When things don't go as you expected...

The last week has been hard. A week ago, the HK Education Bureau decided to shut down all the primary schools due to a couple of local cases of swine flu. The decision came quickly and within an hour of hearing the news, our year in grade five (and my three years teaching in HK) came to a teary close. We ended up having about half hour to share the news with the kids, somehow get their stuff (from a year!) all packed up, and give lots of hugs and last goodbyes. It was a blur. Being in a room with 19 weeping eleven year olds (and 1 twenty-seven year old) is a sad place to be! There were some very special moments that I'll hang onto from that day. Such a hard way to finish what has been a great year, and difficult for the kids to find good closure in such a sudden ending. Of course, this week was supposed to be one big party- Medieval feast, bowling, pizza, and apparently a surprise farewell for the teacher. I had such a colorful class this year- and quite an attached bunch.

Today has also been especially difficult as I found out that it would not be possible to get together with the kids outside of school, for one final party and farewell. The kids had directed their energy (and they have a lot of it!!) this week towards planning this party and it was supposed to happen today, but sigh...it couldn't happen due to the restrictions from the government. I am so sad to let down the kids again. I know they'll be okay- it will be fine in awhile- but it doesn't feel good right now.

The school closure has left me with an extra week of cleaning up and organizing time in my classroom. I am glad for the extra time, though it has felt strangely quiet in Room 402. Last Friday everything came down in the classroom, and that was hard, too. I've loved creating a 'learning home' for kids, and I loved my classroom. I was glad to take some time to give thanks for all the great kids, and all of the fun memories created, all that I saw and learned in my time as a teacher here. This week I've spent most of my time working on a project for my kids. I think they will love it.

So I'm in mending, feeling a little drained, but working on making the most of my next month (and only two weeks in HK). Each day is now scheduled with some kind of supper, coffee date or party. Thank you, google calendar! Life-saver! I recall my post a week or so ago- and I'm still in that place tonight- so grateful for this season of life. I hope I can communicate that gratitude well in the next two weeks- I have many people to thank and bless as I go!

2 weeks of kids...3 weeks of work...6 weeks in Hong Kong

June has hit, and with it, the feeling of finishing and letting go of this chapter and this place. Today I officially cleared myself for take-off by paying my taxes and claiming my MPF (retirement savings). I was amazed that my tax was under 500 CDN for the past year! Hong Kong is great. :) I have no idea how they figured that out, but I'm not questioning it! I'm in the midst of arranging for another teacher to move into my flat over the summer, which is excellent because it means I can leave a lot of my stuff behind. It should simplify the move and I'm grateful for that.

In the past couple of weeks I have been hoping for a call from Regina Public but nothing has come up yet. The best chance at getting a full-time position has passed, so that was somewhat disappointing. I'm (mostly) okay with it, though. Regina is where I want to be, and I'm confident that a job will happen eventually. In the meantime, we've got some fertile ground for patience to grow. :) I may end up subbing for a time, which in some ways (in the short-term) is quite attractive. It would be nice to have a little more freedom with my time than usual and I can think of a number of things I might do with that time! I'm excited about moving back to Canada! It will be so good to be with my family again, and I'm also really looking forward to being in the Regina community. I've already got things lined up to join my football team for the second half of the season. Yeees! And, I'm hoping on getting in on a couple tennis tournaments, too. (I'm definitely excited about playing sports at home again! Woohoo!)

Last night I was reflecting again on God's flow of kindness in my life. It has been a very rich (though not equating easy) three years! Stepping out of one season and into the next, I want to commit to living in thankfulness. He is so good! I have been enjoying Hillsong United's new album, A Cross _ the Earth. The Desert Song has been a joy to have ringing through the ears...this simple bridge:

All of my life, in every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing,
I have a reason to worship

A friend from Hillsong shared with me that one of the gals singing had lost her baby just days before. Brings new light and meaning into the song.

Well, it's that time...Roger time. Looking forward to watching this one on my Friday night at home! Good night from HK. By the way, if you have a car you would like to sell or give away (why not?!), or a lovely apartment to rent in Regina, let me know! These two things will be among the first on the list to take care of when I get home!

Sunday

The highlight of my day was attending the baptism for a student in my class. Philip was baptized along with his older brother and sister this afternoon, along with three other students from our school. What a special day for their family! They are wonderful people and live out their faith together. Here are a couple pictures; the last one is a bonus and it is my Ode to Watermelon. It's just so satisfying.

