R.I.P. Elmo

.

I bought a bottle of spray-in conditioner way back in '94. When it ran out, I bought a new one, filled the old bottle with water and wrote WATER with a sharpie on the sides of the bottle so I wouldn't get confused.

During the last 12 years, I have refilled that bottle countless times. I have re-written the words WATER each time they began to fade, even though they haven't made this brand of spray-in conditioner for 10 years now and I no longer need the clarification of which bottle is which.

Lately I had been using the bottle to help me cool off at night since it has been so hot here. Today while packing up, I tossed the bottle on the bed and went off to do some stuff. When I came back in, I noticed a big, wet spot under the bottle. And that is when I saw the crack.....

*sniff*

RIP in Recycle Heaven Elmo.

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub

Ah, music! Sweet, sweet music. The sweet music, that is, of clothes tumbling around in my new WASHING MACHINE!!! Squeeeeee!!!!!

For those of you not abreast of current events, my old washing machine urm....broke (hee) two and a half weeks ago. The repair guy came a week ago, and since then I have been waiting for the replacement to arrive.

On Monday (the 26th) the director called to tell me that a new washer was on its way:

D: I know you are leaving on Thursday morning.

Me: Right.

D: The new washing maching will arrive on Wednesday morning! *maniacal laughter ensues*

Me: Ok.

Needless to say I have been waiting for this morning since I have a lot of laundry to do before going home!

I woke up this morning at around 9:15am, but no call from the delivery guys, so I got the receipt that the director gave me and called them up.

(In Italian:)

Me: Yes, someone is supposed to come today with a washing machine. What time are you coming?

Guy: What is the address?

Me: *gives address*

Guy: We'll be right over.

45 minutes later, the new washing machine was all set up, and as I type, is happily swishing around. I guess I am finally learning how to get things done in this country.

Old washing machine that smelled musty and leaked water all over the place.

Shiny, new washing macine that does not smell like mold, and as yet has not leaked water all over the place.

Packing

It *always* sucks. No matter how many times you do it.

Bloody Bats

Yes, that's right. There were bats in the apartment again last night. This time my room happened to be the chosen venue for the visit.

It has been so hot here lately that I have been having trouble sleeping at night (how I managed to live in the DR for two years is beyond me right now). Last night I was trying to leave one half of my window open and position the fan so that it would blow cooler air in from outside. I was standing right in front of the window when out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something wizz by me. I turned around, and sure enough, there was a BAT swooping around my room.

Me: "Aaaahhhhh!!!!!"

*runs out of room and slams door shut*

*begins pacing the apartment thinking: 'f^ckity-f^ck-f^ck! There is a bat in my room. Now I have to go in and open the window or it will never fly out'

*opens bedroom door to check that it hasn't flown out, and to see if it might be able to get out without me re-entering room*

Me to self: 'Aw crap! The window is barely open, the fan is in front of the window, and the shutter is halfway down. I have to go in.'

*thoughts stray to last bat invasion and all the bat crap that was around the room in the morning: 'I don't want bat sh!t all over my stuff! The washing machine is broken...'

Truth be told, I think it was the fear of bat crap all over my room that motivated me to go back in.

Me to self after checking on bat again: 'Wow it is really flying low in there. I don't want to be stuck in a closed room with a swooping bat.'

*runs around apartment opening all doors and windows, and turning on all lights in case bat escapes confines of room when I go in and leave door open*

*grabs umbrella, opens it up just enough to hid underneath it, squats down and shuffles into bedroom, across floor, and to window*

Me to bat: 'Please dear bat do not fly into my umbrella or I will FREAK!!!'

*reaches window, turns off and moves fan, opens both sides of window completely, pulls shutter all the way up*

*grabs pillows and a book in order to camp out in living room, shuffles back to door, and closes it*

Me to self: 'Phew! Made it! I wonder where the bat is?'

*opens door to room: no bat*

First thought: 'Oh my gosh it's flying around in the apartment'

*hurridly puts umbrella up again*

*investigates kitchen: no bat; checks living room: no bat; opens bedroom door again: no bat*

*heaves HUGE sigh of relief, closes all doors and windows, turns off all lights, closes bedroom window*

*spends night sweltering, but at least not sleeping with bats*

The Washing Machine vs. Travel Bug

Days Broken: 11

Number of Small Garments Washed by Hand: Several

Number of Jeans Washed by Hand Before Today: 0

This morning I finally conceeded the point and washed my jeans by hand. It was rather unfortunate that I had happened to put all my jeans, save one pair, in the washing machine at once. That fatal moment where the washing machine would only fill up with soapy water, and nothing more.

