Sunday, June 29, 2008

Hanging on the couch

I spent most of yesterday asleep. Really, they gave me the drugs and I was sore, so why on Earth would I stay awake?

I have hardly slept today. (Be impressed.) Of course, when I finally decided it was time for a nap, everybody called me.

And that is my day in a nutshell.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Life can go downhill fast

So, Monday morning I showed up bright and early for curriculum writing (a beating under any circumstances, having to do it with Scoobie just makes it worse).

I was ready to kill him within the first 5 minutes. He walks in and I ask him if what he was handing me was everything we did last summer for curriculum writing. Thus ensued 15 minutes of a totally circular conversation that ended with him still not answering the yes or no question with a yes or no.

I knew the day would send one of us to the hospital, little did I realize that I would be the one going to the hospital. OH the injustice.

At any rate, I had my senior staff at school working. I got back from lunch at about 1pm, and it was not long after that I started to not feel well. By 2pm I was downstairs whining to Jane, Susan and Kathy that I thought I was dying.

Kathy immediately started saying that she thought it was gall stones. She ended up being the one taking me to the hospital and about 9 hours later after excrutiating pain for a whole lot of it, I was sent home with pain pills and directions to schedule the removal of my gall bladder.

They gave me morphine at one point that did exactly nothing!! Luckily the next round of drugs did help with the pain.

After Kathy left the hospital, then my friend, Kristen Toney came up. She got the short end of the stick since she spent most of the night with me. What a good friend!

Tuesday morning I felt a slight twinge, freaked, took the medicine and slept the rest of the freaking day. Tuesday night I went into the kitchen, dogs started fighting, tried to break them up, then I got bit. Don't know which of the little shits did it, but my right thumb hurts like a mother.

Wednesday I had a dentist appt (pre-scheduled) that left my face numb for half the day.

After harassing Dr. Davidson's office multiple times in the last 48hours, I think I have an appt for Friday morning at 9:30am to have my gall bladder removed. I actually have to wait for them to call back and confirm, but that is what it looks like currently.

In the meantime, the boys have sent me one set of corrections with a couple of things, but not too much. I'm waiting on the other set of corrections which they say has a lot of typos, but I don't know how since we've gone over it 8 million times. But, on the otherhand, I guess I'm not that surprised. Got to get that done soon too though.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Things begin to fall apart

Overnight train to Paris. Can we say nightmare? Thank heavens ACIS purchased 6 tickets for every four people, so that meant only 4 of use shared a "couchette" sleeping car rather than the 6 that is possible. It really isn't possible because there is no room for more than 4. I have photos but will have to post those later. At anyrate, one of the boys had a bunch of bites when we arrived in Paris if that gives you any idea of the sitution. I once had a dream to take AMTRAK to CAlifornia or something and have a romantic train ride. I am totally over that now. In addition the train was 2 hours late getting in. OH, and we had trouble working the beds and I was leaning down trying to get one to lift when one of the girls managed to jerk it up and it nailed my chin. I didn't realize how much I sit with my chin in my hand until my chin was bruised . . .

We took the bus tour of Paris in the morning. Lovely then went to Versaille. It was great but it would have been much better had all of the people not been there. Oh the horror of the stupid crowds. They make me crazy. At the end I was walking down the marble stairs when my feet slipped out from under me and took a crash landing down some stairs. Hurt like a mother. Bruised my derriere, left arm and ego.

This morning we did the Louvre - great. But the bike tour this afternoon which is totally my favorite thing is going on without me. I'm actually sitting at the bike tour place typing as they are off seeing the city. What a bummer. But I did not want to spend a couple of hours on a bike and make it worse right before getting on an airplane.

Oh, and we all thought our flight out of here was at 9:30 or something. Noooo, 7 something. So we have the so much fun 3:45am wake-up call. The kids are funny. They are obviously tired . . . they don't want to do anything after dinner. They are all asking to just go back to the hotel after dinner.

I am out of money . . . (So no more shopping, but with only a couple of hours left it is ok)

I miss everyone. I am totally ready to be home and sleep in my own bed.

MaryBeth's big sister Sandy is organizing a girls weekend for the family - so I'll be joining them for various activities this weekend. Mon - Wed is curiculum writing at school, and I should have the pages of the book to proof when I get back. Should be busy.

Back in the USA within 30 hours or so. Can't wait.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Can't believe it

I haven't been able to get onto stupid blogger for ages. It kept telling me that my name didn't exist. Bah.

