Chew and then swallow!

November 8, 2010

Nothing really big happened today. Got to work and asked Jan about my schedule since there's two hour chunks of time missing in my morning shift and she just told me that I needed to come up and ask her where to go because she is going to be training staff members this week. Really had a boring morning except for lunch. We had these biscuits for lunch that they didn't cut in half, so the kids were seriously cramming their mouths full. Well, Jordan started coughing and then sounded like he was gagging. Asley told him to drink some milk, but he kept gagging, so I raised his arms over his head and hit his back over and over and over and, thirty terrifying second later, he puked all over the table. Well played. Wow.

There was no baby today, so Yailin was extra, which meant that I actually got some help this afternoon, which was a nice change of pace.

After work, I talked to Darrick, ate dinner, discovered that Erin ate moldy spaghetti sauce, watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy and now it's time for bed. Super happy I finished reading Mockingjay yesterday. 

Things I learned today:

1. Biscuits need to be cut in half.

Lazy, but productive Sundays!

November 7, 2010

Woke up at 3 to turn off The Holiday that I fell asleep to last night and checked internet to see if Darrick had gotten back to me about getting online when he got home from work, but there was no response, so I just went back to bed and got up at 10. And then my day started and can be summed up in the following list: Shower, laundry, vacuum, write blogs, post blogs, play around on picnik.com, discover that Ann and Duane want to go to Ireland with us, eat waffles for lunch, eat Mac and Cheese and a plum for dinner, watch How I Met Your Mother, have Never Been Kissed playing in the background, write two professional logs for homework, write Darrick a postcard and Thanksgiving letter and watch an episode of Grey's. Yep that was my entire day.

Good night all!

Chinese Chop stix!

November 6, 2010

Woke up and got ready to go and get some lunch at the tavern of Duane's choice. As we were driving to get off base, we drove by Ann's car and discovered that a pair of her underwear was sitting on the ground and had been out there all night. We then stopped to take a picture in front of the super secret giant balls on base and then drove into Aynho. Arriving at the hotel bar that we were going to eat at, we discovered that they didn't serve lunch for another twenty minutes, so we went and walked around. We found these old stocks that they used in the 18th century and then found this old wooden gate that was opened next to a stone wall with a little wheelbarrow next to it. Deciding it was the perfect place to take pictures, we goofed around and took some senior photos and couple pictures, which was a ton of fun,

Continuing on, I had the bright idea to try and take some jumping pictures with the leaves in the air. We probably tried to get a good picture for a good half hour before we finally gave up, but got some really adorable fall pictures. 

Went back to the bar and saw a wedding party leaving for the wedding, which was so cute. The bride was beautiful, her father so cute and the car all bedazzled. Had the most amazing club sandwich and fries that had the perfect potato to crispness ratio. Yummy!

We then decided we'd go in to Milton Keynes later to see a movie, but that we needed a power nap first. Remembering that the commissary isn't open on Sundays and Mondays though, Duane took a nap and us girls went to the grocery store. Got to talk to Darrick for a little bit before we headed out to Milton Keynes. 

In typical fashion for the weekend, we got to the theater only to discover that the movies they had shown on their website were not actually playing. We then popped over to the mall, but the shop that has the pjs and slippers I want was again closed. Ended up going to eat dinner at Wagamama's where they tried to teach me how to use chop sticks. I just suck.

Then we drove to the park where there was a firework display, but wound up getting there just as it was ending. 

Got home and talked to my mom for a few hours on Skype until my internet totally cut out for the night. LAME. Now I'm going to watch The Holiday and probably pass out in 15 minutes.

Things I learned today:

1. "White rice" and "Little Horhouse" (an actual town in England) make good porn names.

2. Tiny towns called Aynho have perfect scenery and props for amazing fall photographs!

3. Hotel bars in Aynho make the best club sandwiches and fries with the perfect combination of potatoe and crispness!

4. When eating noodles, just bend over and put it in your mouth. - Advice from Duane and I that we didn't realize sounded dirty until after we said it. Haha!!!

5. I cant use chop stix. Still.

A series of unfortunate events!

November 5, 2010

The morning went pretty quick. Ashley and I talked during nap time and she's totally willing to let us use her place for our going away party in December and I mentioned that we were thinking of making it an ugly Christmas sweater party and I guess they do a naughty Santa party each year, so we're just going to combine the parties. Sweet!

On my lunch break, I went and checked the mail to see if my box had showed up from my mom. It hasn't. Then I went to the ATM to pull out some pounds and dollars. It gave me the pounds, but no dollars, so I was freaking out and had to go back and get internet, so that I could check and make sure that they didn't charge me and just not give me the money. Luckily they didn't. Erin and I decided to spoil ourselves on our break by buying milkshakes since it has been such a hellacious week. 

Went back to work and had an absolutely terrible afternoon. Willie bit me and when I was changing more poopie diapers after I'd already done all of the 2 hour diaper changes, Latoya called down and said, "Ummm, Hillary. Can you make sure the kids stop running" in her typical bitchy tone. Annoyed that I was changing diapers by myself and already asking the kids to stop running, I bitchily replied, "I'm trying, but I'm also trying to change diapers by myself." I have an idea. Why don't you stop staring at the cameras for a second to walk the ten steps to my classroom and get the kids to stop running since my hands are obviously tied. 

After work, Erin and I rushed home and got ready, but Duane and Ann ended up being an hour and a half late. Jumping in the car, we went to Bicester North train station to discover that the trains weren't running, so we'd have to take the buses. From experience, Erin and I know that would take us probably three hours to get to London, so we decided to drive to Oxford's train station. Once we got there, we tried to follow signs to long-term parking, but couldn't find the elusive parking garage. Ended up finding another, but when we saw that it was between 22 and 29 pounds to park it overnight, we decided it was too expensive. It was already getting late and it was expensive, so we opted to just cut our losses, pay for our hostel since we'd already booked it and just stay in Oxford.

Then the fun began. Deciding that we'd look up pubs in the GPS, each of us picked a pub to go to. I went first and tried to find the funniest sounding pub, so I ended up picking "The Bear and Rugged Staff" in Cumnor. Arriving, we realized it was more of a 4-star restaurant, so we all ordered half a pint of beer and then split a really delicious thai pizza. When we were leaving, we discovered that the bar was attached to the restaurant and we just didn't know it. Whoops. 

Next it was Erin's turn and she picked The Eagle and Child, which was the bar that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein used to go to to write. They had their favorite booth there where they would sit and talk and write. Bought a Snake Bite for Erin and I and this really nice English girl showed us where the straws were because, if we drank them without one, it would dye our lips red. Nice call. Found a table in the back of the pub where we sat around having hilarious conversations and getting made fun of by the really annoying group of teenagers behind us. Then again, we did pull out oil sheets to take away the shine from our faces, so we kind of deserved it. ha ha

Then it was Ann's turn to pick our third location. She is notorious for picking places that don't exist or are closed, but we decided she'd break the streak. Her first pick, Turf Taven, we couldn't find. Then she picked the The Lamb and Flag, which was literally across the street from The Eagle and Child, so we knew it existed. However, as we pulled up, they closed their curtains. Deciding third time would be the charm, she picked the White Forest, but, when we parked, we ended up going into Youngs, which was not the bar she had picked, so, in essence, her bad luck streak continues.

