It's still raining t-shirts...and goodbyes!

I meant to not update this again until I was actually "on the ground," as some of the Fulbright people put it, but too much is going to happen... We'll see how much time I have to update.  I want pictures on here, but of course have all the wrong cards and cords, etc.

Dinner with the Mulloys and Prathers (my friend Emily from GSP and her husband and sisters) was amazing.  We ate at Mama Mia's which is by the gas station on Harding and 65 and is really yummy.  It's small and always understaffed, so we got two full hours of pre-Mexico quality time.  It got to be a bit long and painful, but the company was great as usual.

From there I weighed my bags and realized that one bag is 60 pounds with lots of space left, so going to have to make some changes!

Friday morning, I "slept in" again (until 9 when my alarm did wake me this time).  I got going on my plans for the day.  Shower, load up my car with educational boxes to be mailed to Mexico (95 degree day totally negated my shower!), pick up last minute craft necessities from walmart for last minute books I bought on Thursday, drop car off at Firestone for pre-storage oil change, and wait on Leslie to pick me up for our lunch.  The Firestone people at 11:15 guessed it would be 2:00 before my car was ready, which was disheartening, but what was I going to do?  Leslie came by to pick me up and we went to Puffy Muffin in Brentwood.  I had a salad (which I'd wanted/needed at Zoe's on Thursday, but went for a quesadilla instead and was really thankful for the lettuce!).  We had plenty to talk about as usual, even though we had just been together the week before at Jenna's shindig.  Speaking of Jenna, I was on the phone with her while at Walmart (no easy task these days for me to multi-task...used to be the queen of, now can't handle so much), and could NOT find the chenille sticks (aka pipe cleaners).  I walked the circumference, diameter, and every other surface of the store and couldn't find them because they're with the fabric.  But aha! this Walmart (as well as many others apparently) no longer has a fabric area.  I asked for help from a woman with unfortunate bangs and continued my convo with Jenna.

Back to lunch with Leslie.  It was fun, we had a ball as usual, and she offered her intent to give me a phone card, which I explained was thoughtful, but not necessary.  So she bought me lunch instead.  I dealt with that for sure.

When she dropped me off at 12:30, miraculously my car was already ready!  I headed to East Nashville to get just a few more things and to pack and wrap and address and mail my packages.

It was at least a million degrees in the lounge and I didn't want to bother Yuri while she was teaching, so I sweated it out.

I got out of these just as the early-bird parents were forming a line to pick up their children.  Luckily I did not get blocked in.  I would've been a bit fuming.

I went to the post office and only spent 30 bucks on four boxes of shipping.  I thought it would be more, so I was thankful...and I think I'll be reimbursed...?

I went home and was hot and tired and not feeling so good and just chilled on the couch.  I was meeting the teachers at the Wildhorse at 7.  At 6:45, as Ashley and I are making our way downtown, I get a call from Sophia (3rd grade) who is with Yuri in line at the Wildhorse.  Well, there's never a line unless there's a concert and when there's a concert there are no lessons and it's more than 3 dollars to get in.

So, I was crushed, disappointed, sad, etc.  I texted everyone to meet at Big River instead.  We had a great time.  We had seats at a bar-type situation.  Not the bar, but similar, so we could order when we got there, didn't feel guilty for taking a table, etc.  It was a big crowd and I was glad to see everyone!  We were there for a while and I decided we should go to The Big Bang, a piano bar; I'd never been and what better time then before I left for a year?!  I'd always heard it was super-fun, and that it was.  There were plenty of people I knew there (aside from our 10+ crowd of teachers), and they played great song after great song and never took a break. So fun.

There was a party of a gazillion there for Ron's birthday.  I don't know Ron, but his whole posse had t-shirts that said "Seriously..." on the front, and "it's Ron's 50th birthday" on the back.  

Of course, upon entry, after getting us 4 or 6 free passes, Scruggs is on a mission to:

1. Find Ron

2. Make sure he knows we're there and that we're teachers

3. Get a shirt

Check.

Check.

Check.

I have been her summer mission.  She is bound and determined to get me a boyfriend.  Didn't work this summer, but she kept me busy meetin' and greetin'.  All I have to say is, look out Casey Bateman...you may be her new project!   She kept up her intent last night, and by the end of the night, she had a t-shirt that she gave to me.  Be on the lookout for pictures.  

Today is a low key day, and since it's going to rain, I won't be washing my car until tonight or tomorrow afternoon.  I am keeping my new babysitting family that I love, the Hartmans.  It'll be the last time until summer.  

SO WEIRD!

As it gets closer and I keep saying my goodbyes, they don't seem like goodbyes because there are still x days until departure.  But the closer I get, the more real it becomes.  T-4 days and it will be as real as can be!

It's Raining T-Shirts! and PJ's!

Apologies for the lack of blog updates...  It's not for lack of happenings!

So last week, Yuri and I handled our two days of school without students very well.  I did my best to show her all I could about what I do.  That's really hard when you consider I have no curriculum.  Every single thing I teach has come from something I've created or else found in separate sources.  The hardest part of that is that I don't need it written down, so I don't have it written down because it's all in my head.  Say I'm a good teacher, or say I'm lazy; either way, there's no written evidence of what I teach to hand over to a visiting teacher in my classroom.

She was constantly overwhelmed with all that I had.  Most (I'd say 90%) of the things in my room came from my purchases.  That's just the life of a teacher.  But when I started the Spanish program at Lockeland, I wasn't given a budget or handouts, I was just given freedom.

All this to say I did what I could to explain my life in teaching for the course of an academic year in a matter of two days.

On Wednesday, I offered to teach all three levels (8 classes) so she could see my style, the "typical American classroom," and how I used some of the materials I have.  She kept saying my classroom was more like a store than a classroom!

Well, it felt amazing to teach.  I am constantly reminded that I am in the right profession.  Usually it just takes a good day at school to reiterate that.  I did, however, feel strange knowing I wouldn't be there until those students were in the following grade!

Wednesday was the deadline I had set for myself to leave Lockeland and not return.  I knew if I didn't set a deadline, I'd keep teaching and keep "helping" and keep watching until I left.  That would not have been good for any of the parties involved.

Thursday and Friday I busied myself with many things.  Errands, purchases (educational at this point because my dress funds are depleted), etc.  Thursday night, Jenna and Danny were in town and I met them as well as LP and Jackson at Dan McGuiness for dinner.  Jenna had brought my a beachy bag with a journal and tank-and-shorts pajamas for my trip...SO THOUGHTFUL!  Thanks, Jenna!!

Friday night, Megan, Ashley, Yuri, her husband Samhir Benjamin (Sah-MEER Ben-ha-MEAN, who Megan lovingly calls Benji) and I ate at California Pizza Kitchen.  Megan had taken them all over creation and mostly Nolensville Road to get keys made, see Spanish speaking churches, etc.  I got there first and was seated immediately, which was not in my plan, so I waited sola for a bit.  We had a great meal and good company.  I had heard about Yuri's not-so-great first day on Thursday afternoon from Megan.  I knew better than to ask, but I asked anyway, and that's what I get!  Friday, luckily, was better.

