School Stories

I was a little worried that once we got up here, into the quiet and calm redwood forest, that I wouldn't have as much to write about. I wouldn't be trapped in the house nearly as much, so I might not feel the need to write out my every waking thought. Well, surprise, surprise! Because it's been nothing but action around here.

Let's start with the school stuff.

Last week, I had to call my disabilities coordinator to go over an accommodation form, but we have no reception up here. We found a payphone in town (read: on the one street with stores), some change, and I made the call. And then it started to rain. I tried to understand what she was telling me. Come to the office and have her sign this paper, and then my teacher. Or maybe just give it to the former and she'd have my teacher sign it? My brain couldn't make sense of it. Then the rain really started dumping buckets on me and my textbook and oh, I was trying not to laugh at the situation, I had to keep a straight face so we could get to all the pertinent points before I ran out of change, so I did the silent laugh/cry while trying so hard to focus on what she was saying but also trying to save my book from the serious downpour I was suddenly in the middle of and finally the call was over, but I still don't have much clue what was said, and let me tell you, I was wet. And my poor book is rather wrinkly now, despite my best efforts.

But it worked out in the end because my total lack of retention of the phone call has only solidified my need to communicate via email. Which is what I've been saying since the beginning, but no one seems to believe me until they've properly wasted their time trying to make me understand anything on the phone. I say ok, and uh-huh and yeah a lot, but I have no idea what y'all are talking about. Seriously, just email me.

So, we made sure to connect the internet before we actually moved up here, since my class is online and I can't do homework without it. But when we got ourselves in and I tried to log on, we had no connection. Panic! But then a lucky break: the teacher couldn't upload the quiz, and I'd have another two days to square away our situation and get it done. Which I did.

And then I had to submit a rather intimidating project, my very first in 13 years. I worked hard on it, went over it so many times to make sure there weren't any typos and that I'd answered everything thoroughly. I got my feedback on it yesterday and, I quote:

Grade: 20.00 / 20.00

Clear, well written and descriptive analysis. Great descriptions and excellent analysis. Well done.

WELL DONE. HELL YEAH.

So, school is going well. It's not easy, the reading is difficult for my migraine brain, I have to go over everything at least twice to make sure it's soaked in, and the videos we have to watch aren't captioned, for the most part. I'm working on remedying that situation with my disabilities coordinator, she should be able to get me some transcripts, but in the mean time, I'm fighting to understand the content through a wall of background music and overlapping chatter.

Despite the challenges, it's extremely rewarding to know I'm doing well.



Next time: Mud, fire, and other natural disasters.