Most Gorgeous Weekend

We couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  Sunny and warm with little bugs.  I think I got an overdose of vitamin D... so that should last me for the next 45 days of straight rain.

Alisha and I took quite a few walks this weekend and took some pictures of the fog that would not lift until after 12pm.  We also got to see a fogbow... when the fog/mist creates an arch... but without the color.  It was pretty interesting to look at.  I wonder what is at the end of a fogbow....

There was some bad news this weekend.  On one of our walks, my dog Suka was attacked by a dog 5 times his size.  We were so surprised!  This dog came running from the other side of the road and pounced on Suka.  I was shocked for a second or two, then got my wits about me and threw my coffee at the offending dog.  It separated them for two seconds then they were at it again.  I made kicking motions and stomped toward the fight scene and the dog finally got off of Suka.  I was so furious.  I walked up to the house where the dog came from and had a talk with a gentleman (who was not the real owner, but he apologized and even offered to refill my coffee).  He was put back in his cage and we walked on.  Suka is fine, by the way.  He just got a little puncture by his manhood area.

I think it might be a good idea to keep my cell phone on me to call the dog catcher whenever I see a dog off it's leash.  I'm tired of people not being responsible pet owners.  Keep your dogs on a leash, in your house, or in a cage.

On a lighter note, my Yankee Candle box came in and made my weekend.  I ordered some fall scents since I can't be home for fall.  I have one lit now called orange spice.  Smells wonderful.

Village Trip

Just got back from an awesome village visit with Vicki.  Erin, Angie, Mark and I took a trip out to Akula (sp?) to visit our friend.  We were supposed to go kayaking and camping... but the weather was kind of yucky and we found other fun things to do.  We spent most of our time singing, dancing, talking, and eating.  It was the perfect Labor Day vacation!

Plus, Vicki's house is decorated so awesomely.  When you walk into it, you can tell she lives there.  When I got home on Monday night, I immediately started cleaning my house and thinking of things to change or buy.  I walked to the AC store to buy some groceries and took a look around the "hardware" area for hooks, wall hangings, and other fun house stuff.  But, of course they didn't have anything.  I'll have to wait for the weather to clear up to walk to Swanson's.

So, thank you Vicki for giving me inspiration for my house! :)

I also had grand plans today to walk to the post office, but the hurricane force winds hindered me from walking.  I wanted to return a shirt from Eddie B., and mail my brother's birthday card.  He'll be 13 on Sept. 9th!  He'll finally be a teenager!  Hopefully, when I go home for Christmas, he'll still want to give me hugs and kisses.

And, today was the start of my grand jury.  I was picked to be on the jury, and not an alternate.  Also, I shall be the foreman-forewoman.  Nobody was volunteering so we were sitting around waiting... and I just thought, well, if I volunteer then we could go to lunch a little earlier.  So, I'm on my lunch break now, doing a quick blog.  When there's time, I'll post some of the pics from our weekend.

Thank goodness for no fleas in Alaska!

So I am back home after roaming Michigan for the past 29 days.  I left beautiful 85F sunny, muggy weather to come back to 50F cloudy, misty/rainy weather here in Bethel.  Ah, sure it's great to be back.  It's good to see that my plants did not pass away while I was gone (although I did leave them outside for nature to take care of... and a friend was in charge of watering a few).  The grass is a little long 'cause my landlord hasn't had time to mow it yet (he's probably been too busy out on the river).  I notice that their boat is gone for most of the evening.

It's nice to be back in my home, in my own bed.  I missed my bed, even though it is an air mattress (the most comfiest air mattress you could ever lay on).  The last few days at my mom's house, I had to sleep on the downstairs couch because my bedroom was infested with fleas!  Not from Suka, but from my sister's cat.  My sister had her cat living up in the room raising a small liter of kittens and spreading her fleas all over the carpet.  Suka took his medicine during our trip so I wasn't that worried about the fleas... until he started itching.  It was the funniest thing!  He's never experienced fleas before and he would itch himself then look at his foot to see what the hell was going on.  I took pity on him and gave him a few flea baths.  I haven't noticed any emigrants on him, so I think we've killed them off.  Thank goodness!  I hate fleas.