Heading into Youngs, which was absolutely packed, we went down to the bathroom, which was quite possibly the most foul smelling place I have ever had to pee in. Erin got a pretty good Tribute beer, but, when I went to order the same thing, I was informed that her beer was the last one. So, the bartender gave me his second choice, which I was not a fan of. Stood around and talked for awhile and then, randomly, a bartender came around shouting that we had two minutes to get out, which made us think the cops were coming or something, but, no, it was just because they were closing. Annoyed that we still had half a beer left and no warning, we just stole the pint glasses and walked out. ha ha

Then we decided we were out of time for Duane to pick his spot, so we drove around, looking for a place to buy beer, but nowhere was still serving. Bummer. Did stop in a gas station to pee, which had birds chirping in the bathroom. Totally weird. Bought some chips and a candy bar for dinner and came home. Duane and Ann went to bed and Erin and I stayed up and talked to the boys for a little bit. Taking a few minutes longer than normal to respond, I ended up crashing for 45 minutes on Darrick who had already left by the time I woke up. Whoops! Now it's time for Erin and I to cuddle up on my twin bed because Ann and Duane are sharing hers. Good times.

Funny quotations from the night:

1. "You didn't blow up parliament!" - a song I made up and sang repeatedly on the drive to Oxford.

2. "The power of the vag." - the name of our theory for how women get whatever they want.

3. A Snake Bite is half beer, half cider and a splash of red liquor. Pretty good.

Things I learned today:

1. Gas station stores close, but they have walk-up windows where you can still buy stuff. Kind of strange.

2. College town bars are only open until midnight! Lame.

3. Oxford train station is HUGE.

4. Erin likes to talk in British accents when she gets tipsy in a car! LOL

The British love Black Eyed Peas!

November 4, 2010

On the walk to work this morning, Erin and I saw an old British guy dancing in his car to Black Eyed Peas, which totally made us bust out laughing. Then, walking a little further, we saw an old British man running across base, which made us laugh again. Must've been God's way of knowing we needed a little laughter before work.

Relatively boring morning rotating among the rooms. Spent two hours in the baby room, so it was kind of peaceful. My afternoon also was not terrible because Willie got picked up early, which made the afternoon so much nicer. It's amazing how one kid can seriously change the entire dynamic of your classroom.

Came home and talked to Darrick while I did laundry. Packed for tomorrow and wrote Darrick the most adolescent letter I could possibly come up with, which was complete with bright heart stickers, different colors of ink, the worst love poem I could possibly muster (something about how his eyes shine like tinfoil at midnight, his touch feels like Poprocks on my tongue and his love makes blind people see) and so forth. Talked a little bit more even though internet kept cutting out and now it's time for bed. Good night all!

Two-year-old Terrors!!!!

November 3, 2010

LeNell came and helped me for the hour I'm in the yellow room in the morning and, at the end of the hour, she came up and gave me a hug and said, "I'm sorry." I guess she finally realized how hellacious that room is. Went in the baby room with Tristan who cried for the entire half hour and then went to the preschool room where I was playing musical chairs with the kids, but Jan kept coming in, telling me what to do. I think she could tell I was annoyed because she apologized and said she was just coming in when it looked like I needed help. Well, why do you come and help me with the preschoolers who actually listen instead of helping me in the toddler room?

On my break, I e-mailed Darrick and started to look up things for Ireland.

Went back to work and, while I was changing a diaper, I realized that Jacob might have pink eye. Luckily, Yana came in and noticed it too, so I asked her if she could buzz up front and let them know. When Jo came in to check on Jacob, Johnny was playing at the sink and fell backwards, hitting his head. Trying to apply ice to his head, Willie and Alex, terrors that they are, began throwing toys across the room, so I ended up having Sara hold the ice to Johnny's head while I stopped Alex and Willie. It was seriously the most stressful half hour ever. 

Came home and talked to Darrick for fifteen minutes most of which was spent trying to get back on the internet. Erin and I did book everything for Ireland though and all for under 400 dollars. Super stoked! Now it's time for bed. 

Things I learned today:

1. If you stay three nights at the hostel we picked in Cork, Ireland, you get a free day tour. Sweet!!!!

The floodgates have opened...

November 2, 2010

Had a relatively easy morning with the exception of Willie and Jacob opening the door when we were in the mini-gym and running down the hallway. It was seriously ridiculous because I came out in the hallway to yell at them to come back, Erin opened her door to tell them to come back and Jeanette, who works at the front desk, was just looking at me while she talked to her fucking husband on her cell phone DURING work. Get off your ass and come help me. Seriously. Thank God Yana came back early from her lunch, so she brought Willie back to me, but I was seriously pissed off. 

On my lunch break, I e-mailed Darrick and FINALLY got my letter that he sent like 3 weeks ago. 

Had a decent afternoon. Tried to just keep them as busy as possible. Came home and discovered that I can't talk to Darrick for long on Thursday, which kind of just made my bad week even worse because I don't have that to look forward to. Started crying for the second night in a row. I've just hit my wall here and it's time for me to go home. But, bless Erin, she brought me a cookie, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, a caramel and a thing of tissues on a plate with a Cherry Pepsi to cheer me up. She's the best. 

Spent the evening editing photos and watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother before I went to bed. 

Things I learned today:

1. Mail can get lost for three weeks at a time!

Nightmares.

November 1, 2010

Had a really uneventful day today. Didn't have to yell at kids and they really weren't that terrible today. All of my kids were gone by 4:45 except Alex, so was pretty low key. I could use more days like these!

Came home, talked to Darrick for a little bit, which was not a good talk at all because I was in a bad mood and he was stressed out and we're not getting to talk more than 15 minutes a night this week because of the time change. Photoedited pictures for a little bit, watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy and cried for awhile. Now it's time for bed. Good night all.

Dreams I had last night: (My dreams are always way more vivid when I'm abroad for some reason.)

Erin and I went camping with my family and we decided that we were going to go on a walk. We wound up in the middle of the woods and decided that we were lost, so we stopped at the lone house in the woods (amazing idea, right?) to see if we could borrow the phone. The guy was a short, middle-aged man with no hair. He was very gracious and let us come inside, but, before we knew it, he'd knocked both of us unconscious. When I woke up, he had Erin and I tied down to a hospital bed with all of these random tubes stuck in our arms. We asked what was going on and he told us that he was trying to tenderize us, so that he could eat us. Laying in bed, I tried to formulate a plan and decided that my best option was to simply ask to go to the bathroom. He let me up and I did my thing, but, when I was walking back to the room, he dragged me down the hallway adjacent to the room where Erin was still strapped to the bed. (Warning: This is where it gets REALLY weird and I'm NOT making this up!) I am standing so my back is to him and he's behind me when he bites into the back of my shoulder, which, when I look at it, looks like chicken when it's been cooked. I freak out and try to run away, but he rips off my arm and then I jolted myself awake.

