Snow Days

I can't believe schools closed for a WHOLE week because of weather. We got two big snow storms recently that caused closed everywhere except emergency. Basically Annie and I were stuck inside of our apartment for days. We invited Katie, Annie's sister, to join us. She stayed with us for two days. Tomorrow she have to go to work, but not for me nor Annie.

I have never been in this situation when the school was cancelled because of snow. When I lived in Utah, Utah Valley University and BYU didn't give a heart to cancel because of snow even if we got lot of snow. I recalled when I woke up and mouth fell on the floor when I saw there were lot of snow on the road and it was not plowed yet. I had to get ready FAST and drive VERY SLOWLY to get down UVU to be on time--barely. Yup, still open! But not here in Maryland.. People freaked out--for example ran to the food store to buy milk. (I believe I have mentioned recently about milk.)

We ended up got more than three feet. I'm sure more than that since second storm. Last Monday people still nervous about Tuesday. Annie and I thought it would be light snow--oh boy. Last Tuesday at eleven in the morning, I saw it was starting to snow.. SNOW! Annie and I were planning to go food store to get some food. Yikes! We got out of the apartment really FAST and zoom to get food. Oh boy, some of people beat us. Yup, milk--the same problem. We had no problem with that. We got back safe. Katie got here safe as well from her work.

We all three help each other shoveling our drive way in about every 1-2 hours. I still can't believe how much the snow build up in 1-2 hours after we shoveled. The next day we continue to do but it was SO WINDY and FREEZING. We tried to have some fun but didn't stay outside very much.

You see.. We had to hold our hoods--WINDY!

Yeah, right..

Copy Cat--but she was able to get top of the mountain of snow.

I did it! (More WINDY!)

It was scary to drive through this as hoping that somebody will see me before get in an accident.

We took some pictures for just fun. I wanted something fun. Annie was no fun. Katie wanted to play in snow. I'm one who cling to the camera. Poor my right hand holding the camera--my right hand was so red because it was so COLD. Annie helped as well. So we were going back to our apartment but I got another idea. I told Katie we have more snow behind our apartment which was much better than in the parking lot. Katie wanted to see so we went behind the apartment. I took the camera ready--we walked and heehee I pushed Katie and took the picture of her in the snow! THAT WAS SOOOO FUNNNNNY! I laughed so hard while taking pictures of her. Her face hits in the snow as well.

Annie warned me that she might get even with me later. (She didn't......I convinced her it would be worth of it because she can brag her pictures to her friends....) Oh my, when I downloaded pictures on the computer and saw that picture where I pushed Katie. I...of course burst laugh so hard.. I had to summon Katie to see why it was worth of it. Oh boy...

Eh..

Look at her face.. Oops. Her face hits in snow. Funny, right?

See, she didn't mind at all after I pushed her.

Yup...Yup..Yup.. Snow storm and very WINDY.

Good Team! Go sisters!

Look at her eye lashes!

Third floor of our apartment

Katie was sorry for dogs that had to find a place to go pee in cold weather. Annie told met hat she was able to hear the dog wheezing.. Poor dog.

During the day, we saw a man building a fort. We wanted to see what he was building but too shy. We waited until dark and went up there. The man who made the fort was awesome!

Of course, had to leave a message for the man for his cool little fort.

Well, Katie decided to go another way to go down instead using the stairs. Too steep and too much of snow..

I came to rescue her but umm..

Well, both of us struggled to get down.

I was clever--roll down instead walk down.. Amazing, it works better.

Annie decided to join with us but taking pictures of us. She somehow got stuck--almost fell..She got my reaction.

That was why...Look at her legs. Yes, I'm not kidding..

Proof

Katie tried to help her, umm.

That gave them plenty of laughs.

FINALLY!

Oh boy!

We went behind from our apartment. Katie went down for fun. I wanted to have some fun so I joined Katie. You see--steep! Gosh..

Look at my legs.. Yup, I'm not kidding.

Annie laughed at me because somehow I fell backward.

Crazy Katie.. She went over the fence and thought it was funny.

EXHAUSTED after struggled to get back up near our apartment

But not exhausted to try caught some of flakes

We went back in and stayed there for awhile until the weather settled down. We got out again and have fun playing in snow. Again, I was umm bad girl. While Annie was trying to take a picture of Katie, I grab the snow and threw it at her--umm accident that the snow went straight into her face! The camera clicked...Gosh, look at that! Precious.. Eh. Annie got another picture of me being mischievous. It was funny.. Good thing that Katie didn't mind at all. I hope she had fun time.

Umm.. I was good girl, right?

Eh, I guess I wasn't.

Katie and Annie went that way to get to the top, but I went another way--bad idea.

SWOOSH! WINDY!