Philip and I

The Grade Five Crew!

The Hutchinson family and teachers (Alison, Mary and me)

I love you, watermelon.

Here and there...

This week has taken on a different rhythm than the usual. Jody Heywood dropped in for a fun visit at the beginning of the week. It was such a treat to have her! We had a lot of fun together; I'll have to post some pics soon.

The last three days of the week have been devoted to ICEC- the International Christian Educator Conference. Close to one thousand teachers from around (mostly) Asia have come to HK for the event. It has been great. I really enjoy the chance to gather new ideas, encouragement and wisdom from others. We've got a couple awesome speakers in town- Dr. Gary Chapman (think love languages), and Phil Callaway. Dr. Chapman's thoughts were very practical- many helpful reminders for healthy relationships. Phil was hilarious, as always. He gave insights into how can have "hope for the crazy kids", speaking from personal experience as he was a crazy kid himself! Oh, that guy can really get laughter rolling in a room. I think a speaker must be gifted when they can make you cry from laughing so hard, and then cry because you've been so moved by his thoughts. One simple take away from his first session was to remember to commit to praying for kids. I've got so many on my heart- and somehow I still forget to pray. I attended some interesting workshops focused on counseling students. I am quite interested in this and I was glad to gain helpful approaches for working with hurting kids.

Next weekend I'm going to Macau for a girl's getaway. There are seven of us, and we are going to Cirque de Soleil together. I'm really looking forward to it.

I had to apply for a new passport today because mine is full! That's kind of a fun thing, except that it still has three years of validity, and it costs $100 for a new one! I'm praying they return it on schedule, or else it will be slightly difficult to board my Dec. 20 flight home to Canada. I am so excited to be en route to Canada for Christmas this year. I will be in Regina from Dec. 20-24, Calgary from the 24-30, and then back to Kennedy for the McMillan New Year's celebration.

Lastly, the real reason I had to get a new passport is that I need room for my Indian visa! I am taking four good friends along with me this time. We will fly through Delhi on our way to Guwahati. We are all very excited (though certainly prayerful about the very difficult situations in India right now).

That's all for tonight. Good night from HK!

Tidbits

Feeling...like it's hard to have balance
Planning...a girl's getaway to see Cirque de Soleil in Macau
Drinking...bubble tea!
Frustrated...with grouchy knees and a resulting hiatus from the tennis court
Worried...about my family in India
Excited...about going home for Christmas this year
Reading...grade five memoirs :)
Wondering...where I will be a year from today?
Impressed...with "Oovoo" (Today I had a video conference with Tim & Tara, Mom & Dad, and Steve & Bec...at the same time!!)
Missing...Mom and Dad
Teaching...on Joseph, grace, totem poles, and rules of divisibility (remember those?)
Learning...a new offense for the basketball team
Listening...to Andrew Peterson's new album, David Crowder, and good ol' country
Laughing...at my Grandpa's sense of humor
Sleeping...now

Typhoon Day!

Last night I was out with a group of hopeful teachers, waiting with their fingers crossed that the typhoon would last through the night and give us a day off school. Sure enough, the education bureau canceled school today because of the inclement weather. Yeeeeah!!! So today, I'm enjoying the equivalent of a Saskatchewan "snow day" here in Hong Kong.

The first month of year three in Hong Kong has been a blur of activity. This is the first week that has felt more relaxed in its pace. I'm glad for that. I've said it before, it is a strange feeling but one that I'm so grateful for- to feel so at home here. This year my triangle of life (home, school, tennis court) has been thrown a little out of whack with becoming a lot more connected with my church family. This has been a welcomed whack. :) It's an added circle of friends, and continues to be a stretching and life-giving group to be a part of. I am into teaching Sunday School there, and share the job of leading worship in my weekly small group. And somehow, I signed up to organize the kid's Christmas program! Ha ha. It's going to be awesome (it has to be, with the number of cute faces that will be on stage!).

