I got my own insurance card. MY OWN. it has my name on it as principle carrier. so weird. of course, it doesn't kick in until october first, so I guess I'm not offically in real life until then. speaking of insurance companies- they SUCK. I had an impacted and infected wisdom tooth (the last one to come out) and was so miserable (I had been waiting for my new insurance to kick in) but could feel my neck stiffening as the days went by due to the infection. needless to say I panicked and called my parents for the dental insurance stuff. which turns out stopped covering me in MAY. so this was in AUGUST and I needed my tooth out now. jeremy (thank God he works for the church) asked a friend if they new anyone and that same day I had my throbbing mouth checked out by an oral surgen who said he'd so the surgery probono. Talk about relief! all I could do was squeek out the words "thank you" between tears. if there's one thing I learned from my parents it was not to take hand outs. Jeremy had to really talk me out of my misery over not being able to pay. In the end we payed a little and baked the surgen and his office my famous chocolate chip cookies. I wish that had been the end of it. I had a dry socket TWICE, and the second time was over labor day weekend and I had to call the surgen in on that sunday. It's amazing how much pain a little nerve can inflict on a person. Now, I just have a huge frickin' hole in my mouth. I'm so glad all I have to worry about now is food getting stuck in it! had an interesting 'real life' shock today. two of my hispanic students, one mexican and one salvidoranian, were pissed off at each other. but when it came to me, they had two VERY different stories. I love them both and am with them all day and work so hard with them (they are two of my best students!) I didn't know who to believe. I tell you, 16 years of catholic school education sure made me gulibile. I had to turn it over to the assistant principle, who had to write up the situation b/c there were violence threats. In the end I think I believe the salvidoranian. Ever is so sweet. It would take a LOT to piss him off. Rigoberto has some brothers who have made a...memorible... reputation at the school. on a different note, I gave a speech to the teachers today. I was so damn nervous I soaked the underarms of my shirt. ok, I'm done.