Girl's day of shopping!

October 31, 2010

Woke up at 5:30 this morning and have no idea why. I was sound asleep and then, all of a sudden, I was wide awake. Got on internet and got to talk to Darrick for a few hours via e-mail, which was a nice surprise since we didn't get to talk much this weekend. Wasn't very productive all day because I got up late and there was the whole time change thing, which puts me 7 hours difference between me and Oregon, which screws up our talk times. 

Ann picked us up and we went shopping in Milton Keynes where there is a HUGE mall. Ate lunch at Burger King and I bought two scarves, a hat and a pair of cheap flip flops to wear around. Came home and went Trick-or-Treating with Yana for all of about ten minutes. Connor's mom was with them and she asked if we were at the party last night. We replied, "Yes" and then she was like, "So, where do you guys work?" Umm.. We work at the CDC with your son. WOW.

Went over to Yana's after and had some homemade chicken noodle soup and watched some of The Holiday (Yana's favorite movie that Erin and I have now watched 20 times all the way through and Yana hasn't - haha) and the tail end of The Devil Wears Prada.

Came home, ate while we watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother, e-mailed Darrick, made a video of Erin and I dancing and then captioned photographs. Now it's time for some glorious shut eye. Good night!

Things I learned today:

1. The longer fruit stays on the trees in the fall is an indication of a more severe winter... Looks like England is in for a severe winter! 

19th century cemeteries!

October 30, 2010

Slept in and went to the commissary to do some grocery shopping and then decided that we wanted beer for our Halloween celebration, so we walked over to the shopette and bought some beer. Came home, ate lunch and then decided to go on a walk into Croughton, so that we could see the town a little more intimately than just a drive through. Got caught in a 5 minute downpour and then began the trecherous walk there since there is no lip on the road and English people drive really fast, we stuck to the grass.

Got to Croughton and just looked around. Erin found a little path that had an open gate. It looked inviting enough, so we walked down, not really knowing what we'd find. Turns out it was a 19th century cemetery with the newest gravestones from the 1920's. So surreal that we found this on Halloween weekend.

Walked back home and started to get ready for the festivities. Yana and Camilla surprise us by stopping by, but then they left to go and pick up Alicja and just never came back. Luckily, Yailin came over and, deciding everyone had bailed as usual, we went over to Yailin's house where we had some dinner (she makes REALLY good pasta) and then we all got ready to go to the Halloween party across the street. The party ended up having everyone we possibly knew there - Jack, Zafar, Blayne, Connor's mom (daycare kid), Stacia, Juan, Alan (who did my CAC card and told me I looked like a "sheet" the first time I met him), Ashley and her husband. Didn't really drink much since Erin was drinking, but had a great time catching up with friends and watching everyone else get plastered out of their mind.

Came home and Erin was ridiculously drunk. She was having a one-sided conversation in the shower and started singing a long that went like this: "My face isn't washed and my boobies aren't covered." ha ha So glad I was sober to listen to it. 

Anyway, it is now time for bed, so good night!

Things I learned today:

1. Miracle Whip is still disgusting!

2. Tuna from a packet isn't bad and there is no mess from the can!

3. Sometimes the things that are unplanned are the best things. :)

Costume Photo shoot!

October 29, 2010

Had a fairly uneventful morning except for the fact that I got yelled at twice. Once, I was out on the playground and Sara, who was sick yesterday and saw me for the first time, wanted me to hold her. So, of course, I picked her up and was just playing around with her when Jan came out and told me I had to put her down because she "didn't want my back to get hurt." Umm. You told me I wasn't allowed to carry the preschoolers. Sara is a toddler. Why don't you figure out some consistency in your rules. Then, the second time I got yelled at even though it WAS NOT my fault, was becuase Tasha, the social butterfly at the center, follows me around on the playground to talk to me. I always back away, but she's always close. So, of course, when I walk inside, Jan stops me to tell me that I need to enforce the 10-foot rule where all staff members are at least ten feet apart. When I told her that I always walk away, she told me it was my responsibility to tell Tasha to go play with another group of kids at least ten feet from me. I have an idea! Why don't you tell her that since she is your employee and will be there long after I leave? Grrr...

Jo made us these adorable pumpkin spice cupcakes with little spiders on top (I know, right? Who would've thought she'd be a baker!) and Jan gave each staff member a bag of Halloween candy, which was really sweet of them. Went to the post office and still haven't gotten my letter from Darrick. Then I went and e-mailed the boy and headed back for work.

Frustrated that management decided it would be a good idea to put a freaking slide in my room (yeah, now how am I supposed to change diapers when they go down on their stomachs, backwards, etc. and they won't listen when I tell them it's not safe?), I started to change diapers and, to top off the day, I pulled off Goro's pull up and went to put him on the potty when he started peeing. Yep. I got peed on. The rest of the afternoon went pretty well considering 5 of the 6 kids were picked up by 4:45 and Willie, who is always the last one there, got picked up at 5:10, so then I just went and helped Erin close down her room.

After work, we went down to internet to talk to the boys and then, deciding we'd go to the Halloween party on base at the Crown, we came home and got ready. After sometime perfecting our superhero and super villain costumes, we decided we hated them and ended up going through our closets and coming up with a Halloween costume photo shoot complete with videos and everything. ha ha We're so special. We then bought internet for the next 5 days in our apartment and watched some Project Runway while we did laundry.

Things I learned today:

1. Facial masks are exceedingly hard to draw because it's nearly impossible to get both sides even.

2. Slides and two year olds DO NOT mix.

3. A bag of Halloween candy to girls who are stressed out and annoyed is not a good thing. 

4. Jo bakes.

Picture day!

October 28, 2010

This morning was chaos because they were doing pictures, so we had kids all dressed up, in tears, running around causing mayhem. Then, the baby was not going to show up until 11, so I ended up staying in the yellow room until about 11:25 when Stacia, Tristan's mom, showed up frantic and needing to go. Since I was supposed to be breaking in the baby room from 10:30 to 12, I just left the yellow room and went and took care of Tristan. Literally, five minutes later, Jo shows up inquiring (rudely, of course) whether or not I was supposed to be in that room. Honestly? Why didn't you check the schedule before you came to yell at me for being where I was supposed to be? Then went back to yellow to help put kids to sleep since they had sent Erin into the red room.

Went on my break, e-mailed Darrick and got the funniest Halloween card and letter from my grandma. Put a huge smile on my face. Went back to work and had a relatively quiet afternoon. As I was getting ready to leave for the day, Emma, Sara's sister, ran up to give me a hug as she was leaving. Mainly I think that hug was because I played baby dragons with her all afternoon on the playground. Sara's mom, Anna, was blocking Sara's view and, since Sara wasn't there today because she was sick, when she saw me, she got the biggest smile on her face, came running to me and gave me the biggest hug ever. Her mom then told me that she'd been talking about me all day, telling Anna that I was her friend and she liked me. Moments like those make your heart melt and show you the real reason you put up with all the shit.

