Being an Adult

This is a very random post, but I just finished balancing all of my bank accounts. While that might not sound like a huge task, believe me it is. I have several bank accounts with which I have to keep up with to make sure I don't run myself into a hole. While I think of myself as most of the time money conscious, I know of some people who wouldn't agree.

Before I moved away from home (not counting college), I didn't really worry about my bank accounts. If I went to the grocery store, I could always call home and let them know and money would some times magically appear in my bank accounts. Since moving to California, I have not done that once, and I guess I didn't realize how much that saved me from actually having to make sure that there was nothing in the RED. (One more thing that I am realizing to be grateful for.)

When I moved out to California, I opened two other bank accounts, so I could keep the money that I have already separate from the money I make as a US-2. Now that I have those two accounts and my two accounts from my PC life (pre california), it can get a little hectic keeping everything straight. For example, I was very worried that my California checking account was going to go over how much I actually had, I took money from my PC accounts and transfer to my IC (in california) account. Maybe some of you are familiar with the phrase "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" that is exactly what I did. Now I have to pay my PC account back, so I will be square with myself.

I am lucky enough to have a mother who is very mindful of where the family money goes. She came up with this cool Excel spreadsheet to do the family finances. She told me when I moved out here that I should use it too. Well, I did faithfully for about a month. I decided after last weeks "robbing" I should start keeping track again. I had not entered any new purchases for a month and she tells me that I have to enter everything in, not just change the numbers to reflect what they are now. This process took me about 4 hours, just trying to get everything right.

Wow what it takes to be a responsible adult with the money that I am making. Grant it, it shouldn't be that hard to keep track to the check I recieve, but I guess old/bad habits die hard i.e. not watching the bank balances.

Some might know already, this week has shaped up to be a very hectic, eventful and tiring week at work, so I will post on those events later. I still am trying to get my apartment in picture perfect order...hopefully by the beginning of next week.

Grace and Peace

Room 22 (clink clink)

The clink clink is supposed to be the sound on Law and Order (c'mon, you know what I am talking about!) As I have said before, Room 22 is the time out room, which I sort of think is pointless. Why send a girl out of class, when that is what they want and you redirect them, they start doing work. Well this blog begins, with 5th period today. I now have 5 kids in that period (and my boss said that one of our kids is equal to 4 kids with behavior problems in a "regular" school). Anyway, the students know my rules and that I don't send people to Rm. 22. Each day the girls also have a point sheet that they carry from class to class. Each point sheet has boxes on it for positive or negative checks.
I think until today, the most checks I have given one student is three. Today, this one student would not follow the directions, after many redirects and many choices given by me. I have to say that choices usually end up being what I want them to do, but in a way that they think it is what they want to do (so it is a win-win situation). So after 3 checks in the not following directions category and many redirects, this student would not do her work and she was affecting the performance of other students in the class. I did the thing that I said I wouldn't do, I called for a Rm. 22. (I know you are in shock right now).
Now I know why other teachers send the girls to Rm. 22 so much, it makes everything easier. But if I wanted an easy job, I wouldn't have 1. become a teacher and 2. become a missionary.

This weekend I watched The Inconvenient Truth, about Global Warming, it was a very compelling movie. I recommend it for everyone. It wasn't very partisan either, it was just straight facts. An interesting fact is that if the glaciers, the western part of Antarctica or the same amount of Greenland melts like the scientist say then my house in Corpus would be ocean front property. I think that sustainability may become one of my top "things" now. Now I just have to find somewhere that needs my help. This coming Saturday, the Claremont Theological Seminary is showing The Ground Truth, which is about Iraq war veterans that oppose the war. This is a very partisan movie, but it should be interesting.

And now for something lighter. Today I made orange juice, but I don't have a pitcher. So I improvised, much like cutting my kitchen door open. I had a fruit juice container that was empty and finally got the juice out of the carton and into the juice bottle. Not that amusing, but I felt good that I could make something healthy and improvise!

Grace and Peace!

Friends

I realize that it has been awhile since the last post, but I have good news...I have friends now. And these aren't just the ones at work. I met Lauri and Nathan at church this past Sunday. Lauri is going to Fuller Seminary and Nathan attends Claremont Seminary. Lauri approached me at church and asked if I go to school in Claremont (for some reason this is always the first question I am asked). I told her no, I am a US 2 missionary and she got so excited because she wanted to be a US 2, but the year that she would have applied was the year that there wasn't a class. She invited me to coffee on Tuesday and I have to say it was just nice to have someone to talk to. The next night, a friend of hers from Wesley Seminary in Washington DC was in town, so we had dinner at her and Nathan's apartment. Since they are all seminary students, it was a lot of theological conversation and they said sorry many times, but I told them it was nice to actually hear people talk and not have to talk to myself all the time.

Friday night I met some of their other friends and we went to this Salvadoran restaurant called La Chelona. (See above picture.) It was an interesting experience because other than one girl who was fluent in Spanish, I was the only other one who could talk to the waitress. It was a good experience, even with all of the mis-communication. We then went back to a girl's apartment and just talked. It was mostly catch-up time for the friends and a lot more theological banter.

Lauri works at the Salvation Army and wants me to start teaching GED classes in the Spring. I will earn coupons that they hand out to those that come in for assistance. I am looking forward to that, another thing that I can do to help people. This group of friends is very socially justice oriented. A few weeks ago there was this huge rally for hotel workers and two of the girls were arrested for civil disobedience. While that may never happen to me (but never say never, right?) I think I might have finally found a group of friends that will help me get more aware of the area and more involved in issues that I believe are important.

I am still trying to get my apartment all clean at once so I can post pictures of the apartment. Maybe this coming week. I am also getting excited for several things. One, I get to see my family and a best friend in three weeks -- the countdown has begun. Two, NCAA basketball is beginning soon and that means that March is getting closer!

Grace and Peace!

Hawaii

I would love for this first line to say -- Yea!!! I am going to Hawaii, but it does not. Yesterday, I checked my mail and I had a card from a lady all the way in HI. She even sent me soup labels because she remembers sending DMH labels a long time ago. She said that there was an article in the Circuit West, the conference news paper. I also got a card from a lady at the church where I made the presentation. It sometimes amazes me how many people are praying for us as US-2s.

Prayers are much needed, especially for the girls at DMH. These are the girls who know from experience that life is not fair. It really is interesting to learn why some of the girls are here. It is about even between girls placed by the county child services and girls that are on probation for everything from truancy and suspension to possession of crystal meth and multiple assault arrests. One of my students told me the other day, that she doesn't like when people say it is easy to be sober and stay on the "good path" because they don't know what her family is like. She said that most of her family is on drugs and she has been around it for most of her life (17 yrs). While the US-2s need prayers, the people that are being served, I think need prayers also.

My apologies for such the somber post. But I do have some happy news (for all of you from Southwestern that read this). I will be attending SOS, which is at homecoming. I know in a previous post I said I wasn't attending, but I changed my mind. So I am excited to see my friends from SU and my brother!!

Grace and peace!