I have been trying to finish this online reading fundamentals class that I started last fall.  It is incredibly boring and not very interactive.  I guess that's what I get for taking an online class.  You basically read the material and take an exam.  I've done two of five exams... and I hope to be finished by the time school starts.  One good thing about these online classes, you can pick your own timeline to complete the course... so thank goodness I gave myself a full year to complete it!  And early next week I hope to travel into my classroom and begin rearranging my area.  That is my favorite part of the year... at the beginning where you can reorganize your room and make improvements from last year.  I'd like to be really ready this year since I will be starting kindergarten again.

Pontoon Alley on Wixom Lake

It was the 4th of July and Wixom Lake was completely full!  Boats were everywhere.  Kids were tubing and flying off into the water.  College kids were drinking up a storm and listening to loud music.  And, my family is in the pontoon, slathering up sunscreen and getting ready to wade in the water.  No matter who much sunscreen we put on though, our skin got burnt!  I mean, look at the picture with my Aunt, and sister Lydia.  She is toasted!  I got a little red, but I continually put lotion on it because I really hate to peel.

We had such a great time.  The weather was perfect, the sun was warm, I was sucking down water and watching beautiful men stroll by :)  We stayed out there for the whole afternoon.  The only reason we had to go in was because my sister Lydia made my cousin watch her kids, and we've been out on the boat for at least 5 hours... so we felt a little guilty for staying out so long.

So, after our long afternoon out on pontoon alley, we spent the rest of our night watching fire works, kicking the bonfire, lighting sparklers, drinking, laughing, and spending time together.  The 4th of July is like Christmas at my Grandpa's house.  Everyone comes over!  Even the neighbors were bringing their guitars over and joining in the unexpected bout of singing Beatles and country songs.

As far as food goes, I found these gigantic marshmallows that are three times the size of a regular marshmallow.  Of course I had to buy them.  These marshmallows required two full graham crackers and at least five pieces of chocolate.  We had to make sure to cook them 'til they were bloody burnt, or else the inside of the marshmallow would not be mushy enough to squish down.  They were pretty fun to eat.  One of these was enough to fill me up on s'mores for the whole night.  Delicious!

Good Times with the Dogs

Suka had the most awful plane ride experience.  I thought I sedated him enough, but two pills did not work.  So, on the way home, I will be giving him at least three pills to calm his butt down.  He wouldn't stop panting the whole first week we were home.  But now, with only a few days left in Michigan, I think he's gotten used to the weather.

Here is a picture of my brother with our dog Annabell.  She is a slobbery boxer with little social skills.  She wanted to play, sniff, and jump on Suka.  Suka, of course, did not like this and acted like he wanted to bite her head off.  So, we never put them in the same room together.  Suka did get along with other dogs after a while.  He seemed to like the smaller kind.

Everyone loved Suka though.  My family wanted to keep him and let me take the annoying beagle.  I said no, I love my Suka.  Although I did not love him this morning when I had to give him a flea bath!  I don't think his Frontline medicine is working.  He doesn't seem to be itching a whole lot, but there are fleas all over his body.  I gave him a bath this morning and I'll probably give him another couple before we leave.  The last thing I want is to have fleas in my house.  I hate fleas!  I guess this is one reason to live in Alaska... there are no ticks or fleas :)

Summer Lovin'

That is I am lovin' summer right now. I'm getting anxious to leave. I've packed way ahead of time, even getting Suka's things ready. Yes, he has his own travel bag. I already gave him heart worm medicine and tick and flea drops. He's pretty much ready, except for the sedatives I'll be giving him right before we leave for the airport. I've got a few extras incase our car ride together is rough on the way home. Lets hope he does fine.

I'm almost finished packing. Just finishing up some laundry and doing a little cleaning around the house. One of my pet peeves is coming home to a dirt place. When I come back home, the only thing I want to do is unpack, not spend time cleaning up a mess I've left.

I'll only be gone for 29 days and will return late in July. I wanted to be home early to help out with the fall inservice and to get my classroom ready for kindergarten. There are some new pieces of furniture I need to move around, and some new ideas I want to implement. I am going to do kindergarten a bit different this coming year. I have some new things to focus on, and my main goal will be to get parents involved in the classroom. Save that for another blog.

So, my summer plans include visiting family, bonfires, cooking outside, trip to Mackinaw Island, movies, dollar store shopping, and cleaning my old room. 29 days seems like a long time, but I already know my time will be short. I guess there will be time to rest when I come back to AK! The only thing I am not looking forward to is the yucky... muggy... sticky... 90F weather.

