Rebecca hates the school computers.

[rebecca_in_blue]

Various countries recognize February 5 as International Pancake Day this year (it's held on the same day as Mardi Gras, don't ask me why). I found this out yesterday and got a craving for pancakes, and since I can make some pretty delicious pancakes in the United States, I figured I could do just as well in France, right? Wrong. I realized halfway through that I had used crepe mix, not pancake mix, and apparently dressing a crepe up in some extra flour does not make it a pancake. If I had been the only one to eat them, I wouldn't have cared, but I was cooking them for the other assistants, because we decided yesterday to have breakfast for dinner (Mariana made French toast, which was as good as my pancakes were bad). The results were not pretty, but Heather and Marlene ate them anyway, which I appreciated.

I'm behind on e-mails to several people, and it looks like it may be a while before I can catch up. The school computers have all had very sporadic e-mail access lately. We think 1) it's a problem with the computers themselves, or 2) the school's internet provider (the Académie of Amiens) doesn't want us accessing our e-mail. If it's the latter, then I'm going to have to find some way to get in touch with the Académie and ask them what moron said, "Hey, the school computers are used by foreign assistants who are miles away from their family and friends, so why don't we block their e-mail access?" Right now it breaks down like this...

There are six computers in the school's computer room.
One can access both Google Mail and Hotmail.
Two can access Google Mail but not Hotmail.
Two cannot access Google Mail or Hotmail.
One is only for decoration and has not worked the entire time I've been here.

And I can't forward my Hotmail e-mails into Google Mail account because that would make things too easy. But fortunately I can still access this journal from all of them and YouTube from three of them, so all is not lost, but I sure am homesick for the LSU computer lab right now. Hundreds of computers with Photoshop and Windows Movie Maker, so I could scan photos and make icons and YouTube videos to my heart's content.

Comments

[makebeliever.livejournal.com]

Poor Boo! I was wondering why you hadn't written me back yet. I hope they start working again soon. You need to have a talk with The Gatekeeper.

[rebecca-in-blue.livejournal.com]

If only the Gatekeeper could do something about it, the problem might actually get fixed. But she's only in charge of the gates, not the computers.

[(Anonymous)]

Rebecca, I used your london mug at Grandma's house yesterday(Sat.). She is using it and thinking of you when she does, it's not a dust catcher. We went over yesterday because the kitchen side of the yard was not draining, the roots of that big tree outside her kitchen door needed to be chopped back it took John 2 hours but we got a canal flowing now. Her kitchen is full of light without the awning of the kitchen porch, you will be surprised how nice the house looks when you get back. We plan on going to the Mardi Gras Children's parade at 2:30 today, remember those days? Eva is excited. Eva is singing at church today in a choir made up of 8-12 year old girls. She is planning to write a letter to you, I'll let you know when it gets mailed. All our love, aunt connie

[rebecca-in-blue.livejournal.com]

Of course I remember, every year on Ryan Street, in front of the Baptist Church (or the Methodist Church or whatever it is). I went with Eva last year, and I think they throw a lot less candy in parades nowadays than they did when I was a kid. I blame the rise of childhood diabetes in recent years. I look forward to Eva's letter. I mailed you all a little postcard last week, it doesn't say much, but I hope you enjoy it.