Well, we arrived in Florence today. We are in a hotel that is very near the center of town, walking distance. That is great. There is some weird soccer match in the center of town that was cancelled last year because the year before someone died because there are no rules and it is an all out fistfight do whatever you want kind of game.

Rome was great. Two days ago I swear to you we walked 10 miles easily. It was unfreaking believable. Vatican in the morning and then all of that town in the afternoon and evening.

The kids are being pretty good. One of the boys has started getting on my last nerve. Little twirp. The rest are pretty great. No problems so far.

I am getting pretty freaking tired. 6 more days to go, 3 here, overnight train, then 3 in Paris.

On a side note: easily 3 months ago we (journalism dept ie me and scoobie) were told we had to work on curriculum. We set the dates for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of when I get back. Interestingly enough, I got an email from Scoobie saying he had church camp that week, could we change the date and he gave two options. I told him that I couldn't, sorry. Haven't heard back.

Two more side notes from school. We got a 3% pay raise (go team) and Dr. Bryce (superintendent) announced her retirement. It will probably take a year to get her replaced, but thought that was interesting.

I'll try to post again before we leave Florence. Maybe I'll have stories. When I get back I'll have to post pictures with the many stories that go with them.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Greece

This is the first group to arrive in Greece - more to come below on that. They were darling. Of good cheer and totally understanding that things were a bit of a mess.
This is what they served last night. Tried to guilt us today about trying food . . . seriously they are nuts. I was not eating this!
The whole group at the olympic stadium built for the 1896 Olypics.
Random dog . . . actually have more pictures of the random dogs in Greece. They are just everywhere!

Ok, on to what I wrote . . .
With any luck everyone is getting Skips posts and or emails - mom don't forget to forward those bad boys. At any rate, as he mentioned, yesterday was a bit of disaster.

We got to London and we were waiting for our flight when they had "technical" problems. It required a new plane, it was a smaller plane, and their solution was to just call random names as people to have to catch a later flight. It was notes, there was a family of four they split up . . .never mind our group of 37.

So, some of us after much stress, went on to Greece, 9 (yes, including another of the chaperones) stayed behind to catch the 4:45 flight . . . which turned into the 10pm flight that arrived at 2:40am.

Today we toured greece. We went to the Parthenon, tower of wind?, archeological museum. We walked so much I almost yacked. I started to get a headache late in the day, but it was free time by then, so I was able to take a nap at the hotel. I am feeling much better now.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

All I really need to know . . .

I learned in yearbook. By M. Lewis (My editor who just graduated)

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in yearbook. Happiness was not embedded int he rankles of daytime television, but rather in the outback of the Highlander classroom.

These are the things I learned:
Work as a team.
Admit all of your mistakes, no matter how big or small. It will make things easier in every situation.
Give 100% in all your efforts, except fro the things you are not good at doing - then give 150%.
Clean out your own YearTech folder.
Say you're sorry when you mess up.
Always write in a funky color.
Homemade cookies taste good because they are made with love.
Smile some and laugh some and hug every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon (if you not in front of a Mac).
And when you are at school and need a nap, go to the couch.
Embrace your awkwardness.
Be aware of others' toes and try not to roll over them.
And when someone rolls on yours, no matter how painful, say it's okay.
Learn from your mistakes.
If there is something in your path, don't swerve; rather, meet your challenges head on.
Sing at the top of your lungs.
When rain ruins your sunny day, go into the yearbook room to play!
Apple S, Apple C, Apple V and Apple Z.
Remember not to speed through proofs.
JD's muffins are good for you no matter what, especially when eaten with friends.
Parties are required at least once a week - no questions asked.
Staffers and editors, photographers and ads managers, we all grow up and leave, but Perkins will always be there for you.
Each of us is an individual ingredients, and just like in a recipe, when all of the ingredients come together, we make one amazing cookie. This only happens with the inclusion of the most important ingredient: faith.
And always remember the award coveted the most, the biggest honor of all: Pacemaker.

Everything I need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule, God is 1st, My Neighbor 2nd, I am 3rd. Basic rules of loyalty, trust and forgiveness. When you fall down pick yourself up, brush yourself off and begin again. Think of what a better world it would be if we all-the whole world- had been on yearbook staff and received never ending wisdom and love from the peers around us. If we could just click Apple Z to fix all of our mistakes. If we could all have queso and JD's cookies each afternoon while being surrounded by our best friends. If we always though it funny when people called us names or teased us.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, wherever you go, your Highlander friends will always be there for you. Because a book with binding as strong as our sis never really meant to break apart.