Well I am not completely. Still have a cough. Oh well.
Tomorrow is the big day. I start six weeks of student teaching. This first week will be rather slow as I pick up routine duties like grading, attendance, and stuff. Next week I will pick up a class, and than for the three weeks after that I have full responsibilities. I think I'll be teaching systems of equations and how to set them up from word problems and then solve them.
I've started to fill out job applications. It's interesting because I can't say that I'm certified yet...I think we are supposed to fill them out as if we were but pre-date our certification to May.
Wedding planning is going fairly well I think. I found the perfect skirt fabric for the bridesmaids. But then there wasn't enough and it was a discontinued fabric, thus they couldn't order more. So, I'll keep on shopping. I'll probably make a trip to a place in Dallas that is a fabric warehouse and check out the selection there.
I'm still trying to see if the contacts are going to work full time. So far, I can't seem to make it an entire day...but I'm going to pick up some drops and see if they'll help just enough. I may end up going ahead and getting some for special occasions and what not. I'll see what happens in the next two weeks with these. They are a lot more comfortable than the last ones...but either the fitting is slightly off or my astigmatism is just too bad to make contacts work right anymore. I don't know.
Anyways. that's what up in my life right now. Less than one hundred days until the end....
Well, without cursing myself, I am going to be brave and say that I think I'm getting better. I'm slowly regaining my voice and the coughing is becoming less frequent....
That is good because student teaching starts next week. I looked over our six week schedule though and it really won't be as bad as I fear. So I say right now. They let us phase ourselves in and out of the classroom with teaching and taking over.
So, you might be hearing more about that soon. I don't have anything to say about education classes. I learn something here and there. It feels like a lot of repetition though of stuff we've covered before. At least they provide handy checklists.
so the doctor, in addition to expensive antibiotics, also put me on another inahler....like the kind they give to asthmatics.
My compassion for asthmatics has increased two or three fold because those things are nasty. In fact, on first use, I threw up. Today, I've had to stick around places where i can easily spit out the nasty saliva and try to avoid any more stomach heaves. and I'm on the danged thing for the next thirty days.
No wonder Rachel uses the spacer.
Well. I probably learned quite a bit this last week. Not much in classes compared to the rest of life. Here are some of the things I've learned:
*next time I have a secret picture-taking, keeo the camera with me afterward
*(looking for right phrasing about last left behind book..., just know that it wasn't good. Don't read it like you don't watch Napoleon Dynamite)
*I really can stay calm in times of high stress and it doesn't cause heart problems
*I still seem to be sick...but then, the headaches have gone away. Just not general weakness and coughing...
*I like having long, thick blankets when in the ice cave.
*Hot shower is good for sore back
*IHOP overcharges on their orange juice
*bridal shower games horror stories from heather. don't ask.
*we keep repeating a lot of stuff we've learned in other education classes...
*weddings are expensive
*God is good. Over and over again even as I don't deserve it.
Whew. Blah.
Well, we are over the halfway mark for the first week of classes. The good news is we have a church, officiant, and photographer. Other good news is that is doesn't LOOK like my two block classes are going to be all that bad. A lot of reading though.
However, the last 14 hours have been utterly crazy. I, Wheeler, and Paige had to take Rachel to the ER after she had an asthma attack due the coughing. While she was somewhat fine when we got there and they didn't immediate admit her as an emergency sincy her oxygen level was fine, within the next half-hour I was helping her to the nurse and they took her to an open exam room because the nurses heard her hacking her lungs out over and over again. Wheeler took Paige back to LU while I stayed with Rachel who was put on a breathing treatment as we endured the process of the ER...initially visits from the nurses and doctor close together, but then wait and wait....
Thankfully, her coughing came under a bit more control and they finally checked her out around midnight with acute bronchitis and prescriptions which we went to Walgreens to fill. (Jared and Scholl had come back and were waiting for us in the waiting room). Rachel and I then came to my apartment so I could retrieve a few things since I planned on staying with her overnight in her room. I also had to take my own meds. We finally got to her room and to bed between 130 and 200 I think. I went to sleep keeping my ears open and woke up everytime she woke up coughing. It wasn't good and I worried a few times, but the coughing was spread out farther inbetween by the time by alarm went off all too early. I ordered Rachel not to attend at least her first two morning classes and to call the doctor when she was able. I could tell that exertion only brought on more coughing so I set her meds and helped her figure out what she need to take by her bed and than went back to my apartment to get ready for my own 745 am class.