So before we went back in our apartment, our driveway was CLEAR and ready for the next day. Oh boy, I was not looking forward to see my car because... TO BE CONTINUED..

Little Trip to NJ

I found this picture on the internet--Baltimore, it looked like when we picked up Katie.

Annie loved Brandi Carlile and begged to go another concert which was in NJ. I have decided to gave her birthday present--a ticket to see Brandi Carlile on February 5th. Actually it was her EARLY birthday present because her actual birthday is on March 13th.

Last week I got extremely nervous because of weather news said we will have a big snow storm coming up this weekend. Annie was confidence that there will not be any snow on that day we will drive up to NJ. I put so much faith in her by leaving on that day, 5th. Annie picked me up from school to leave for NJ. The school closed at noon because they are afraid the big snow storm has started. It started to snow but not thick enough to slick on the street yet. About half hour later, there were no snow until we arrived in NJ. I was relief that we had a safe trip to NJ.

We went to the concert and the place was different environment than two others concerts I went. The environment was on campus of a University. It was nice because I do not have to stand up for three hours. Whew. I was trying to pay attention to see if there was any improvement with my cochlear implants. There were some songs I liked and others I don't like very much. (boring songs such as repeat or lack of rhythm--but maybe it's just me)

I had a good time. We arrived at a hotel that we made a reserved because it will be very stupid of us if we leave NJ to go home which the concert ends at 11pm. AND it just started snowing on our way to the hotel. I think it was just perfect timing for us to get NJ and go to the hotel from the concert. We were ready to go bed, but I wanted to ask Annie about my listening experiences. I told Annie that I wasn't sure if it was better or not. I was able to hear the rhythm or bass, but I had difficult time to listen the voice or the details. I felt it was burry. Annie said it was same for her. After her comments, I was surprised that I was not only person who had the problem. Whew.

The next morning we found about a foot of snow on the ground and it was still snowing and fercious windy. We ended up had to stay in the hotel for another night. It was not safe to go on a trip on the thick snow roads. Oh boy!

We left last Sunday morning and the highways were nice and clear. It was plowed the highways very well until we hit one big highway in Balitmore beltway, 695. It was awful than we were on highway 95. There were three lanes but we only can use two instead. Annie wanted to pick her sister, Katie up so she can stay at our apartment for a night. Oh gosh, when we got off the highway, the roads were horrible! It looked like nobody plowed that road. (They did plow but not often enough to keep it clear while snowing..) I saw there were many people come out and tried to shovel the walk side, car, and other areas. It was chaos. We couldn't find a parking spot to park. Actually it was impossible to find one. Katie ended up had to jump in when we stop middle of the street. We got out safe. We arrived to our apartment and it was not TOO bad as Katie's area. Oh BOY!

I found out that my school and Annie's school were cancelled because of snow and icy. Guess what? Our schools cancelled AGAIN today. Possibly tomorrow because I just learned that we will get some more snow tonight and tomorrow.. Groans. Annie thinks the school will continue cancel the whole week. Funny, I don't mind at all because I have been working on Lesson Plans for my classes. Less stress for me when I start to teach. :D Oh yeah, we got over three feet of snow. Yup, it was a big snow storm for sure. People were freaked out about that. Funny part that two days before the big snow storm, people freaked out and ran to the store to buy three things: milk, salt, and shovel. Naturally those supplies ran out FASTER than a lion run for a gazelle. Some of us joked at that because didn't they have enough food in their home? Milk? You know what I mean.. I'm sure we can strive for a few days, eh?

Anyway, it's time for me to get up and start clean our apartment. Our apartment looked like it was hit by a tornado. Embarrassing..

Sound Quality

Last Tuesday morning, I went to see Steve, my audiology, for mapping. Steve gave me a hearing test then adjust mapping. I told him that I couldn't hear "SSS" or high frequency very well from last appointment he reduced high frequency. He fixed the problem and increased power for right C.I. while a little adjust on left C.I. I was hoping that the mapping will be good one because I will not see him until next six months which will be July.

Now today is Friday and are the mappings good? Funny--after left John Hopkins Hospital, I was thinking.. wow louder than we came in. Not much exciting yet because it always changes the next day after the mappings. The next day I noticed the sounds umm starting clear to me. Not very CLEAR but noticed there were more details in the sounds it made. I couldn't figure it out if the mappings are good or my listen skills has improved.

I remember two summers ago one deaf couples stop by our class to explain their cochlear implant experiences. I remember one man explained that it took him about a year get the picture clear. At first the picture was blur and couldn't figure what it was. Slowly the blur changes into a better quality of the picture. Finally after a year wearing cochlear implant, he can see the clear picture of US flag. His wife has one but it took her about a year and half to get the clear picture. It was very interesting to listen their experiences and how they made the process with their cochlear implants. (Both have only one cochlear implant.)