After a mostly-Spanish dinner, Megan left us for bed (8:30! the first week of elementary school is VERY draining), and we went shopping.  Ann Taylor Loft had had some sales (okay, dress fund was depleted, but I found some spare change for some tank tops!) including 30% more off their clearance, so I took Yuri there to look for teacher things.  That is a great store for teacher things.  She got a cardigan and top as well as a sturdy teacher bag- very important.  Then we took them back to our house to watch the Titans win in the literal last second against the Raiders in the pre-season.  Ashley got a new tv when the Olympics started, and we have LOVED it!  So we watched on DVR.  It was hilarious.  Those of you who knew me three-four years ago in the pre-Schwartz age will appreciate how similar Yuri and I actually are.  Samhir, owning a Y-chromosome, seems to just understand football.  There is some futbol americano in Mexico, so he's seen it and gets it.  Within the first 10 minutes, there was a significant play (not significant enough, mind you for me to remember, but baby steps people!)  ending in a first down or a tackle or I don't even know what, but I think AShley adn I stood and Samhir clapped enthusiastically.  Yuri asks in English, "They have points now?"  Every exciting play after that, she would ask the same in Spanish, "Puntos?"  It was hysterical, and made me so proud of how far I've come. :)

Saturday, I waited for my water heater to be replaced.  SO FUN!

I'm leaving it at that: I'm an adult now.  I have made mandatory home improvements.

Finally, I told Tom, my water heater guy, and consequently a former student's dad, that I needed to meet Yuri over at school and take care of setting me up for Mexico.  I needed to spend my money (that I'll be reimbursed) on some educational things and who better to tell me what Yuri's school needs than Yuri herself???

I picked her up and we went to Lockeland to copy things and make posters, etc.  We decided to skip the poster route and just buy the things we needed.

We picked up Samhir, and I decided we'd check out teh Rivergate Parent-Teacher Store becuase I'd never been there.  You see where this is going.  It was the closer one to them, but only by a minute or two.

Well, I missed the exit and it's funny up there.  Once you get on Vietnam Vets, you can't get to where you need to be.  I gave up and drove us to Green Hills!  Forty minutes after departing the house, we were at the PT store.  Again, kids in a candy shop.  She thought my classroom was a store?  Even Samhir, who loves shopping as much as most males, was aghast!  We just browsed for about 45 minutes.  Then we got serious.  Her most exciting thing for me to take was a Judy clock.  Any elementary educator will know what that is.  It's a big-enough-to-see clock that moves like a real clock.  You move the minute hand and the hour hand moves like it's supposed to.  We also got enough student clocks for all 40 of her students.  We got other things, but that was definitely the highlight.

Getting them out of there was like pulling teeth!  

I took them home and babysat.

Sunday was church (thankfully no up-front action this time!) and lunch with the Smiths.  After lunch, Matt Hardison helped me figure out lots of extras to my camera.  That was super-helpful and exciting!

Sunday night, I was supposed to go to Bowling Green to visit with Dad but we got our wires crossed.

Monday morning, after opening an account with Bank of America, I headed up that way.  Honey had been there that weekend, so she ate lunch with us and then hustled to Glasgow to stay with my aunt.

Dad and I spent some QT together shopping (thanks for the dresses, et al!) and hanging at the house.  Suzanne's daughter is marrying a friend of mine from high school in a few weeks, so when she wasn't doing wedding stuff, she was hanging, too.

I left at 7ish to get my final USA cut and color.  The cut is typical.  The color is Mexican. :)  It's fine, it's just much darker than usual.  Well, it's black.  But I figure all the better to fit in with the natives.

After the hair maintenance, Dad and I went to dinner and then I slept as hard as I could (I've been running pretty ragged lately with not too much chance of sleeping late) until the morning noise of getting ready for school woke me.  I needed to get on the road to Glasgow anyway, so I headed out at 8ish.

I unloaded my things at Mom's and called Grandmother to tell her Suprise, I'm keeping my car at your house and I need to clean out that side of the garage!

I got over there and there was little cleaning to do, so we chatted for a bit.

When I got back home (to Mom's), Honey was waiting to tell me my final goodbye and head back to Louisville.  I did some stuff around the house, checked a few more things off my to-do list and then went to eat lunch with Grandmother and mom at this place called The Station.  I had a yummy Reuben and had some leftover.

That afternoon, I ran myself ragged trying to find a laptop case.  I went to Walmart, Unique Gifts, Ashley Rae's, Awards, Inc., Kmart, and I think that must be it.  I came up short.  I found one once I got back to Nashville.

Then at 5ish, Mom asked me what I wanted for dinner.  Thinking it was a bit late to be asking, I said, "Whatever."  

"If you could have anything what would it be?"

"Are you fixing chicken nuggets?!"

My birthday meal is always chicken nuggets, green beans, mashed potatoes and fruit salad.  It's not the easiest thing to fix, but it is the most delicious.  The boys would argue that whatever their meal is is the favorite.  Obviously it's not memorable....

The only other time Mom has fixed it when not my birthday was after I came home from abroad one time; I'm thinking Spain, but maybe Australia?

Grandmother came over to eat with Mom, Jack and me, and we all had a grand time.  She didn't leave without stuffing a bill into my pocket...Thanks, Gran-mudder!

I hung around a wee bit after dinner, but needed to get back to Nashville.  I knew that on Wednesday, I could sleep in ISH and that it would be easier in my own bed.  I got home, showed Ashley my new stuff, and then went to bed, but not before getting a "happy."  Ashley's Mimi gives "happy"s.  Well, mine for Tuesday was an oh-so-cute titans shirt, short sleeved, to take to Mexico.  I'm actually considering doing a unit on football (or at least a mini-unit in my unit on Nashville and Tennessee...I don't have to explain all the rules!).  

Wednesday I had set aside to do last minute things at school: copies, copy my files to my jump drive, etc.  I was there for most of the day and got plenty done.  Unfortunately, I had an epiphany last night and will have to return tomorrow.  But while I was there, I was doing my thing while noticing Yuri teaching.  Let me tell you how weird it is to watch someone else do your job!  It was a severely strange feeling.  I was so happy to see how creative she was.  My job is one of necessary creativity; all teaching is.  In my job, though, since there is no text, creativity is your savior.  Since Yuri teaches with textbooks, workbooks and provided flashcards, I thought she would have trouble adjusting to the "freedom" of our curriculum.  She had no problem at all.  Classroom management is a bit different in the States than other places, but that will come.  At the end of the day, she asked for my "advices" on keeping them quiet.  basically I told her she'd have to be a bit mean at times.  

Such is life.

When I got home from Lockeland (and shopping for found laptop case), I had my Microsoft Office disc in the mail from Amanda who gets a major discount at the University of Arizona.  Padding the CD was an "Everything's Hotter in Arizona" t-shirt.  Go ahead and insert your comment here, Patrick.  Last time I was out there, I was wearing a Tucson shirt I had bought in the airport.  Andy and Amanda both (as well as many people in Nsshville) commented on it.  I really like it, but I bought it because I hadn't found a "Hotter" one.  It's so cute and I absolutely can't wait to wear it!

That brings us up to date, more or less, to today!

I slept until I woke up (I know how dumb that sounds, but alarmless is what I mean), and then got started on my day.  I know that I will have plenty of opportunity to do some things with the new Kindergarten English program in Culiacan.  My brain was spinning last night, so after I vacuum packed my clothes (yes, LP, they work GREAT!), I made a list of books and extra things I wanted to buy still for Yuri's school and other educational opportunities.

I went to Border's today and spent 80 bucks!  I'm pumped about what I got!  Then I went to meet Lynn Hopkins, a woman from church that I met when I went on the Honduras trip with the Youth Group a few years ago.  She's an amazing woman, but also a dear friend.  I tell her often that she's my favorite grown-up. :)

So we had lunch at Zoe's and then I went to Davis Kidd to look for a few paperbacks that I had not seen in Borders.  Turns out these books only come in hardback!  BUT- Davis Kidd has a "Golden Apple" program that gives teachers a 20% discount!  I bought another $80 worth of stuff!

I went to the PT store one last time and found a few dollar books that would be great for teaching.