My stomach was feeling worse than usual but I had to try and eat something to take my morning meds. Just as I was getting ready to walk out the door to make it to class on time, I felt the need to throw up and thus did so. Sadly, I couldn't skip class as we have been told that we must make up any time that we miss even if we're sick. So I took some crackers and water and trudged up to class. I don't think I looked so good coming in. The prof and everyone else understood and I wasn't too terribly late. I made it through managing not to fall too asleep during the video and have now confirmed a few more wedding arrangments. I'm going to chill just a bit longer here and than I'll make myself some lunch and take it up with me to MSC to visit with any others who happen to be around.
Prayers are appreciated all around.
International aid organizations:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
United Nations' World Food Programme
Medecins Sans Frontieres / Doctors without Borders (donate!)
CARE International
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
UK/Europe:
Disasters Emergency Comittee (DEC) - comprises a raft of aid agencies, including the below and others
British Red Cross
Oxfam
Save the Children UK
North America:
American Red Cross
Canadian Red Cross
Save The Children
Oxfam America
Anders Jacobsen: Webloggers: Give to tsunami victims and I'll give too!
For those of who happened to be around tonight when I angrily announced my intentions to leave the qualifiying exam tomorrow for chapel whether or not I was done, I apologize for my anger. It's a matter that deserves more respect than I gave it. Forgive my irritation towards our education department.
For those of you who are confused:
We education majors who are getting ready to test for certification have to take a qualifying exam with the school first. This exam is scheduled for tomorrow morning starting at 8:30. It's 80 questions and we can leave when we are done. It took me three hours to do the math exam and this one requires more reading and not necessarily more thinking, but it does require more thought. Anyways.... Tomorrow is Arthur's memorial chapel service. While I was only acquainted with Arthur, I have gotten to know Grace through numerous classes with her. Grace is Hector (Arthur's brother) new wife and I know they had to be close.
From my perspective, attending tomorrow's chapel is important to me as a measure of respect for Grace and Tanya, to remember with them someone whom they have lost. I know Arthur made an impact on many people here and was well-respected by those who worked with him.
At any rate, while I have been beating myself for hypocritical actions the last few days--such as saying more than I had a right too regarding more specific details surrounding the accident, I recognize that I must apologize and continue to ask for prayer for Tanya, Grace, Hector, and their families, as well as Arthur's friends. That is the more important action.
On this, the eve of my first day of classes of my last undergraduate semester. It's been a rather odd day with some horrific news and quite an eventful Christmas break--of great joy and of sorrow for dear friends. It'll be a long semester between student teaching and wedding planning and who knows what else God has in store for me. Tomorrow I begin the process of being somewhere by 7:45 a.m. every day. bleck. But I'll get used to it. It could be a lot worse. Hopefully I'll stay healthy--well once I reach the point of what could be called wellness again.... "Nasty sinus infections they is..." Anyways. I don't know. My thoughts are rather choppy this evening as things weigh on my mind and I prepare to drag myself up into bed to start the semester off with a little bit of decent sleep.
Maybe something more....cohesive...will come later.
tired.
back in Longview.
slightly hungry.
kind of disorganized.
contemplating a longer post on my Christmas vacation later.
Wow. This year holds so much in store for me, and probably a whole lot more that I'm not aware of just yet.
I think my New Year's Resolutions (in no particular order) are such:
*Graduate.
*Become a certified teacher
*Get a real Job
*Get Married :-D
*Start the post-college life ???
Yeah, so they are obvious. But those are rather big steps that I forsee as God's will for my life in this coming year. I could be wrong...only God knows.
and as always, I hope I continue to grow closer to my dear family, friends, and everybody in-between :-).
Where I will be a year from now I have no idea. I look forward to it though. Best wishes for this last week and a bit of break to all!