I'm looking forward to a few different events in the coming months. The first one is a trip to Vietnam. That's next Tuesday, for five days. We'll be in Hanoi and Halong Bay. I've been anticipating the conical hats, rice paddies and pho of Vietnam for sometime now. Passion is coming to Hong Kong in October. This means David Crowder and Chris Tomlin will be here. I'm hoping to go, though I'm actually TOO OLD (aaai yaaa!) for the event!! Seriously! Then in November, I'm going to Macau to see Roger play James Blake in a tennis event (as well as watching John McEnroe and Bjorn Bjorg play doubles) at The Venetian. The main feature of December is a flight home for Christmas for the first time since living in HK. I was thrilled when a friend found me a super cheap flight that made it easy to enjoy a white Christmas with my family. Another main feature of December will be seeing Shannon and Jason's new baby (coming soon!!!), as well as Jeff and Daina's new baby (coming in December). Yeeeeah!!

Anyway, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my typhoon day!

Feeling Goooood

Finished!!!! It's such a great feeling. Two months without my year long boyfriend Mark Ng (think hard), planning, report cards, waking up early because I have to, and solving ten year old's conflicts (unless my nieces and nephews stir up trouble). Yeeeeeeah. Feeling good.

Even better is the fact that the sun is shining and the sky is actually....blue! Gorgeous.

And to add to it is the fact that my summer reading material just arrived in the mail. A perfect way to start things off. I was happy to learn about Paddyfield.com, a small scale, Amazon-like service just for Hong Kong, with a solid selection of reasonably priced books, and free shipping! Sweet. To get things started this summer, I've got Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by one of my very favorite authors- Anne Lamott. I also bought Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and A Revolution of Hope by Brian McLaren, and my last choice- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Plus, Viva La Vida is ringing in my ears...good books and good music.

It was so nice to have Mom, Dad, Autumn, Andrew, Pamela, and Raysha here. I must say it was a bit of a teaser though. I came home from school yesterday sad to have an empty house. They were here for two nights. Again, we packed in as much as we could in the time we had: eating Chinese food, walking the streets of Mongkok to find bubble tea (for Raysha) and delicious mango drinks (especially for Dad), they had an adventure in the rain- lost in Mongkok on their own (ai ya, I was working!), we went to the Peak and had fun shopping, while imagining what it might look like if we weren't in a cloud, enjoyed some good Mexican food (after getting lost again in a different area) followed by Krispy Kreme. It was lots of fun...I love them so much and it was much easier to say goodbye because.....I'M FLYING HOME IN NINE DAYS!!!!! One more BIG reason to be feeling gooooooood.

Dragonboat festival = HK holiday

That's today! What a great feeling to go to bed late on a Sunday night and sleep in on a Monday morning. Beautiful!

A few random notes on a sunny Monday morning:

-It's been a fantastic French Open/NBA Finals weekend. Roger was a major, major disappointment last night, however. Terrible!!! Rafa, on the other hand, despite his butt-picking ways, proved completely dominant. I was happy for Ivanovic and loved watching her play, though would have liked a more competitive final. I am loving the Celtic's play against the Lakers. Rondo is my favorite. The main point is: the Lakers will not win. Ha, I know Heather is appreciating this blog (she fancies both Nadal and Kobe).

-I'm still laughing at Elijah's obsession with the HNIC song. Tim's video gave me a major boost on Friday!

-We have 9 teaching days left. This is glorious news! The next week will be extremely busy thus I'm extra grateful for the holiday. Report cards are due next Monday, my class will have the Medieval Feast on Friday (any ideas for this year's castle cake? or my costume?), students are coming over to my place for a celebration on Friday, and I'm planning a farewell for a good friend on Saturday.

-Mom, Dad and company will be here for two nights the next week! I'm praying for clear skies so we can go to The Peak.

-I've joined a new church family. I am so thankful for the genuine friendships developing with the folks at Solomon's Porch. I am excited to be a part of this group of followers. It has been a refreshing and stretching six weeks or so since joining SP.

-The musical highlight of my year thus far came this week. I met The Wailin' Jennys. They have my heart.

-Officially 20 days until I cozy up on Air Canada for the journey to the homeland. I am very excited. The summer is a bit of a whirling dervish, with stops in Calgary, Medicine Hat :), Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Kennedy, Portage, Regina, and then back to Calgary, Regina and Kennedy. The schedule flows in that order- arriving in Calgary on June 29 and flying out on August 11.

The Mac is Back.

Alas, the white wonder has returned. The Macbook is back, and revamped. The receipt notes a new hard drive, battery, and top case with keyboard. Hoofta. I thought I took good care of it...but apparently it wasn't feeling the love.