Now I am at the library, my internet connection until I'm at home in Mexico.  Tonight is dinner with Emily, her sisters, and Stephen at Mama Mia's.  Tomorrow holds an oil change, lunch with LP, mailing my educational materials, hopping over to Lockeland one last time, packing, and dinner and dancin' with the teachers.  Saturday is yoga, pool, and goodbye dinner at the Smith Fort.

Sunday, Mom and Jack visit for church and lunch.  After they leave, Ashley and I are getting pedicures and then the church potluck.

Monday I will be carless because Mom and Jack are taking it to Grandmother's for me on Sunday.  Hopefully, I'll be chillin' at the pool all day!

That night, Dad's coming to take us to dinner at Lime, one of my new favorite Nashville hot-spots, and then Tuesday morning it's off to the airport at 3:40 am!

Look for an update next Wednesday or Thursday.

Love to all!

Church, Home, School.

Well, let me give you the run down. On Friday morning, I rose and shined (shone?) at 8 after an exceptionally long night waiting at the airport. Don't remember if I posted. I think no. Anyhow, I missed the big Celebration of Cultures dinner because the super-shuttle seemed to think I needed to leave Alexandria at 5:20 for my 9:25 flight. That's right, and no there was no time change...
Of course my flight was delayed over an hour, so I sat in the Maryland airport for FOUR HOURS (caps needed) waiting on my flight, wishing I was seeing Yuri et al dancing and singing.
Oh, well. Es la vida.
So I dragged myself from peaceful slumber to look at two duplexes. Returned home to shower, clean up, unpack, do laundry, and pick Yuri up from the airport at 12:45. Check. We went straight to the duplexes and decided on a 3 bedroom, newly bought and flipped (if it's still flipping when you rent it), 1.5 miles away duplex. It's conveniently just around the corner from a teacher as well as an amazing family who has already tended to so many needs.
I paid the deposit since she had no bank account yet and not enough cash. We went from there to school which caused butterflies in the stomach. Not for me, obviously; I was excited to be "home."
We walked into the last few minutes of the meeting and then went around the building seeing where everything was.
Then we had Open House/Preview Night from 4-6. It was intense. Many Kindergarten families were unaware of the exchange so had lots of questions and comments. veteran families were surprised and happy to see me and meet Yuri. I used that time to beg for furniture, etc since we finally had a place to call her home!
After the Preview, we had a faculty welcome/goodbye dinner in the library even though I would be there another two weeks, well three days in the building.
Then Yuri and Megan talked since this was their first meeting.
We got home and had plenty to talk about. Ashley was excited to meet her and thought she was as precious as I did. There truly is no other word...she's adorable! Okay, there's one other word, but you know...
We had to get to bed because Saturday brought another busy day.
I knew she needed sleep; she stayed up until 4am Friday before flying to Nashville (SO upset I missed all that), so I decided to go to 9:30 yoga and then come get her to open her bank account. Yoga was amazing...really going to miss that. We got to Suntrust and waited patiently and then were helped by a nice gentleman. Yuri suggested that he be my "honey" which is a popular word with these Mexican girls. I declined.
From there, we went to East Nashville to work at school for an hour or two after lunch as well as see the Tomato Festival. Man was it ever a festival! We drove around for 15 minutes looking for an open space on the street or a parking lot. We finally found one and put in reservations for a table for two at Batter'd and Fried. After 45 minutes (2pm), we were seated. It was well worth the wait. I treated Yuri and she promised to buy the ice cream later.
We went by school, but I didn't have my keys, so while we could get into the building (thanks Megan), we couldn't get into my classroom.
We headed home to do her laundry, rest, and prepare for the Titans! on Ashley's new tv. I could see their names, I could see their colors (to keep the teams separate), and I could even see the ball! I may actually understand this stinkin' sport next season!
There was plenty of chatter during the game. Yuri and I also looked through my English supplies and materials. She was wowed. She promised me she would talk to her principal to see if it would be possible for me to have a classroom (share the library) since my teaching style works best not floating.
This would be a good time to inform/remind you that my teaching day will be from 8-12:30. Let's not forget, however, that I will have 40 kids at a time in unairconditioned classrooms! And also that I will likely be working other places in the afternoons, evenings or weekends. English is so valued in Mexico, that I will be a rock-star! Looking forward to that celebrity.
Right.
So that brings us to Sunday.
Sunday morning, I wanted to take Yuri to Harpeth Hills. She is a Christian, not Catholic (like most of Latin America) and she was saying in DC how much she missed going to church. She had been in the States almost a month and no church. She was telling her husband how she felt far away from God, and he told her that God was in the US, too! Hilarious.
I'm thinking their church at home is most like a Community Church. But I needed HH, so she went with us. We also had a lunch invitation to la Casa Smith after church.
Of course, being on Mexican time, we were late getting there. I had sent Ashley a few minutes ahead, but unfortunately, the only seats in the house were balcony (which I will never do again), or row 2. You can figure out where we sat (see previous parentheses).
So we sang, we heard the announcements, we did all the pre-sermon things.
Then Chris (Ashley's dad) gets up to speak. He speaks using a "Garth Brooks"(his terminology)/"Brittney Spears"(mine) mic, so when I saw the handheld on the pew beside him (directly in front of me...), I wondered whose anniversary it was or birthday, or which missionary was leaving or fill in the blank.
As he spins around from walking up to the pulpit area, I hear, "Laura Klapheke." Any of you reading this know me well enough to imagine the shades of red in my face as well as the expression on it. He said, "I'm so glad to see you there on the second row. It makes it so much easier to come on up here and talk to me." Wow.
So I go up and say that I don't sit that close because I don't like the preaching, to which he responds, "Well, at least you won't have to come far at the invitation."
He asked me what I was doing and I replied, "Right now I'm getting embarrassed, but in two weeks I'm moving to Mexico to teach English for a year." He asked lots of questions, gave me good press, made me use the word Fulbright, and even helped me beg for furniture and other goodies from the congregation for Yuri's new empty-ish house.
AMAZING. This made lots of connections, including a Spanish speaker from Puerto Rico who gave her number and said to call for anything, she'd been in the same position in a new city and would like to help any way she could.
We then went to the Smith Fort for a typically incredible lunch (brisket, twice-baked potatoes, baked beans, squash casserole, etc)-thanks Vick! Yuri was the center of attention, which was nice. It was a great afternoon. We ended lunch with German Chocolate Cake and homemade Butterfinger Ice Cream.
From there, Pastor Chris loaded Bertha (the Smith family van- don't worry Klaphekes, it can't hold a candle to Big Red Clifford) with the table and chairs on loan for the year. We traipsed over to East Nashville and unloaded the table and chairs while the landlord finished painting. Then a parent met me and followed me to my house to get my mattresses. I left Yuri there to pack up while Ashley traded out the van for her car (and coincidentally went to Best Buy to remedy a double charge on her tv causing an unnecessary overdraft). I unloaded the mattresses and waited alone, bored in the empty house while they made the same trek.
From there, we went to the airport to pick up her husband from his 5:40 arrival. After checking with the extra-rude, just awakened (and inconvenienced), nasty, totally-unhelpful Continental lady in the baggage office, she ripped off a sheet of old printer paper (you know the kind from 6th grade with holes on the sides?) and thrust it in our faces. Well, I was confused, so I asked (mistake number 1) what it meant. He was actually on the flight that left Houston at 5:40. I kinda expected that after we had walked all over creation looking for him. Nada. No luggage, no husband.
So we left the airport, got the essentials at Kroger, unpacked them at the house, and returned to the airport. He was there! He had missed his flight because of immigration and customs.
We took them to their house, he approved, and we left.
This morning, I picked Yuri up at 7 so we could get to work and get settled (I like to be there around 7:15 always, but I wanted to especially be there on time/early on the first day). She yawned the whole way, but bless her, she was ready when I got there.
We did some work in my room (and crossed off the 5 things on my list. she thinks my lists are hilarious-how much I try to do and how much I accomplish in a short period of time) and then got to visit every class that she'll be teaching. That was helpful.
Here's a funny: on the way to school, she told me they got cold the night before. The utilities are included, so the heat and air are set between 68 and 72 year-round. I asked her if she needed more winter things or blankets (Ashley and I had given her stuff from our Goodwill piles) and she said no, that she had slept in the sweatshirt I had given her. I was cracking up.
Today was a half-day, so we were out at 12. We went to pick her husband up (After wonderful Senor Streeter dropped off the couch from Senorita Allen's room) and went to lunch at Batter'd and Fried again. She loves it and wanted him to experience it. This time she treated me. It was delicious. She and I both ordered what we'd had on Saturday. Samhir ordered chicken alfredo: neither batter'd nor fried...
I dropped them off, did some more things at school, and then went to yoga. Again, wonderful.
Megan took them shopping for more groceries and household things.
Tomorrow is another day, a full day as a matter of fact, but we won't have students until Wednesday. Thank goodness!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

