little letter and two Valentine goodies brought back those feelings from my childhood getting a Winter Package in the mail from Florida.
Aaron mailed me some things I needed: my backpack(!), a pair of less-bulky tennis shoes, a jacket, and a few shirts. My roommate got to experience my excitement of receiving my backpack. I held it in my arms, jumped up and down, and rejoiced with, "Eek eek eek! Backpack backpack backpack backpack!" I also feel I should inform you I got my "eek eek eek!" from Fran Drescher on The Nanny. I love her.
We've been trying to fix this whole Egypt trip. Not going so well. We tried calling RTT Travel, which is a German travel agency who works with U.S. Army and Air Force personnel and others associated with the military, including teachers and student teachers. They will not let us cancel our flight. We get ZERO dollars back. They will not let us just change our flights. ZERO dollars back. Not good. United States citizens are being told to not travel to Egypt. We are U.S. citizens. W.T.F.
So last night we called P.J., who is the liaison with the schools here. She was more than irritated about the situation. She said we deserve our money back or credit to change to a different trip. Today she was to call RTT and speak with someone much higher-up than the gals who work the counters. She was supposed to call us this evening. I have yet to hear word. Cross your fingers please! We were also told that we can probably write a letter to the Commander at Ramstein and maybe he can remedy the situation. I hope this works out! We are in no way going to Egypt, even if we lose $702.87 dollars. Who's counting and being exact?.. Jenna and I know what we want to do instead: Ireland. And I am thrilled about that. I just hope I don't lose all my money.... ugh. So that's been a major stress on me the past few days. Wouldn't you know we book our two and a half day trip to Egypt a week and a half before Hell breaks loose there? Just my luck. I am trying to keep my head up that I won't lose all my money.
I am having issues with a direct deposit situation. I've already submitted information twice, yet it still was not working. The second time they actually received the paperwork and something was wrong with it. Last night I called trying to see what went wrong. My dad is having to take care of everything back in Indiana, but I have to make the calls and figure out what's going on so he can do what needs done. I called and the lady had to put me on hold. When she came back on, she couldn't hear me, but I could hear her just fine. The call was lost or she hung up. I was SO frustrated. Just as I was about to call back, Liz from across the hall, ran in our apartment in her towel freaking out. She needed to use the phone. She had the cotton-end of a Q-tip stuck in her ear. Oh. My. Gosh. It wasn't funny, but it kind of was. We couldn't even see it in there. We tried using a flashlight. She and Jenna both called their mothers who are nurses, and they said to have her lay down and someone pull up on her ear to make the ear canal smaller and make the Q-tip more visible. Still nothing. Nothing could be done last night.
Liz went and saw the school nurse first thing this morning, but she couldn't see anything. We are wondering if the Q-tip never had the cotton on the end of it to begin with. Maybe Liz was just so freaked out she thought she felt it in her ear last night. She doesn't feel it today. We can only hope. It would be so awful if she had ear/hearing/eardrum damage after this.
There was a faculty meeting after school today, but it did not last long. Then the student teachers had a meeting with Terry about our big Learning Assessment Model Projects. I have no idea where mine will end up going. I don't think Terry is sure where is will go either. I feel worried, but really more annoyed about the entire project.
Here are photos of the book display I made Tuesday. J. wanted me to put together a display for Black History Month.
My back has been hurting terribly lately. There are so many knots and so much gristle and tension in my back from my crooked spine. It is horrible. Ibuprofen isn't even really helping. Tonight I laid out two towels on the floor and did some stretching and some yoga. It helped. I need to keep doing it everyday. However, I need to buy an actual yoga mat. Our floors are linoleum, so the towels only worked for some of the stretches and poses. Even with my tennis shoes on, my feet still slide on the tile floors. It was very frustrating. I just wanted to do a warrior pose (one of my favorites). The yoga and stretching give me hope to be able to get through the next three months with this horrible back pain and discomfort.
Jenna and I are relaxing with a girly movie right now. Her mom sent her a box that she was able to pick up from the mail room yesterday. In it, were 15 movies! Wednesday is almost over, which means we're more than half-way through the week. High five!!
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