Hearts and Spider Solitaire

Good news: I'm still alive. Thursday was the first turning point in my illness (FINALLY), where it didn't hurt to open my mouth so much. I still didn't have an appetite, but on Friday, that returned as well, and now today I would say that I'm 90% recovered from the mumps. Let me tell you: I REALLY hope that the mumps is one of those diseases like the chicken pox that you get once and then you NEVER get again.

From Sunday to Thursday, I was pretty much confined to my bedroom. Doing anything exhausted me (example: on Wednesday I went to the internet cafe for an hour, and when I got back, I had to take an hour and a half nap), and I was constantly dizzy and light-headed. My host mom was starting to get really worried, because I couldn't eat anything all week, but alas, yesterday changed THAT. All in all, the mumps was a horrible experience, and I hope that none of you ever have to go through it. If you do, call me, I can give you tips.

While I had the mumps, I spent my time doing several things: (1) sleeping, (2) just laying in my bed, (3) reading my Kindle, (4) checking my email/Facebook OBSESSIVELY on my Kindle, and (5) playing computer games, namely spider solitaire and hearts. I'm now on the intermediate level of spider solitaire; my winning percentage is a whopping 8% (I refuse to disclose how many games I've actually played).

I taught myself how to play hearts, and I always lose. Oh well, can't win them all! When I first started playing hearts, the computer named the other players “North”, “East”, and “West”. I decided to go on ahead and play with my friends. Thanks to all of you who played hearts with me and didn't even know it: Peter, Nicole, Andrew, Jenna, Mark, Mom, Dad, Taylor, Adrianna, Marty, Laura, Rachel, Grandma Ann, Travis, and Jess. Let me tell you – it's a LOT easier to get into the game when you're saying “DANG DAD! Why'd you have to give me the Queen of Spades?!”

In other news, remember how we got a new car? Lupe got an alarm system on it, and apparently, Ecuadorian alarm systems are more complicated than American ones. You have to type in a code or something to turn the alarm on/off, and all alarms sound the same. Not just the beep-beep-beep that you have in the US, but they bring out all the bells and whistles and sirens. It's horrible. Anyways, EVERY TIME a car alarm goes off in the neighborhood while our car is safely in it's parking spot, Pamela, my host sister, YELLS “MOMMY! EL CARRO!!!!!!” Like the car is being stolen. It doesn't matter if the car alarm that is going off is in the distance – she ALWAYS yells this, and then proceeds to run to the bathroom, open the window, and make sure that our car is still there. I'll say this – the car's alarm has never gone off unless we were in the car, or Lupe couldn't figure out how to turn it off when she turned it on.

I start teaching on Monday, which I'm really looking forward to, since this past week I've done NOTHING (besides play hearts and spider solitaire), and I'm getting a bit of cabin fever.

Thanks to all of you who sent me concerned emails and your thoughts and prayers – I truly appreciate it.

Until next time,
Spider Solitaire Sara