We have a home! We will be moving Yuri in tomorrow. Lots of pics and stories to come soon! She's been staying with me and continues to be absolutely adorable!

Not So Wongderful (TM: Bewley)

Today began better than yesterday; Yuri and I both got up on time! I definitely got ready much faster than she (so fast that I went on down to breakfast), but we made it to the first session with time to spare. The first session was separated, meaning only the Americans were together with an alum in order to learn about teaching/living in Mexico. After that, we had a great session about crossing cultures. That has kinda been the theme the whole week, but it was very hands on and it was a straight-forward comparison between our behaviors versus the rest of the world’s. We got to give input as well as hear from other countries. It was very neat even though it had had the potential to be quite awful.
Lunch was good- Chinese cuisine. Yuri, Shania, and I had realized early in the morning that there was much to talk about and little time left, so we decided to have a working lunch. During this time, they explained the structure of the English Teaching Department of the whole city as well as lists of phone numbers of their friends, family, and colleagues. This was very helpful. They also gave me more options for what I could do. Apparently, after telling me I must be at Yuri’s school yesterday, Maggie got more information and changed her mind a bit. So they told me of some options, and then we were planning on talking to Maggie again before I left.
I feel obligated, though dedicated is a better word, to Yuri’s school. I am interested in working there, though it will not be the most convenient job. Many of the options they gave me included teaching a half day (yes, a half of a half day) at her school and then another option. The most appealing one to me was 8-10:30 at Yuri’s school, then a teaching block at a Kindergarten. This will be the first year for a Kindergarten program in Culiacan. Because of that, there will be a need for teacher training. An additional “teaching load” I may take on is that of training teachers. They seem to think I’m so very qualified, namely because I’m a native speaker. I would love nothing more than to get this K program underway. And I would definitely love being a part of it in the actual classroom.
After lunch, I went to make sure my suitcases were near completion in their packing state so I could just walk out after our afternoon sessions.
The afternoon session with the alum was more about living situations when you’re renting from someone and living alone in the dwelling place. Knowing about bills and such was not applicable to me since I will be paying Mabel directly. They also mentioned things about taxes and power of attorney which Mom of course had already taken care of.
We had a 15 minute stretch break to meet back over at the other hotel in our country groups, so I ran over there in order to print off my receipts from my flight and my super shuttle that would be picking me up at 5:25 to take me to the airport so I could be paid back.
When I left the lab, I saw my Mexicanas and asked them if we could talk to Maggie then since I was leaving.
Basically, what it boils down to is that they’re going to want me to do lots of things. Their intention is good; they want to share the native speaker with as many children and teachers as possible. The important thing to remember is that I am committed only to Yuri’s school. I must be there when she would’ve been there and if there are other opportunities I want to take advantage of, I should.
So we had that talk, we ran into the meeting for which we were 30 minutes late, I signed some forms they were missing from my file, and ran back to the hotel. I said my goodbyes, told Yuri about our possible house for them (!), and got to the lobby to wait.
Yuri waited with me. I was really upset to be missing the Celebration of Cultures dinner from 6-9. I did not know what all it would mean when I booked my flight, nor did I realize I’d have to ride almost 2 hours to the airport.
Now, it’s 9:30, and my 9:25 flight with a 10:30 arrival in Nashville is now a 10:30 flight with an 11:20 arrival in Nashville. Basically, I could’ve seen a good hour or two of the Cultures. I’m so annoyed. I wish I had just made my flight for tomorrow. If I could turn back time…
Tomorrow, I have to look at two housing choices for Yuri, get my house in order in case she’s spending the weekend with me, pick her up from the airport, have a Preview Day at school, have a potluck dinner with the teachers, and have a smile on my face the whole time, after having been deprived of sleep since last Friday and stuffed with information all week and delayed an HOUR while missing a very cool dinner.
Ugh.
Think happy thoughts. I’m out of them.
Well, here’s maybe one..I got all my lists (post-its, scratch notes on books, schedules, and other lists) combined into one list in my legal pad for each issue. I feel organized and ready to tackle the 18 days until I leave!

A Very Wongderful Day (tribute to Bewley)

It has been a very fast paced two days.

Yesterday was the US teachers' day off. Since the Mexico team had been here since Sunday, we had the whole day; other teachers were arriving on Tuesday. Since I hadn't gotten a chance to see the Holocaust Museum this weekend, I decided to spend some quality time there on Tuesday. Yuri had meetings starting at 8, so as she walked out the door, I rolled out of bed.

I got ready and headed downtown. It was nice to really know where I was, where I was going, and how to get there. I got to the museum and got my (free) ticket for 11:30. In my wait time (from 10:15 to 11:30), I saw the Olympic Exhibit in the downstairs and time flew. I read every plaque, saw every photograph, and watched as many videos as possible (minus all the medical experiments). After three hours, it was time to leave. The most important part to me was the video at the end of all the survivors. I made sure I saved time for that. My emotions, somehow, were in check even at the end. Then I walked into the Memory Hall. It was a circular room with quotes on the wall and a flame in the middle. I lost it. Appropriately.

I gathered myself and headed to the Metro to get back for the dinner.

I got back in way more than enough time and took a leisurely shower, made some phone calls, and got ready. Let me say, when the government puts on a dinner, they do not mess around! Everyone cleaned up so nicely, all the State people were in suits, etc, and the place looked incredible! The Mexican team all sat together in three round tables in a room set for 400 or so. Our first speaker was ridiculously boring and non-applicable. Then it was time to eat, so we had delicious salmon with some sauce, crunchy green beans (which I like), and rice. We listened to the National Teacher of the Year, and she was much more interesting. She's from Jackson, Mississippi, so I listened intently, thinking of Kate. Then they released us for the dessert...and wine as well as a paying liquor bar. It seemed very strange to see alcohol at a "school function," but at the same time, seemed totally appropriate at a multi-cultural affair.

I met some people who are going to France from California who worked in Nashville for some time. The wife had taught at Overton while Dr. Hammond was principal, and the husband had worked at Channel 4. It was fun to talk to them. I also ate some very yummy things.

Two mood-ruiners. First, an elderly man whose son will be on exchange and he's traveling with him passed out and the ambulance (and fire trucks) had to come. Then, twenty minutes later, the fire alarm went off, so we evacuated. When we came back in from that, the party had simmered, so Team Mexico went to the bar to hang out. Again, forty minutes later, the alarm went off. We stayed put.

I finally came up to bed around 11, but Yuri and I stayed up yet again!

This morning, my alarm was set for 7 so I could go to breakfast at 7:30 and then jet over to the other hotel to hear Harry Wong at 8:15. At 7:52, Shania knocked on the door. I was still dreaming, so I was happy that Yuri was answering. Then I looked at the clock, bolted out of bed, threw on some clothes and make-up and SPRINTED to the elevator.

