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| CRUNCH.
It's
a sickening sound that tells you that you've just done something you
wish you hadn't. No, it's not a snail under foot or chips in your back
pocket. You've just bit your cheek.
The
human cheek is so soft and flexable. It thins like a balloon when you
play the trumpet and concaves into your jaw when you pretend to be a
fish. The human cheek is a wonderously versitle thing. But for some
reason, your teeth hate it. Oh sure, you may go months or years
without your teeth and cheeks getting into a fight, but sooner or
later, they will... and your cheek will lose.
The
most frustrating part about this is that your now aching, swollen,
possibably bleeding section of flesh will continue to slide into the
danger zone again and again simply because it now sticks out into it.
So the opportunities for healing leap backwards with every repeated CRUNCH. My solution: stop eatting. | | |
| I found a letter that I wrote August 13th, 2007, when I was in Larsen Bay, Alaska last summer. I'm going back this summer (if I can find housing!) and doing very similar work. I thought I'd post it to give myself and friends a look at what I'll be doing for 1/2 my summer.
"I am currently in Larsen Bay, Alaska
and will be until the 30th. This is
quite possibly the most beautiful place I've been. There are bald eagles that perch on the tree
outside our living room window, salmon that are spawning up the river on the
edge of the house, and ENORMOUS Kodiak bears that fish for those salmon every
afternoon. It's amazing! I'll post pictures when I get a chance. I have internet access every night when I go
to work. I'm working at a very small
lodge next door to where I'm living.
It's got 5 cabins, but I do little housekeeping and more kitchen
work. It's like a lovely mix between
Banquets and working the Caf. My phone
doesn't get reception. My phone stopped
getting reception in Anchorage. I'm way way way out in the boonies. The town population is less then 75 during
the summer and less then 30 during the winter.
This town has one grocery store called a Merchantile, one post office,
one school (K-12), one Orthodox Russian-Christian church, and a Police/Fire/Medical
Station. It's a trip."
Kodiak will be very different this time around because I'll be working for 2 lodges and working less hours (I expect). Keep your fingers and toes crossed that I'll have a place to sleep that isn't with the bears.
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| Is it good or bad that my first reaction looking at this photo is:
"Wow. I'm so glad that bus is built so strongly! Let's hear it for public transportation!"
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| So I'm headed to the back of my housing track to get some gas. I'm
banking the turns and coasting to make sure I get there on my below
empty tank. As I'm pulling up to the pump, Newt calls me. The two of
us get into a frustrating conversation. While we're talking, I walk
inside and hand the woman behind the counter $40 in cash, saying
abruptly, "40 on pump 18, please". I was already out the door and
headed back to the car before she could say, "Thank you." Jesse and I
continue our talking while I absentmindedly get in the car and drive
away. Without getting any gas.
I'm two miles down the freeway when I realize, "Oh SHIT!". I called a
couple people, hoping they could find the humor in my situation and
help me laugh, but no one was available. I drove up to find pump 18
had already given away my $40 worth of gas. I walked in to the
cashier, hoping I wouldn't have to bring the manager or my Daddy into
this, and told her that the pump wasn't working. "Pump 18 says it's
waiting for cashier authorization for the $40 I gave you." She
hesitated, so I mustered up all my strength and stared her down as
aggressively as I could. Surprisingly, she buckled under my stare,
broke eye contact, and authorized the transaction! I turned and
marched authoritatively from the cashier. I then tittered as quickly
as humanly possible back to my car, filled the tank praying with every
gallon that she wouldn't figure it out and drove off leaving skid marks
in my trail.
So, I got away with it. Sam claims it to be one of the most dumb yet
simultaneously bad-ass things I've done. I'm taking that as a
compliment. 
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| Soooooooooooooooooooo, I'm leaving my student teaching 3rd grade class.  My master teacher is having a truly rough personal life and it carried into our professional relationship. After talking *cough* bitching *cough* to many of my loved ones, I realized it was time to bring in the APU mentor to help. After a meeting of the three minds, we mutually decided that it would be best if I left her class and went to another school. It ended so abruptly. I didn't even get a chance to say good-bye to my students, whom I've invested a lot of love and energy into.  But, I have to admit that this will be a good choice all the way around. Everyone deserves a fresh start. Semper Gumby.
Now I still have 3 or 4 more weeks of student teaching to do, but I'll get a whole new class to do it with. I'm a little bummed that I have to start over with my TPA 4, which is a lot of paperwork, but it comes with the change.
So I've been broadsided with an early Christmas vacation and I don't know what to make of it. I've got TONS of homework... so perhaps I'll venture to be productive. A shock, I know.
And now, it's time for chocolate!
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