Summer Free!

Work has officially ended for me. My job at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge has ended this week. It was very successful. I completed 5 tundra wildlife kits, and 1 tundra plant kit. I gave a little presentation this morning and went through the lesson plans with the education specialist. They were pleased and even offered for me to come back next summer to work on some new kits. I have travel plans for next summer for Ireland and Scotland again, so we'll see what happens.

I've got a few more days left 'till I head off for Michigan. I just got insurance for the car rental and printed off driving directions from O'Hare airport to home. I am looking forward to driving on the highway and listening to the radio! Suka will be traveling with me. The little psycho whines so much in a simple 5 minute cab ride, that I am worried about a 3 1/2 hour trip! Hopefully he'll be able to relax if I lay a blanket down, or perhaps I'll have to slip him some sedatives from the vet.

So, in the meantime, I will be cleaning house, relaxing, finishing my Reading Fundamentals online class, and working out.

Enlightening Walk Home

As I was walking home from a friends house, two little girls from across the street see me walking with my dog. They come running down their porch with popsicles in their hands (mind you it's about 10pm) yelling "I wanna pet your dog!" Suka was running around, doing his dog thing as these girls run up to me (not even knowing who I was) and tell me they want to pet my dog. Suka comes running up and starts smelling the girls over. They giggle and what not then one of the girls asks me to open her popsicle treat. I tell the girl to go ask her mom to open the treat but she says "my mom is drinking." "Oh, okay then, I'll open it." Then, I ask the girls "who is supposed to be watching you?" "My grandma." The girls start telling me that one of them doesn't live her, she's just visiting and they're just playing outside. After one of the girl finishes her popsicle treat, she throws the plastic on the ground and laughs as Suka goes up and investigates the sticky stuff. I told her to not be a litter bug and pick up her trash. She laughs and does what I tell her. Next, I tell the girls that it's my bed time and that I have to go home. I make sure to remind the girls not to play in the road and to go back inside. They giggle and walk back to the house.

I just kept thinking, "jeesh." I know it's summer, but 5 year olds outside at 10pm... by themselves???? I had an impulse to call social services (wouldn't be the first time I had to make a report). That is one of my responsibilities as a teacher- to report abuse. We hear and see everything at school: we missed you yesterday, where were you?- mom was drunk, and wouldn't let me go; he has a doctor's appointment at 12:00pm so we'll just keep him home all day; sorry, we slept in too late (call at 1:00pm), can you excuse her?; he stayed up too late so I let him sleep in...etc.

There are so many issues for these kids to deal with. And sometimes I have a hard time listening to what problems/concerns/issues parents share with me. I have had parents concerned about instructional time their child is/is not getting, and I'm concerned about my students coming to school without breakfast or without a coat, or giving my students a special good morning greeting to start their day off right. One grandparent told me of her concern with her granddaughter's hat. Someone was putting it on her backwards. And, I'm concerned about a student who has been wearing the same shirt with blood on it for 4 days in a row. Parents want their child pushed in certain subjects, and I'm concerned they don't know how to tie their shoes or zip up their coat.

When I am faced with an issue like safety/shelter/food/clothing/love that a child is not receiving, I kind of feel that all of those other issues seem so small in comparison. First of all, if a child is lacking in the previous mentioned, how much are they really going to learn when they come to school? They might learn that school will feed them breakfast and lunch, give them clothes, clean their head of lice, teachers will give praise and hugs, etc. Some stuff just matters more to me sometimes.

Grill Out

That's me trying to control Suka. I think he was a little nervous about the flames. I went into Anchorage a couple of weeks ago and brought a little grill back. I tried to bring charcoal on the plane, but that was not allowed. I left my bag of Kingsford by the garbage can. Hopefully someone grabbed it as they were walking out. The grill is the perfect size for my little house. I invited a friend over to christian the grill with steak, asparagus, and peaches. It was a very delicious dinner. So, I think I've got steak down, and next time I'll try some chicken... maybe kabobs, and more fruit.