I have a few questions for the fix it fellows, though. For one, they didn't reinstall Leopard. I don't why, and I am having some troubles reinstalling it again on the disk volume that appears. I need to reinstall Leopard before I can load up the computer with everything from my back up disk. Though they didn't reinstall Leopard, they actually upgraded my ILife package, which is good and bad. Good because I like the new IPhoto, but bad because so far I'm not a huge fan of the new IMovie. Also, a favorite application from the old ILife, Comicbook, is no longer included in the new version. Guess I'll give them a call in the morning and see if I can get the Leopard reinstall figured out, anyway.

Well, I'm happy to be connected at home again, although the last three weeks have been very good for me. I got more sleep, and I read my Bible in the mornings, instead of checking email. I'm going to see if I can keep that one up.

The Turkey Sandwich Symptom

What I really have felt the past two weeks is just this: I miss my Mom, and I miss my Grandma. This has got me thinking about my roots, because these two women are so deeply a part of who I am. What tipped it all off was a longing for my mom's sandwiches. Seriously. White OK-Economy bread with turkey sandwich meat and cheese. And Mom usually added butter back in those days. Throw in a token piece of fruit, and a butterscotch pudding or an apple sauce. Of course there's a lot more to it than No Name sandwich meat. I just miss her all over! The everyday chats and fixings of encouragement and friendship from Mom. I wish that we were living in the same place. I'm glad we'll have one more day in HK, together with the rest of Team India- that would be June 18, and then summer is just around the corner!

And then there's Grandma. It's her 91st birthday, you know! I was telling my students about my Grandma. How she has a legacy, or perhaps a profession, in letter writing, makes a mean cinnamon bun and loves flowers and granddaughters (okay, and people in general). So we decided to write Grandma McMillan letters. A good ol' fashioned handwritten birthday letter, with a wealth of stamps of all kinds for home-made fancy letter writing paper. They did a fantastic job, and don't tell Grandma, but we're sending one a day. I hope it brings her cheer, and just a sampling of the encouragement that has been spread through her own letter writing. I am so looking forward to seeing both Grandma and Grandpa this summer.

Brought to you by the white chocolate mocha at the coffee shop...

I'm getting no love from Apple these days. Before I went to Korea, my ipod died. I decided to buy a new nano. I left my nano on the bus in China on the weekend. Smooth move. It is being returned to me in the mail. This is good. My Macbook went into a deep sleep about a week ago, and I'm hoping the Apple fix it fellows are working wonders right now. She won't be back for another ten days. Sigh. So I'm at the coffee shop. I could blog at school, but I really don't feel much in the mood for it at the end of the day.

So if I were feeling like a more energetic blogger, I would catch you up on the latest. The latest stretches back to the Jeonju days, which demand at least one solid blog entry (the food earns a post of its own)! That will be coming soon. I might also tell you about this past weekend, when I went to China with my high school basketball guys. They enjoyed titling it the "China Tour". The China Tour ended up mostly rained out, or alternatively known as the China Ping Pong Tour (what do you in China when you can't play basketball outside?). However, the one game we managed against the government church team (similar to our "church hockey teams" at home), was a classic. Unfortunately, I was reffing...

Lately I'm spending time after schools working with the Grade 3 and 5 students on our spring musical- "Donkey Tales". Last night I watched the Hairspray special dvd features to inspire me in my role as drama director. The theme song goes something like this..."Donkey Tales are long. Donkey Tales are short....Hee haw, Hee haw". Sounds like the makings of something epic, hey?!

I can almost taste summer. Almost...but not quite yet. I have a ticket home so that makes it seem more real. June 29 is the day I return to big skies, clean air, Timmy's, real chocolate milk....and hopefully and most importantly, you!

Tuesday Night

The schedule has lightened somewhat in recent days. The basketball season is over (we lost in the quarterfinals in a heartbreaker) and another round of report cards is in the books. Beyond the busy schedule was a looming decision about what to do next year, and I'm glad to say (although it was a shaping experience and struggle) that I'm now on the other side of that. I had planned on moving back to Canada in the fall, but I have decided to stay in Hong Kong for another year. I felt that I was leaving this place too quickly and as best as I could discern, felt that God was leading me to stay. Though I'm sad to be away from home for another ten months, I am excited about the developing friendships and opportunities here.

