A little bit of everything

It not just that Im in love with the Carnival experience in Europe. Its true! 9 best awards. Good ! Well deserved!! If just some people will believe me when I say how good it is.For example my friend paying big bucks for a 7 day cruise with the rock climbing wall ( For what the $%%^ Im going to need this in Europe?) just because his TA says that Carnival is this and that. UGH!! That is one bit..
The school bit ( oh nooo) LOL same….today was my turn at the boss office.I was the last one. How do you feel and how can we improve the environment at school she asked.I told her everything..How I feel in the middle of all this bad things around me. Solution in sight ?? no no too ugly. In the meantime the party planned for the “teacher of the year”suspended, My boss couldnt do it. She even asked me how she could do it. No way.Tomorrow last complete day of this week, thank God because the children dont have any disposition to continue.Thursday fun day and a half day.Party for all the teachers given by the Parents Association and after that Im going to a girls night out with my friends. At home, Cristian is going to the beach with all his classmates tomorrow dont love the idea but I have to let him go. His final exams start next week so time to relax.ohhhh!
Vivi got invited to this year prom.The son of one of my co workers invited her.He is a wonderful!! Very handsome and soooooo nice.ahhhhhhhhh!! Those times… That is May 30.

A short week

This week is going to be short. Only Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.On Thursday is students day so we have special activities plan for them and we are free on Friday for teacher’s day.All this is good because things in school are not getting any better. After last week reunion with our Superior nothing has change at any case things have been getting worse, Leaving our faculty deserted.It has been very difficult for me because Im right in the middle of everything.Not only because I have the kid in my classroom but because of the location of my classroom.Im right in front of the stairs on the second floor.When you reach the second floor you are going to see my classroom in front of you, our coordinator office at the left the library at the right and right beside the library at the other side of the hall from my classroom is the Faculty.So im right in the middle of all this bad things around me.Thanks God still untouched with all this.But I dont like it.Sometimes when there is another teacher in my room I dont know here to go.The teachers from the first floor only come up to go to the bathroom our get something and out they go. We are leaving this 3 teachers alone in the Faculty.The one suing the other and her 2 friends.When they are there nobody goes inside the Faculty, I do that too I just get my things and out.Tomorrow Im going to get there early and take out all my things.I don’t want to be in that environment.Im going to work in the library were many are moving.Our superiors dont like what is happening and questioning all of us in their offices.I haven’t been called.The teacher sueing the other is the teacher of the year in the elementary School.We were suppossed to give her a party and a gifts.Her 2 friends are planning the party for Wednesday.We dont want to go. I dont know what is going to happen.All this is so ugly.Nothing like this have ever happened before. May is coming!!!!!! End of school!! Mother’s day and a lot of birthdays in my family.Also this year is Cristian’s eight grade graduation and prom.Soon I have to go shopping for clothes.
My birthday this year is going to be different. Gina and I share the same birthday. She was 3 years older than me.She would have been 46.We used to go all together to have dinner or something.This year is just me but we are going to make the best of it.