The bugs are so nasty here though. They cling to my door and walls outside of the house. Today after work, I took some mosquito repellent and sprayed around the door. I don't know if it will work though. It was a little gratifying to spray them and see the little suckers flutter to the ground. I bought some coils and mosquito repellent sticks at the store. They don't seem to be working, what with the wind blowing around by the lake. I'd like to get a couple of large citronella candles and set those outside of the door. That might do the trick. Well, how much more can you talk about mosquitos?

Insects

I've been learning some very interesting things about insects at work this summer. I have been gathering materials for the second grade tundra kit. In second grade, they have an insect theme. Some teachers have asked me to gather more materials for this theme. So, I've been working on this. Today, a biologist let me know that there are some rare dragonflies at Hanger Lake that have been spotted! Cool! He said because of the unusually warm spring, these dragonflies have decided to come out. Dragonflies are more likely to come out at night because of the delicious mosquitoes they feast on. We're supposed to catch them at night because they fly lower to the ground to catch their prey. I found a fantastic net at work and brought it home, hoping to catch some after work. However, as I was riding my bike home, I noticed the dark clouds in the distance and the wind fiercely blowing in my face. Wind + bugs = hard to catch bugs. So, the little storm ruined my plans tonight. I do plan to go bug catching tomorrow during work though. I've got to bring my fingernail polish remover with acetone to drop the dragonflies into. You let them drift in acetone for a couple of days and it helps preserve their colors. Hopefully, I will be able to catch a few and add them to the second grade kit. I will also keep my eye open for water beetle and bees.

New Summer Experience

So, teaching is done for now. We had an awesome last week together. We went to a park together and had a picnic. The weather was a bit breezy but the kids still ran around having fun. We had some parents walk with us to the park, help with lunch, watch them on the playground, and walk back with us. We had other parents come who didn't really interact with others, children and adults. We had a bloody nose and a couple of spats, but overall an enjoyable time. We also had our grade level potluck. Quite a few parents showed up which was great! It was nice to see some of them interacting with other parents and teachers. The children did a wonderful job reciting poems and singing a song for their grandparents. But, thank goodness this year is over! I've had some interesting experiences this year that makes me believe, even more, that looping from K to 1st grade is not always positive for the student and the teacher. Ah, that would be another blog title later.

I still see some of the kiddos around town, riding their bikes, playing with dogs, drinking soda, enjoying the nice warm weather. It will be interesting to see them after the summer. Given few months, they can mature so much, and hopefully gain skills they were not developmentally ready for. It's interesting to see students read at such a high reading level, but they still can't tie their shoes! They just need some time and kids all develop differently.

I've picked up a summer job this year. I'm working for the US Fish and Wildlife. They've hired me this summer to create themed kits for school use. I've been working on a tundra animals kit this past week for grades k-4. It's coming along very well. The kits include lesson plans for the teacher, demonstration lesson plans for a US Fish and Wildlife worker, hands on materials, and books. These kits are also linked to our science curriculum, so there's no reason why teachers can't use them! After the tundra animal kit is finished, I will start working on a tundra plants kit. The refuge building has a nice herbarium that I get to look through. I'm also hoping they have an insect collection hiding somewhere too! I am really enjoying working here this summer. They are so helpful with directing me where to go, giving advice, gathering information for me, and collaborating lesson plans. I would be happy to work here again some other summer. It is such a nice change from the school setting.

Violent Teachers

HOUSTON (CBS/KHOU) When their teacher backed one of their classmates into a corner, students at a Houston-area charter school thought it was a joke - but it allegedly turned into a shocking and brutal beating that was caught on tape.

Sherri Davis, a science teacher at Jamie's House Charter School, allegedly backed 13-year-old Isaiah Johnson into a corner and began beating him while his classmates watched.

At the beginning of the video you can hear the laughter and applause from the students as Isaiah is backed into a corner by Davis after Isaiah reportedly teased a female classmate. But Janiqua Johnson, a student who shot the video on her cell phone, says Davis "snapped" and started beating the 13-year-old, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.

cut and paste the link here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20004788-504083.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CBSNewsPCAnswer+(PC+Answer%3A+CBSNews.com)

I don't care what is going on in your classroom, there should be no reason to beat your students. That is not our job... well, in some states yes, but that job should still be reserved for the parents! There are specific classes for teachers to take that help us to deal with violent students in a safe way for the student and for the teacher. I saw the teacher on Good Morning America this morning trying to defend her actions. She put a bit of the blame on the school not providing students and teachers with a safe atmosphere/building. What also shocked me was that no teachers or students tried to put a stop to the beating. I just cannot see how a teacher can be so enraged at their students to actually physically beat the child (well, I guess we all might have those days when you are just tired of dealing with certain students, but you've got to be able to deal with anger/frustration/stress in a safe way). We have the third most stressful job. I think it is an important priority to figure out your way of dealing with the daily frustration/anger/stress that comes with your job. (ie, yoga, ride a bike, judo, karate, aerobics, hobbies, a glass of wine, etc).

