WHS

Wet Arm Syndrome: What happens to your left arm when you carry an umbrella and ten pounds of groceries on your right.  
 

All You Need is Love

Cover by Lynden David Hall of the original Beatles song.

Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.

It's easy.

All you need is love.

Island Thanksgiving

I am Thankful For..

My Family

My Husband

New Friends

Malcom's Meat

Time

Rain

The Internet

Air Conditioning

Moo Cow Mud Run

I have my own personal mud run 2 or 3 times a week. Also known as: My Walk to Campus.  This picture is what Moo Cow Trail looks like on the average rainy day, like today.  I wish I had a picture of what it looks like on a really rainy day to share with you.  Just imagine the puddles overtaking the entire road, and flowing downhill.  It never occurred to me that when we moved to the Caribbean, we were actually moving to a tropical rain forest, but that is exactly what Dominica is.  A tropical rain forest.  Betcha didn't know that!

The good news is that very soon, we will be leaving Moo Cow for Lizard Trail!  Chris and I decided to, well more like Chris gave in and let me, move closer to campus.  It's going to be more money per month, but we are going to get a much nicer apartment with air conditioning in both rooms, real couches, and a walk in closet!  A far cry better than where we are now.  Anyone remember my Bad Bed post?  This is a big improvement!

Scuba Steve

To become scuba certified, you have to do something like 10 hours of book learning, and then 7 different dives/levels where you prove your underwater skills.  I got stuck at numbers 3 and 4.  One of the skills on this dive is that you have to take off your mask underwater and replace it.  After that, you have to take off the mask underwater, swim for one minute, and then replace it.  I could barely let water in my mask before freaking out on the first two days.  After 3 instructors.. and 3 dives.. I did it!!   Or in the words of my scuba instructor, "You owned that skill!" I guess the third time really is the charm!

Dominican Snow

Yesterday a local says to me, "Put away your umbrella, it's just Dominican snow!"

Do people who live in snowy parts of the world use umbrellas to keep it off them?  Or do they just let it fall on their clothes and melt?  I guess I've been rather weather-spoiled living in California.

Booties

Thank you Target Online for showing me your fabulous collection of rain boots!  I think I need a pair for my long, muddy walks to school on rainy days.  Especially since they are only 24.95, and BOGO!  The only problem is, which pair?!

It's in the water..

Mmm... yummy. 

What's for dinner?  Anything that doesn't need water to cook!

Babysitting in Dominica

Dear Diary,

Today I got up when I felt like it, and then checked my email and facebook.  Then I talked with Kristen on Skype.  I heart the fact that I can video chat with her even though she lives in Egypt and I live in Dominica.

Then I made some mac-n-cheese for lunch for Chris and I.  If someone would have told me that I'd eat mac-n-cheese once a week here, I would have laughed in their face.  My standards for an acceptable lunch have dropped dramatically in the last 2 months.

After lunch, I sat and watched Harry Potter while updating the RSO website.  Would you like to see it?  http://rossmedspouses.wordpress.com/
I updated the About RSO page, and the Sponsorship page.  It's my new duty as website director of RSO.

Then I went to Erin's house to do hair for the big 4th semester banquet.  I made Carolyn pretty and drank mimosas.  It was wonderful girl time.

On my way home I got a phone call from a 4th semester student who is here with her daughter.  Her daughter was sick, and couldn't go to the banquet.  She wanted to know if I could come right then and babysit.  I'm a sucker for helping people.  I said yes.

So now I'm here babysitting.  I put lovely little Clara to sleep over an hour ago, and have been spending my time making a new blog layout for SpacyStacy.  It's quite fun for me.  I'd be happy to do other people's blogs too.

I've still gotta make the header.  And perfect it.  Also, you have to imagine the background with about an inch less green on both sides.  I've learned that you have to make the layouts extra wide for the people who are lucky enough to have those really nice extra wide flatscreen monitors.  The rest of us see about 20% less of the green.  Anyways... this is how I spend my time. 

Grad School in Dominica?!

After a whole lot of consideration, I've decided to get my Masters in Educational Technology during my time here in Dominica.  At first I thought I didn't want to do anything this year, but the more I thought about it I realized that the reason I didn't want to do anything was because I am burnt out on being a classroom teacher.  It's not that I don't like teaching kids, I do.  It's more everything that comes with it: the politics, the parents, and the never ending paperwork.  The best part of my job in the last few years was getting a Promethean Board, and learning how to use it in the classroom.  I started to enjoy making the lessons more than teaching them, and certainly more than dealing with the peripheral crap.  The way I see it, getting this masters is going to open a lot of doors to me (outside of the classroom).  With a Masters in Ed Tech, I can try to get a job at a company like Promethean as a trainer or developer, or I can work in a school as a trainer or in their IT department.  I really think that technology is the future of education.  Whiteboards will soon be as obsolete as chalkboards.  I'm actually super excited to move forward in my career, and am thankful that I have the time to begin that here!

AC

It's amazing what a little air conditioning can do to raise my spirits. Sometimes I think I go into a little "heat coma." My forehead gets all sweaty, I feel the hot air pressing down on me, and I just don't want to move. Turning on the AC is like turning back up my energy. Too bad it costs so much to run!

The Countdowns

This weekend there was a party for the 4th semester spouses because they are in their last semester here and will move back to the states at Christmas.  They are counting down the days.

5 of these wonderful girls are leaving :(

It was pointed out to me today that I have 400+ days left on the island.  So I'm not exactly in countdown mode yet BUT it is only 41 days until I get to come back for a visit!  I can't wait for a Red Cup, Chipotle, and In-n-out.  Our tentative holiday plans look like this:

December 20: Overnight in Miami ((Starbucks at Airport))
December 21-24=3:  Los Angeles
December 24-29:  Atwater
December 30-January 2: San Diego
January 3-4: Upland
January 5: Los Angeles
January 6: Overnight in Puerto Rico ((One Last Starbucks))

I would love to see friendly faces if your Holiday plans mesh with ours!