After work, I got to talk to Darrick for a couple hours while we watched Charlie St. Cloud. Came home, made dinner, watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother, finished the last 10 minutes of Without a Paddle that I fell asleep for last night, painted our nails Halloween colors and am now getting ready for bed. Good night!!

Things I learned today:

1. It apparently takes the management two months to be able to tell Erin and I apart and now, after two months, they can tell us apart, but can't spell my name right. My permanent name tag says, "Hilary Mills." Yep. My name is all over the paperwork at that center and yet they still can't get it right. 

2. Painting your nails in a black-orange-black pattern makes you feel like an adolescent all over again. But, the kids will love it. haha

From the mouth of babes...

October 27, 2010

Nothing special to note for today. Connor got sent home for calling Tasha and I idiots and then calling Jan a "fucking bitch." Yep, he's four years old and cusses out his teachers. Was ten minutes late going to break Yailyn and, when I called up front to ask where Yana was, I guess she went down and yelled at Erin because Yana and Erin were both scheduled in there and neither one of them were there.

I then went on my lunch break and, when I came back, seriously had the afternoon from hell. Jeanette was breaking in there and her son, Alex, is notorious for being the first one up. She let him get off his mat and pretty much wreak mayhem, so he woke up all of the other kids by 1:35 when nap time isn't over until 2:15. Spent a hellacious hour trying to change diapers and keep the kids under control and then, after snack, Sara had diarrhea everywhere, so I had to change that and she got sent home. Luckily, 5 of my kids were picked up by 5, so it was just Willie and I at the end of the day.

After work, I got to talk to Darrick for the first time in several days and I seriously couldn't wipe the smile off my face. So nice to get to hear from him again. Came home and watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother while we ate dinner and am about to settle in to watch Without a Paddle for the first time before bed. 

Things I learned today:

1. Four year olds know words like "fuck" and "bitch."

Commissary Cackles.

October 26, 2010

Worked in the red room for the majority of the morning with the exception of a half hour in the yellow room and a half hour in the green room. Nothing of any note occurred.

Went on my lunch break, e-mailed Darrick and checked for mail (still nothing) and then went back to work. It was raining, so we couldn't take the kids outside this afternoon, so I entertained them with the water table, books, an art project, play dough, etc. When we were in the mini gym, Sara had an accident, so we came back a few minutes early and Jo stopped by to be like, "Did you see Sara's bum." I told her yes and that that was the reason we'd come back a few minutes early. Seriously? Do these people seriously think I am inept?

After work, Tasha offered us a ride to the grocery store and we ran into Jack and Mr. Rob there who apparently wears a pimp hat at night. Tasha then came over and we vented about work for a little bit before Erin and I made dinner while we watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother and then settled in to Finding Neverland while we did homework/wrote our blogs.

Things I learned today:

1. Apparently I look like someone Latoya went to school with, which is why she's always looking at me.

2. Apparently I look like an Erin, which is supposed to explain why Jo and Latoya still can't tell us apart. 

Believe it or not, I know how to do my job.

October 25, 2010

Worked in the preschool room this morning and got two new kids today. One of them is Sara's older sister, Emma, who we had been warned about, but she is really a sweet girl who is really helpful and extraordinarily smart. The other child, Connor, was kicked out of the CDC before for cussing and hitting teachers, so I was prepared for him. Had one little incident with him this morning where I asked him to clean up his legos after he was done playing with them and, refusing to do so, he eventually just went and started throwing the legos into the box, which created a bigger mess and took him longer, but he did it, so that's all that matter.

After that, I went to the yellow room and took the kids to the mini gym and then went and gave Yailyn a break in the red room before I headed back to the red room. On my break, Erin and I checked the mail (Darrick's letter still hasn't showed up) Then e-mailed the boy and headed back for work.

Didn't have a terrible afternoon in yellow, but Jo did come in at one point when I was doing diapers to tell Alex that he needed to put puppy away. (I had already told him that, but, given that I was doing diapers, I couldn't physically help him follow my directions). Then, still doing diapers, some of the kids had taken off their smocks and were playing in the water table and Jo came back in and was like, "You do know they have to wear smocks in order to play in the water table, right?" Well, yes, Jo, I do know that. But, you put me in a room with 6 two-year olds by myself and expect me to change diapers and have two year olds follow directions when I can't really do anything to enforce them. Seriously? 

After work, I went and skyped with my mom, laid in bed and watched some Hercules, ate dinner, watched the end of Project Runway that we didn't see, turned on 27 Dresses and ended up falling asleep while Erin was still in my room. Sorry, roomie!

Things I learned today:

1. After two months, Jo still does not know our names. 

Putting in my transfer for Cambridge!

October 24, 2010

Got up at 7:30 this morning (much against my will) to get ready, so that we could go sit on base and wait for Yana to finish up with her class. Getting there, she dropped us off at the BX, which we saw had Free Wifi. Only problem was, she dropped us off at 8:30 and the BX didn't open until 10. As a result, Erin and I huddled up in a bus stop booth thing and watched three episodes of How I Met Your Mother and part of Project Runway.

When the BX finally opened, we went to Cinnabon where I got a Seattle's Best hot chocolate and a traditional cinnabon for breakfast. So yummy. We then sat on internet (the brief minutes we could actually get and keep the signal) when Duane and I began IMing and trying to set up plans for the day. Yana came to eat lunch with us and then Erin and I waited outside for like 30 minutes for Duane and Anne to pick us up.

Once we finally found them (I had super good eyes to catch them in the parking lot),  we drove to Cambridge and stopped for lunch at Nandos, which is this really delicious chicken place over here. You go in, tell the cashier your table number, order your food and then they bring it out to you. I got a 1/4 chicken marinated in their mango and lime sauce, which I then dipped in their extra spicy sauce. Oh my gosh! SO delicious and spicy! Yummy!

After that, we drove around for awhile while Duane regailed us with stories about how he would put razor blades on cocks and let them fight to the death, steal the neighbors goats and kill them, bury puppies heads in the ground and place bets on which dog would get out first, etc., which was hilarious, but sad. I think he has since mellowed out. haha Then we went and walked around downtown Cambridge. Got some incredible pictures and goofed around in a Halloween store that had an 18 and over section. Yes, of course, we went in. Also saw a guy playing the guitar who was inside a garbage can. All you could see was his hand and the neck of the guitar. 

Met up with Yana, said our good byes and started on the road trip home. Got home, made dinner, did laundry, watched 27 Dresses and wrote Darrick a postcard and letter.

Things I learned today:

1. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

2. The highest recorded speed of a chicken is 9mph.

3. There are more chickens than humans in the world. 

Some TB, please!

October 23, 2010

Yana got up this morning to go to her class at Lakenheath and Erin and I tried to sleep a little more since we didn't sleep at all sleeping on the floor, but we couldn't. So, we got up and got ready and then laid in bed and watched television and enjoyed having internet in a sweltering hot room for a little bit. Yana then came and picked us up because her class got out early, so we went and had Pizza Hut mini pizzas for lunch and Yana tried her first Cinnabon ever. We then went into the BX and did some shopping before we headed back to Mildenhall.

