Oh, Canada!

So Canada is pretty much amazing. I don't know why more people don't live there. I arrived in Calgary and O and I went to a wedding and the Calgary Stampede (their rodeo). Apparently, two-stepping in Canada is not the same as Texas. Owen was unteachable, but Shane was willing to learn. The people I met made me want to move there immediately. They were all sooo nice and fun! Then we drove to Invermere which is in BC. BEAUTIFUL! This is the view from Owen's mom's front door. No joke. After a few days there we flew in Owen's dad's little tiny plane to Canim Lake where his dad has 2 secluded cabins. I think it takes around 9 hours or so to drive there and flying it's about 2 hours. So we literally flew over the Rockies. It was pretty scary at first. There's a runway on the property so we landed right next to the cabins. Pretty rad. We stayed there for about 3 days. Fishing, campfire, crossword puzzles, and a lot of just chillin'. This is the view from the plane.

Then we flew back to Invermere and drove to Premiere Lake about an hour away. This place was unbelievable. Owen's mom (or mum as he says) has about 7 cabins. They pretty much have their own campsite. The only way to get to it is by boat. We stayed here for about 3 days. Swimming, fishing, playing horseshoes, bocce, etc. SO much fun!
View from the dock at the main cabin.

The stream that runs in the middle of the camp ground. Unbelievably clean water.

We went back to Invermere for a fun golf tournament with about 30 of his friends. Then went to Banff, Lake Louise and everywhere in between to do some hiking. Weather was unbeatable. I can't wait to go back!!

Lake Louise.

Chattanooga: a place where your kids can play in the public fountain and tattoos are contagious

Chattanooga is a white trash haven nestled between the Smokey Mountains. At first glance, it looks like a picture perfect mountain town with the kayaks atop family SUVs. But with a closer inspection, one begins to note the trailer park attire, rampant mullets, and the plethora of bad tattoos. (Please refer to earlier post about Tattoos to Avoid) By the 3rd day, I realized that there's also a hippy scene where artists sell their paintings on the sidewalk outside of the used bookstore. After discovering this along with the sculpture garden in the Art District I was loving this cute town. The Aquarium was also really fun to walk around. My favorite part was the lack of wildlife in the Nile River exhibit. If you have been to the Nile, you know that nothing would ever be able to survive in there. The live music downtown was good but it was just too hot to be walking around. Had a great time with Becca and can't wait to go back and hike around the mountains when it's cooler weather.

Culture Shock (again)

Weird how every time I come Stateside, everything here feels so weird. I went running on Friday morning and did not see one piece of trash on the street! No cats were seen! Almost stepped on a turtle. Saw squirrels, bunnies, and dogs! I can't get over how green it is here and how it doesn't hurt to breathe! A trip to the mall was very uneventful. I drove there in a SUV with air conditioning listening to satelite radio while using the GPS to get there. I wasn't harrassed by shop owners to buy something or by beggars grabbing my arm asking for some cash. Again, no trash on the streets! The only sand I have seen in on the golf course. I feel like it's too easy. Too boring. It's almost kinda creepy. I really don't know if I can live in the States ever again.

Saying Goodbye.

I wish I had taken more pictures during the goodbyes this week, but I'm really bad at remembering to do that sort of thing. Thursday was our last day of school and basically everyone was flying out that night. To celebrate the last day of school, we went to the A.C.E Club with Darren and Jen for a cold one. (Yes, I'm officially a member now!) Then went to my new apt to drop some stuff off. Went back to the ACE Club with John and Sarah for another cold one and dinner. Then off to TGIFridays on the Nile for the Paper Plate Awards. Now, I wasn't planning on going to this, but since I was packed and ready to go and in Ma'adi anyways, we went. Turns out there's a "special" award each year for the couple who met in Cairo and started dating : the double gallabeya. So Joe and Jen, who are getting married this summer (yay!), awarded O and I with this honor. Due to our differences in height, this turned out to be funnier than usual. Jen and Joe informed us that we have to keep this tradition going and pass it on to another couple next year. I'm thinking it should would be hilarious if we gave it to Kevin and Greg. We ended the night back at the ACE club with some of my favorite people for a few goodbyes and seeyanextyear. (Yes, I took full advantage of my ACE Club membership by going 3 times in my first day. I am addicted already.)


