I was taking a "psychic test" online last night as I waited for my hot chocolate to cool down enough to drink. I took 4 tests. On each test I had to choose 1 out of 5 cards that was going to come up next. There were 10 tries. Every time I got 1 out of 10 correct. What's the chances of that? Maybe pretty high I've never understood probability or statistics. This morning the web page was still up so I tried it one more time. I got 0 of 10. The comment after wards was "You are incredibly psychic to get every single one wrong! Are you channeling negative energy?" Stupid fake internet psychics- I'll show them negative energy . . .

I'm so looking forward to spring break- another week and a half to go. I need a week to lay around and get bored. I need a week to clean my apartment, to watch tv, to finish some of my many projects, to wander around in the spring air aimlessly.

Yesterday one of the lower level students asked me, "Why is the post office?" I looked at her. She looked at me. I waited for her to finish the sentence, she waited for me to start one. Then she said, "Where is the post office?" Well, that was a much easier question to answer. Why is the post office? to be sure, it is hard to say.

Often in grammar class my students try to convince me that the wrong answer is right, and the right answer is wrong. Yesterday it was This sentence, "We were working on our assignment for three hours when a girl ran in and told us there was a fire." What's wrong? Well, according to most native speakers nothing. I mean, I would say this sentence and think nothing of it. According to TOFEL and standard American (formal) grammar, it's wrong. Well, la-tee-da.

My students tried to convince me that it was "there was a fire." Shouldn't it say "there is a fire?" I said no. In reported speech everything is in past tense. Well, there are a few exceptions, but let's just say . . . no. I told them it was "We were working on our assignments for three hours when . .. " part. It needs to be past perfect progressive because we are talking about two past times,(past perfect) one of the activities occurred over an amount of time (progressive.) Let me tell you, it's a good thing I have to teacher's edition.