I was out of breath and tense when I arrived to the first floor, but was ecstatic to see many of my colleagues chilling at their table. I grabbed a quick bite, and we made it to the other hotel.

I picked up my complimentary copy of The First Days of School and sat. I was pumped to see Harry Wong. His wife, and co-author, came with him and she spoke for a few minutes. He spoke for three hours. It was interesting, common sense that we need to hear many times, and it was fun knowing it was actually the Harry Wong!!!

Then we broke for lunch...other hotel. Then we had a meeting about other Fulbright opportunities and such. Back to first hotel....meeting with each country to discuss specific classroom management strategies. Back to other hotel...discussion for all USians on how to teach your language somewhere else as well as Mexicans and Francophones for how to teach their language in the States. Back to Holiday Inn for dinner and free night.

I have been SCOURING craigslist looking for possible dwelling places for my darling new Mexican friend to no avail... Think very happy thoughts, and call your connections in East Nashville!

Perfect Match...Did you say match? Is there a fire?

Oh goodness!
So I got to the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, VA after a very cheap yet lengthy commute. I checked in and practically ran to the shower. I unpacked several things and got into one of many cute Target dresses and headed down to the ballroom for dinner at 5 (yikes!) and then meetings from 6-9. As I walk in, I immediately notice the family of four on the right. I was jealous of their opportunity. The kids are in immersion programs so already speak Spanish, but WOW! Then four other Americans on the left. It felt awkward at first as our group of 8 felt our way through the getting to know you small talk. Once our leaders arrived, there was more led conversation. We're all from different geographic areas as well as walks of life, so I was a bit uneasy and ready to meet Yuri. I also was hungry, having eaten brunch at 10:30 expecting dinner at 5:00 sharp! They told us we could play a game of seeing which American found his/her exchange partner first. I, of course, recognized Yuri immediately from the pictures we'd sent. She recognized me too and we were ready to hug and get talking, but had to stand in a circle until they asked if anyone knew who belonged to whom.

Finally we ran across the circle and hugged and got chatting right away! Yuri is here with two other women from Culiacan. They are both on one way exchanges because their counterparts backed out at the last minute (June). They are both elementary, so I adopted them too! Their names are Beatriz (Bay-ah-TREECE) and Shania (CHON-yah).

At that point (6ish), we had dinner together in another ballroom. It was fun speaking some Spanish and some English and figuring out who went with whom. I think it's been obvious for months, but it was visible that Yuri and I are a perfect match! She also told me at dinner that she had a room all to herself since her husband did not come to DC (he's coming to Nashville from Culiacan on Sunday) and that if I wanted to I could move in with her. I decided that was a great idea not only because we have so much to talk about relating to the upcoming year, but also because she's fun to be around and the more time I have with her the better. After August 26, I won't see her until Christmas (they can't leave the States once they're here), and then when she comes home for good in June 09.

I had planned on formal meetings from 6-9, so the informal, chatty dinner was a nice change. Around 7:45, some of the "USians" (the Spanish language has a name for us-people from the States- because there are more countries in America than us, but in English we have no such word...USians is a Fulbright addition to the dictionary) wanted to go for a walk and potentially end with a glass of wine. I'd been walking all weekend, as had my three partners in crime (remember Beatriz and Shania have no one, so I'm their counterpart, too!), so we opted to stay here.

We went back to the room and I talked on the phone a wee bit, but then Yuri signaled that she had some videos and pamphlets from Culiacan, to come over to the girls' room when I was finished. I got changed into my workout clothes and headed over there.

We stayed up talking until about 11. I watched the video, I heard stories, and I asked questions. Then Yuri and I looked on craigslist (still unsuccessfully) for housing in E'ville.

This was when I realized the teaching situations for Beatriz and Shania. Shania will be in an Immersion school which will be lots of work! Or she can choose to teach like I do to the English-speaking side of the school. Beatriz will be starting a program much like mine, though I doubt they will have it every day. All three teachers are very nervous about teaching Spanish since they never have before. So they had many questions for me.

Beatriz was falling asleep sitting up, so we left their room and came back to ours. We chatted with each other awhile. Then Yuri chatted on her computer with some friends back home while I ran on the treadmill. When I came back, she was still chatting, so I uploaded pictures, updated my blog, and took a shower. Then I had to blow dry so I could be presentable the following day!

Morning came so early. Primarily because after we turned off the lights at 1am, we kept talking!

We had breakfast at 8 and then sessions with lots of different people all day. The meeting part will not interest any of you. The basic rundown is that we will all have a breakdown (picture my one between my house and the Smiths' during the a/c issue) that will only be amplified by cultural differences. Even though we're language teachers and battle stereotypes and such on a daily basis, once we're living in the culture and working in the culture, our "USianism" will only get stronger and more pronounced.

We also discussed things like the Embassy and Consulates and when to call about different things. Which system to use to mail (FedEx to ensure it makes it). How to spend our educational material supplement. Which questions to ask our counterpart. ETC.

This was all morning and all afternoon. Sometimes together, sometimes separate. We broke for lunch together and then played mixer games to keep us awake (and also to prove some points) before the afternoon session.

When that was over (4:30ish), the Mexicans had to prepare for a cultural presentation, so I went up to our room and got some picture uploading/labeling done as well as starting to update my blog. The girls had decided they wanted to shop around Old Towne before dinner. At the other hotel, they had a sandwich bar for our dinner from 6-10 as well as registration. The Mexican teachers had already registered together earlier in the afternoon. They also were having a hard time adjusting to eating so early, so we decided we'd shop for a bit and then come back for registration and dinner.
When Yuri came back up from the meeting about the cultural presentation, she was exhausted and said she'd rather not go shopping. Did I mind? If only the girl knew how much I value sleep! I told her to nap as long as she wanted, and I'd be shopping with the other two. We walked around and found Gap Outlet. I ended up getting a dress and cardigan (the cardigan was a need because all the rooms are so cold...the dress, not so much a need!) for 20 bucks. Later in the night, Beatriz and Shania explained to me that shopping in Culiacan is much more expensive than here. That surprised me, but then I thought about it. Culiacan has many many things. I think most of the shopping they enjoy comes from US chains, so there is a hike on the prices. All I know is I'm glad to be justified in all my purchases this summer!
We met back up for dinner with Yuri at the other hotel, and I got registered. Since I had just seen all of DC, I decided to unregister for the tour. I wanted to get as much time as possible in the Holocaust Museum.

Our dinner was good, and by 9:00 I could've eaten literal crap and enjoyed it. I was very hungry not having eaten since 12. We invited 4 Colombian teachers and one of their daughters to sit with us. The conversation was very interesting. I had a hard time understanding three of them (well two of them, one didn't talk much), but the fourth spoke clearly and slowly and a lot! I enjoyed hearing about the positive things in Colombia and how there are many dangers, but just like any place you go. I also learned that the Mexican accent is the ideal one for actors. If they cannot speak with the Mexican accent, they will not make it in the entertainment business. Mexico is the Holywood of Latin America. Coming soon to a telenovela near you...Senorita Klapheke!

:)

After that, we rode the shuttle back to the hotel and promised ourselves we would go to sleep immediately. HA! I wanted to share my curriculum with Beatriz and Shania, so they came into our room and we all talked methodology and such for over an hour.

In the middle of a serious conversation, the fire alarm went off! We chose to ignore it for a minute. I said, "I'm sure this is a false alarm." Then I looked at my stuff and thought about my life and said, "I will not burn to the ground saying 'I'm sure this is a false alarm!'"

Out we went. Being teachers, we marched out the front door and across the street to wait an appropriate distance from the possible fire.