Everyone who is leaving is headed off to various parts of the world! I will miss y'all!! But I plan on visiting!!! :)

Lori (Columbia), Kayla (Hong Kong), Katherine & Jason,(Venezuela) Joe &Jen (Malawi), Norris & Ang (NYC), Mike (Canada) , Jen Fij (Chicago), Sarah (Italy), Jakob (Germany)

I did it.

Yes, the blog is public and you don't have to sign in anymore. Screw privacy.

Tattoos to Avoid

This link is hilarious! Please read if you are thinking about getting a tattoo. And if you have any of these tattoos, I'm sorry.

Things You'll Never Hear a Teacher Say:

"Our principal is sooooooooo smart. No wonder he's in administration."

"Thank goodness for these evaluations. They keep me focused."

"I'd like to see Red Lobster offer a meal like this!"

"Here class, just put all your gym shoes in this box next to my desk."

"I bet all the people in our administration really miss teaching!"

"Gosh, the bathroom smells so fresh and clean!"

"I'm so glad I gave my phone number to my students' parents. It makes keeping in touch so much easier."

"I can't believe I get paid for this!"

"I think the discipline around here is just a LITTLE too strict!"

"It's Friday already????"

"Those students this semester really made my job a real joy."

"I believe that athletics are not getting enough money."

"We'd be able to educate our children if they let us teach through summer too."

"Have you noticed that the teachers drive better cars than the students?"

"This in-service training has been fabulous."

"It must be true; the superintendent said so!"

Party like an Egyptian

I might have complained a lot in the last posting, but I LOVE my life here. I have the best friends ever here. There are several friends who I will miss when they move away. But I plan on keeping in touch and visiting a few countries in South America to visit them... maybe Summer 2010?? And we've already started planning out trips for next year. Last night we decided what a group of us are doing for the first week break in October. And possibly plan to visit some friends in other parts of Africa for another break. I live in a crazy place and there are definitely some crazies who I work with, but life really is good.

Feeling a little racist?

What's the difference between an expat in Cairo and a racist?

6 months.


ok, so i decided to delete this post. It was a little over the top. Since this is now a public blog, I don't want to get arrested. Egypt doesn't exactly have free speech. Basically what it said was how I was really frustrated with Egyptians. There are some really nice Egyptians who I have met, but most of the men I come in contact with daily(i.e. walking down the street, on the subway, etc.) are disgusting and grope western women every chance they get. It's becoming a big problem. Cairo is very safe other than that.

Cinco de Mayo

Huge party for Cinco de Mayo. All you can eat Mexican buffet and margaritas. Real margaritas! My favorite part of the night was when Kristy randomly shows up wearing a massive sombrero. She, of course, has no idea where she got it. Also, LOVED the live band! We danced the night away....me gusta, me gusta!

blog like an egyptian

Sorry for the lack of updates... but my school blocked this website. Again. And the only time I'm bored enough to write on this is at work...hmmm... maybe I'm becoming more Egyptian than I want to admit.

Things that keep me from blogging at home:

1. Not getting home until 10:30pm after going to the gym in Maadi.
2. Owen downloaded every season of Seinfield. There's alot to watch.
3. Weekly Office episodes with the Hams.
4. There are so many good books to read. Just finished "Kite Runner".
5. John downloaded 3000 movies last week. Just watched "Singing in the Rain".
6. Eating out. Dinner takes a min. of 3 hours in this country.
7. Traveling.
8. Expedia.
9. There are more exciting things to do?

How to 'fight' swine flu- kill the pigs?

Nothing about this surprises me about Egypt. Watch the video. The only people in this country who eat pork? Christians. The only people who own pigs in this country? The Christians who live in Garbage City (the worst slum I've ever seen). The pigs help them by eating the garbage that they sort and recycle. I hope no one gets killed over this.

Easter with the Pope

Last weekend I went to Italy (country #24) and Vatican City (country #25?). This is why I count that as a country. But some of you might argue that it's not a country. Just read that article first before you decide. I don't have a stamp in my passport from the Vatican. But I also don't have a stamp from Israel or Cuba. So are they not countries? Just saying... The Vatican at Easter? Yes, it was crowded but we bought a prepaid ticket that put us to the front of the 2-3 hour line and we had a tour guide who actually enjoyed her job. Other than the airport being crowded, the rest of Rome wasn't bad at all. Not compared to Cairo on a daily basis. I really could have stayed in Rome for a week and in Italy for a lifetime. I definitely plan on going back to Italy. Maybe next fall to visit Sarah when she moves to a small coastal Italian town.

