Week 14

Day 91: Nov 9, 2014

Well, the rain came back today so I spent most of my day inside. However, that did mean that I was able to finish my slippers and felt them. I, also, got to spend some quality time with Jade (one of the 10-year-olds) and her American Girl dolls which was fun. To top the relaxing day off, the Packers slaughtered the Bears. I was hoping to go to a game night tonight but then I realized that I was only going to be there for a half hour before I would have to go to bed so I ended up staying in my room and harvested some pomegranate seeds for a snack tomorrow morning. It is amazing how many seeds can come out of one fruit. Well, it is supposed to be sunny for the next 3 days so I am going to try to get plenty of sleep tonight so I won't have to take a nap tomorrow afternoon.

Day 92: Nov 10, 2014

Oh man, it was cold today. The ice is beginning to form on the bricks in the morning. Luckily, I have learned where the icy spots tend to be so I can avoid them like the plague. The day was pretty average otherwise. Although, I did play chess with Jade and won (just barely). The daily cuteness was provided by Leif. We had set up some chairs for a skit at vespers and Leif just went right up to them, sat there, and even invited Chris (one of the parents of a high schooler) to sit next to him. Leif then proceeded to cross his legs just like Chris. It was so cute that I had to get a picture. I was part of the skit today in vespers. I was the driver of a vehicle that first picked up Jesus and then some villagers. I, then, promptly forgot that I had picked him up until everyone had been dropped off. I am not really sure how it connected to the story of building on solid rock rather than sand but, whatever, not my problem. The evening was capped off with a presentation about someone's trip to the Ukraine. It was very interesting to hear about her work (she was an election observer).

Day 93: Nov 11, 2014

It snowed today! Daily cuteness: Hannah (the 2 year old) was wearing a tutu at dinner tonight and at one point when I looked over, she was dancing. It was so cute,

Day 94: Nov 12, 2014

Well, the troops are starting to leave. One of my remediation regulars left today. He was the first of the group. He always ordered a hazelnut and caramel latte. But, it was not goodbye forever. He, as well as many others, will be back in May when the snow melts. A pretty awesome thing happened at the cart today, though! Lately I have been working on learning the geology of the area and more about metamorphic and igneous rock in general. I was working on it a little when one of the remediation guys asked me what I was working on. It turned out that he is a geologist by training and actually had a scientific paper about the geology of the Holden mine in his backpack. He even let me borrow it. I ended up making a copy of it so that I could take notes directly on the page. Since it is a scientific paper, there are things that I don't know or things that are pretty dense so I find it easier to make note of things I will need to ask about directly on the reading. Highlighting and making notes also slows down my reading so I can actually take in the information a little better. I started reading during my shift but then had to move on the other things. In the afternoon I spent probably about 3 hours darning the crotch area of a pair of my jeans. As much fun as it was, I am happy that I only had one pair to do. Other than that it is really cold here (the low is hovering just above zero) so I am starting to layer up.

Day 95: Nov 13, 2014

It is so cold in my room. I think it got below 5* today and I don't think the electric heater can handle the load from the village. Even my radiator is barely warm to the touch. Luckily, I have plenty of blankets and a hot water bottle so I can preheat my bed. Hopefully, it will warm up soon. It can't snow if it is as cold as it is. At least I don't have to work outside so it really could be worse.

Day 96: Nov 14, 2014

Daily Cuteness: It was so cute! Leif was hanging out in the coffee shop today and he decided that he wanted to help me so I invited him behind the counter. I gave him a small espresso cup filled with steamed milk and he sat on my stool and “took orders”. It was so great. Today, the bus was filled with friends and it was wonderful to have them back. The village is so much more alive now. In the afternoon, I spent my time making a wreath out of pinecones and some greenery. I think it turned out really nice. It is still freaking cold but my room was warm enough today that I could sit in my room without freezing.

Day 97: Nov 15, 2014

I watched Space jam this morning and it was pretty fantastic! Just as I was about to finish it, Mark came in to ask if I wanted to come play pool with him, his little brother, and James. I kinda felt bad because every time this week that he has invited me to things I have been either busy or about to go to bed so I said I would go as soon as my movie was over. I ended up being there before they were so I just practiced and tried to get the balls in the pockets. Basically, I was happy if I was able to hit the cue ball and then have the cue ball hit the ball I wanted it too. It was still fun but the pool hall isn't heated so I was wearing my mittens, a scarf, and my hood. The guys brought a space heater and, thinking that it would help immediately, they were not properly attired. I had the forethought to realize that it would have taken a hundred space heaters to make any difference in such a large space with a concrete floor. In the afternoon we watched Frozen with the new girl, Hallie, because she had never seen it before and had the afternoon off. Other than that, the evening was capped off with a wonderful chat with Alex, a short game of Taboo played before Vespers, and an evening activity of Minute to Win It. Minute to Win It was great. So basically you have a minute to complete certain challenges. For example, in one challenge six ping pong balls are put into a kleenex box that is tied around your waist and resting on your butt. The goal is to get all of the balls out in less that a minute and before your opponent. Another challenge was where you had to get a piece of dessert bar from your forehead to your mouth without using you hands (I tried this later and could do it but it is really hard). One of the kids that did it is five and he decided that his wrists didn't count as using your hands. We cheered when he “completed” the challenge anyway. The challenge I completed in was one where you had to bounce a ping pong ball on the table and then have is stick to a piece of peanut butter toast. I went last so I was able to watch strategies a little bit. I learned that it is best if the ball bounces more than once (then there is less force trying to rip the ball off of the toast and the distance between bounces is less so chances are higher that it will bounce in the right spot. I ended up going for quantity to balls thrown rather than quality of the throw. My idea was that if I could send twice as many balls down because I was using both hands or throwing more than one at a time, then my chances of sticking more than four would be greater. I know my aim isn't the best but it doesn't matter too much if you are increasing your odds at other points in the challenge. It worked out well for me. I think I got six or eight to stick. I didn't really count after five. It was so much fun! Almost as great, if not better, was the fact that when I walked into my house it was warmer than it had been! Don't get me wrong, it is still too cold for a living space but it is better. I hope everyone had a great week!