Double Thanksgiving

I can't find my camera :-(, so pictures will have to wait. I did have Thanksgiving #1 last week at the Sonne dorm where I often sub. There were 50 people eating, and keep in mind that 30 of them were teenage boys with appetites to match. I watched SJ across from me pack away an entire double-sized turkey leg! Then, after dinner, we all had to go around and say one thing we were thankful for. Some of the answers were, of course, extremely funny and entertaining. But I was surprised by how many serious ones there were, too: thankfulness to the dorm parents and RA's for working so hard, thankful to BFA for existing as a safe place for them to come, thankful to God for loving them.

Thanksgiving dinner #2 was last night with my WorldVenture team. I made the green bean casserole, and in exchange got to gorge myself on turkey, the best stuffing I've ever had, and even pumpkin pie. It was so yummy. Plus, I got to connect with teachers and parents, RA's and students I don't get to see often. God is good, and I am blessed.

How was your Thanksgiving?

P.S. Just discovered one picture of me and the food on Jill's site: http://musickfamily.net/jill/blog/

Battle in the Shower

Yesterday morning was just one of those days. I went to turn on the water for it to start heating up and forgot to lower the shower head first, so it sprayed directly into my face and of course onto the floor around me. I also forgot my friend had just taken a shower before me, so the water was already scalding hot. I began fumbling for the knob to make the water come out of the faucet, but when I pushed it in, it didn't stay and just squirt right back into my face and around. So I tried yanking the shower head down and proceeded to spray the entire bathroom. Then, I accidentally dropped it, which in turn made the shower head jerk around like a snake and spray the ceiling as well. I tried the knob two more times (it didn't stick either time), and finally I thought to turn the water off entirely. I was soaked and scalded.

I spread out a couple of towels on the ground and hopped into the shower, making sure I had a tight grip on the shower head before I turned the water on again. What I didn't check were the curtains. When I finished my shower and opened them, one had been outside the tub instead of inside. The bathroom was now not only wet; it was under 2 inches of water.

At that point, I had to laugh, or I would've cried. Sigh. Guess the bathroom needed to be cleaned anyway, right?

Sonne and Maugenhard

With school closed Monday and Tuesday, all teaching staff were asked to assist the dorm staff who don't get the day off when school closes. On Monday, I picked up Julie (student teacher), and we headed up the mountain to the farthest guys' dorm: Sonne.

We made a giant pan of coffee cake for breakfast the next morning, that sadly burnt around the edges, and then a triple batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Those were then rolled into small balls and stuck in the freezer for later in the week. The guys moved in and out through the kitchen. A few went outside to play Lacrosse in the rain, but most were on the computers or wandering around the house. When we finished in the kitchen, we popped in Home Alone 2, but Julie got too cold down in the basement where the hang-out room is. (It is a very old house with poor insulation.)

On Tuesday, we visited a different guys' dorm: Maugenhard, which happens to be right in Kandern, so we both walked to it. Right as we got there, 20 of the 28 boys were piling into dorm vans to go play soccer at a nearby field, so sadly we didn't get to do much with the guys. But we were busy in the kitchen, first preparing veggies and salads for Wednesday's lunch, and then - the major operation of the day - making Egg McMuffin sandwiches. I cracked 70 eggs! The boys did start trickling back in around 4:30 and showering. One joined me for a couple rounds of speed scrabble, and even though I led most of the game, he ended up beating me twice. Overall, it was fun to see that side of life for a couple of days, but I did forget to take a single picture even though I took my camera both days.

How to attend the theater in a swine flu epidemic

This is what the audience looked like at the play tonight (the only BFA activity that wasn't cancelled this weekend):Here's one of me and the Love girls (who live below me):The play, which was of the Who-dunnit-caper-type of genre, had a line that went, "Should we be wearing masks for this?" The audience absolutely roared.

Excitement of the Year

I'm living under quarantine! I've always wondered what it would feel like, and my guess is by tomorrow I'll be going crazy and break it (since it is somewhat self-imposed).

It's official: BFA has the swine flu. The German government STRONGLY urged shutting down for a week. We're trying 2 days for now. So, there will be no school Monday and Tuesday, but the kids have to be in their dorms or at home. Of course, that puts a major strain on all the dorms, so they did ask a bunch of us to sub. I'll be at Sonnenhof on Monday (my regular dorm I sub at) and Maugenhard on Tuesday - both boys' dorms. Classes will resume Wednesday with a strict "stay on campus" policy through the rest of the week. We'll see how this goes or how many more catch the thing. My opinion is that shutting all the well students into beehive dorms with the sick ones isn't the best answer, but what do I know?

If you think of our school, please pray! For health (obviously) but also for wisdom as the nurses work frantically and administrators make decisions. Thanks!

School Announcements

Day 1: A black man's bike with yellow lettering is missing. If anybody knows where it is or took it for a quick errand, please return it ASAP.

Day 2: A black ... MEN's bike with yellow lettering is still missing. The bike is black, not the owner. If anybody has seen it, please let the front office know.

Day 3: The bike that can be ridden by a man of any color though the bike happens to be black and have yellow letters is STILL missing. You know what to do.

Plugging Away

Life it just plugging away here. Things are settling into a routine at work (as much as there can ever be one at school when your day keeps getting interrupted or changed around by college fairs, volleyball tournaments, observation requests, parent-teacher conference days, etc). My apartment is starting to feel like home.

I made 3 different soups in the last few weeks that were all yummy. One was white chili I made for my neighbors/bosses/landlords downstairs. I think it scored an 8. Then there was the pumpkin soup that I was most excited about. It was fine, but I'd remembered it better, so I'll give it a 7. The surprise one was Erdaepfelgulasch (potato gulasch). It was a first-time make, and - if I say so myself - turned out fantastic. My parents gobbled it up! :-) 10!

Today looks to be a mostly relaxing day. The sun is rising, which gives me hope for a nice Fall walk in between all the grading I have to do. Then tonight, I get to drive 10 girls to Zurich for a Jonas Brothers Concert. I'm here to serve, right! Actually, it should be fun to see Zurich and hang out with the Loves. Okay, enough stalling. Back to grading.

Herbstmesse

Last Thursday, the entire school ended with an hour of Worship Chapel and then piled into 5 buses to go to Basel for Herbstmesse. Think of a mini fair with big halls for exhibits, rides spread out all over town, and of course food stands galore. The highlight, I quickly learned, is when BFA completely takes over the bumper cars for two hours. For one hour, the middle schoolers get to go at it, and for the next the high schoolers, followed by a quick minute of staff rides. Not that we didn't also go off and on throughout the entire two hours! So much fun!!!

the BFA crowd

bumper cars: friend Rachel (science teacher) in bottom picture

My friend Amanda and I also went up in the Ferris Wheel, apparently the tallest mobile Ferris Wheel in the world. The view of the city of Basel, with interspersed carnival rides, was amazing.

The buses left again promptly at 9:30, and I was surprised how exhausted all the kids were on the ride back to Germany. I'll bet half the bus fell asleep. Fortunately, they cancel school on the Friday after Herbstmesse, and our fun in Basel was followed by a 3-day weekend! Wohoo!