Cairo is the new Vegas

Thursday night went out for some Thai food with one of my newly wed friends. Funny story. Apparently, their marriage license got lost in the mail in Canada. They were married in Vancouver over Christmas. So as Peter asked me to pass the rice, he added "and would you sign our marriage license as a witness?" What?? We made sure to clean the table so that the Pad Thai wouldn't get all over the documents. Kinda cool. I'll forever be their witness! Love it! I love how random it was too...

I promise

I promise to update more for those of you who don't use facebook anymore (quitters). I just figured out how to get to blogger at work and how to bypass the page that appears in Arabic.

Egypt doesn't make sense.

This doesn't surprise me about Egypt at all.

Where I will be for Easter....

Tunisia- Country # 23

Pretty amazing place. We saw pretty much the entire country. I'll post pics on facebook as soon as it decides to start working for me. Renting a car was a good decision even though none of us had really driven a standard transmission and that's all they have to rent. We made it out alive with only a slightly frightening situation down an extremely small alley that was blocked by a pile of rocks. Luckily, some Tunisians decided to help us. Lots of Lightsaber battles occurred at the Star Wars locations. Of course, we had to decide who was each character. Luckily I beat Sarah out of being Princess Lea. She had to be Chubaaka. Between the 4 of us we had a combined maturity of about age 8. No ewoks were found, but we did discover Ewok food. Or that's at least what we named the unusual rock-like sculptures that we kept seeing everywhere. Like a video game, we had to dodge wild camels crossing the road. The rest of the trip will be posted in pics with comments on facebook. I know you can't wait!

Culture Shock: A day in the life of being in America

I'm here in the States!! (Finally after a long flight to NYC and then the delay of the snow storm.) I think I'm having a little culture shock. Here are the things I'm having trouble adjusting to:

1. Clothing/Fashion: I couldn't believe what girls MY AGE were wearing at the airport. Leggings! Just leggings!! No pants!! And the high-heeled boots just looked ridiculous. When did hooker/chic come into style?

2. Public restrooms: I think I went in 12 times to the JFK bathroom. There were a couple times I just went in to flush the toilet and look at the toilet paper. I even stole some just out of habit.

3. Driving the first day was insane. I kept going waaay over the speed limit. I didn't realized how fast they drive in Egypt! Reba says that I am a waaay more aggressive driver now. Why does everyone stay in lanes and drive slow?

4. Target: I had to restrain myself. It was over-stimulation. I wanted to buy everything. Instead I only purchased 3 deodorants, unnecessary cute shoes, and a sweater. Oh! And this really nice lady gave me a coupon for free underwear! I love America!! But then someone stole my basket and the coupon. What is America coming to? Are we stealing coupons now to deal with the recession?

5. The Mall: OMG. I actually like the clothing they sell. And EVERYTHING is on sale!!! I only purchased VS undies b/c I had a $10 off coupon. We're going to the outlets on Friday to hit those after Christmas sales. It's a little weird adjusting to prices. Also, weird that no one was pushing. I actually stood in line and no one elbowed me to get ahead of me in line. We just waited our turn.

6. Tivo. Greatest gift to mankind.

7. Crackerbarrel. Can you order one of everything on the menu? You can try. Our waitress actually wrote down our order. And she could understand what I said. And she refilled my drinks without me asking. And the food arrived only 10 minutes after we ordered!! And when she brought the check without us asking, I almost fell out of my seat! Our dinner lasted less an hour!! Madness!!

8. "Can I see your driver's license?" When I heard this question, I thought..."Do I have a driver's license? Where is that thing?" No, I wasn't being pulled over.

9. Running. I can run outside. And breathe!! My lungs are so happy right now.

10. Walmart. Ok, this was alot like being back at the Khan in Cairo. Did you know someone DIED in Walmart during a stampede a few weeks ago?? That sounds like something that would happen in Egypt. Walmart is alot like being in a 3rd world country. But I didn't get any "weeeelcome! pretty lady! How much for you?" Oh wait, yes I did. Just from a different ethnic group.

Homma men America.

This is the much anticipated update for my fans (yes, all 3 of you)

Justin and Kim came to play in Egypt. Lots of fun to be had. One day we took a jeep safari out to the desert. We also had lots of fun on a Felucca ride down the Nile which had to be paused for a photo shoot. Just a day in the life of fashion models.

