Minute Rice Miracle

I have been through a WHIRWIND weekend.  Seriously, things have been crazy around here.  Friday was my first day of summer vacation.  I think that I must have some "start-of-break-bad-luck" because it did not start well.  The first day of my winter break included me finding out that my ear was severely infected and I nearly cracked my head open from smacking it on a shelf in my room.  This time around, for summer break, I spilled orange juice on my laptop.  I nearly had a heart attack! I cleaned up the juice as fast as I could move and then I tried to turn the computer on...nothing.  I then proceeded to invert the computer and get my phone out to read about what I should do.  This is when I really did freak out: apparently you are NOT supposed to try to turn it on.  This can fry the circuits and reek all sorts of havoc.  I tried to remain calm as the other advice is to: invert the computer, take the battery out, clean what you can, and wait...for a long time.

So, I took several deep breaths and decided since all I could so was wait, I would wait and go about doing everything that I wanted to do.  I went into the middle school to talk with my cooperating teacher for next semester. I am going to be starting my part-time student teaching in the fall semester and so I wanted to learn about my teacher's expectations of her student teachers and get some of the materials that I would be using next semester.  I am really excited to be back at the same school and I can't wait to get started.  I will be teaching 8th grade math and helping out in honors algebra.  I am so excited! When these kids mention who they had for 8th grade math, they are going to say: Me! 

After this, I got back, tried to avoid looking at my sad upside-down computer, and I got ready to go for a run.  I had been wanting to try a 10 mile run for a while.  I already did 7 and so I decided that 3 more miles could not be so bad.  I mapped out a great route that took me all over Madison and I headed out.  The run, like my morning, did not get off to a great start.  About 1 mile into the run, I tripped in the middle of the street and wiped out.  I scraped my knee and my hands, but there wasn't any serious blood, so I kept going.  After about 3 miles, in the arboretum, there was so much crap flying into my eyes and getting stuck in my contacts that I had to ditch the contacts and finish the run with my poor eyesight to guide me.  And, finish it, I did! After a shaky start, I went on to finish the run with a 10 minute mile pace and I felt great! I was not at all sore and I was so happy that I did it! I ran the whole time and it was an overall success.  Now, I know that I can totally kick the butt out of my first half-marathon and I can't wait!

The cookie bars...after we attacked them :)

Following my run, I went about packing the rest of my stuff into my car, including my sad, still not turning on, computer, and getting ready to head out on the road to Milwaukee for the Cubs v. Brewers game with some of my lovely girl-friends in the school of ed.  We had a fun tailgate and I brought some Lunch Lady Cookie Bars made with white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate chips.  Unfortunately, my Cubbies lost, but it was still a good time.  I stayed the night at my friend's house in Milwaukee.  We stuck my computer in a bunch of Minute Rice that night and then prayed for it to help.  Then, I went to the second Brewers v. Cubs game the next day with Bri and his family! Lots of baseball...and the Cubs lost...again!

After the game, Bri and I drove back to Chicago and I was finally HOME for summer :).  That night, we got to see my little brother play in a Stevie Wonder tribute band at a great restaurant/bar.  It was a fun night and I got to indulge in an awesome bison burger...yum!  After the show, we went home, and my little bro tried to turn my computer on...and...IT TURNED ON!!! It's a little sticky, but it's ALIVE. I was so relieved that I almost cried.  I was missing my computer so much and I was terrified of losing my latest photos.  I was finally able to breathe easily again and I could get back to my blog! 

So, there you have it, my reason for being a little MIA for a while.  Thankfully, there was a happy ending to all these shenanigans and my summer is finally back on track to being relaxing and awesome.