Strange Week

It's been kind of an interesting week. The weather for one. Warm, beautiful weather, then rainy and even snowy the next hour! Let's hope this weekend will be a gorgeous one. There is a Fun Run at the cultural center that I hope people will go to. I've asked a few ladies from work to join me on the 5K. I only plan to walk/jog some of the time.

School was incredibly busy. I've been testing all week, while still trying to keep up with instructional time. I was lucky to have parent volunteers in my classroom this week to help out with the busy-end-of-the-year-stuff. One of my parent volunteers brought me a gift. They are awesome parents and support what I do in my classroom. The gift was very unexpected and I got very teary-eyed when I opened it. The gift was a beautiful opal necklace (which all my kids know of my opal rings I wear everyday). It was thoughtful and very generous. The volunteer gift I planned to give out at our potluck seems so small now.

My kids did so well on their showcase. There were so many parents in the gym. I was so happy to see them come and support their children. The kids worked hard on using their actor/actress' "voice." Now they are a little prepped for our potluck presentation next week.

The federal papers for my job this summer are finally completed. There was a discrepancy with my previous addresses, so I had to fax a new copy over. I did not realize so much paper work went into getting a federal job. I suppose I should have realized this, but it seemed a 30 day, summer job, would be a simple hiring task. Nope. A giant packet was mailed to me. It was worth the hassle though. I am looking forward to my summer job: making themed lesson kits for U.S. Fish and Wildlife. It will be a nice change from teaching 21 students, to working on the computer/researching all day.

And, lastly, it has been brought up to me that someone is inquiring about my teaching skills. I do not know the particulars, but I get the feeling that these inquiries are not positive. It is a little disappointing to see this happening. But, there is nothing I can do or want to do about it. People are who they are.

I think next week will be so much better. The last week of school is usually the best time with the kids.

Suka vs Ducks

I think he is ready for summer too. He's been more rowdy and anxious lately (just like my kids at school!). I set up his 20ft lead outside the door so he walk around the yard. Suka doesn't really like it though. He'll scratch at the door and whine for awhile. I ignore him and after a few minutes, he'll sulk off the porch and wander around.

When I took him outside after work, I noticed the lake behind my house had a couple pairs of ducks wading around. They were pretty close and didn't seem afraid of Suka, so I ran inside to get the camera. Suka was interested in the ducks, but not too interested to hop in the freezing water. We'll see if he gets into trouble this summer with the neighborhood fowl.

Could It Be?

Is it break up time yet? We have had such beautiful weather lately that I am hoping spring is here to stay. Suka and I have been going on walks down by the river. But, the other day, we decided to walk down by Pinky's Park and explore the boardwalk. There is so much trash around town! Pop cans, chip bags, plastic bags, everything you can buy from the AC store. Isn't there some kind of community event to clean up the town? On the last day of school, the classrooms go outside in the morning and clean up the school area. And, I think there has been a clean up crew on the highway... but other than that...? In my home state, prisoners (the non-murderous/violent kind) are able to walk along side roads and pick up trash. Are the prisoners in the Bethel jail able to do this? I have never seen them out in their orange suits. It could be there is not enough people to watch the prisoners along side of the road, or Bethelites might not prisoners in the "downtown" area no matter what they are doing for the environment. I guess it is an issue of safety... but, if other states do it...?... (yeah, I know, will we jump off the bridge too?).

Mother's Day Project

This is one "holiday" I love to do in my class. We worked on some special stuff today for the moms. The kids work extra hard on these kinds of crafts because they know it will be going home to mom. We had a little discussion about how mom's like to keep their children's work so they can look back over the years and see how much their children have changed. I still remember making Mother's Day cards, flowers, vases, poems, wall hangings, and hand pictures. My mom still has that special school box in our attic. So, I want to give my students the same experience I once had, and I want their mother's to appreciate how special and unique their children are.