Justin was so excited he peed himself.

A Letter to the Director

Dear Dr. Paul,

I feel the need to bring an important issue to your attention. There seems to be an unfortunate epidemic of narcelepsy amoung the blue workers at our school. Even with hourly doses of coffee the workers are unable to stay awake. A possible solution: falefels laced with Ritalin? Just a suggestion that I think you should seriously consider.

Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue,

Me

Greece

If you can only take 1 vacation in your entire life, you need to go to Greece. I'd heard wonderful things about it, but I didn't expect it to be so amazing. Maybe because Cairo is so nasty. We flew into Athens and took a ferry to Santorini. Santorini is famous for its sunsets which did not disappoint. The people were fabulous. Food was fantastic. Could not have asked for a better way to spend a week away from Cairo.

Skype

I have it. It works. Kim called me on my computer and I thought that I needed a headset, but no. I have speakerphone or something on here. Awesomeness. So call me or at least add me as a contact if you have skype too.

For the slow....Skype is an internet program that you can download for free and talk to anyone anywhere for free.

The Pyramds

The past 2 weekends we have gone to play on the pyramids. It's been really hot, but still fun. Security is at a minimum so you are free to do whatever you please out there. The first weekend we (Owen, Angela, Norris, and I) went to Giza to see the Sphynx and the more famous pyramids. Then last weekend we (John, Emily, Owen, and I) hired a private driver to drive us around to Sakara and Dashur to see the step pyramid and the bent pyramid. We also were able to climb down inside to the tombs. John, of course, had to throw a little fit about going inside because it's so dark and scary. Owen spent most of the day on top of the pyramid throwing rocks at the security guards. We didn't get kidnapped so I'd say the day was a success.



P.S. It's alot easier to post pics on facebook so check there for the latest pics.

Canadians: Mysterious creatures of the North

Likes:
*documentaries
*Talking about documentaries
*mocking American politics (an obvious blow below the belt)
*documentaries mocking American politics and capitalism
*naming Southern cuisine and promptly asking if we seriously eat something called"Chicken Fried Steak"
*making jokes about Americans’ lack of knowledge of Canadian History
*Southern accents
*American sports

Dislikes:
*Bush administration
*organized religion
*capitalism
*Being compared to eskimos and polar bears

Taxi Cab Rules: Or how to Walk like an Egyptian

Crossing the Street:
First you must enter the street area. Be on your guard at all times. You can and will be hit by taxis. Or you will witness a wreck. Or both. Look to your right and to your left. Cars will be coming from both directions even if this is a one-way street. Also, cars might be speeding on the sidewalk to watch for that too. Try to find any Egyptians. Watch how they cross the street. They will glide through 60 mile/hour traffic like Jesus walking on water. But you cannot cross yet. You must wait for the right time. When the Spirit moves you, cross each lane one at a time. Remember that there are no "real" lanes and cars can be in the left lane and instantly be in the right lane or maybe on the sidewalk or maybe making donuts on the pavement at any given time. I repeat you can and will be hit by taxis.

Getting a cab:
Wave the driver down. Approach the cab and announce your destination. They will approve or disapprove. For example, for me to get home I would say a large area near my house "Sabaa Emirat" (translated: 7 streets). He would then shake his head no and I would try several more taxis. Finally, one will agree. You enter the cab. A man needs to sit up front. If you have no man, then you put the ugliest, fattest girl in your group. Once you are in the cab, you will immediately notice there is no meter. The driver will be rocking out to some Arabic rap, maybe have a few strobe lights, no AC, and will be smoking with the windows rolled up. This is all perfectly normal. You only need minimal amounts of Arabic to dictate your way.
Shamel: left
Yamin: right
Henne: here
Iowa: yes
Shukran: thank you
You must give your driver what you think is the right amount. This might be 5L.E to 20L.E. You guess is as good as mine. If you short-change him then you better sprint out of the area quickly as he will chase you with his Arabic curse words. Do not despair. You will probably never see him again.

Cairo

Ok, So I'm in Cairo. There's so much to say about Cairo. I really feel that pictures will be the best form of communcating what happens. I'll try to take more pictures. Everything is really different. Even ordering a meal is a huge ordeal. Right now I'm at a little cafe (about 5 minutes from my apartment) stuffing my face and using the internet. This is pretty standard behavior. We have a great place and LOVE our neighborhood. There are 2 Canadian guys who work with us and live 1 floor below us. We are the only people in our building so it's very private. Ok, this blog is really lame. No more lame ducks after this. Just trying to get you guys the facts.