When we got to Mildenhall, Yana worked on her homework, Erin talked to Paul and I just played around on internet and listened to the music Yana gave me (listen to Brooke Fraser who is a really popular singer in New Zealand - breathtaking music!) and watched part of Hercules!!!

We then went to our food court where I had Taco Bell and the girls got Burger King. We then drove to Lakenheath thinking that we'd have a little bit of time before the movie. When we got there, we got ice cream from Baskin Robins and were being totally ridiculous and laughing hysterically. Discovering we had like 3 hours to burn before the movie, we first went to the movie theater thinking we'd watch Red, but the movie had already started and Yana didn't have cash, so then we went to try and find the club, but couldn't. Ending up at the bowling alley, Yana and Erin played a game (you all know I hate bowling) and then we decided to go back to the hotel room.

Got back to Mildenhall and Yana worked on homework, Erin talked to Paul and watched the Husker game and I played around on internet some more before I got a e-mail from Darrick saying that he passed his written and physical agility tests, so he has an interview tomorrow. SO proud of him!

Knowing Erin didn't want to leave the Husker game and Paul, I caved and went to go and see Eat, Pray, Love with Yana even though I REALLY didn't want to. The movie was pretty boring and, near the end, it just shut off, so we awkwardly sat there for a little bit.

Came home and finally crawled into bed at about 1:30 since Darrick is studying and can't get online. Night all.

Things I learned today:
1. Taco Bell in England is MUCH better than Taco Bell in Germany.
2. Mildenhall offers free seats on planes going to the states, but you never know where they're going or when, but still pretty cool.

So close to tears.

October 22, 2010

Went to work this morning where I bounced between the red room, yellow room and green room. While I was in the yellow room, one of the parents came and picked up the kids and talked to Tasha about how she was going to bring Kaeli back at lunch. Tasha said that she would tell Yana for me. After giving all my breaks and moving back to the red room, Yana (after forty minutes of Kaeli being gone) came in freaked out because she couldn't find Kaeli. Literally, two minutes after that, Jan called me up front to tell me that, when I'm transitioning, it's my job to make sure the teacher knows. I didn't really respond, but come on. You don't build time into the break schedules for me to stop and talk to a teacher and I get yelled at if I'm late going to give someone a break. And, on top of all of that, Tasha was the one that was supposed to tell her. Going back to the red room, I had to bite the inside of my cheek really hard to keep from crying and Tasha was pissed and was going to talk to Jan and tell her it was her fault, but I told her the damage had already been done and there was no reason for her to get yelled at to. LeNell and Tasha both gave me hugs and I managed to keep my tears under control.

Blessedly got to go on my lunch break and since we had a potluck today, Erin and I went down to the staff room to eat some lunch. We were a little frustrated because we had to go to the potluck on our lunch break where as they were giving breaks to all of the other teachers who had other breaks to go. So frustrating. Then went and e-mailed Darrick before going to work.

I was then stuck in yellow again with Willie who is hitting, scratching, pulling hair, etc. Had a pumpkin search on the playground this afternoon, but they didn't make the fliers to tell the parents about it, so I had ZERO parents show up and I had to help six two year olds find their pumpkins and no one told us what we were supposed to do, how it was organized, etc. I'm so fed up with this place seriously.

Then Willie scratched Sara really badly across the face and Sara's mom was mad that she wasn't called about it. I told her it had just happened and that we don't normally call for scratches only head injuries, but that I gave the accident report up front and, from there, it was out of my hands.

The first kid didn't get picked up until 5:20 and then Goro was the only kid left and I ended up getting off work twenty freaking minutes late and I don't get compensated for that time. Seriously so frustrated with the day and staying twenty minutes late when Yana was supposed to be picking us up in ten minutes was so stressful. Then, as I was leaving. Latoya was upset with me because I had brought the accident report up front and she wanted to know who was in the room. I was like, "Umm. Yailyn." Shouldn't she know that she sent Yailyn into my room? Honestly. What the hell!!!!

Managed to throw my bag together and get on the road with Yana. Stopped at the gas station to get some things for dinner and breakfast tomorrow and then headed out. At one point, we got completely gridlocked because there was a REALLY bad accident ahead. Literally dozens of cops, ambulances and at least one fire truck that we saw. Also had the life flight helicopter hovering above the accident, so we turned around and found another way to go.

Got to Mildenhall at about 9 and went to the bowling alley for dinner and then got to talk to Darrick for a couple hours, which was a much needed and very nice surprise! Now it's time for bed. Night all!

Things I learned today:

1. The ambulances here are just tiny cars, which makes me wonder where the bodies go.

2. Curly fries from the bowling alley are DELICIOUS! The grilled ham and cheese on rye was also pretty good.

3. Marmite is a New Zealand dish that has the consistency of oil and tastes like soy sauce according to our cook at the CDC, Rob.

4. In Australia, they only eat the tails of the kangaroos, which wastes a lot of meat. 

5. If you catch a sting ray here, you have to release it because you only eat part of the wings, so it's not worth killing the animal. - Another story from Rob

NHL player's Halloween party?

October 21, 2010

Worked in the red room and played with the veterinary kit with the kids until I had to go to the yellow room for an hour and then the green room for a little bit. Tristan was not happy at all (think he's teething) and so going back to the red room was a relief. Literally, three minutes before my break started, Tasha decided she was going to go get paper towels and came back three minutes after my break started, which is a pattern that is really starting to piss me off. 

Went and checked to see if Darrick's letter has showed up yet and got invited to a famous NHL hockey player's Halloween party in London next weekend, but I kept reiterating that I was waiting for a letter from my BOY FRIEND and that I had a girl's night planned already. Seriously. The creepy guy needs to get a clue. Then went to internet and had some pretty funny e-mails from Darrick who was totally sleep-deprived from working overtime. ha ha

Went to the yellow room for the afternoon and, though no one told me, I could only go outside for twenty minutes instead of the full hour because Tasha was taking her kids down to SAP to watch a program that ended up lasting two minutes. As a result, I took the kids down to the mini-gym for a half hour and Jacob was climbing up the slide and I asked him to slide down on his bottom, but, before I could get across the room, he had fallen face first onto the slide. Also, was asked about the potluck tomorrow by a co-worker and I was like, "What potluck." Yep, Erin and I were the only two people in the CDC who were not told about it. Grrr.

Went down and talked to Darrick for a while and didn't want to leave knowing that it will be next Wednesday before we can talk again, but I just keep reminding myself that home is less than two months away and I need to enjoy my time with the amazing friends I've made here.

Went home and watched some How I Met Your Mother while we ate Mac and Cheese with hot dogs and then watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy before bed.

Things I learned today:

1. Being forgotten is probably the best way to show someone how unappreciated they are! Thanks, CDC. Thanks. 

A home cooked meal without the home.

October 20, 2010

Worked in the red room and then moved to the yellow room before I had to go and give Yailyn her break in the green room. Then, as usual, I went back to the red room for a half an hour before my lunch break. (I know. Real exciting morning.)