So after my trip………

WORK!! Yes work!! I been working like crazy at school and at home. Trying to catch up in everything. Even catching on sleep. I think im almost there, winding down. The first thing that happened when I came back on Monday was ugly. I dont know if I had mention that one teacher from my school is having problems with another because of her son who is in my classroom. The boy is not good in english and the mother is blaming the teacher up to the point were it is legal.Yes legal. Can you imagine one english teacher sueing the other ? Knowing what we have to go through each day and doing this? For me is one of the ugliest things I have seen. How could she? The other teacher doesnt deserve what is happening to her. All this is dividing our faculty and the air is tense.
This have cause many problems and changes. I dont know where this is going to end.Two mothers came complaining to me last week also.FUN!! With all the rush I had with the trip I have forgotten to tell them there was going to be a math Quiz. The next day there was a mother in my classroom complaining about it. I have the right to give a pop quiz no ? Why not?? I ask my supervisor she say to give it again WhY? Fear…The parents are doing what they want.Thats the truth.Another one came complaining to me saying that her boy had come home crying because I said to him I would give him a 0 if I didnt understand what he wrote. okkkkkkkkk. The boy was writing perfectly fine until the last 2 months that he is doing it so badly I cant understand what he is writing. So if I know he can do it why can I ask him to do it better?? He will continue to do it wrong if i dont put some pressure. Dont you think ? Mom didnt like it. So boy do as you wish . Thats the attitude right now. Good. What else?? Doing reports about the trip and trying to keep my house clean.Nobody did anything while I was away.Hey!! An update on my friend who is going to Europe. He ask me to contact my friend for tours in Italy. For now he wants tours In Rome and Livorno.He is still thinking about Naples and Palermo.I contacted my friend, is good to talk to him again.Now he added me on his contacts on the messenger so I can speak to him on the moment. He is always available. He doesnt sleep. LOL. Really… he his a workalcoholic right now its 1:30 am in Italy and he is at the computer.The other night I said to him : Go to sleep!!!! He answered back si si si in 2 minutes. He didnt. I Like to speak to him it keeps in touch with favorite place. I always check my emails before I go to work at 6:00 am.When I was checking my yahoo email suddenly there was a message in another window.Buon Giorno!! I felt good. It sounded so good.I wish I could learn to speak Italian.Thats one of the thing I want to do in my life. Im reading a book. Its called eat, pray , love.I just bought it because I needed one for my trip and it was the only one in english( I prefer reading in english) in Walgreens. Its about a woman trying to find herself and one day she decided to do the things that she wanted. She wanted to learn Italian and there she went, to Rome to learn the language.I like her narration of the live in Italy. I know its true.
There is a part that I find funny and so very truth, all the ladies that have gone with me to Rome agree with this. In the book the author says
“To my taste, the men in Rome are ridiculously, hurtfully,stupidly beautiful.Sometimes they look so good I want to applaud”. LOL I assure you its true.
Anyway I send my friend( the one who is going to Italy) what he sent me with my recomendations. He is still looking at them. He has so much work that he hasnt given me an answer for my friend. Its getting late and he doesnt even have an hotel in Barcelona.And his travel agent? Good Thank you. It is going to cost him.
Ok ok I m going to shut up now. Got carried away with everything going on. And there is more.
For todays random pictures here is one of my family when I was just 16 .They youngest is now 29 and the oldest my other sister turns 44 this May.Going through a box full of old pictures and found this two. It has been a long time since the last time that we were all together to get a new picture. Ahhhhh wait!! Im not finished.We are going to sign next year contract soon.The give of all the terms before so we can read them. 2 things are not longer in it.They are going to give us a higher raise than most years.It seems like next year we are going to have to pay for our lunch. It is our fault they were paying for it but many of us( guilty) were not using the benefit.ahhh..The other one is more serious.There is nothing about the half grant they give our kids.We only have to pay for half of the tuition of our children. That would make and $200.00 hole in my pocket. Another one?? We almost cant breathe.How about gasoline ? Depressing…
. I hope it happens soon.

My trip to Utah V – The last one

Got an early start this morning also.Glad its only a 2 hour difference. Anyway we went to the Convention Center for our first full day.We started at 8:00 and I remained there until 4:30.We went our separate ways because the 3 of us are teachers of very different levels and very different interests.So at $:30 I called Mara to meet her and discuss plans for the evening. She was already at the hotel and Maria Isabel was with a very bad headache on her room.I told Mara that I was going to stay at the mall to buy some presents for my family and to call when she was ready to do something else.When I travel I don’t stop.I can be up very early and walk and sightsee until late at night. Thats the truth. Many people don’t like that but when I travel I hardy rest.Rest if for home.I dont like to miss anything.Many travel partners cant keep up with me.I dont want to regret later something I didnt do and on this trip I felt we haven’t done much. I would have love to go to the game and to the resort in the mountains. Nobody mentioned those things again so we didnt do them. Those things I couldn’t do alone. But there was one thing I could do and it was making me nervous that we haven’t done it and we were there for 2 days already.Across the street from the Convention Center was the famous Temple Square the place were the Mormon temples are. I was getting afraid the we weren’t going to see them so I went alone and I glad I did because we didn’t come back even when I insist that they should see them. So I spent some quiet time alone enjoying the gardens and taking many pictures of the beautiful temples. At the Tabernacle there was a sign with the hours of the Famous Tabernacle Mormon choir practice that night. It was open to the public and I guess once in a lifetime opportunity so I wanted to come.Later I walk to the mall and stayed there until Mara called that she had found another mall that she wanted to go and that I should meet he on the train station nearest to the mall that I was.Another thing that I wanted to tell you about me.I don’t go travel to shop. No I like to see the stores but im not a big shopper.When I travel shopping is the last priority on my list.Mara Is different she is a shopper. So I didn’t have much choice. She took me to the mall and it was far.Not only that, the station was far from the mall but this time she didn’t complain about the walking.What worried me was that It was getting late and Maria Isabel was alone and I wanted to go to the choir practice.The good thing? I found the Cheesecake Factory.Yes I knew there was one in Utah and I wanted to go because we don’t have one in PR . It seems it is the only one in Utah and its new because it was pack. So we decide to come back the next day with Maria Isabel and earlier. So we went to buy so new suitcases for Mara to bring back her new things.We had a quick dinner and when we got out of the mall it was dark and extremely cold. We took a taxi to the train station and we made it to the temple square just in time to hear the choir practice their last song. It was beautiful!!