Luckily it has been too hot to wear jeans lately so living off one pair for 10 days has been easier than I had origianlly suspected.

What was a bit gross was that the water for the jeans turned BROWN. Blue I could understand, but BROWN??? Certainly I can't be that dirty!!! At least I hope it wasn't all dirt. Ick.



Final Score:

Washing Machine: 1; Travel Bug: 0

Life's Not Like The Movies

Today one of the other teachers from my school and I went to Abano to swim and suntan at the public pool. We rode our bikes there and back. The trip was about an hour each way, but really lovely through country backroads, etc.

We were on the upper deck of the pool sunbathing when I decided to go sit at the table under the umbrella and have a drink of water. I was just messing around with my cell phone, and I happened to look up. There on the deck of the pool directly across from us was a man lying spread eagle, legs dangling over the edge of the pool, and two lifeguards frantically giving him CPR. It was the most surreal thing I have ever seen.

It seemed like ages before the paramedics arrived, all the while they were continuing to give him mouth-to-mouth and pump his chest. About three people took turns pumping his chest. While they were trying to resuscitate him, you could see his wife (or girlfriend) off to the side broken down in tears and being comforted by her friend.

By now crowds of people had gathered around the man, and around the upper decks of the pool. Some people were shouting, and other were still swimming in the pool. The strangest thing about it all what that there was no whistle blown to indicate an emergency of any kind.

I kept waiting for him to spit up a whale spout of water from his mouth, cough a few times, sit up, and return to normal just like they do on TV. But that never happened. Instead his stomach began to bloat.

At some point they lifted up his dangling legs to lay him flat on the pool deck. The bottom of his feet were blue. Completely blue. I heard someone say "He went down, and never came back up."

Finally the paramedics arrived---walking towards the man. People started yelling at them to run so they did. They took over the situation. I think they shocked his chest, and then I saw them put a tube down his throat and attach electrodes to his chest. By the time they carried him out it looked like he had started breathing again.

It was definitely a scary few moments that seemed to last forever.

Last Day of School

At 12:30 pm today I will be free, Free, FREE!!!!! *maniacal laughter echos in background*

For three months anyways.

Third Time's A Charm

It's official. I have broken yet another washing machine. This is the third one now.

Off to contend with sopping wet soapy clothes.

The Electricity Queen Strikes Again

Once again, today is not my day for electrical appliances.

First I made a smoothie with my cute, little blender that I bought at Media World (which, contrary to popular belief does not sell only media related items) a little while ago. Well somehow I guess I didn't put the rubber washer on properly because as soon as I started blending, my smoothie started leaking out the bottom. But what can you do at that point really, with a blender full of stuff? So I continued blending to my heart's content.

Of course smoothie crap got everywhere, including running through the blender and making a little puddle underneath. Great. Now I had to really wash the blender instead of just wiping it down.

After I finished washing it, I plugged it back in and........it doesn't work. *sigh* I am hoping maybe after it dries out it will be fine. And please no comments about me plugging in a wet blender, thank you.

Then on my way back to my room with my smoothie (while I was trying to determine if it tasted like blender motor or not) I smelled this really acrid, burning smell as I passed the bathroom with the washing machine in it. Upon further investigation, I discovered that my washing machine smells like burning, with my sheets in there. In the middle of a cycle. But what can I do at that point really? I turned off the washer to see if I could find out where the smell was coming from, but no such luck. So I opened a window and turned the machine back on.

My sheets are now spinning away to their heart's contenet. I just hope they don't come out smelling like burning.

P Is For...

Procrastination.

I think I am trying to avoid starting my day today since it involves

1) a field trip to a farm to make polenta with all 60 of the second grade students and there will only be two other teachers with me.

2) a pizza dinner tonight sometime (they just mentioned it yesterday after school, details to be confirmed this morning) with all the parents of the children in my class, and probably all of the children too. Honestly, isn't 7 hours a day with those kids enough??? Especially after a field trip??? And I just saw the parents two months ago at interviews. Is dinner *really* necessary??? With ALL of them??? All at once???

*sigh*