Went on my lunch and e-mailed Darrick and discovered that he's working overtime, so I'll have an evening to get caught up on homework and my blogs, which I was like two weeks behind on.

Spent the afternoon in yellow, which was frustrating because Willie has gotten really aggressive and is seriously a danger to the other kids, but I can't really get him to stop because then he lashes out on me and I can't neglect the other children, but I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do. I guess I just continue letting him kick on the floor and make all the children get away from him because he'll hurt them. Grr..

After work, Erin and I went to the dorm dinner, which was chili night and talked to the new MFLAC lady and the chaplain from the ministry about the program and traveling. Another kind of awkward dinner, but it was free and we got some home cooked food, which was nice. 

Went back to our room and watched Never Been Kissed and The Prince and Me while I wrote my blogs and did homework and then watched one episode of How I Met Your Mother before bed. 

Things I learned today:

1. Kearney (where Erin lives) is where Buckle was founded. 

Red Room Rocks!

October 19, 2010

Worked in the red room all morning and had a kind of difficult lunch because Matthew's mom and LeNell tried to help, but just wound up making it harder. I appreciated the gesture though, so I just kind of bit my tongue, but I kind of prefer to just work in there alone because I am much more efficient. 

At lunch. Erin and I went to check our mail and the guy gave me Lauren Hill's mail and, since the guy can never remember our names while he's checking for mail, I said, "Umm. That's not mine. Lauren Hill is not the same as Hillary Mills." Okay. Kind of bitch move, but seriously. Stop trying to flirt or whatever you're trying to do and do your freaking job. Then went and got internet.

Went back to work, which was fairly easy. Took the kids outside and, after fifteen minutes, it started to rain, but I managed to get the kids in right before the downpour. Hannah, normally one of our most active kids, just wanted me to hold her all afternoon and after about a half hour, I checked her temperature and she had a 101.1. Overall, however, it was a really good day. My stress level was not nearly as high as when I work in the yellow room and I found myself enjoying my time at work. That's a first!

Talked to Darrick after work, ate dinner and discovered that the toilet has still not been fixed since SUNDAY! Grrr! Watched How I Met Your Mother and, intending to watch only two episodes, wound up watching four episodes of Grey's Anatomy and one freaky season finale! Freaked out and emotional after the finale, Erin brought her mattress into my room and crashed in my room for our first slumber. 

Things I learned today: 

1. The Grey's Anatomy cast has become like my dear friends, so it's extraordinarily sad to see them die! 

TWO MORE MONTHS!!!!

October 18

Worked in preschool this morning and the first thing LeNell told me when I walked in this morning was that I looked sick. Why don't you just tell me I look like shit and let's move on, okay? ha ha Went to the yellow room, did the diapers and then, when we went outside, Tasha went home after being there literally fifteen minutes, so I got to spend the rest of the morning in the red room, which I absolutely loved.

Went to the coffee shop for internet and, as we were leaving, I looked at Erin and said, "Two months." Latoya, one of the ladies from the front desk who is not known for being nice, overheard us and said, "Sick of us already?" Not really caring enough to answer, Erin said something about how we miss our family and boy friends." Good cover, but no. The truth is. We're sick of you. 

Spent the rest of the afternoon in red and had such a great, easy, fun afternoon. The parents were late picking up the kids, so I was late getting to Darrick, but he was late getting on anyway, so we managed to talk for about an hour before I went home and watched some How I Met Your Mother, ate dinner and then watched an episode of Grey's. Then did a hardcore ab workout with Erin and wound up talking about work and discovered that I am either immune to the bull shit or they're just finally laying off me, which, unfortunately for Erin, means they're on to her now. 

Things I learned today:

1. Saying "why we don't walk in front of swings" is too harsh for an accident report. I have to add, "because we may get hurt." Umm... I'm pretty sure that it's common sense!

2. Today marks exactly TWO months until I will be on a plane home!!!!!!

Wont be doing that AGAIN!

October 17, 2010

Was definitely a little hungover when I woke up this morning and still not feeling well from my cold, so I laid in bed on internet and watched tv with Erin pretty much all day long. Watched some How I Met Your Mother and Project Runway and then took a nap while she watched Glee. We finally decided that we were going to break down and buy the 30 days of internet twice, so that we could stop going down for internet, but, when we went to buy it, there was a minute limit over thirty days not internet for thirty days. Deciding it wasn't worth the 80 pounds, we are back to walking down for internet. :(

Walked down for internet and didn't have the greatest conversation with Darrick because he didn't really like me being drunk. Whoops. Guess the first time he saw me drunk shouldn't have been on skype while I was crying uncontrollably in a bathroom. So embarrassing, but it's in the past now. 

Came home and watched How I Met Your Mother, When in Vegas, part of Wedding Crashers and dyed Erin's hair while we watched an episode of Grey's. It's now almost one in the morning and we have to work tomorrow, so I'm going to call it a night. Or morning. 

Things I learned today:

1. "Thirty days" of internet actually equates to "4,000 minutes over a 30 day period." Stupid false advertising. 

2. Hangovers are still not fun. I re-learned this fact today!

Blurring blackouts.

October 16, 2010

Had a fever still this morning when I woke up and was not feeling good at all, so we slowly spent the morning cleaning the apartment and grocery shopping and then I pretty much spent the entire day in bed.

Yana called in the late afternoon, asking if we wanted to come over for dinner. Got there and ended up drinking. Wanting me to take shots with her, we partied pretty hard and Yana got drunk for the first time ever. I sat on the bathroom floor and skyped with Darrick for an hour and wound up bawling hysterically for a long time. Cried on Jackie for awhile and really couldn't stop. Went home at about eight (early night! I know!) and slept until 2:30 when I was much more sober and not feeling so good. Now I know why I NEVER party anymore. haha

Things I learned today:

1. A mixture of Russian Vodka, Jaegar and whiskey is not good news for me!

2. There are some really incredible people that I have met here that I am going to miss so much when I go back home!  

Bathroom blues...

October 15, 2010

Worked in the baby room all morning because Yailyn called in sick and it was a very relaxing, but very sleepy morning since I was already tired and spent the majority of it rocking a baby. ha ha Was a little upset because I had just gotten Tristan asleep when Stacia, his mom, came in and actually woke him up, so she could play with him. Grrr. 

Then, leaving for my lunch break, Tristan literally puked all over himself and my sleeve even though I managed to catch a fair portion in my cupped hands. Waited for Jeanette to grab some napkins and ended up being late for my break. AGAIN! 

Went and checked our mail (nothing :() and then spent some time on internet. 

Spent my afternoon in yellow when Yana buzzed in about whether or not I really fed Tristan a nine ounce bottle. Well, our cook filled the bottle above the eight ounce line and he drank it all, so yes. She wasn't very happy about that, but I don't make the bottles, so it wasn't really my fault. Then took the kids outside for a half an hour before it started raining, so then I had to take them to the mini-gym. Have I mentioned that I HATE the mini-gym? It's soooo boring in there. Sara, screaming because she pooped and wanted to be changed right away, I called up front and had someone cover my room and discovered that Sara had probably the worst diaper rash I have ever seen! Turns out she had had spicy pizza for dinner! Oops!