I'm grateful for the slower pace. On Sunday I spent the day cleaning my house, making corn chowder and banana bread, and preparing for the week. Yesterday I had friends over and made apple crisp. Tonight it's 23 degrees and I'm going to take advantage by heading over to the tennis court. Guess I'd better get going! Maybe with the bit of extra time I'll think of updating the old blog more frequently.

The Latest

This weekend I was back on the road. This time on a sequel trip to Kaiping, China, as a staff sponsor for our high school students. I soaked up the chance to be in the real China again: boys with pink motorbike helmets, the prolific Chinglish signage, dusty streets, Chinese students requesting me to sing their favorite song (either Westlife, Big Big World, or Yesterday Once More), cheap everything, my favorite green tea, and random men on the street with big goofy smiles and hearty "hullo"s. Love it, love it. I didn't take many pictures this time around, but I couldn't resist trying to capture the ultimate cute factor of the little Chinese babies in their bundles!
The downside was the loooow temperatures. I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous to say I was chilled to the bone for three days straight when the temperature was ten degrees. But true. There's no escape from it; no indoor heating to be found.

Today we had our second annual school pep rally. I felt very much transported to my days at Johnson. Good times. It was fun to watch the kids, and particularly my players, as they enjoyed themselves. Definitely worth the effort!! I'm happy to invest my time and energy into helping make our school a place where kids have fun and feel a sense of pride in their school, and of course, their teams!

I'm excited for this weekend because it kicks off the Chinese New Year holiday, which means one week of delightful rest and play. I was originally planning to travel to Malaysia during this week but decided to stay put. I'm definitely glad I made this choice, as I'm already planning many things I would like to enjoy here in Hong Kong. On the priority list: cheap lunches at amazingly good restaurants, squash with Bob, tennis, working out (it's a foreign concept these days), trimming the growing fro :), a couple movies, some reading, some thinking (not toooo much), and what I need most: a lot of praying!

Guess I'd better head for bed. Stay warm!

One Long Skate

There is an ache in me that never leaves when I'm away from home, but there are times when it feels more acute. The last couple days have felt that way. It likely has much to do with the arrival of the Christmas season. Though I'm very excited about the adventures Thailand has in store and I will enjoy soaking up the sun and feeding elephants and eating colorful curries, it's not home. I miss my family. I miss, in advance, the family dance nights (yes, we McMillans dance up a storm), Mom's Christmas dinner, Mom's Christmas brunch, holding a new baby nephew, watching the kids I love open their presents, playing guitar with brothers, having great chats with my sisters, going to the McMillan New Year's party, and so on.

My favorite Christmas album, Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan, has been on nonstop for the past week. One of the best songs, River, makes me ache for a good ol' skate. I wonder how long it might take me to skate across the Pacific....

Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
Teach my feet to fly high
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

I miss Canada. I miss you!

Sunday Afternoon

I love the weekends! Wow! I have had an excellent weekend so far...I can't say it's over yet, though as I plan and mark it gets closer to feeling that way! On Friday night I went to Amazing Grace with a friend. What a story. Incredible commitment and perseverance. The one phrase that really stuck with me this weekend was "the weight of hope". It was clearly portrayed in the movie. The last scene in the House- wow- that one had me sobbing! I thought John Newton's character was played especially well. It was also a great history lesson.

Yesterday I spent a portion of the day planning for my Christmas holidays. Destination: Thailand! I am very excited about the trip. I am traveling with 3 other good friends from school. We are planning to go to Chiang Mai (in the north of Thailand), Bangkok (only for a day or so), and then to an island named Koh Chang (in the south).

I've spent a lot of time on the courtyard of late. Basketball is underway, but on Friday we wrapped up the volleyball season with a staff/student friendly. Though not overly aggressive or competitively-spirited, they are a lovely group of girls, and it has been fun getting to know them. Here's a picture!

Triangular Days

Greetings. We're on the far end of the weekend in the far East. How about a newsy update on a rainy Sunday evening?

I'm having a great time in Hong Kong these days. Essentially I live in a triangle for most of the week- the points being home, school, and the tennis court. The tennis court would be my favorite location in the triangle, without a doubt. For the past month I've been there a lot- usually 3 or 4 times a week I end up on the court. I love it- I can't get enough of the tennis, and I love my friends there. They are wonderful.

