So here's an update as to the adventures with my car this past week:
Wednesday morning it breaks down while I was on my way to school. As much as it stunk, I could not have asked for a better location or better timing. I was only going about 20mph when it started slowing down, made it off the road before it stopped, and no one was around so I wasn't worried about someone hitting me. I called AAA, got it towed for free (they were there within 10 minutes), and I was in the classroom within an hour.
Thursday, my mentor teacher's husband checks out my car--timing belt is broken.
Friday, my car gets towed to "Doctor-D's" as recommended by a teacher at Ashton.
Saturday, Doctor D calls and says I have about a 50/50 shot of it being okay.
Monday, no word (praying like crazy).
Tuesday, I get a call from Doctor D telling me to go play the lottery. My car will be fine with a couple new belts and ready by Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday, I pick it up and everything seems fine so far! Just in time to drive to the airport to go home tomorrow! I am so blessed.
To top it all off, I was not only taken to church and our connect group on Sunday by someone I had just met a few times, but I was also offered a brand new truck to drive around until mine got fixed by one of the guys there. To say I am blessed and supported is an understatement. I never realized how many people had my back down here. From the rides to and from school, to church and the connect group, to and from dinner, etc. it became really obvious. This past week has definitely allowed me to open my eyes to all of that.
Oh and did I mention the RETIRED TEACHER's GARAGE SALE? No? Well let me explain. A local teacher retired and had a garage and driveway full of books and materials that she wanted to get rid of. I left with a box full of books, unifix cubes, counters, etc. She was incredibly nice and even gave Caitlyn and I a box of themed lessons and activites to split for free! The materials in there were incredible and that alone was worth going for!
On a sadder note, we did have to say goodbye to our new friend, Autumn this week :(. She was only doing half of the program here so she had to leave last week. It's weird thinking that she won't be here for our weekend adventures anymore. But I'm glad we had a nice night at the Ringling mansion with everyone before she left. I'm sure she'll have a great experience at Crestview and I'll see her in December!
In the classroom: taking over has gone really well, but I'm still struggling with finding a balance between trying my own thing and doing what my MT thinks I should do. The kids are still obsessed with fall leaves and snow, which most of them have never seen nor played in. The observation with my supervisor went really well last week, it just didn't count as a formal observation. As much as I want to be frustrated that the one observation that she liked isn't counting towards my grade, I can't be upset because it did go so well (the kids loved it, I couldn't get them to stop at the end, and they truly remembered the material).
They loved the gravity lesson yesterday as well. In my opening questions, I realized they already knew more than I thought they would, so I changed it up on the spot. I had them giggling, jumping up and down, and yet still learning more complex issues about gravity. Even the boy who speaks little English wanted to participate and come up in the front of the room. He is starting to open up so much more, at least in Math and Science.
Tomorrow is my first day without my MT there. It should be good finally getting to truly take over with the sub there. Tomorrow is also Carnival day, which I am sad to miss, but not sad that I'm going HOME!! I cannot believe it is already here, or that I've already completed over half of my time here. Praying for safe travels and a nice break at home. But for now it's time to finish up plans for next week.
iHasta luego!
Sorry to hear about your car. You were pretty lucky that nothing worse happened, other than a broken timing belt. How old is your car anyway? The timing belt might have broken because of age and wear and tear. I suggest you check your car on a regular basis, like once every month. That way, you can properly monitor the performance of your car and if there is a car that needs to be repaired or replaced soon. Here’s an added tip: do not rev up your car’s engine whenever you start it up. This can quickly shorten the lifespan of your car’s engine, even more so if you do it in the cold season.
ReplyDelete@Erwin Calverley
I agree with you Erwin. If you schedule a regular maintenance of your car, you will be able to spot any possible damage. In that way, you can prevent it from worsening, and you can also evade potential car repair expenses.
ReplyDeleteDelsie Maidens
Good thing it wasn’t any major car problem at all. Still, you would not have experienced it had your car regularly been checked for maintenance. I hope your car is now fine.
ReplyDelete-Stelle Courney
Doctor D sounds like an amazing repair shop! No wonder it got recommended to you. Word of mouth can certainly be a deciding factor because it usually comes from a satisfied customer. Anyway, how’s the car now? Maybe you should also let Doctor D check and inspect the car on a regular basis.
ReplyDelete@Michelina Douglass
Stelle has a point. It is indeed a good habit to have your car regularly maintained. In that way, you can avoid worse car problems, which can cost you a lot of money to repair. It will also make you notice the dirt you overlook sometimes, thus car molds will be avoided.
ReplyDeletePatrick Gauer