Talked on internet until nine, watched How I met Your Mother, ate dinner, cleaned the kitchen, bathroom and then decorated our rooms and now it's two am and time for bed. 

Things I learned today:

1. A fork to a shower drain removes hair in one fell swoop!

2. Bleach to a toilet removes stains! Seeing a pattern here? I HATE cleaning bathrooms and, therefore, wait until the last possible moment. 

3. Magazines are the best way to decorate your room! 

Helpful hospitality!

October 14, 2010

Worked in preschool this morning, which was probably the longest morning ever. Went to the mini-gym and actually got complimented by Jan because Tasha and I brought in the parachute and I taught the kids how to play popcorn and Ring around the Rosy with it. 

Then went to the yellow room to change diapers, lay out the mats and feed the kids lunch before I went back to the red room where I got Hannah to sleep in record time by forcing her to keep her hands under the blanket, so she couldn't play.

On my lunch break like normal, I went to the coffee shop for internet.

I was by myself this afternoon again and got hit and scratched by Willie. However, Jan did come in for part of the time that I was changing diapers, which was helpful. At the end of the day, I had the kids help me clean out the water table and then Erin came in for the last ten minutes to sit with the kids, so that I could wash the toys and get to internet quicker. 

Watched Toy Story III and talked to Darrick until a little before nine and the coffee shop lady (our favorite one) offered us some pickles because she bought a huge jar. ha ha

Had another MP stop us on the walk back and ask us if we needed a ride. We were literally right in front of the dorms, so we declined, but then he asked us if we were the new interns, whether we liked it here, how Germany compared to here and then told us his name was Jake and that, if we needed help, he lived in the dorms too. Not sure we'll need help, but rides home from internet late at night in the cold might be nice in that nice MP truck. ha ha

Came home and made jambalaya for Erin and I and watched an episode of Project Runway and now it's time for bed. 

Things I learned today:

1. Now that other people have had the luxury of working with Yailyn, they understand that I wasn't over exaggerating about her! I mean the two nicest people at the CDC are annoyed and kind of pissed off at her right now!

2. I know I've said it before, but I can't get over the hospitality of most of the people on this base. Except the ones in the managerial positions at the CDC. Just our luck. ha ha

Double standards.

October 13, 2010

Worked in the yellow room because Yana moved back to the yellow room for the mornings and I had to give her a break and I had to change all the diapers before I got to go back to the red room briefly. Natalee, covering the early opening shift while Ashley is on leave, noticed how ridiculous some of the rules at the center are (umm. Yeah! Took her all of a day to figure that out!) and then Jordan threw a HUGE fit because he didn't want to go pee. Taking the other kids outside, I let Natalee wait for Jan to help Jordan go potty since I couldn't make the kids wait any longer. After he peed, Jordan was then very clingy with me for the rest of the morning.

Then, when I was outside, Jan came out and told me that she wanted to talk to me, which made me SOOOO nervous because I had no idea what I had done. But, when I finally got in there, she just wanted to let me know that she had tried to change the schedule, so that I wasn't stuck in yellow all the time and how I shouldn't have gotten used to having two people in a room because we were "spoiled" to have had that in the beginning. 

Changed diapers in the yellow room room, laid out the mats and then got asked to go back to the red room to put out their mats too. Then went back to help Tasha in the red room and, two minutes before my break started, she said she had to go pee and was freaking six minutes late for my break, which totally pissed me off because she is always late from her breaks and takes so long whenever she leaves the classroom. Plus, that meant that my break was six minutes shorter than it was supposed to be because, if I came back six minutes after I was supposed to, I would get yelled at. I seriously hate the double standards here.

Went and checked the mail and Erin got a package from her mom who, bless her heart, sent us both three pairs of Halloween socks and two Halloween stickie note pads. Then went and got internet before we had to go back to work.

Spent the afternoon working in yellow, which wasn't too bad except Willie kept hitting. After work, I talked to Darrick, came home, watched three episodes of Grey's and am now calling it a night!

Things I learned today:

1. Sometimes people call you into their office just to showcase their superiority over you.

2. Life is filled with double standards when it comes to "employees" versus "interns."

Garbage disposal works???

October 12, 2010

Started out my morning working in the preschool when Jan picked up Mackenzie who was crying. Realizing that she was hypocritical because I got yelled at for doing the exact same thing a few weeks ago, she actually apologized to me, which was refreshing to have someone realize they were being hypocritical and apologize for their slip up.

I then went to give a break in the baby room where I didn't realize that we had to wear booties when we're in there, so I got yelled at for not having them on. Now I know! Sheesh! It was relatively easy in the baby room except, in the second it took me to take off a diaper and put the next one on, Tristan managed to make a fountain of pee. Joy of joys! At least I managed to cover it, but had to change his clothes anyway. haha

I then went back to the preschool room for twenty minutes before I finally got to go down for internet on my lunch break.

Coming back, I then spent the afternoon by myself in the yellow room. When I was trying to wrangle the kids up to go inside after playing outside, Tasha just took her kids inside and left me out there alone. When I would get three kids to sit down, the other two would run off. While I was trying to get those two kids, the other three would get up. It was seriously a lose-lose situation and, frustrated, I finally asked Tasha to call Jan, but, by the time Jan finally showed up, I managed to get the kids inside. However, Jan did sit with the kids while I changed the diapers and then Yailyn came in for the last hour of the day, so it wasn't a terrible afternoon. 

After work, I went down and talked to Darrick for a little bit and then made brownies, watched Project Runway and two episodes of Grey's before Erin and I started in on a lengthy conversation. At about eleven, I showered and am now about to crawl into bed. Exciting days here!

Things I learned today:

1. It goes a long way to apologize to your colleagues when you do something that you told them not to do. 

2. The button on the sink operates our disposal! Yeah. It took us until now to figure out how to use our disposal. Honestly, we let our sink WREAK up our apartment for three weeks before we pushed that damn button that blended in so well. We are ridiculously unobservant. Then Erin thought that it would just turn off automatically until I asked her if she had to push it a second time to get it off. Turned out, you do. ha ha

Tender tushes and aching arms!

October 11, 2010

Woke up this morning at about 8:15 and got up and got ready. Spent several hours just lounging and trying not to move because my body is so damn sore, but Alicja ended up finally getting back to us at about 10:45 saying that she was too sore and didn't want to go to Bath and Stonehenge. 

Frustrated that our plans for our THREE-day weekend began to fell through when we decided to do that instead of Scotland, we called Yana to see if she wanted to hang out. Thinking we might go to Legoland, we ended up going to Bicester outlet malls, which are basically the ritziest shops ever - Gucci, Dolce, Guess, Uggs, etc. Had a gelato cone, played with Camilla on the playground and then stopped for chinese food. 

Went back to Yana's house where we all ate Chinese, watched The Holiday and talked on our computers. Met Yana's husband and his friend and had a great time talking to Darrick and hanging out with friends. 

Came home and watched Grey's Anatomy and How I Met Your Mother and now it's time for bed. 