The firemen came, the alarm continued, and then they gave us the all clear.
When we got back to the room, Shania, whose second job is as coordinator for the SEP (Secretary of Primary Education- more or less like the Board of Ed.), told me that when I got to Culiacan, I would probably have three teaching options. Since all three of them came, but only one of me is going, I would get to choose. She actually ended up coming up with about 6 different options. Some of the University options seem like fun. That's how I will fill my time...more work. Since I will be the only native speaker in the city, they all want a piece of me!
Shania has better accommodations in her school: her own classroom, air conditioning, technology, etc. The school is also 5-10 minutes from Mabel's house. There are 55-60 kids in a class instead of 38 tops in Yuri's, but they're very well behaved. It seems semi-perfect. I am, however, hesitant. Something in my gut tells me to stick with Yuri's school. The thought of an "exchange" with Yuri, yet being at someone else's school seems strange. There are administrative issues about the materials I will bring and Yuri's school needing them and deserving them. I don't know. I know that Yuri loves her principal. I know from experience that that is very important. I may just wait and check it out when I get there and decide, but I think this is one of those make-it-with-your-gut decisions that I need to feel instead of think about. And no matter the outcome, it's only a year!

DC with Mom

Again, where to begin. I'm thankfully over the my-life-is-a-crisis mode. I'm still nervous about housing for Yuri because everything I find must be a one year lease, or it's too far from school, or it's too expensive, but I had to get over that because on Friday morning at 6am, Mom and I departed Nashville for DC. Forgetting that I had to park the car, we made it by the skin of our teeth (I think that's the phrase). We stood in line after line and walked up just in time to board in group A. I did see two people I knew in the airport in Nashville(Seth Lassiter and Bill Taylor for those of you LU or HH peeps), which is like yet unlike the rest of my family who seems to see random people in random places. I slept most of the flight and I think Mom slept some.
We landed in Baltimore, realizing sometime last week that I should've booked two one-way flights since the ticket is on Uncle Sam so I could've flown into Baltimore with Mom and out of Alexandria, near my Fulbright hotel.
Anyhow, we got to the Amtrack station in more than enough time for our train, but just a millisecond too late for the earlier one. We gobbled up some granola bars and boarded when it was time. I wish you could see Mom and me lugging all my bags. I had two checked bags, a backpack full of laptop and other necessities, and a Vera bag with my purse and more fruit than you'd need for a month's nutritional value! Add to that Mom's full-weight rolling checked bag and carry-on. We were struggling!
We set the bags in an open space and found seats facing the right direction. Kate called me from Reagan International Airport. Too bad we were in Maryland. She was on her way to Boston with Scott for a wedding. How funny would it have been to have seen each other in the airport in DC?!
We arrived at Union Station where we cabbed it to the Mayflower, a Rennaissance Hotel. Our room was amazing, with such fluffy white beds that were beckoning. We ignored their call, laced up our tennis shoes (well, I did...Mom's foot injury still requires Mephistos-gotta get another pair for myself!), and jetted out the door. Thanks to the not-so-helpful concierge, we walked several blocks more than necessary Friday. Our Metro stop was literally around the corner. She had us all over creation!
We saw the things west of the mall: the Washington monument, the WWII memorial, the Vietnam Vets' memorial, the cafe (incredible salads), and then the White House and Visitors' Center. From there, we went to the room and chilled for a bit before the Marines' show. We Metro'd to Chinatown, where our map showed the streets where the show should be. We split a fish n chips and broccoli and then found our true destination, at least 25 blocks away.
The Marine show was indescribable. Truly. I think of that commercial where the one marine does all the tricks with his gun. Times a thousand. If you're ever in DC on a Friday night, go and go early. Also get tickets (free). It was outstanding.
When we got back, I ellipticalled as well as hit a few yoga poses to stretch out my locked legs from all the walking. The next morning, Mom went to the fitness room while I looked at the under side of my sleep mask.
We had hotel breakfast and marched onward to our Tourmobile which took us all over the city. We saw the outside of the Capitol (because the tickets were all given out), the Botanic Gardens (not a typo and not sure why it's not Botanical), The Gallery of Art (grilled vegetable sandwich and cannoli) with the Matisse exhibit and lots of Picasso, Arlington including the changing of the Guard and the Kennedys' graves, major thunderstorm, and the Air and Space Museum. By then we had worked up an appetite! We rested our feet in the room and then asked Ronnie, the much more helpful nighttime concierge, for a suggestion for dinner. Our preferences were Italian or seafood. He called the Italian place asking for reservations for two...in Italian. Unfortunately, they were booked. In the middle of a sentence, he remembered another place and called. Coast DC. We were highly under dressed, but no one was ugly about it. I got two comments on my Boston cap and had to disappoint by admitting to not being an actual fan. Oh well.
I had three of the most gigantic and perfectly cooked scallops you've ever seen, on top of risotto cooked in wilted spinach with a glass of some pretty amazing Pinot Grigio sharing asparagus with Hollandaise sauce with Mom. She got Hallibut on top of yummy mashed potatoes and and Portabello mushroom. We didn't have room for dessert; we ordered it anyway. I got chocolate pound cake with some sort of caramel drizzle that they poured on top in front of me and almond ice cream. Mom had a banana chocolate chip ice cream sandwich with cherry something or other.
It was the perfect ending to a great day.
We waddled back to the hotel and I did not hit the fitness room!
Sunday we got up around 9ish and I got my bags packed to change hotels later in the afternoon. We had a reservation for brunch at 10:30 and headed that way. Another fantastic meal! We sat outside in this quaint, sweet hotel/inn. Mom had a crab quishe and I had an almond waffle with mixed berry compote.
More waddling.
We wanted to check out the Museum of Natural History, where Mom snagged some treasures for Turner, and then see the Afghanistan room at the Art Gallery. Something we read made us want to go back and see it.
In the interest of time, we cabbed it back to the Mayflower and then bought a replacement pair of sunglasses from Filene's Basement right next to the hotel, as my $5 pair-and new favorites- from H&M Chicago broke from falling off my head and to the ground. RIP great sunglasses.
Then we began the wild goose chase. In the interest of dinero (saving a $40 taxi ride when I'll have to do that Thursday anyway), Mom lugged aforementioned baggage to the Metro which we rode for 8 or 9 stops and then waited with me at the airport for the hotel shuttle to my Holiday Inn in Alexandria.
Metro ticket to Reagan Int'l Airport- $1.35
Shuttle from airport to Holiday Inn- $4 in tip money
Knowing I sweated, walked about 4 blocks with two rolling suitcases, and rode 3 different vehicles to save $35? Priceless.

Brokedown Palace/Condo, Brokedown Laura

Where, oh where to begin???? Let's just hit ya with the big one: I had a breakdown last night. The big kind. With tears. And sucking-in breathing. And splotchy face. And next-day swollen, alien eyes. Not pretty.

Let's set the stage...

Monday night, I decided to go to trivia with Megan's crowd. It was a great idea. I had a really good time, answered the fashion question (Last week I answered the history one- that's right folks, history! Thanks, Coach Jones!) and just chilled. At Megan's before we left, I got an email from Childcare Solution about a job opening. I pondered, even asked Megan, "Should I take this and make some money or should I leave a day completely free to get ready for DC? Odds are my air conditioner is broken because our house is hottish...I'll just take it." Megan tried to talk me out of it at first, but we both realized I'm finished with things at Lockeland. Anything undone at this point in time will easily be remedied in the two days without students.

So...