So what is left of my trip?? Day and half of conferences and we also went back to the Cheesecake factory were I ate a Tres Leches cheesecake alone( Im proud of that) and a full day of flights back home. Again uneventful. It was a great trip were I learned a lot and got to know 2 wonderful people. Now Im back home paying in work for that trip. Im up to my head in work from school and at home.Oh well……Nothing in life is free

Snow!! My trip to Utah IV

On Wednesday Mara and I went alone to the Convention Center to get us register.At the Convention we realized that they didn’t have any important activity scheduled for that day except a one hour workshop at noon. So Mara and I walked to the desolated mall were we meet Maria Isabel for breakfast at Starbucks.There we stayed for quite a while figuring out our schedule.The other puertorricans were going to a resort in the mountains and invited us buttttttttttt to go we would have missed the workshop. We called our boss and she told us that we had to justify our day there. Remember that we went with federal funds and I was in charge. So we stayed and went to the workshop and spent some time on the bookstore and also went to an orientation.So we have 3 things to put in our reports.We had to do a report for each of the talks we went.We had to do 6 hours daily. After we went to the hotel for lunch tand later Maria Isabel wanted to visit the University,so we took the light rail almost up to the mountains. As soon as we got out it started to rain snow but just a little bit. As we walked the university it got heavier and I could see it.SNOW!! I was seeing snow for the first time and I made a big fuss about it. Mara wasn’t amused and she keep complaining about the cold and the walking.We made her walk and walk My hands hurt so much!! I called my family and I was screaming I was so excited!!
We got to the museum at the University and we spend some time there which we enjoyed a lot. We specially like a piece made of yarn were one could add our creations.
Later we took the train again and made 2 additional stops at another mall and at the supermarket were we bought some simple things to eat at our rooms and we made Mara walk to the hotel again!!LOL. We stayed together at our confortable room eating and gossiping. Tomorrow another early start for Mara and me and a full day at the convention and a visit to the Temple Square.

Where are the people? My trip to Utah III

Ok After we have seen the hotel, we decided to go check the city and go find the Convention Center that was 4 blocks away from the hotel.We started to walk around the city and everything was close and there were no people around. The streets were empty!! At first we thought that it was because we were in the downtown area and well it was late or maybe it was too cold… but cold for who? we were there no ? . But this continue to be this way except on the Convention center and the mall on Saturday. So we continued with our walk we got to the Convention center and the place were the Utah jazz play and later we walk to the Gateway Mall. It is a beautiful street mall also empty.Thats strange for us. Malls here are always pack.Yes this is big here in PR many of the big chains have their best sellng store of the nation here.I dont know why is that good considering we are so small.National past time I guess. So at the mall we meet other Puertorricans going to the convention.Funny the only people at the mall were puertorricans. Told you! LOL Anyway now we were ready to eat so our friends show us the way to the Olive Garden.We dont have an Olive Garden here so we always go there when we go to the states.So we started walking through the desserted streets of Salt lake City. Sometimes it crossed our minds if it would be dangerous for 3 woman walking the streets alone. But I thought it would be strange if something happened to us in Salt lake City, Utah when we never have a problem in SJ, Puerto Rico. We reached the Olive garden and had a great time talking, talking ,talking. I have to tell you that Maria Isabel its a people person she talks with everybody everywhere and the employees of the restaurant were no exception so at one time one of them approached us and asked in spanish were are we from.Another puertorrican that remembered Maria Isabel from a math competition. He told us the story of his life and how his parents went bankrupt and that he had to pay for his education.Maria Isabel even gave him a kiss and promise to call him. Back to the hotel we stayed in our room talking until very late.
Next morning Mara and I were awake at 4:45. In PR it was 6:45 time we always wake up to go to school.Next blog the convention and our adventures in the University of Utah were I had my first encounter with snow.