One of my students told me his mom still has the flower that we planted in kindergarten! Awesome!

Volunteers/Changes

I have been blessed this year with having the best volunteers for my classroom. I've also had the best parent support in the classroom this year. It's great to have parents come in and work with the children and help out the teacher. It's great to have them know what we are working on in the classroom and support what you are teaching. The classroom is a different atmosphere than home, so it's interesting for parents to see what their child is like with twenty other students.

The educational system is changing in this town because of our 5th year without AYP. The community has been informed through board meetings. Also, there are so many changes happening in the school district. New math curriculum and program, reading program, two language programs, and a new grading system. It is great to know that your classroom parents support the positive changes the school district is doing to improve our AYP. These changes are challenging for the teacher and for the students. The school needs all the support it can get. I hope next year I can have an awesome group of parents like I have had this year.

Less than three weeks of school left....

So, we've got about 14 days left of school and I am definitely feeling the crunch. I've been testing my students since the end of second quarter, but I still feel behind. So many indicators to complete and so much content to cover! I never feel satisfied at the end of the school year. Yet, I don't want the end of our year to be negative. We have had an awesome year. Hatching eggs, learning about plants, migration posters, field trips, showcases. We were a pretty successful classroom.

Our end of the year potluck is coming up. Our theme will be family and celebrating Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Grandparent's Day all in one afternoon. I'll probably get teary-eyed too. That's what you get when you have the same class for two years. Your really get to know your kids. You get to know their families, behaviors, problems, jokes, attitudes, mood swings, accomplishments. So much time is spent together. So, I want to make sure I end our year on an awesome note.

Bethel Spring

So, I woke up this morning and found 3 inches of snow outside of my home. The snow kind of crushed my springy feeling. It feels like we should start singing Christmas songs again.

Some good news though, I have bought my ticket home this summer with my miles. Bethel to Chicago, 40,000 miles. I haven't decided if I should fly from Chicago to Lansing or if I should rent a car and drive the 3 1/2 hours home. Driving would be quite an adventure with Suka. He can't even behave in a 5 minute cab ride. So, I'll be home for the month of July. July in Michigan is the best. Bon fires, fire works, family sitting around drinking and playing cards, road trips to Mackinaw Island, skate park with my brother, playing with my nephews in the backyard, and mowing my grandpa's lawn. I can't wait.

School is also finished in three weeks. I have had this group of kids for 2 years. It has been a long two years. I am going to be sad yet happy to see them go on to second grade. But, I will also be glad to get a new group of students. This group of kids have been wonderful, but they came with some challenging baggage. I learned, with this group of kids, that you can never please everyone. They will always find something at fault with your teaching and will probably always share the negative aspect of your teaching instead of informing you of the positive things you have done for their child. But, these experiences make you a better teacher and help reinforce why you decided to become a teacher.

Overall, spring in Bethel is a good thing. It means time for some change.

Tiny Blip About What's Going On

Here's a little update since I haven't blogged in quite awhile. I am still living in Alaska. I teach first grade this year. I had an awesome summer spent in Europe. I traveled to my ultimate destination... Ireland :) Then off to my second love, Scotland, then to England and lastly, France. Ireland and Scotland were the best! I wish some guy would've swept me off my feet and made me stay there. ah, well. I'll take another trip over there and see what happens. Maybe I'll find a new teaching job... then my blog would say "The" Irish Experience.

I spent a lot of time with my family this summer in "up north" Michigan. Bon fires, Fourth of July, marshmallows, The Whiskey Barrel... Too much fun. This fall, my aunt Teri passed away from cancer. We spent some time together before I came back up here for the school year. She was in a wheel chair and we went for a nice walk along a creek, ate some ice cream afterwards, and sat on a porch to just talk. My aunt Teri is now buried beside her two boys in Beaverton. I went to see her grave in October and I put a little pumpkin gourd by the flowers. Before she passed away, my aunt Teri and uncle Dave gave me a large sum of foreign bills. I don't even know where all of them are from. I need to find some folder to organize the money and figure out some way to identify them. And no, not every country puts their name on their money!

I've got so much new things to blog about, but I'll save that for a later time (Mexico, K-300, weddings, yadda yadda yadda :) This was just a quick update blog.