Today (or yesterday rather) I taught an ESL class that Lindsey Hearst had been teaching for the last 8 weeks, around 12 students, eager to learn. We started on Christmas vocabulary (eggnog, reindeer, the essentials), and also practiced two songs that we’ll be doing for the closing program: Jingle Bells and Joy to the World.
Then, rather to the chagrin of my dear wife, I invited some friends over to play Settlers of Catán. Doing such a thing on a school day is frowned upon…but Mayra got over it quickly, because she won the first game. Oh, and David and Enrique helped the kids with their homework so we could start.
We picked Wednesday because that’s when Fabián said he could play. I gave him a brand new Settlers game that I had just sitting around for his birthday recently, and he wanted to play with it. I had previously “discipled” him, too well I’m afraid, because it only took him three games to win. Actually, I’ve become a bit concerned that a number of people I’ve taught are becoming just a bit too stingy with the wheat, a bit to monopolizing with the ore…becoming downright nasty when it comes to trading with me.
Guess I gotta switch games and up the learning curve a bit.
Anyway, Fabián never did get here. Apparently it rained and flooded out the highway from Mexico City to here. We’ll have to re-schedule. I said I’d quit when I lost two straight games, and that happened around 11 p.m. tonight (or last night, rather).
Settlers also is why I am still awake at 12:25 a.m. Remembering the time I missed picking up an ore when a 6 was rolled. Wondering why 3s and 11s where so popular, etc… They say that when you play strategy games, your mind goes into overdrive. I believe that.
Just read that the phrase “like a deer caught in your headlights” has a new relevance to co-workers Jim and Shari Cottrill, because they apparently hit one today, not hard , but hard enough to break a headlight. You can keep them in their prayers as they cross two borders on their way back down from Canada.
