Rain....Mosquitos...and New Drivers

So yesterday I taught at 4, after finishing up with my own classes...then waited around to observe my classmate and give him some "constructive" feedback....then had made plans to go out with a friend. He's moving...so we had planned for me to just tag along while he arranged his paperwork and so forth. Great. So we're walking out the door....when I notice that like 4 other teachers are RUNNING outside...so Omar says: "Ah....I can't. I just can't." And I said, "What? You can't what?" He continued, "Leave. I have to stay." "Why? For what?" "They're short a teacher for this conversation class...and I can't bail." "Oh...ok. Well let's go..." So we pair up and teach the class...and finally get to leave around 930. It's too late for him to possibly get anything accomplished...so we decided to just go downtown and hang out...we sat on the bench and talked for a long time....and then agreed to part ways since the rain was beginning...and my buses were few and far between with the growing night....I boarded my bus around 1015...and prepared for the ride home. As we approached my street...I began laughing hysterically on the inside...because not only was the rain beginning downtown...it was GUSHING from the sky at uncontrollable speeds as we neared my drop off.

Not even joking...the streets were mini-floods all around me...and as the rivers washed the bus from side to side...the smoke from the cool water hitting the hot tailpipes fogged up our windows on the outside. Here I am: wearing a plaid pair of dress pants, with a lace-embroidered long-sleeved shirt and blue cami underneath. I've still got on my brown heels (thank goodness I went for the sandal version yesterday)...with my SpongeBob tote (he's been through much with me now!) full of folders, lesson plans, my wallet, the spare deoderant that saved me last round, my entire portfolio, my left-over lunch containers, and my gigantic army-hydrating sized water bottle. It was a lovely sight, I'm sure.

I put my hair in a ponytail....switched my IPOD to off...and deboarded....in an instant, I was consumed by the water that was literally up past my knees. Deciding that a rolled-up version of my pant legs might work better, I reached down to hike them up....something like a khaki over-sized bathing suit extravaganza in the middle of La Cruz del Sur...I can assure you that Houston and Guadalajara share their non-existent water-resistance/drainage capabilities....

What the heck...just make a run for it. I did....it's night....dark...and there are cars all over the place...thankfully the red light was my ally...and I crossed before too much time passed. I crossed both sides of this major highway...and dashed (as much as humanly possible in my now half-up/half-down pant leg concoction...and my eighty pound satchel at my side....the rain packed the bulge for poor SpongeBob. I walk down three streets to get to my own house...and by the time I finally arrived, my underwear (or bikini pants as our course instruction manual labels them...) were the only dry inches of my person..

"It's OK..." I told my family. I just had two baths today. They chuckled and assisted me upstairs to dry off.

I laughed the entire way thinking to myself how much I love getting caught in the rain...it's truly one of my favorite things in life...a simple pleasure that I secretly have a passion for. I didn't even try to run at the end of the journey...just clomped in my sandal-heels and gazed down at my bright pink toenails under the three feet of water that swallowed them up.

Then today...turned in the paper that was due....finished my lesson plan. Taught my class....and prepared tomorrow's items....we have our course final in the morning...so I have plans to study in about ten minutes....after this.

Anyways...so I catch my bus...and as I'm getting off....there is a new driver approaching. The car was JOLTING to and fro...and that's not a sufficient word. It was literally like going and then JERKING to a stop...the poor man in the front seat next to the teen (I'm sure it was his father)...had his head down. I think he was probably popping pills or something...not sure what...just know that the look on his hidden face was one of sincere regret...today was NOT the day for driving lessons...so told his shoulder-posture.

And on and on and on he continued driving down our major highway....stopping...and going....and halting....and onward...and woah!....and then a little more....ay...keep on.....oh no....stop....something like that. On and on.

Poor dad. Poor kid...today might be the last day he's ever allowed to fire up the engine of the beat up old black Chevy....with smoke spilling out over all of Mexico....if the clutch doesn't go, I'm pretty sure dad's had quite enough....

Ay...and HELLO MOSQUITOS....they are NOT my favorite creatures, yet they savor my gringa blood...I don't get it. Theyre awful. I think it's the rain...but I'm pretty sure the story stops here because there are about 237 of them around my body at this very moment....so good night to all. I'm off to study minus the mosquitos!