Things I learned today:

1. It sucks depending on other people for plans to actually transpire. 

Car sickness and cantering...

October 10, 2010

Took a long drive this morning to Wales where we stopped at a gas station and pretty much tried to sleep without any success. Finally made it to the middle of nowhere in Llanthony, Wales and filled out paper (you know? In case I fell off my horse and cracked my head open.), got fitted with a helmet (super sexy!) and then got atop my beautiful horse named Floss. 

Rode for about three hours where I was seriously scared I was going to fall a few times because Floss' hooves kept slipping and she seemed so tired from carrying me. At one point, going down a kind of steep embankment, we all got off our horses and walked them down the street. At the bottom of the street was Queen's Pub where we were stopping for lunch. Ordered a toasted ham and cheese, a bag of chips and a pint of beer (I deserved it after 3 hours on a horse!). Sat down at a table with a couple (Duane and Anna) who came on the trip with us and regaled them with our traveling adventures. 

Got back on the horse and, not really understanding what the lady was saying about people who wanted to trotting being in the back, I sauntered up to the front, which meant I was going to be cantering. Not realizing this until the lady said something about holding on tight or we'd fly off our horse, I held on for dear life. I eventually got the hang of it, but definitely did not enjoy it. ha ha But, at least now I can say that I learned how to canter on a horse in Llanthony, Wales. 

After about two and a half hours, which was entirely too long, we made it back to the farm and changed out of clothes. Settled in for what we thought would be quite a drive to the 11th century abbey we were supposed to look at, but wound up driving about half a mile and getting out. My legs like jelly, I missed the second step on the van and almost fell face first into the ground, but with a random hand who grabbed my hand and my own balance, I managed to catch myself. Took some incredible pictures at the abbey, climbed on places we weren't supposed to, enjoyed a vanilla magnum bar (they are the best ice cream bars ever) and sipped on a pint of cider. 

Back in the van, we started the drive out and, just as I was about asleep, I felt Erin tapping me on the knee, telling me that she didn't feel good. Literally while I was reaching for a bag for her, she puked in the stairway by the door, so I asked Nick, our driver, to stop at the nearest gas station. Cleaned up and after what seemed like the longest drive back to base ever, we finally arrived. Got through the gate and then was stopped by the MPs because of a gas leak, which was literally not even a block from the parking lot we needed to get to.

They finally allowed us to pass and then Erin and I went to get internet, but the street was blocked off, so we couldn't go home. After writing Darrick a longer e-mail, I headed back home and saw the fire fighters in the building as I walked by. Then, when I got to the dorms, I saw a few other MPs walking around the clinic with flashlights obviously looking for something. Very strange night on base. 

Didn't have a very exciting rest of the night. Our toilet broke for probably the hundredth time already (that's an exaggeration, but still, it's quite ridiculous), burned my finger on the stove while I was making Ramen (the knobs to turn on the burners are in a very strange order, so we never really know what burner we're turning on), watched some How I Met Your Mother and am now off to bed. Good night, all!

Things I learned today:

1. How to Canter on a horse! In Llanthony, Wales no less!

2. The abbey in Llanthony is from the 11th century and is still in pretty good shape.3. A pint of beer after riding on a horse for 3 hours is the most amazing libation ever!

Chores and checklists...

October 9, 2010

Woke up at about nine this morning, but didn't actually get out of bed until 10:40 just because I could. he he Showered and then went to the commissary where we ran into Jan who offered to give us a ride. At first declining since she was just starting her shopping as we were finishing, we ended up standing in line by each other, so she gave us a ride back to our place and, somehow, we had a conversation about television and how we don't have one, so she may now be lending us one for the rest of our time here! Yay!!! It has to happen first though.

Put laundry in and then went down for internet. We thought we were going to be watching Toy Story III, but the lady put in Salt and, feeling bad because the lady already does so much for us, we didn't really say anything about it. Spent quite a while editing photos online and talked to Darrick for a little bit and got an e-mail from his mom regarding my profile picture, which is an edited version of the rose Darrick drew me. Kind of awkward, but had to reply otherwise I'd be the girl in her son's life who didn't respond while she was abroad. 

Came home and watched some Grey's Anatomy and Project Runway and now that it's midnight, it's time for bed. Good night all. 

Things I learned today:

1. Random conversations can lead to good things like potentially getting television after five weeks without it. 

Seriously Sarcastic!

October 8, 2010

Spent the morning working with Yailyn (I love my life!) and she asked me if I could do diapers this morning. So close to telling her off because she always just does the diapers, so she doesn't have to control the kids, I told her, with my hands already in the gloves when she asked, that I was. Then she decided to do lunch, which, low and behold, I actually had the diapers done for (amazing how that works!) and Jan came in while I was laying out the mats for nap time. Yailyn had told some of the kids to wash their hands and so Jan came in and yelled at me for not helping the kids wash their hands and putting out mats instead. I interrupted her, sick of how they never assess a situation before they yell, and told her that all of the hands had already been washed because I just finished changing their diapers. She then shut up and went and watched Yailyn do lunch. Doing it all wrong, Jan started asking Yailyn questions and, not taking any of the blame herself, said that it was her first time doing it. Umm. That's because you don't do anything, so the only way it gets done is if I do it. I was so pissed that I just stuck to finishing the mats slowly until Jan left. 

Went to lunch and got my hour of internet time.

Went back to work and had to give Ashley yet another hour to lesson plan even though she had her hour for the week yesterday. Would be nice if Erin and I got an hour a week outside of the rooms like every other staff member gets to do homework, but why would they ever do that for us? Anyway, went back in the room with Yana, went outside and then got pulled out again to give Ashley another forty minutes to type up her lesson plans. Seriously ridiculous. While I was working in the preschool room, Jan came in to give us the new schedule for next week, which has me in the toddler room with 6 two year olds by myself. Seeing I was a little upset about it, she told me to call her for help if I needed it because she'd support me. Umm. No you wont because every time I call, I get rudely told, "No," and I end up figuring it out on my own. But, then I also get yelled at for not asking, so I seriously can't win. Grrrr... (Yes, I resort to caveman sounds when I can't vent my frustrations through words!) 

Went to internet for like five hours after work to talk to Darrick and Erin and I got a hot dog, chips and a soda for $2.50. Came home and vented for two hours about the new schedule and the injustices of work and then I was half in dreamland, having a semi-conscious conversation with Erin when she asked soemthing about weekends. I said, "Those are nice." Long pause. "It's like looking through a telescope with nothing there." Very pregnant pause. "That didn't make any sense." Totally jolted myself awake with that one, but Erin and I got a good laugh out of it.

Things I learned today:

1. Weekends are a lot like looking through telescopes with nothing there??

2. Be gratetful for what you have because it can always get worse!

3. Hot dogs, chips and a pop is a good deal for $2.50. 

4. Having the hook up at the coffee shop is nice! Get to watch movies after they've already been shown in a smaller venue by ourselves. NICE! 

5. Dove chocolate plagues my existence with fitting quotations for the frustrations of Camp Adventure! I could do without the irony, thanks.