I couldn't understand fully how he felt about things became clear to him until now. I have noticed the sounds starting to get better quality. Still it's taking slow processing in my head to recognize the sounds from the environment around me. I'm hoping it will continue making the sounds clear. I started enjoy to listen the game effects, noticed movie people used emphasize words, uhh -- many things!

Annie got out of shower and dressed. I was in my bed and playing a game on my iPhone. I told Annie I can hear when she turned the shower on and got in. I can hear her walk away or under the water in the shower. Also I can hear when she was washing her hair or body whatever because where the water hits. The water made different when you're under or blah. Oh I don't have to explain in details.. BUT Annie was surprised how much I can hear and said..wow, that mapping must be very GOOD!

That surprised me--I think the mapping IS GOOD! I'm hoping that I will continue growing and able to get better before the next appointment this July. I really wanted to pull my dB up. Right now I'm on 35-40 dB. (Steve have been reduced LOT because of my left tingly problem.. Good news, I haven't had a tingly since last appointment.) Steve said my mind is still learning and hoping it will changes. One thing was interesting when Steve said having biliteral will take longer to process than unbil. INTERESTING! I should keep my mind about that!

New Experiences

Yes, that's me teaching the class. (3rd grade)

Today I had a chance to teach 3rd grade deaf kids for 70 minutes at deaf school. GOSH! For two whole weeks, the class has squashed me badly. Umm I think I have exaggerated on that part, grins. I'm safe to say the class had grilled me to a well-done burger, not a burned burger.

I was anxious about teaching the kids for a whole week before today. I couldn't bear the horrible images in my head. All of those images were filled of being failure nor out of control with kids. I had to make lesson plans (individual lesson for one content such as math, science, language art, etc), SRP (prepared lessons for two weeks or depends on themes how long to teach that topic), and other things. I hate to do SRP. Groans.

Top of all, I'm extreme SCARED to teach the special needs kids in middle school starting in two weeks for my internship. My internship will last ten weeks. I'm swallowing my own spits for a "gulp" as knowing the day is coming up so quickly as a cheetah chasing a gazelle. Gosh. Why am I comparing with everything?! What's heck wrong with me? I think I'm experiencing nervous breakdown at that moment.

Breathing in and out. If you haven't hear from me in ten weeks, then you'll know why. Obviously I might be burden by the ocean----way deeper than the color of blue (or cyan). I think I better stop blah blah over being scared. Okay, when I was teaching the kids and it surprised me greatly.

You must wondered why I said it has surprised me. Um, I was surprised how much I enjoyed being teaching the kids. It has opened my eyes and knew I made the right decision by choosing this career. Lately I was battling with myself that I really do not want to teach kids because of lot of work, meetings, papers work, etc. I know it sounds lame but I'm afraid that I was not good enough for this.

Oh boy! I guess I can make it work. Eh, that means I need to improve many areas such as my English, creative how to teach, or how to find the resources to use for the lesson. My English is poorly and it made more difficult for me to be vulnerable to show my weakness of English. Cured to myself!

One of my classmates made my day bright by telling me that I HAVE to teach elementary because of my teaching skills. Another classmate mentioned that she noticed the kids draw me than two others students teaching. My "team" classmate said that I'll be a good mother, eh. So I guess they liked how I did with my "borrowed" kids this morning. That's what I had for this morning--I taught 3rd grade for 70 minutes. (Well, not really...whole 70 minutes because I have a team to teach and we takes a turn to teach the lesson.) Anyway, I did it, liked it, and happy that I had wonderful new experiences.

iPhone Application

Annie scolded me for being lazy that I didn't blog about my experience from last night. Well, I'm going to tell you what happened but do not get too excited.

Last night I was playing with my iPhone game application. I noticed one application Annie put on my iPhone and I haven't seen it before. It was a music application that can make a listing depend on the mood what I want to listen. I was playing with it and see how it works. I thought it would be neat if I could listen the music while I play the game on my iPhone. Nice!

After I fixed the mood setting on the program and started to play the game. I think second or third song made me stop the game. I was puzzled and tried to focus the music. I wasn't sure myself but something familiar about this song. At that moment, I was haste because I was not sure if I was right about the song. I checked the music what it called.. True ENOUGH! I was right and it was "For Good" from Wicked! I laughed at myself that I got it right by listening the song!

"For Good"

I had to share with Annie and she asked me how I knew it was. I was not sure how I identify but somehow almost end of the music, the witch sang "for good" that reminds me of theater when I went last November. Amazed! But it's only tiny step and it's not a ball rolling down the hill yet.