While at trivia, where you are NOT allowed to even show your cell phone (you could be cheating to get the answers) I was expecting a call from Yuri from Chicago. She called- from a payphone, but since I was on vibrate and did not want to get my highly competitive team disqualified or docked points, I ran out. Well, I missed her. But I called the number right back in hopes that she was not using a phone card; she wasn't. We talked for about 45 minutes. Here I am, on the sidewalk across from the Green Hills Kroger, jabbering away in Spanish. Toward the end, she converted to English, so that was good. I absolutely despise speaking Spanish in the States and in front of people, but I did it and am so excited to meet her Sunday! She's precious!

Okay, so also that morning, I had found out that my temporary housing for Yuri for the first month while we continue looking had fallen through. Keep that on the back burner.

Get back to my house, bound and determined that the air conditioner will have fixed itself. (Channelling CW) It hadn't, but wasn't miserable, so I was holding out hope.


Ashley and I sweated through the night pun intended and the next morning, she decided to pack up Macy (her parents’ poodle that we’re keeping while they’re in Florida) and head to her parents’ house for her getting-ready-for-work scenario. I, on the other hand, decided just to babysit dirty. I was very dirty by this point. I’ll spare you the details. I babysat out in Franklin and we spent some time at the pool in the afternoon. I at least got rinsed off. I was happy with that by then. I leave babysitting at 5:30 in order to get back to Ashley’s parents’ house to prepare dinner for Emily and Stephen. Emily and Stephen are some of my favorite people (and I’m not just testing to see if they’re reading). Emily is the friend I have in Nashville that I’ve had the longest. We were roommates at Governor’s Scholars Program in Kentucky the summer of 1998. Wow. Ten years. Kinda just realized that. I remember thinking last year it would be ten years we’d known each other. So we’re good buddies. She went to Vandy while I was at Lipscomb but we managed to see each other an average I think of once a year in Nashville. Now that she and Stephen live here, we have monthly dinner dates. Ashley started coming along a little over a year ago and now two of Emily’s three sisters live here and they come, too!
Thankfully at home, strike that, the Smiths’ home, Ashley was following my cooking instructions via cell phone. The potatoes were baking the first go-round and the pork had just started cooking when I walked in. I got to it with the twice-baked conglomerate (?) that would be mixed with the actual potato part much later.
Basically, it all went off without a hitch and as usual, the Prathers and Mulloys were overly complimentary and I can’t even put into words how much I love our little get togethers. We have one more and I’m sad thinking about it. But that’s not the tears part.
So, they leave, but Emily has so graciously given me some of her mint plant. At some point last fall, we went to their house and sipped on mint tea while Emily prepared dinner. We loved it so much that we asked if we could have some mint. At 9:15 pm Tuesday night, I’m headed back to Yorkshire Circle to pack my yoga bag for the next day as well as get my pillows, clothes and shower stuff for our slumber party at the air-conditioned Smiths’. As I head north on 65, I call Megan (the other Spanish teacher and Yuri’s mentor while I’m gone) and vent about life. Air, living out of my car, my messy house, my unpacked DC suitcase, etc. She asks me if I’m crying and I’m not, but I’m definitely not in a good mood. I stay on the phone with her as I’m “packing my bags” for the sleepover…
My house is still hot, so I have to get over the hopes of magical a/c. Add to that I’m on my phone and the heat from my phone’s overuse at this point is making me hotter. It was bad. I go out back to plant my mint in full sun. Well, my light for my backyard is a motion-sensor light. After I turned it on and got my shovel and walked the three steps to the future home of mint, the light went out. So I try again. Nope. I’m too scared of the snake that happens to show itself in my backyard occasionally to try this in the dark. So I get the bright idea of the front garden. My right garden is gorgeous: petunias, hostas, lilies, etc. It’s nice. The left side is unloved. There is one coral bell plant that Amanda brought me from her mom’s house in Glasgow I think that I love, but its flowers are thin so from the walkway you can’t really see it. Other than that, my hostas came back more like pansies this year and there’s nothing else. This seems like a decent place for some mint. My front porch light, big shocker, does not shed light on this side of my garden. By now it’s approaching 10 pm and I am super-annoyed. I just stick the shovel in the dirt in the dark and hope for the best. Note: it’s not perfect, but it’s in the ground and no choral bells were injured in the process. Thank goodness for two days of storms to acclimate it to the garden because I for one have not been home enough to deal with it.
So there’s Tuesday. Enter the ride home. I’m still on the phone with Megan walking out of my house, hot, tired, and muddy-handed. I’m beyond perturbed at this point and have only what matters in life: yoga clothes and pillows. That’s right; no toothbrush, shower stuff, pjs, or anything that I had truly gone home for. I don’t care at this point. I want out of the house and I don’t want to have to pay thousands of dollars to be comfortable in it the next time I return.
On 65 southbound, I call Ashley and we chat for a few and then I vent and whine and then I get silent. Ashley, having heard this (not often, but) enough, knew I was crying and tried to help. There’s no help to be given. I have no home for Yuri, I have no air in my home, I have thousands of things in my car (it literally looked like a homeless person’s home), I have very few free minutes before take-off to DC for a week where I need to be prepared to prepare Yuri for life in her homeless Nashville. AHHHHH!!!!!! DO you feel me at least a little? I’m a procrastinator by nature. I’m fairly certain my whole clan is. I know Andy is and I think PK is. Anyhow, I’m used to things boiling down to the last minute. But I’m also used to that being because I haven’t done my part until then. I have been looking for houses for her since MAY. And I most certainly did not ask to have my air break down.
I just felt so helpless. Looking back, it’s so stupid, but I just really couldn’t see a happy ending anywhere. I don’t like that feeling and plan on not having it again (although if I’m leaving for Mexico on August 26, I’m envisioning somewhere around the 20th)!
At the Smiths’, I had a great night’s rest. I rose promptly at 5:20 am to hit 6 o’clock yoga to steady my mind (and to feel like I could eat all I had eaten on Tuesday)! Yoga was amazing. I felt much better, I had a list of things to do for the day, starting with leave yoga to go to the UPS pick-up center to pick up the camera I ordered. I know many of you know that I already have two cameras. My Kodak that I’ve had for at least two years is amazing, but too big for my purse. This spring, I bought a small camera for my purse using gift cards I earned for doing a project at school. Well, this camera is TERRIBLE. It’s really awful. No picture has good enough quality to print larger than a wallet. True story. Just look on my uploaded pictures from February on. So I’m going to eBay that beauty.
I digress.
I pick up my camera and head back to the Hades-esque condo I call come. Thankfully, Ashley’s dad is always super-helpful when I comes to Laura’s crises in Nashville. Ashley was texting him when I bought my car so he could do research to see if I was paying too much (I wasn’t) as one example. He told her who they used for their heat/air problems. She gave me that number and I put it on my list of things to do.
Next on the agenda is pack for the day of babysitting. This family was the one I had had to ask Megan if I should take it. They’re a hard family to sit for, not because it’s challenging, but because they watch tv all day. There’s no creativity, no conversation, nothing. There are three tvs on in the house at all times. However, it was a 9-5 job, so I would make substantial money and I had finished stuff at school. So I did it. Since the two boys take care of themselves with tv as well as napping for over 3 hours, I took my laptop to work on things and my new camera to get it going and my planner to get the air people called, my flight (finally) booked, and such. Their house is in a cell black hole, so I called the company, and Ashley from the house phone. They told me it would be 3:00 easy before they made it there. I had left my key hidden, but I told Ashley and she said she’d meet them there. Megan had also offered to sit in our blazing (106.7 any Nashvillians feel me?) house and work on her homework for her Masters. I’m pretty sure if I’m doing homework in the summer, the last place I want to do it is someone else’s unairconditioned house in the heat of the day.
Ashley met them there at 11. By 12:45 she had to leave to let Macy (poodle) out at her parents’. The guy calls me on babysitting house phone to tell me he’ll be leaving but other guy is coming blah blah blah blah. All I’m thinking is time is ticking and hours are costing me more and more. He informs me they won’t know the price til later, but 150 for the call itself, plus hourly fee, plus $23 per liter or whatever and he thought it would hold ten. So we’re already at 400 bones and they’re still there. By 5 when I leave I have yet to hear from them. Fearful for my ever-depleting Mexico fund, I walk in and see the house is empty and there’s a work notice. “Leak in copper [something-or-other] caused by roofing nails plus 9L [Freon].” Nice. My house is cooling off as we speak, and the roofers (whole other story) who re-roofed my house on Monday, had caused the damage. Therefore, sir conditioning is not my problem. Money is not my problem. Babysitting money I made this week will not go to part of a service call. Life is good.
I attacked my list of things to do and got packed for DC save for toiletries and things I would need between Wednesday and Friday. I also got some laundry done as well as some tidying.
I’m still stressed, as Yuri is still homeless. However, things are better. For example, I am writing this as I babysit my new favorite family. I’m sad that I only met them last week because they’ve been in Nashville for two years and now I’m leaving for a year. Anyhow, it’s not everyday that you find a babysitting job where you really like the kids, really like the parents, and the feeling is mutual. They seem to be really neat people. And considering all the headache I’ve gone through this week, I’m limiting my post-DC babysitting gigs to them. There are four kids. 3 boys and a baby girl. I’m at home with the napping baby right now while Mom is at a movie with the boys.
Oh! And I just talked to Wright Travel and Debbie is going to take care of me. I’m basically set. Now all I have to do is be oriented, visit all family members possible, clean out Grandmother’s garage for car storage, pack and clean my house for Ashley2 to move in.
Thanks for reading. Hope your life is not stressing you out right now. Soon, in the 4.5 hour days of school season, my life won’t be either.
Love and hugs.
PS- think happy house thoughts. I need a place for Yuri and it just totally seems to not be happening!