On the weekends I get to break the routine and find new spots to enjoy in HK. Lately, I've been hitting up various coffee locations around the city. It's been awhile since I've been deep into a book, and recently I've found one that is both hard to pick up, and hard to put down. It's hard to pick up because it is very convicting, and I'm afraid of it. It exposes my selfishness. The stories in the book often stir me to tears. I don't even want to tell you I'm reading this book, because then I'm partially accountable to you for my response to it. But it's powerful, and I want to get to the point where I'm not afraid to accept the dare of living for Jesus with the heart that I see in Shane Claiborne, in his book- The Incredible Revolution. If you haven't read it...I've warned you, now go read it. And if you've read it, tell me- and I'd love to share in some dialogue. When I get through it, I'll try and share some of my thoughts.

Back to the newsy tone...I'm really excited about my trip to Shanghai this week. We have just two days of school, one day of PD, and then on Thursday evening my friend Mary and I will fly north to Shanghai. Another friend will join us on Friday. I can't wait to see my friend, Black- one of my very favorite friends from my days in Shiyan. We'll do some touring around, and then Sunday is the big day- the 3rd place game followed by the final of the Women's World Cup! Yeeesss!!! I'm disappointed that both China and Canada (heartbreaker) lost in the quarterfinals, but it will still be awesome. I'm trying to decide who to cheer for now...

On Tuesday it is Midautumn Festival, which is the big mooncake party here. Good ol' mooncakes. My tennis club is hosting a "Middle Moon" doubles tournament- just for fun. Mooncakes and tennis- what could be better?! :)

Alright, guess that's enough from Hong Kong Harm tonight. I am missing my nieces and nephews, and awaiting a call (call me at ANYTIME) from Steve and Bec about the new squishable one on the way! Good night!

Busy But Better!

Hey all. I haven't devoted much time to the old blog lately, but I thought I'd drop by with a bit of an update on life in Hong Kong, as of May 15.
I am honestly thrilled to write that I am physically feeling so much better. I am still having some of the same "buzzing" symptoms in my feet, but aside from that, I'm feeling almost back to normal. Yes! I'm so thankful to feel like myself again. Almost. And I'll take almost- it feels good after feeling less than myself for quite awhile. This bug is still unidentified, but after a clear MRI (praise God!), and a lessening of the bad buzz, things are looking up! I do really wonder if it could be the pollution. That is scary! Thank you, again, for your encouragement and your prayers.
The last couple of weeks, and the present one especially, are flying by in a busier fashion than I'd like. At school, we have a field trip on Friday and we're busy preparing for the spring musical next week. It's hard to believe we have just over a month left of school!
I'm still playing a lot of tennis, and finding that I have a love-hate relationship with this sport. I love the game, I love the challenge, but sometimes it really ticks me off. Grrrrr. The more that I learn, the worse I become because I figure out that I am doing more wrong than I had even realized. So my backhand goes from inconsistent to plain ugly. However, I want to get it right, so I guess it will have to be ugly until I get it right. Good thing the club players are so gracious...they didn't know what they were getting in for when they let me in!
Enough tennis talk. The only other news I have is that next week my friend Mary and I are going to Bangkok for the long weekend. Fun! Thai food, a swimming pool, and the biggest market in Asia. Sounds like a good time to me.
And I must say, go Steve and the Suns. What an intense series! How can anyone not like Steve Nash?!

House Guest and House Arrest

Hey all. There is a noted gap since my last writing. Chinese New Year has come and gone, though many of us are still basking in a nice week of holidays from work. It hasn't turned out exactly as I had planned. I was hoping to get lots of planning and marking done in the first few days, and then welcome my friend Sherri to town and continue on to tear up the concrete jungle for the remaining days of the holiday!
Turns out my body had a different adventure in mind for me over the break, and I definitely feel the grace (but disappointment) of being unwell during time off from school. It's a strange kind of virus (we think?) that has my legs and arms numb and tingly, and has left me really tired and generally not feeling that great. I know, it sounds a bit weird, but I'm doing okay. Tests came back normal, so I'm just trying to take it easy, take my vitamins, and maybe the next step is Chinese medicine! I hope whatever it is decides to pack up and go on its merry way really soon. :)
However, the best thing is that Sherri is here! Ah, she's a fun, fun gal. We haven't done much exploring but we're finding fun in small things...like Photobooth and becoming expert dancers in every genre of music in my Itunes Library. The pictures below are inspired by "I've Had the Time of My Life" and, I really don't know about the last one....maybe something from Shrek?