Hotel

Ok Here we are in Salt Lake City, looking at those gorgeous mountains.We took a taxi and as we were approaching the hotel we said WOW!! thats the hotel? Someone made a mistake. Here we were in front of the best looking hotel in the area The Grand America. It looked beautiful and very luxurious even from the outside.We were overwhelmed with the service and surroundings from the moment we stepped inside. The employees keep coming to us asking things even giving each of us a bottle of water (thats a first) you should have seen the looks we were giving each other. LOL and to think this hotel is cheaper than most here in the island, Who figured? Made the check in and we went to our rooms Maria Isabel was on the 10 floor and us at the 16.We went to our room first our view was gorgeous we were in the front side of the hotel.I could see that beautiful mountains and the sunsets from my room.AHHH the rooms!! large very large with a bathroom much larger than mine all marble with many amenities.At nights they would make the beds with a bathrobe and a box of chocolates and a little message with the other day temperature.We were taking pictures like crazy .We were going to show them to the other teachers and our families.Later we went to the other room that had a even better view of the mountains and the hotel’s gardens.All the hotel was beautiful the lobby, the gardens , the pools and restaurants. Next the city.

My trip to Utah I

At last I got to this part!! I tried to load some pictures but this new format doesnt let me. I dont know why. Anyway they are in facebook. Ok wake up at 3:30 didnt have much sleep at all.At 4:30 we were at Mara’s house to pick her up.Mara teaches math in the middle school and has been my kids teacher one of my travel companions and that one I was going to share my room with. i didnt knew her well until this trip and its the same for Maria Isabel, high school teacher very popular with her kids, she was going to share her room with another teacher who couldnt come so she was alone in her room.I got to share this experience with 2 people that i almost didnt knew, That I knew by reference as they say but it was one of the best things about this trip.I got to meet 2 very different people but they were wonderful both of them in their way.Ok so we got to the airport at 5:00 for our 7:00 am flight. Love the airport at this hour,its empty, peaceful no rush at all and everyone is in a good mood. I was proud of myself because i was doing everything alone with no help.Stupid? Maybe .. but for a woman that always travel with her husband its an acomplishment. Meet Maria at the airport . She is not a morning person she warms us to give her time LOL She is like that sincere…She tells everything with no fear.She is simple a woman with a big heart that has dedicated her life to her students.She loves her job. Mara is completely different sometimes she is a little girl , a sweet princess very dedicated to her 3 children and husband and me Im stressfull one and I was in charge so I was the object of many laughs and comments specially from Maria. You got to lover her…LOL and truth is that she is right. I have to have everything by the book.So there I was colllecting tickets and giving instructions for everything.The plane left PR right in time and arrived in Atlanta earlier which was very good because I was meeting Kathie.We arrived at 11:00 at our flight to Salt Lake wasnt until 3:00 so we had plenty of time. I was very excited to meet Kathie after 10 months of the last time we saw each other in the Freedom.Got out of the terminal to the Atrium were I meet Kathie that invited me to lunch at Houlihanns. We a had a great time talking about everything.It was one of the best things about my trip.I was planning to stay with her until 1:00 but my companions called me to tell me to come back because there were long lines.So I had to say goodbye Until the next time that I hope its soon. Got back again,proud, alone making my way through the airport. ( Its a big deal for me) I was taking all those planes by myself woooo uhhh. LOL This airplane was also in time we really had great flight and no problems at all. We were approaching Salt lake and what and incredible view those mountains topped with snow. i was fascinated I have never seem a thing like that they were beautiful and you could see them from anyplace. I have to end here many things to do. Tomorrow I will talk about my luxurious hotel the best in Salt Lake.What are those jibaritas doing there?? I will talk about it later.