Oh, Atlanta!

...to quote one of my faves, Alison Krauss, to whom I am currently listening in order to calm my nerves. I spent a year in Atlanta last Friday. It was crazy. On my list of things to do before DC was "pick-up Visa from Mexican Consulate in Atlanta" and it had been there for about a week and a half. I had been trying to plan a time I could go when I could stay overnight if the need arose. Well, I guess I had forgotten that planning because I decided I'd go Friday morning and be back Friday night to go to Lime, a new-ish restaurant near Vandy, with the teachers. I knew it would be a long day, but I was going to just get it done.
I got up at 6:30 in order to leave by 7. The website said the office was open from 8am-12:30pm Eastern time. Mind you, I had tried to call the consulate as well as email for weeks. No answer, only voicemail, and no response to emails; I was frustrated. Duh. I also read that you needed an appointment. How am I supposed to get an appointment exactly if no one will answer my calls?! So I got up in time to make it to the office around noon Altanta time. Of course as soon as I pull out it starts POURING. Not just raining, but POURING. So I have to go closer to the speed limit than I wanted for this trip. Not to mention I was driving 24 and going through Monteagle at one point which requires care on a sunny day. Long story short on the ride down there, I got nervous I would miss my time frame, but made it with an hour to spare. Thanks Bewley for the up-to-the-minute time guestimates.
I pull into the Consulate (note: the mapquest directions failed to include one the the necessary streets on the "To" directions. Luckily, I had checked the return directions and saw the error or I could've been all OVER some Atlanta ghetto. Though I'm sure if I've ever been to Atlanta with Mom, I'd already seen it!
:) Love you!
So I pull in and all spaces are reservada and I'm nervous about a ticket, but more nervous about not getting a Visa, so I just park. I know, I am such a rebel in my adulthood! HA!
I see many many Mexicans over to the right of the building, children running around, etc. But I go up to the front door that has a push-button thing to page someone from within. This woman comes out, I ask her what I need to do and she sends me around back to talk to a police officer. Awesome. Luckily, she told me to walk right up to him or I would've waited in line and there were literally hundreds of people waiting and little did I know they all had appointments, etc. So here I am, the American girl, passing everyone, walking right up to the Mexican man in security garb and he walks me right in. I felt terrible. But I suppose not terrible enough to not go! So I walk into this woman's office, tell her what i need and she starts flipping through all kinds of forms. My mind, of course is screaming at me "You needed an appointment! Your paperwork isn't in there because they knew you weren't coming!"
She found it.
We took my picture, my digital fingerprints, and she took my passport.
She comes back, tells me it'll be ready between 2 and 5. Right. So which one lady? I tell her I'm from Tennessee and how will I know which time? She has my cell and will call, but in my mind, I don't want to sit around Atlanta for five more hours waiting on a Visa when I've just sat in my car for 4 and will have to return to Nashville in Atlanta's Friday afternoon at 5pm traffic. No, gracias. So I tell her I'll just come back next week. At this point I can stop in the outlets in Calhoun (I need another Polo sweater, right? For those cool winter evenings int he Mexican desert!), and still make it back to Nashville to take a yoga class before meeting the girls for dinner. So I text/call several people with the plans and head on my way. I'm getting off the loop and onto 75N when Bewley calls suggesting I stay and bum around Atlanta til they call and if it's 5:00 I can stay with her best friend from college who just happens to live within walking distance of the Consulate. Trick is, I have to pick up Mom and Jack at the airport the next day and I had already seen signs for weekend construction... So I truck on. Then I have a change of heart. $100 more on gas next week is a frustrating thought, so I pull off the interstate, call Bewley and ask her to take care of that possibility. Done.
Now, enters my paranoid mind... I told the lady I would be back next week. Does that mean she won't call me? Does that mean I won't be a priority? So I jet back to the Consulate to tell her I'll be waiting for her call. Closed. Her office that is, but the officer listens to my story and responds, "Okay" as I hand him my name and phone number. I realize he hasn't understood me, so I re-tell, this time in Spanish. It was rough and listening to him speak so quickly and mumbly (I know it's not a word) made me very excited to get down there. I feel like I'll never sound like that and that it'll still be hard for me to understand them even after ten months, but I know that's just me being hypercritical of myself.
I left my number, headed to Perimeter Mall and popped into Old Navy. I figured I had 4 hours left to kill so I tried on everything I saw. Only one dress I liked and it was $20 and PERFECT for Lime, so I got it as I received the call from my lady at the Consulate. She has it ready (1:50pm) but unfortunately will be on lunch from 2-3 and the building will be closed and locked. I was really bummed because I could be gone in less than an hour if she could just wait 15 minutes. She couldn't, but she did tell me where they were eating lunch (not very well- she didn't know the name of the restaurant or the street, but I got there!!!). I met here there, she gave me my stuff after she manually fingerprinted me and I was on my way!
I called Bewley's friend and told her I would not need her Inn services that night but thanks so much for the offer and headed back North. I even made it in time to shower before donning my new dress to dinner- which was all Spanish or Hispanic themed! It was delish. Anyone in the Nashville area ready to drop a buck or two on some GREAT food, Lime is the place!
The weekend was good since Ashley, who in her part-time semesters was my voluntary Lockeland slave, came to school with me to help me cover my tables. I'll post pics soon. They make my room happy. Don't be fooled; I did little of the work. Ashley gets all the credit. MIL GRACIAS!
And I also had some great yoga classes to ease my mind. Which was good because now it is all distressed again looking for housing. As usual, there are several possibilities, yet no certainties. Cross your fingers! My deadline is...THIS FRIDAY!
Mom and I leave for DC this Friday at 6am for a few days of bebopping around the city before my orientation starts on Sunday. I'll actually meet Yuri then. I'll have lots of pictures and surely some stories from that trip.
Shout-out to Julia- this one was for you!
;)