I like the Life is Good logo, and products! Today, well, for unusual reasons, was a GREAT day despite some crazy things that would normally be a BAD day. LOL. Okay, here goes, I digress (as usual).

Last time I left off trying a good pasta place Pasta i Basta. It was great. I was lucky! The week back from break, Thanksgiving, well, hard as usual but cool that we began to set up CHRISTMAS Decorations! 🙂 Speaking of this, I will not be coming home for Christmas, this bums me out as I had some sentimental gifts for my Mom, cousins, Melinda, friends, other family. Bummed. But, all things work out for a reason right? 🙂 (Keep saying that). However, I will get them the gifts I have here somehow! 🙂

Okay- so Christmas here, but, it will be cool to see how Mexico celebrates I have to admit. Speaking of WHAT A CHRISTMAS PARTY by ASF! HOLY WOW! The decorations were AWESOME, BIG SCREEN TV’s given away, Xboxes, ipods, laptops, all employees received a certificate for a TURKEY! I mean, wow! The food, seriously, despite having an adverse impact, :), I have never seen such an event for employees…WOW! I loved it! As thew week winded down, the lit magazine staff gathered and began to look through submissions!

Holy cow! We have over 60 submissions already and more from around the globe! I mean EVERYWHERE! 🙂 Friday, finally it is here! YES!

This week saw a good friend – Jen leave for her hometown of Canada. The funny thing, I had a chance to sit down with her, at a great restaurant, El Dragon (awesome authentic Chinese and wonderful to slip into a new environment just within a restaurant!) and we talked and talked and I really got to know her and she is amazing! It is amazing when you actually take time to get to know someone. I visited her apartment /penthouse. ohmygosh! A bathtub! Wood floors! it was a true penthouse and I loved, L O V E D the room there, Amazing view, amazing everything!

Saturday – Loved the day! Went on a look around to see the Angel in Reforma, and while I was reading on the steps, someone came over, wrote on a post it note “Sonrre ama y Disfruta” – she smiled at me across the way and they handed out post it notes to alot of people there….way cool! It was just nice though, I do not get what Sonrre means? Anyone? 🙂 I took some awesome pics, and then headed back. That night…

Wow. not sure what happened, but it seemed liked someone punched me in the nose, it hurt to touch it! I took like three hot showers, to try and rid myself of the migraine, and breathe in the steam. It had all the markings of a sinus infection I hoped. I looked up on the internet, and it was a cross between celulitis and sinus infection. I couldn’t lie down as the pressure was too much, and behind my nose it ACHED! I made it somehow through the night (one of those nights that seemed it would never, ever end and could not sleep!) and I literally bee lined it for the hospital next door. (One advantage of being across from the hospital!) It seemed I DID have a beginning of cellulitis, (GROAN), immediately bought antibiotics, and took them with Advil. I could literally tell the difference in a few hours, YES! I immediately went to bed despite the sunny outlook and I was OUT….

When I woke up at 2:00, I literally felt so happy to be alive, and to have slept! LOL…All through the night Dewey had been by my side, awesome! I got up, showered again (like 4 in one day!) – the hot water felt GREAT – and then headed to Condessa to El Pendula. I settled in and read a GREAT GREAT book – House of SILK by Anthony Horowitz, the first new Sherlock Holmes book in a series, and WOW! You NEED TO READ! I want to read all of Sherlock Holmes’ older ones now! – I loved El Pendula, the waiter was AWESOME – and I loved the atmosphere. Take a look at the cool appetizer, then vegetarian wrap, and then dessert . Seriously, my body ached, from the sick battle, most of you felt that way, after being utterly out of it and then it feels like your body was in a boxing match, and this place was perfectly relaxing WOW!. Food was stupendous, and was a great place to listen to music (Beatles!) and finish a book. All was great. I was not rushed, and the waiter was EXCELLENT! 🙂 I felt just sooo content and began to think…..You know. I have alot to be thankful for. Friends that are to die for in Delaware, friends here that are amazing, and there are so many people complaining about soooo much….I mean, look at the bad things that happened to me yet, you know what, pick yourself up and enjoy the good things despite that, and help others out. There are so many people that can complain a storm away, me included, yet, the weather, the food, people around you, can in fact be wonderful if you look for that. It is there. I miss my friends and family yes, ALOT, yet, if I was stressed out and answering to everyone above me, I would not be happy. It is important to have people trust you for the job you do everyday, what you are capable of, and have people challenge you to improve YOUR skills, not to make the others satisfied alone, that is a shallow place to be. Anyone that pushes another into that place for their own reasons becomes just as shallow. Good riddance to that, and hello Christmas.

The thought I am able to think about and receive about my friends are the best gifts in the world. I looked for gifts tonight for the Library cadets, and found nothing that was their value at all, and realized, I will write down the things they might not see about themselves and present that to them, in a special way, but the materialism of Christmas fades away when you push it aside and just spend time and do some creative things for and with the people that have shared things with you. Then, the material things begin to fade away and for the first time, you see what the holidays are all about and you can’t get enough time to spend with friends and family! That is satisfying.

On the walk back, I thought these thoughts, and then realized, Christmas in Mexico or Delaware, or anywhere, does not need to be Christmas without me being there. The memories, thoughts, and event I had with all those people, if they meant something, will be with them and myself wherever I go! 🙂

I hopped on the puter to update these thoughts, and ran into Lee Mayer! We talked about Zach Cain and the days of the XC team, and wow, I miss those days badly! I liked catching up on the doings of Lee, and again realized, how lucky I was to have had the chance and opportunity to spend with those students and learn so much about myself! I remember, when Zach (who tried out for XC the FIRST TIME and gave up a familiar sport) and when Lee and Zach ran together, they competed yet everyone else faded away, and it was them, the course, and Vince. That was it. You could see it in their faces. Over the years, people lose the ability to keep those important to them close to their heart, and in what they do. However, what I admired about Lee and Zach, they kept Vince alive and still kept a portion of the run for themself. Not many people do that, in XC let alone in life!

I always thought admin would be a great job, interact with students, etc,but no. I have not seen hardly any admin that are servants to the cycle of politics, being the bow down to someone else, and I never want to sacrifice my time to be able to share with someone else. I think the students at Seaford High were unbelievable and when given a curriculum that freed their minds, they could do anything in and out of school. Given freedom to soar, and being able to create a school that would allow that kind of freedom, can you imagine the possibilities? Amazing! Dreams, lol…

ASF is a great school to be able to spread your wings, but as anywhere, you have to learn to say no in some case, yes on others, and figure out which will let you grow the most. I am relieved the earthquake here was little, I did not even feel it, and I am grateful for the chance to truly experience another culture instead of out of a textbook. The thing is, this is so easy for anyone to do, the world is at people’s doorstep, and to avoid it or neglect that opportunity is such a shame! It is amazing, and Mexico can be the best and worst of places, just like teaching can be, however….it takes a group of people to stand up for what is right and what it was like to be a student and then change that results to make it better than anyone can before or after you…and the positive things start to float up….:) I have noticed about myself, when things begin to give me a hard time, it is sometimes easier to let them go, and move on to the things that matter more, people, your thoughts, time to reflect, time to enjoy. This is what makes life Good! 🙂