Day before the trip

I thought I wouldnt have time to write this blog. I have so many things to do and I way behind in everything and not only that Im very tired.I have lost many hours of sleep from the day I left my home until this day.But I wanted to write about my wonderful trip so I left for a later a ton of papers to grade. i guess I must begin with the events of the day before we left. It wasnt an easy day it was very stressfull.I was trying to manage giving all my classes and doing all the necessary things to get everything ready for the substitude teacher.So I had my body on the classroom and my mind doing a lot of things.My helper couldnt helped much because she was doing everything to help one of my girls that had both arms in a cast.Until that day we havent got the check for the trip. I knew that at some point I will have to leave the school to go to the goverment offices.So In the morning the school secretary told me that the check wasnt ready yet that I had to wait until 1:00 to go to the goverment offices in Old San Juan.After that I was supossed to go to the goverment bank in Santurce to change the check and after that a local bank to make 3 managers checks to pay for the hotel, flights and convention and after that i had to go to the travel agent to pay. She told that I have to find someone that could drive me because if I didnt I wouldnt have enough time to all things before they close.That was my first stress.Who could drive me?? and who would get Cristian home for me?? So I had no choice my mother in law had to do it.When I called her I could tell from her voice that she was not trilled with the idea but she had no other choice. oh well………. One of the teachers that went with me to the convention got Cristian home and it was a good thing because I didnt get home until 6:00. . Ok continuing with the day before my mother in law came to pick me up at school at 1:00 I had to make her wait until the secretary called the person in charge. Surprise ! She was at lunch, so I said to the secretary that I was leaving and I was going to wait at the goverment office until they gave the check. Got there and they were waiting for the messenger to deliver the check and guess what? He was at lunch until 2:00. All this time I was in comunication with the school secretary and she was calling the office. They gave me the check at 2:30.Imagine how happy my mother in law was ans she keep telling me. The good news was that I didnt have to go the goverment bank because it was a check for less than 10,000 and we could go to the local bank directly or so they say. So we went to one of the banks closest to the travel agent.Filled out all the necessary papers and got to the teller. She took the check and all the papers. Some minutes later she came back to tell me that the check had to clear in order for her to change it and give me the managers checks and that it would take 3 days. Imagine my reaction leaving the next morning at 7:00am.I looked at her and told her no no no you dont understand Im leaving tomorrow at 7:00 am I need the money.I told her that the school did that all the time and they never has a problem.The reason for that was that they went to the goverment back first but ZIt wasnt my fault I was following instructions.I was in panic it was after 3:30 the goverment bank has already close and the school administrator( plan B) has already left school.What I was going to do?? That would have left the 3 of us with no money or with our own mony to spend which I didnt have. I called the secretary and i ask what is plan B and she told me she didnt have one. The teller told me to talked to the man at the reception to see what could be done. At that time I couldnt help thinking about John and his murphy.Oh no it was following me too! Went to the man and he was extremely helpful he went to talk to the manager and later came with a solution that I really didnt understand but I followed instructionsI was soooo nervous. I was thinking maybe they shouldnt have chooses me for this job I owned a lot of money from my business to the bank( which Im paying) but anyway is our business bank.I thought if this was going to work in my favor or make it worse. Well it worked in my favor.The manager of my bank ( the oen that I have my account close home) gave the approval for them to deposit the check in my account then I had to do one of my checks( which I didnt have but they made it for me) to my name. ???? Didnt understand but if I did that they would change the check and gave the manager checks. It was almost 4:30 when I left the bank with the money.Imagine my mother in law complaining all through this.:) Anyway the only thing left was the travel agent
which we did and after that we took a long traffic jam. I was trashed and worried because I was thinking that things that start in a bad way continue to be bad.Maybe it was God telling me we shouldnt go. Many things going through my mind that I decided to ignore and try to make the most of it.No Murphy didnt follow me all the trouble that I had that day was no indication of the things to come.Everything went perfect.
To be continue…

Busy

Im very busy and its going to be this way for a few days.If I can Im going to write something before my trip.I have been reading your comments about me on John’s blog.
Now Im selling Carnival cruises ahhh ?? LOL You people are terrible!! Im looking forward to finally meet some of you. I have to write down the dates anyway you are going to remind me right ?? Got to go. Doing manyyyyyy things. Love you all!!
Nanni
Some people has asked about Carnival planes I remember seeing them in the airport and in the air approaching the island. Here is a pic. B
Beautiful ahhh?