What were they thinking???

Project Bathroom

My furniture and basically everything I own in this life is still in a truck on its way to Virginia Beach. Yes, it's been over 3 weeks. Long long story. Whenever I get stressed out, it's good for me to have a project. So re-doing one of the bathrooms was my weekend project.

Before: (Yes, those are fish. Pink, blue and green fish.)

During:

I caught Jackie sleeping on the job. She was fired immediately.
The finale.

So what do you think? I'm not sure about the towels. I don't know if I should do all brown? Oh, bathmats are dark brown. (not shown)

people are stupid.

bad habit that I MUST break

I didn't realize that I did this until Reba brought this to my attention. Whenever someone does something to make me mad (this includes cutting me off while driving or sending me a bill in the mail or writing something in a blog that I disagree with) I have a small form of Tourette's, in that I immediately call him or her a "dirty whore" very loudly. I know this needs to stop but it just comes out so naturally. I usually don't think these people are dirty whores, with exception of the lady who stole my parking spot at Farm Fresh. Well, she might not be. Ok, so I really am working on this.

you are NOT ready for this jelly

When Reba and I were last together, we decided to compare our bodies. Obviously, there is a HUGE difference, but I wanted to know the facts. How much bigger am I than her? So we measured the most overtly diverse areas on our bodies. Biceps and butts. Get ready for these results. You might want to sit down for this.

My bicep is 4 inches bigger than hers!

My butt......7 inches bigger!!!

It's official. I'm on a new diet. This new "try not to eat everything in the house" diet is really hard to stick to. No doubt my new schedule has something to do with this. I'm basically living alone with Jackie (the family dog).

6am wake up to loud noise...this varies. sometimes it's someone putting in new hardwood floors or my mom talking very loudly with the head phones on

6- 10am eat and watch Tivo with Jackie.

10-11 move furniture (new hardwood floors...one room at a time)

11-2 eat more. facebook and tivo.

2-6 pass out from sugar coma

6 take jackie on a walk. sometimes run.

mom comes home around 7 or 8 after Aquacise (this will be discussed later) and dad rides his bike home from work around 9 (will also be discussed more)

then we eat. maybe watch a movie. stay up late.

This is will all change once my furniture gets here....hopefully sometime before I leave for Egypt.

Hangin' in da 'ham

Last week I received an email with this attachment:

Birmingham Itinerary
July 26-29

Friday
Arrive in the ‘ham
Eat dinner at 601 Wildforest Dr.
Piano recital

Saturday
Breakfast
-Original Pancake House
-Cracker Barrel
Take Mom to airport
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Lunch at Cobb Lane
Harry Potter Day at Birmingham Zoo
Run on Lakeshore
Rent movie

Sunday
Church at Brook Hills
Brunch at Whole Foods
Kung Fu Panda
Olive Garden



So this is what we did this weekend. Except we didn't go to Cobb Lane due to an excessive amount of wine and chocolate cake. And we didn't go see Kung Fu Panda. :( The piano recital consisted of Reba playing a few selections from Pride and Prejudice and demanding our applause after each one. Harry Potter day at the zoo was cancelled due to rain. But we did enjoy a free day at the petting zoo due to lack of personnel at the front ticket booth. We had an addition of a trip to see Volcan. How can you resist a half naked statue of a Greek god? Obviously, we were very mature about it.

(Yes, that is Volcan's naked butt)

Feliz Navigon!

"No, I haven't talked to her about it yet. Yes, I know that we don't have much time. Look, I'll talk to her about it when we stop for dinner. Yes, I know how important this is. Yes, I agree that this is important. I will tell her ok? Don't worry."

