Gah, Frustration

2009-09-19T08:06:19Z

Today has pretty much sucked--I drove 320 miles, woke up at 5 AM, and wasn't able to talk to you on the computer; the last part obviously being the worst, I decided to write a journal and let you know what I've been up to--particularly because for some reason our phone to phone communication isn't working. :/ I'm sorry I wasn't able to get any of your messages...I got six of your messages out of I don't know how many you sent...I wish I could have done something to help! I feel horrible about all the stress you must be under while waiting for your money and being in a foreign place. I'm looking at your Bank of America account right now and it says that you have a 10,450 dollar Available Balance, so I don't understand how you wouldn't be able to get at your money. :/

Anyway, what I've been up to...there's not much to tell at the moment. Today my teaching of the class went pretty well. The second period went better than the first one--it's one of those things where the more you practice, the better you get...which means that it's pretty much like everything else! :P After I got back to Ellensburg, we had the exit meeting/seminar, which was really stupid. And then after that, I checked your bank account and sent you the message telling you about your refund and that I was driving to Spokane!

When I got to Spokane, my brother wasn't there, but his friends were--and they basically never left. So, I'm pretty much here in the house (Karst is out with his girlfriend) with Karst's friends, missing being able to talk to you and listening to the cd you gave me, feeling emo. Today on the way to Spokane I also listened to the cd you gave me. I love the "Only An Ocean Away" song...it sums everything up perfectly...I miss you so much.

I think I've been up for way too long, but I'm staying up to see if you're going to send me a message. I don't want to do anything else right now. I'll probably go to sleep after it's too late for you to get online...so, in about an hour and forty-five minutes. Pretty soon I'm going to go into my bedroom and focus on how much I miss you and get away from my brother's friends.

Right now I don't really have the energy to write any more. Good night, beautiful. I love you. And I miss you.

A Week Has Gone By (Big Pre-Autumn News)

2009-09-11T02:33:10Z

Well, we're at the one week mark, and things are still going considerably well. So, as promised, I have some fresh and exciting news about my Pre-Autumn adventures!

Today I woke up at 4:45 in the morning after sleeping the entire night away (sorry about that if you were waiting for a reply for me--I was WAY more tired than I thought I was--in the beginning, it was supposed to be a nap...then I slept til midnight and went right back to sleep until 4:45). I drove to Moses Lake with Ryosuke and we compared notes on where we were with the experience of Pre-Autumn and what we wished we would do more of, less of, or even experience at some point. Interestingly enough, one of the points was that we both wished that we could be more like teachers.

So, fast-forward to 4th (last) period, where Mr. Lindholm, my favorite teacher there, was teaching his class about the thesis paper. He must have explained it four different ways and they still didn't get it...I mean, he dumbed it down to Family Guy and they still didn't get it--he did this by starting with the idea that Stewie was diabolical. He then went on to say we knew he was diabolical because he hates his mother, is a Republican (ha), and wants to take over the world. Well, after the fourth time, most of the class still didn't get it and he was ready to kill someone...perhaps himself. Their complaint was that he was using too many big words...so I asked if I could try teaching and he said, "Please, be my guest!" like he was begging to be put out of his misery lol...so he went to the back of the room and sat down. So, the first thing I did was to tell them that in the essay, their word was fact, not opinion. I reiterated that they were the master of the paper, they were God, and you are the one who knows what he is talking about...you don't "think," you "know." And one of the kids says, "So, you mean, we don't write 'I think?'" And I was like, "Exactly. Your word is all that matters." Then they were like "Oh. Okay." And then I related the whole thesis to a court case and they were the prosecuting attornies--the introduction is like the introductory paragraph; the body paragraphs are the evidence, exhibits A, B, C, and so on; and the conclusion is the closing statements. That pretty much did it for most of the kids. But then they wanted to know exactly what the question was asking...I then simply said, it's asking you to explain the significance of the moral dilemma the character goes through." One kid didn't know the meaning of "significance" and one wanted to know what the moral dilemma was--I could see why the teacher wanted to kill himself, but I had energy to burn, because I was sitting down all day. So I explained it in every way I could, talking about how there's no true or false or right or wrong as long as you can prove it. By the time I was done, everyone in the class had it, except for maybe one, but I think he'll get it later on. I have to say it was freaking beautiful seeing those lights click on in their heads...people who hardly talked were asking questions and nodding their heads in agreement and it was amazing. So yeah, that was my triumph of the day.

Also, a kid told me that he wanted to go smoke a bowl. And I told him I was the last person he should be telling that to. And he said that he didn't care because it would be off school grounds. So I told on him anyway. But I don't think anything is going to get done. Oh well. It's marijuana...if he had some on him, though, it probably would have been different.

So, now I'm here talking to you :D and I'm compiling a new box of stuff to ship you, while writing a check to the conference I'll be attending in India! So, I've got trolli britecrawlers and charleston chews have to be on the list. I'm sitting here scrounging through stuff and finding other pairs of headphones so those will probably be in there too, in addition to some blank cds if you wish! Also, I'll send you some burned dvds in the mail so you can get more entertainment, seeing as how no tv was left for you or ne thing.

SO, I wrote a lot and feel free to comment, because I love to hear what you've got to say whenever I talk to you (as well as when you say something first) :)

I love you...!

AND SO DOES FEEENI-WEEENI!!!!

downeyr

Gah, Frustration

A Week Has Gone By (Big Pre-Autumn News)