This is the conversation that I hear from my mom when my dad called as we are driving to B'ham. Whaaat? Who died? What is going on??? We remain in silence in the car. I can tell that mom doesn't want to talk about it. So we stop at Subway. Silence. This is bizarre. Especially for my mom. And I'm totally freaked out. But then I realize something. My mom avoids ALL conversations unless they are about puppies and rainbows. So I wasn't too worried. We walk back to the car and she mumbles that she has to get something from the trunk. She was taking awhile to get whatever she needed. I walk back to the trunk and I see it.....a GPS system!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I HATE THESE THINGS!!!! They are SOO obnoxious. I refuse to use it. We fight. She hooks it up and we go down the road and Navigon is obnoxious. She can't pronouce her words correctly. We could not figure out "right at the roundabout" because it sounded like "rightahwoebtoincboo". I like to refer her to as Navi. Navi is a hater. When you speed she screams "caution! caution!". Horribleness. She doesn't answer any of your questions. Like, "Navi, where are we?" I have to have her all day on Monday when I drive to VA Beach. But I found out how to mute Navi.

Feliz Navigon!

99 boxes of beer on the truck...

99 boxes. That's what the movers counted. I have too much stuff. It's official. Most of the boxes were from the liquor store (because those boxes are free). Turns out the head mover guy (not sure on his title) is from Israel and his wife's family lives in Egypt and her 2 kids go to my school! Small world!!

Disclaimer

I just checked my checking account. Some of you with upcoming bdays (Reba, Kim, Sudan-belated), you might be receiving some lightly used articles of clothing or maybe a very rarely used vacuum cleaner.

No, Burka, no!

Today I was shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond minding my own business, when I turned the corner and was scared out of my wits. There was a lady in a burka walking with her sons. It was like seeing Darth Vader for the first time. I couldn't move, couldn't scream, couldn't breath. After a moment of feeling paralzyed, I ran in the opposite direction. This was very traumatic for me. What am I going to do when I see them all the time in Egypt??? These things are seriously scary.

Oh, and Emily mentioned that she saw one at Sephora. Makeup?? What for?? Please explain!

Also, do little babies wear burkas? If so, that might be kinda cute.

Hair.Is.CUT.OFF

I'll put a pic up later. I'm at Panera Bread so I don't want to scare the families around me by taking a picture of myself. What am I doing at Panera Bread? If you are asking this question you have not had their breakfast sandwiches and mocha. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Car is fixed. Hair is short. I like it. alot. I have 30 pages left in my journal and 30 days until I leave for Egypt. Weird. I have had this journal since May 2006. It's a large journal, but I guess I don't journal that much. Blogging has taken over my journal time. Except for the secret stuff and that goes in the locked Hello Kitty journal. Don't hate.

Famous last words

After working out at the gym and making a list of all the things I have to do today, I thought "Geez Louise, all I wanna do is stay in bed and watch movies. I really don't feel like driving all over town." So I go out to the car to begin the plethora of errands. And my car won't start. God, are you trying to be ironic? Called the Roadside Assistance and they tried to jump start my car. No luck. Now I'm waiting on the tow truck to drag my car to the dealer. Of course, the dealer said that they can't get to my car until Monday. No loaner car. Haters.

I guess I got what I wanted. I'm watching Chicago and packing the kitchen. Not going to be running any errands for the next few days.

For Sale

good things

Emily has graciously agreed to administer my B12 shots to me. Yes, they are butt shots. Awesome. At times like this, I'm so glad that she is part Lebanese. And I'm really glad that she is not sick at all of the Lebanese joke.

Suzanne was in a boating accident today. Sliced her head open. 7 stitches. But not eaten by sharks. So this is good news. I'm sure she's enjoying her pain pills right now. Seriously, I'm very glad you are ok, SuzieQ.

I enjoyed a day at the museum (It was kinda weird not having kids or not being an Asian wearing a track suit on vacation.) And lunch at Cafe Brasil. Me gusta!!


I made so many phone calls that my phone died twice. But I did absolutely no packing. Good times.

You can have it your way, but don't get crazy.

If you haven't seen the nail salon video, then you HAVE to watch it. Then you can appreciate this. And if you love Mexican jokes then watch this. This chick cracks me up!

an apple a day....

I've been to 6 different doctors in the past week. And spent $$$ just on routine visits. Everything was normal except for my cholesterol (202). Which my doctor suggested might be due to Taco Bell. She is such a liar. I love how I went to see the dermo. for a skin cancer screening and she suggests acne medicine. Didn't even know I had an acne problem. And she was the 7th dermo to tell me "You will get skin cancer, it's just a matter of time. Let's talk about sunscreen and long sleeves." Let's not. My dentist looked at my teeth and said, "Everything looks great. Just keep doing what you're doing." Really?? Like eating lots of sweets and never flossing? Might want to think about that before you say something crazy. It's just good genes, not my maintenance.

Tomorrow I will brave the 3rd Ward to get some immunizations. It's the cheapest place in town and I'll still be spending over $300 for the shots. Doctors are obnoxiously expensive.

"If you can survive the 3rd Ward, then you can survive Cairo." --my mom

What is wrong with me:

Actually that list is too long...but after stalking my GI doctor, he finally gave me the test results. I have Pernicious anemia (also known as Biermer's anaemia or Addison's anaemia or Addison-Biermer anaemia). This is most likely caused by Atrophic gastritis. The solution: Every few years get a biopsy by swallowing a camera and tools to cut peices of my stomach out to check for cancer. Sounds like good times. And get monthly B-12 shots. No me gusta. I was really hoping that he would tell me that the only solution was more Taco Bell.

May all your dreams not come true

3 days ago I had a nightmare that Emily and I were in Egypt and they said that we couldn't live together. The reason: We resembled the CIA and it was too suspicious for us to be roommates. Yeah, I don't know but it was scary.

The next night I had a nightmare that the movers showed up at my place and told me that none of my stuff could fit in the truck. So everything I want to take with me must fit in my car. I argued with the movers for the majority of the dream that I could not fit my mattress in my car. They said that I could. Very frustrating.

Adventures in ColonLand

Ok, it's actually my small intestines. I went to the gastro dr on Monday. By the way, he was a total a-hole (pardon the pun). I'll have my results on the Celiac blood test next week, but he wanted me to get small bowel and UGI tests done today. This took several hours. First I had to drink the Barium mixture which is basically chalk mixed with water. With the first sip, it tastes like a thicker form of Mylanta. Not that bad. But by the 3rd cup I knew I was going to have nightmares about this stuff. One of the docs mentioned that they put chocolate syrup in it at the Children's hospital. So NOT fair!! Apparently, it takes about 20-30 minutes to drink this. I downed it in less than 5 minutes. When they took the first xray they were all really shocked that my stomach was stretched so big! They(my entire team of radiologists) couldn't believe that I wasn't in an incredible amount of pain from how huge my stomach had stretched. I told them that I was pretty used to stretching my stomach(refer to what I did for July 4th). Anyways, you have to walk around and take more xrays every 20 minutes for over 2 hours. It was really boring, but all the radiologists and xray technicians were really nice and I know all of their life stories. Now I will be spending the rest of the day in the restroom thanks to the Barium.

From Japan, with love

This arrived at my house from Japan!! I miss this family so much!! They moved to Japan in March. I can't wait to go visit someday!

Oh yeah, let me translate:

"Dear Ms. McGoldrick,

At the Japan I am in the 3rd grade. I have lots of friend. I think happy that you are my teacher. I think Daily Elementary School is very good school.

Ryotaro"

"Ms McGoldrick,

How are you? Ryotaro wrote a letter to you at his new school. He is adjusting well so far. We received the class picture from Satsuki's mom. We all still miss Houston very much! Hope everything is well for you!

Best regards, Akiko"

How I Celebrated the 4th

CVS Round 2

I went in to CVS this morning to get a dr. pepper and Mr. Super Duper* was behind the counter. Oh no, I am not going to buy anything buy my dr. pepper.

Let me set the scene for you. I'm wearing a tank top and shorts, soaking wet hair(did not even attempt to dry my hair- i was so late, no makeup. The entire time I just stared at the ground.

Mr. super duper: You look really pretty today.
me: It's the last day of summer school. (what? I don't know)
Mr. Super duper: Oh, well you can still look pretty on the last day of summer school.
me: okay
Mr super duper: Your total with your coupon is 44 cents.
me: can I charge that?
Mr. Super duper: It's okay. Have a great last day of summer school!


*Refer to previous post (he's the cute CVS manager)

I love the rain the most when it stops.

And now I like being a teacher. Last day of summer school!!! Wooohoo!! I have some meetings tomorrow and will be cleaning out my classroom. But that's it. No mas. Praise the Lord!

How to "slow your roll"

Don't worry, I am investigating this lovely new product. I love America.

To cut or not to cut?

What should I do with my hair??? Here are some options....

I'm also open to suggestions.

God is cool.

So 12 days ago, I decided to move to Egypt. And I needed someone to live with Ashley when I move out. She found a new roommate today!!! AMAZING!! Thank you all who have been praying about this.